ERIC Number: ED573783
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 60
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Comparisons of Student Achievement Levels by District Performance and Poverty. ACT Research Report Series 2016-11
Dougherty, Chrys; Shaw, Teresa
ACT, Inc.
This report looks at student achievement levels in Arkansas school districts disaggregated by district poverty and by the district's performance relative to other districts. We estimated district performance statistics by subject and grade level (4, 8, and 11-12) for longitudinal student cohorts, using statistical models that adjusted for district demographics and the percentage of students in the analysis. We found that differences in these performance statistics across districts at each poverty level were large enough to be of practical importance to educators and policymakers. Variations in district performance statistics was sometimes greater in lower-poverty districts, but this was not consistent across subjects and grade levels. We also calculated unadjusted descriptive student achievement statistics--average scores and percentages of students On Track or Far Off Track--for districts classified as above or below average based on the district performance statistics. Differences in these unadjusted statistics were also large enough to be of practical importance. However, even in above-average districts, the majority of students in moderate- and high-poverty districts did not reach On Track benchmarks for college readiness in mathematics, reading, and science. This is reason to pay increased attention to promising but often underemphasized approaches to improving student outcomes. Appended to the report are: (1) Descriptive Statistics on Students in the Analysis; (2) Descriptive Statistics on Districts in the Analysis; (3) Supplemental Data Tables; and (4) Fixed-Effect Coefficients from Statistical Models.
Descriptors: Academic Achievement, School Districts, Poverty, Grade 4, Grade 8, Grade 11, Grade 12, Longitudinal Studies, Statistical Analysis, School District Wealth, College Readiness, Age Differences, Racial Differences, Special Education
ACT, Inc. 500 ACT Drive, P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, IA 52243-0168. Tel: 319-337-1270; Web site: http://www.act.org
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Numerical/Quantitative Data
Education Level: Grade 4; Intermediate Grades; Elementary Education; Grade 8; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Grade 11; High Schools; Grade 12
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: ACT, Inc.
Identifiers - Location: Arkansas
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A