The Impact of Povertyon Student Achievement on the

NYS English Regents Examin Nassau County in 2012

By Ryan O’Hara

Reading on the Impact ofPoverty on Student Achievement should include works by:

• Linda Darling-Hammond, Prof of Ed at Stanford• Richard Rothstien, research assoc. at EPI• Sean Reardon, Prof of Ed at Stanford• Greg Duncan, Prof of Ed at U California, Irvine• Richard Murnane, Prof of Ed at Harvard• Diane Ravitch, Prof of Ed at NYU

The Problem

According to the literature:• Income inequality in the US is rising.• The achievement gap between affluent and

poor students is increasing.• Neighborhoods are becoming increasingly

segregated by racial and socioeconomic status.• School efforts, alone, will not close the

achievement gap.

Research Questions• Is there an equal distribution of racial and socioeconomic demographics in

Nassau County school districts, as determined by the percentage of students receiving free and reduced lunch?

• To what extent are the socioeconomic disparities of the students in the different school districts in Nassau County correlated with racial differences of the students?

• To what extent is student achievement, specifically proficiency and mastery rates on the NYS English Regents Examination, correlated with the district-wide percentages of impoverished students in school districts in Nassau County?

• To what extent are budgeted per pupil expenditures correlated with racial and economic demographics in school districts in Nassau County?

• To what extent are budgeted per pupil expenditures correlated with student achievement, specifically proficiency and mastery rates on the NYS English Regents Examination?

Methodology

• Using descriptive statistics, I analyzed the measures of central tendency and determined the skew of % of impoverished and % of minority students in Nassau County.

• Using a scatterplot, I determined the correlation of % of impoverished students and minority students in Nassau County School Districts.

• Using regression analysis, I determined the impact that the % of student poverty had on the enrollment of minority students.

More Methodology

• Using a scatterplot, I determined the correlation of % of impoverished students and % of proficiency and mastery rates on the NYS English Regents.

• Using regression analysis, I determined the impact that the % of student poverty had on student achievement on the NYS English Regents.

• Using a scatterplot, I determined the correlation of budgeted per pupil expenditures and the % of impoverished students and % of proficiency and mastery rates

Findings – Q1

Mean: 28.8Median: 14.5Range: 95

Mean: 19.3Median: 11Range: 83

Findings - Q2

Findings – Q3

Findings – Q4

Findings – Q5

Conclusion

The data on residential segregation and the impact of student poverty on achievement

fit with the other educational research.

Recommendations

Educators should continue exploring ways to engage and work with impoverished students

and begin playing a larger role in combating the failing schools narrative that suggests schools, alone, should remedy the achievement gap.