Comparing Socioeconomic Status with Reading Literacy Rates: Can You Buy Intelligence?

The purpose of this study was to detect a correlation between socioeconomic status (SES) and literacy rates using a geographic information system (GIS) including several geospatial datasets. The study utilized Census shapefile and attribute data, Education Demographic and Geographic Estimates for spatial data, and collected standardized test scores from specified study areas. By comparing SES indicators and district reading standardized test results, this study investigated whether there was a relationship between literacy rates and SES.