Multivariate analysis of equity in public elementary and secondary school finance

This study approached the concept of equity in public elementary and secondary school finance as a complex, multi-variable phenomena. The purpose of this study was to develop a procedure for determining whether or not an equitable distribution of current expenditure per pupil in a state had been achieved based upon the interrelationships of multiple fiscal, non-fiscal school and community variables, and pupil output measures. Six orthogonal factors, derived from principal components analysis and varimax rotation of 24 school and community variables from 131 Virginia school districts during the 1987-88 school year, became the independent variables in multiple regression analysis with school finance data and student output data as the dependent variables. Community Type, Fiscal Capacity, and Economic Composition of a District Population accounted for 61% of the variability in current expenditure per pupil and 63% of the variability in the percentage of students planning to attend a four year college. Over 70% of the variability in Achievement Test Scores was accounted for by Black Family Structure, Fiscal Capacity, Economic Composition of a District Population, and Community Type characteristics.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Research, Evaluation, and Policy Studies

Department dc:contributor.department

Educational Research, Evaluation, and Policy Studies

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

1990

Author dc:creator

• Hughes, Mary F.

Chairs dc:contributor.committeechair

• Hereford, Karl T.
• Salmon, Richard G.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Cross, Lawrence H.
• Alexander, M. David
• Rich, Richard C.

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

etd-08252008-162024

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/39233