Student Growth on a Statewide Progress-Monitoring Assessment System by District: Median Income, Minority Enrollment, Setting, and Title I

The study analyzes student growth in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics at the district level (n=67) in the State of Florida. The student growth is compared to the differences between the districts in terms of (1) median income, (2) minority enrollment, (3) setting, and (4) Title I eligibility. The correlation between student growth and these characteristics used the Pearson correlation coefficient across the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Furthermore, the average student growth seen at the district level was analyzed by tracking the variation in both ELA and mathematics. Districts with a city or suburban setting have on average the greatest student growth. The effect of median income is near zero for reading, while mathematics has a slightly stronger correlation. Having a larger minority enrollment at each school level is found to have a negative correlation, which has less of an effect at the secondary level. Title I eligibility is found to not correlate, though there is variation between districts that have similar levels of eligibility. School leaders and policymakers can use this research to inform how resources are allocated and the existing accountability systems that impact schools and districts.