The Impact of Poverty on Student Achievement on the NYS English Regents Exam in Nassau County in 2012 By Ryan O’Hara

Reading on the Impact of Poverty 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: 28.8 Median: 14.5 Range: 95 Mean: 19.3 Median: 11 Range: 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.