A Quantitative Analysis of School District Level Influences on Student Achievement in the State of Ohio

Terry L. Ruskin, The College of Wooster

Abstract

This thesis explores the impact of district level influences on student achievement in Ohio's public schools. A sample of 103 of Ohio's 611 public school districts was taken to determine any correlation between demographic and socioeconomic influences on the improvement of student achievement. Such variables as family income, property value, teacher salary, minority percentage, percentage of students receiving aid to dependent children, teachers educational degrees, teacher experience, and school drop-out rates were measured against combined scores from the state-wide proficiency exam. The data was geathered from the State of Ohio Department of Education through the use of the internet. Secondary statistics were used and recoded for the purpose of this study. Results show that the correlation between district level economic factors have a significant impact on higher achievement scores.