Arizona State University School Funding Discussion
Old research question: How does lack of funding impact the success of high schoolstudents in low income areas?
New research question: When looking at high school students in low income areas how
To what extent does funding impact the success of high school students in low income
areas?
Type of Survey:
In this research design we will be performing a cross-sectional survey. Student
success can be measured at one time, at the end of high school. This is not something
that changes because it is a summary of what their high school career has been like, and
it is not a time that they will return to again.
It is appropriate because a cross-sectional survey can be applied to all different
demographics within the school and does not take up much of people’s time. It is
important to be efficient in an educational setting because time should not be taken
away from teaching.
Sampling Strategy:
We will be using a simple random sample(SRS). We will first obtain a faculty list of
each high school we are surveying and after numbering them, survey 10% of the
population. This is effective because it is not too large of population so it is attainable to
conduct an SRS, and will allow for the highest level of generalizability. The sampling
frame in this design will be the faculty at all high schools surveyed. The unit of analysis
would be their ranking on the impact of budget on student performance. This research
may be biased towards low income areas. This is because all of the high schools focused
on are in largely lower income areas. This means that this will not be able to be
generalized to higher income area high schools, or lower income students within those
schools.
Delivery Mode:
We will be using an in person delivery mode. Positives of this delivery mode
would be that one can give the survey out to Teachers and school faculty to gear your
answers to those that are knowledgeable on your topic or research question. Negative
elements include that it is not really anonymous and limits sample size. Limitations of
this delivery mode would be that it limits the amount of people the survey goes out too,
and the projected response rate is 57%.
Survey
Student Success in School
The study aims to investigate how funding and school impacts students performance
With the perspective of educators and knowledge of school’s funding, answer these
questions as honestly as possible.
Teacher Demographics
1. What grade level do you teach?
0. Freshmen
1. Sophomore
2. Junior
3. Senior
4. A combination of any of those grades: please specify
5. Other(alternative learning, elective course):
2. What subject do you teach?
0. Geometry
1. Algebra I-II
2. Pre-Calculus
3. Calculus
4. Common Core I
5. Common Core II
6. Common Core III
7. Statistics
8. English and Literature
9. English and Composition
10. World History
11. U.S. History
12. Physics
13. Chemistry
14. Biology
15. Other, please specify:
3. How many years of teaching experience do you have?
0. 0-5
1. 5-15
2. 15-25
3. 25-35
4. 35+
School Information
1. Does your school offer student assistance? (tutoring, office hours, etc)
0. Yes
1. No
2. If so, what assistance is offered?(check each box that applies)
0. After school tutoring
1. AVID
2. Faculty Office Hours
3. Other(please specify):____________
3. Do you believe that these positively impact your students?
0. Yes
1. No
Perspectives on School Funding
Select the answer that you most identify with, 1 being Strongly Disagree and 5 being
Strongly Agree
1. I have an adequate budget for my classroom.
1
2
3
4
5
Strongly
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly
Disagree
Agree
1. I am able to provide students with adequate support.
1
2
3
4
Strongly
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Disagree
1. My school provides enough support to students.
1
2
3
4
Strongly
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Disagree
1. The majority of my students are successful.
1
2
3
Strongly
Disagree
Neutral
Disagree
4
5
Strongly
Agree
5
Strongly
Agree
5
Agree
Strongly
Agree
1. There is a difference in performance between low income and high income
students.
0. True
1. False
2. Are there educational activities you incorporate in your classroom to keep
students engaged?
0. Yes
1. No
3. What are those activities? _________________________________
1. Do students have access to all learning materials needed to be successful?
0. Yes
1. No
2. Partially
2. Does the school allow you to incorporate your own teaching methods?
0. Yes
1. No
2. Yes to a certain extent
3. Any additional notes, comments, concerns: ____________________________
Education is a cornerstone of what the United States is today, as it is one of the first outside
influences on children as they grow up. However, education is not something that is prioritized
in the United States, and it often does not embrace the potential of students that could be much
more successful.
Annotated Bibliography:
Quantitative Sources:
Jackson, C. K., Wigger, C., & Xiong, H. (2018). Do School Spending Cuts Matter? Evidence From the
Great Recession. National Bureau of Economic Research. doi:10.3386/w24203
This study is asking if school spending cuts during The Great Recession of 2008
impacted student success rates including test scores in the fourth and eighth grade as well as
college acceptance levels. They used the test results from the National Assessment of
Educational Progress(NAEP), with results from 4th and 8th grade students. They also found the
attendance of two- and four-year universities.This study was thorough and checked the spending
and budgets at the state, local and federal levels. In addition, they created predicted NAEP scores
and college-going rates based solely on economic conditions to avoid multiple hypotheses. It was
found that for every $1000 lost per student, there was a decline of 3.6% of a standard deviation
for NAEP test scores, and a decline of 3.9% of a standard deviation for the college-going rate.
https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w24203/w24203.pdf
Lafortune, J., Rothstein, J., & Schanzenbach, D. (2016, February 22). School Finance Reform and the
Distribution of Student Achievement. Retrieved February 07, 2022, from
https://www.nber.org/papers/w22011
The goal of this study would be to approximate the causal effect of school funding to see
if it is correlated with other factors that affect realized school finance or student outcomes.
Considerations would include states that are more aggressive in targeting funding to low-income
school districts that might have other differences as well. Another important consideration would
be the effect of reforms passed and how they affect funding in K-12 schools. In addition,
establishing how long it took for these to take effect. In 2002 it was found that average state
assistance per pupil was $4851 higher in low income than in high income districts. This study
checked all of the data processed through three times, and used an equation to study the
specification model events as permanent immediate shifts in outcomes compared to other states.
This would allow for understanding the impact of different policies and how they can benefit
students. The findings from this research include that spending was productive and reforms
increased the absolute and relative achievement of students in low-income districts.
Leechman, M., Masterson, K., & Figueroa, E. (2017, November 29). A Punishing Decade for School
Funding – cbpp.org. Retrieved February 7, 2022, from
https://www.cbpp.org/sites/default/files/atoms/files/11-29-17sfp.pdf?source=post_page————————-The question that they worked to answer in this research was what has the status of
funding become in the past decade. In 2008, financial impacts from The Great Recession led to
much of the education funding being cut. This was an investigation to see if the funding to K-12
education has returned in the past decade. The information in this research was collected from
the CBPP analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau Annual Survey of School System Finance.
However the answer was not positive as 29 states provided less total school funding per student
in 2015. States that had steeper cuts in 2008 have not recovered as well. Averaging between all
fifty states, 47% of K-12 spending nationally comes from state funds. In 17 states the total state
funding cut was 10% or more. In 19 states local funding per student also fell.
Qualitative Sources:
Dynarski, S., Libassi, C. J., Michelmore, K., & Owen, S. (2018). Closing the gap: The
effect of a targeted, tuition-free promise on college choices of high-achieving, lowincome students (No. w25349). National Bureau of Economic Research.
https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w25349/w25349.pdf
The article shows the gap between low-income students and high achieving students and their
selections toward college. There has been a continued gap between high earning families and
low earning families which has continued to increase in the recent decades. The differences in
these students have created disparities in academic preparation. Funding helps students to attain a
higher quality education and earnings as well. When students are guaranteed funds, there is a
reduction in uncertainty for the future.
Ferguson, H. B., Bovaird, S., & Mueller, M. P. (2007). The impact of poverty on
educational outcomes for children. PubMed Central (PMC).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2528798/
The article examines how poverty affects educational outcomes for children. It shows that
children from low-income families normally start school late compared to peers coming from
well-up families. School readiness is one of the factors that help students to excel academically
and socially. As such, this requires appropriate motor development and physical well-being
which low-income families lack. More so, the article shows how poverty affects educational
achievement.
Morgan, I., & Amerikaner, A. (2018). Funding Gaps 2018: An Analysis of School
Funding Equity across the US and within Each State. Education Trust.
The authors’ report research examines how funding decisions in local schools impact the
equity and advancement of student education. By focusing on the interrelationship between
demographics and funding and how revenues are served in each district in the United States, this
report concludes the implication of poverty to low-income high school students and those in
high-income locations. This research provides verified information on revenue distribution and
an up-to-date funding equity analysis across various districts and its implication to student
performance. Therefore, by offering insights on discrimination in funding equity, it is evident
that low-income areas receive less education funding than higher-income areas. This report calls
for policymakers and advocates to observe the criteria through which various district fares and its
implication on the education of students. With the increase in poverty as the majority of colored
students receive 5% less funding for their education, this report aims to call for mitigation and
stimulate concern for students living in low-income areas. This report is peer-reviewed and
obtains information from previous education reports, state Aid, public schools, and education
equity reports to compile its evidence.
Research Problem Statement
It can be seen in the United States that funding for education has been a problem
historically, and continues to be a problem today. State funding for K-12 schools is something
that has struggled since 2002, and dropped even lower after The Great Recession in 2008. In
addition, student test score averages in both 4th and 8th grade have dropped based on the $1000
per student as stated by Wigger and Xiong. In addition, students that start out at lower income
schools that are determined to be gifted will benefit from additional assistance that they would
not receive from their school. Education in the foundation upon which people start their lives,
from the time they enter elementary school to whenever they exit it. Education informs people
about the world and helps equip them for life. However, if it is underfunded, then it will not help
students be as successful as they can be. This is especially true for students in lower income
areas, who often have only outside resources as stepping stones, school being one of them.
Research Purpose
Generally, this topic explains the long-lasting impact of poverty on high school student’s
academic performance and achievements. According to research, the percentage of learners in
low-income areas living in poverty continues to escalate. Therefore, this topic explains the
effects and suffering that low-income learners experience as they strive to provide education to
their children. Besides, looking at discrimination in resources allocation for public schools in
low-income areas, the topic answers why funding impacts academic performance. The research
topic also provides recommendations and implementation approaches to enhance equal financing
to low-income learners and close the achievement gap. My aims and objectives in this research
are to educate society about the importance of funding to performance and academic
achievement. By observing how hard poverty has hit low-income learners, my research calls for
policymakers and advocates to come in and help the students achieve their success equally. I also
want to help society understand that distributing resources to students and funding their
education enables them to participate in academic excellence actively. Therefore, the purpose of
my research seeks to close the academic performance gap that exists between low-income
earners and those from wealthy families. My research objectives revolve around funding young
academic talents and helping them achieve their goals and success. First, I aim to address the
issue of poverty and academic readiness. Thus, for students to succeed academically, they need
economic, social, and community support. Secondly, I am addressing the issue of poverty and
academic attainment. Learners need resources and funding to attain their goals. Lastly, my
research objects to solving the unequal question by narrowing the gap between poor learners and
wealthy families.
Research Question: How does lack of funding impact the success of high school students in low
income areas?
Operationalizing Variables
The independent variables in this research design would include the amount of funding
schools receive and the socioeconomic status of the neighborhood. The most important
parameter would be the ways that the scores are quantified and to make sure that they are
measured evenly. The dependent variables would include the success of the students in low
income areas. Control variables would be testing and educational environments, or at least
acknowledge the differences in play, and making sure it is the same age range of students with
similar demographics.
Hypotheses
If the school does not receive adequate funding, then the students who attend that school will
receive lower test scores.
If students receive lower test scores, they will have lower college-going rates.
Education is a cornerstone of what the United States is today, as it is one of the first outside
influences on children as they grow up. However, education is not something that is prioritized
in the United States, and it often does not embrace the potential of students that could be much
more successful.
Annotated Bibliography:
Quantitative Sources:
Jackson, C. K., Wigger, C., & Xiong, H. (2018). Do School Spending Cuts Matter? Evidence From the
Great Recession. National Bureau of Economic Research. doi:10.3386/w24203
This study is asking if school spending cuts during The Great Recession of 2008
impacted student success rates including test scores in the fourth and eighth grade as well as
college acceptance levels. They used the test results from the National Assessment of
Educational Progress(NAEP), with results from 4th and 8th grade students. They also found the
attendance of two- and four-year universities.This study was thorough and checked the spending
and budgets at the state, local and federal levels. In addition, they created predicted NAEP scores
and college-going rates based solely on economic conditions to avoid multiple hypotheses. It was
found that for every $1000 lost per student, there was a decline of 3.6% of a standard deviation
for NAEP test scores, and a decline of 3.9% of a standard deviation for the college-going rate.
https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w24203/w24203.pdf
Lafortune, J., Rothstein, J., & Schanzenbach, D. (2016, February 22). School Finance Reform and the
Distribution of Student Achievement. Retrieved February 07, 2022, from
https://www.nber.org/papers/w22011
The goal of this study would be to approximate the causal effect of school funding to see
if it is correlated with other factors that affect realized school finance or student outcomes.
Considerations would include states that are more aggressive in targeting funding to low-income
school districts that might have other differences as well. Another important consideration would
be the effect of reforms passed and how they affect funding in K-12 schools. In addition,
establishing how long it took for these to take effect. In 2002 it was found that average state
assistance per pupil was $4851 higher in low income than in high income districts. This study
checked all of the data processed through three times, and used an equation to study the
specification model events as permanent immediate shifts in outcomes compared to other states.
This would allow for understanding the impact of different policies and how they can benefit
students. The findings from this research include that spending was productive and reforms
increased the absolute and relative achievement of students in low-income districts.
Leechman, M., Masterson, K., & Figueroa, E. (2017, November 29). A Punishing Decade for School
Funding – cbpp.org. Retrieved February 7, 2022, from
https://www.cbpp.org/sites/default/files/atoms/files/11-29-17sfp.pdf?source=post_page————————-The question that they worked to answer in this research was what has the status of
funding become in the past decade. In 2008, financial impacts from The Great Recession led to
much of the education funding being cut. This was an investigation to see if the funding to K-12
education has returned in the past decade. The information in this research was collected from
the CBPP analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau Annual Survey of School System Finance.
However the answer was not positive as 29 states provided less total school funding per student
in 2015. States that had steeper cuts in 2008 have not recovered as well. Averaging between all
fifty states, 47% of K-12 spending nationally comes from state funds. In 17 states the total state
funding cut was 10% or more. In 19 states local funding per student also fell.
Qualitative Sources:
Dynarski, S., Libassi, C. J., Michelmore, K., & Owen, S. (2018). Closing the gap: The
effect of a targeted, tuition-free promise on college choices of high-achieving, lowincome students (No. w25349). National Bureau of Economic Research.
https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w25349/w25349.pdf
The article shows the gap between low-income students and high achieving students and their
selections toward college. There has been a continued gap between high earning families and
low earning families which has continued to increase in the recent decades. The differences in
these students have created disparities in academic preparation. Funding helps students to attain a
higher quality education and earnings as well. When students are guaranteed funds, there is a
reduction in uncertainty for the future.
Ferguson, H. B., Bovaird, S., & Mueller, M. P. (2007). The impact of poverty on
educational outcomes for children. PubMed Central (PMC).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2528798/
The article examines how poverty affects educational outcomes for children. It shows that
children from low-income families normally start school late compared to peers coming from
well-up families. School readiness is one of the factors that help students to excel academically
and socially. As such, this requires appropriate motor development and physical well-being
which low-income families lack. More so, the article shows how poverty affects educational
achievement.
Morgan, I., & Amerikaner, A. (2018). Funding Gaps 2018: An Analysis of School
Funding Equity across the US and within Each State. Education Trust.
The authors’ report research examines how funding decisions in local schools impact the
equity and advancement of student education. By focusing on the interrelationship between
demographics and funding and how revenues are served in each district in the United States, this
report concludes the implication of poverty to low-income high school students and those in
high-income locations. This research provides verified information on revenue distribution and
an up-to-date funding equity analysis across various districts and its implication to student
performance. Therefore, by offering insights on discrimination in funding equity, it is evident
that low-income areas receive less education funding than higher-income areas. This report calls
for policymakers and advocates to observe the criteria through which various district fares and its
implication on the education of students. With the increase in poverty as the majority of colored
students receive 5% less funding for their education, this report aims to call for mitigation and
stimulate concern for students living in low-income areas. This report is peer-reviewed and
obtains information from previous education reports, state Aid, public schools, and education
equity reports to compile its evidence.
Research Problem Statement
It can be seen in the United States that funding for education has been a problem
historically, and continues to be a problem today. State funding for K-12 schools is something
that has struggled since 2002, and dropped even lower after The Great Recession in 2008. In
addition, student test score averages in both 4th and 8th grade have dropped based on the $1000
per student as stated by Wigger and Xiong. In addition, students that start out at lower income
schools that are determined to be gifted will benefit from additional assistance that they would
not receive from their school. Education in the foundation upon which people start their lives,
from the time they enter elementary school to whenever they exit it. Education informs people
about the world and helps equip them for life. However, if it is underfunded, then it will not help
students be as successful as they can be. This is especially true for students in lower income
areas, who often have only outside resources as stepping stones, school being one of them.
Research Purpose
Generally, this topic explains the long-lasting impact of poverty on high school student’s
academic performance and achievements. According to research, the percentage of learners in
low-income areas living in poverty continues to escalate. Therefore, this topic explains the
effects and suffering that low-income learners experience as they strive to provide education to
their children. Besides, looking at discrimination in resources allocation for public schools in
low-income areas, the topic answers why funding impacts academic performance. The research
topic also provides recommendations and implementation approaches to enhance equal financing
to low-income learners and close the achievement gap. My aims and objectives in this research
are to educate society about the importance of funding to performance and academic
achievement. By observing how hard poverty has hit low-income learners, my research calls for
policymakers and advocates to come in and help the students achieve their success equally. I also
want to help society understand that distributing resources to students and funding their
education enables them to participate in academic excellence actively. Therefore, the purpose of
my research seeks to close the academic performance gap that exists between low-income
earners and those from wealthy families. My research objectives revolve around funding young
academic talents and helping them achieve their goals and success. First, I aim to address the
issue of poverty and academic readiness. Thus, for students to succeed academically, they need
economic, social, and community support. Secondly, I am addressing the issue of poverty and
academic attainment. Learners need resources and funding to attain their goals. Lastly, my
research objects to solving the unequal question by narrowing the gap between poor learners and
wealthy families.
Research Question: How does lack of funding impact the success of high school students in low
income areas?
Operationalizing Variables
The independent variables in this research design would include the amount of funding
schools receive and the socioeconomic status of the neighborhood. The most important
parameter would be the ways that the scores are quantified and to make sure that they are
measured evenly. The dependent variables would include the success of the students in low
income areas. Control variables would be testing and educational environments, or at least
acknowledge the differences in play, and making sure it is the same age range of students with
similar demographics.
Hypotheses
If the school does not receive adequate funding, then the students who attend that school will
receive lower test scores.
If students receive lower test scores, they will have lower college-going rates.
