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Improving Student Achievement
What State NAEP Test Scores Tell Us
Why do students have different achievement levels across states? Is math achievement improving across states? Differences in average achievement levels across states are mainly traceable to differing family characteristics. However, students from similar families also score differently across states. These differences are related to differences in resource levels and in how resources are spent. States with high spending per pupil, lower pupil-teacher ratios, higher participation in public prekindergarten and higher reported teacher resources have higher achievement. Disadvantaged children are the most sensitive to low resource, and additional resources could substantially their scores. Between-state, rather than within-state, differences in resources appear to be the main reason for inequitable resource levels for students of lower socioeconomic status. The conclusion is that significant math gains are occurring across most states that cannot be traced to resource changes, that the rate of gain varies significantly by state, and that reform efforts are the likely cause of these gains. The results certainly challenge the traditional view of public education as unreformable.
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Paperback Cover Price: $20.00
Discounted Web Price: $18.00
Pages: 312
ISBN/EAN: 0-8330-2561-9
Contents
Preface PDF
Figures PDF
Tables PDF
Summary PDF
Acknowledgments PDF
Abbreviations PDF
Chapter One:
Introduction PDF
Chapter Two:
The State Naep Achievement Results and State Family and Educational Characteristics PDF
Chapter Three:
Review of the Literature PDF
Chapter Four:
Methodology PDF
Chapter Five:
Trends in State Scores PDF
Chapter Six:
Estimating Scores Across States for Students from Similar Families PDF
Chapter Seven:
Effects of State Educational Policies PDF
Chapter Eight:
Assessing the Cost-Effectiveness of Different Resource Utilizations PDF
Chapter Nine:
Conclusions PDF
Appendix A:
State Naep Test Scores and State Family and Educational System Characteristics PDF
Appendix B:
Naep Exclusion and Participation Rates PDF
Appendix C:
Sources of Bias PDF
Appendix D:
The Tennessee Experiment PDF
Appendix E:
Family Variable Development PDF
Appendix F:
Variable Definitions PDF
Appendix G:
Statistical Results for Estimating State Trends PDF
Appendix H:
Statistical Results for Estimating Score Differences for Students from Similar Families Across States PDF
Appendix I:
Statistical Results for Estimating Effects of State Policy and Educational Characteristics PDF
Appendix J:
Robust Regression Results PDF
Appendix K:
Making Cost-Effectiveness Estimates from the Tennessee Class-Size Experiment PDF
Appendix L:
Regression Cost Estimates PDF
Bibliography PDF
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