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WHAT THINGS HAVE THE GREATEST IMPACT ON A SCHOOL DISTRICT'S COMBINED GRADE ACCORDING TO THE DATA?
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RSCorrelation RatingCategoryExplanationCaveats and/or Possible Explanations
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70Strong PositiveACT Scoresstudents performing well on ACT tests---
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68Moderately Strong PositiveValue-Added Growth All Grades Mathstudents improving their math scores on standardized tests ---NOTE: This is a ranked list of most of the various categories of data used in this analysis. It should be noted that a score above 70 indicates a strong correlation. A score above 30 indicates a moderate correlation. A score over 5 indicates a weak correlation. A positive correlation means that as that value increases, the measured effect also increases. A negative correlation means that as that value increases, the measured effect decreases. An explanation and caveat for each are provided as needed.
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65Moderately Strong PositiveValue-Added Growth All Grades ELAstudents improving their ELA scores on standardized tests ---
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46Moderate PositivePercentage of Teachers Retainedhigher the percentage of teachers returning from previous year, the better---
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40Moderate PositiveGraduation Percentagehigher the percentage of students graduating, the better---
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38Moderate PositiveTeacher Salary as Percentage of Total Expenditureshigher the percentage of expenditure going towards teachers' salaries, the better---
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35Moderate Positive*Immunization Exemption Percentagehigher the percentage of exemptions, the betterTo understand this connection will require additional research.
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36Moderate PositiveUnrestricted Funds Percentage of Totalhigher the percentage of funds schools can choose how to spend, the better---
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25Weak PositiveFoundation Funding as Percentage of Totalhigher the percentage of funds from foundation funding, the better---
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25Weak Positive*School Choicemore school options have a positive effectThe home school option is the biggest contributor, so the same caveat applies here. Private schools and other forms of school choice also are not widely available in areas with poor performing schools throughout the state. School choice seems to benefit the wealthy more than the poor.
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22Weak PositiveNumber of Students per Classified Employeemore students per classified employee show a slight positive effectThis likely is due to freeing up more money that can go towards teachers, educational materials, etc. rather than non-instructional type expenses. This does not indicate there is no benefit to secretaries and janitors. Schools cannot function without these individuals.
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23Weak PositivePercentage of Teachers with Master's Degreemore teachers with Master's degrees show a slight positive effect---
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21Weak PositiveTeacher Salaryhigher teacher salaries help attract and retain quality teachers---
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20Weak PositivePercentage Growth of Student Populationschools with increasing student populations fair better---
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20Weak Positive*Home School Enrollment Percentagemore students opting to homeschool has a positive effectThe data here seems to suggest the correlation is more of a reflection of the relationship between per capita income and homeschooling than it is necessarily a contributing factor to improving the local public school. Homeschooling is really only an option for families who can afford it.
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20Weak PositivePercentage Spent on Instructional Costshigher the percentage of the total expenditures towards instructional costs, the better---
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15Weak PositiveNumber of Studentslarger schools have a slight positive effect---
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13Weak PositiveYears of Teaching Experience*more years of teaching experience shows a slight positive effectThe correlation has tripled this school year from the previous years (over 30% correlation). This might indicate experienced teachers are better equipped to help students with learning loss from covid than novice teachers.
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10Weak PositiveHiring More Teachersmore teachers on campus has a slight positive effect---
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10Weak PositiveMillagehigher local millage rate for property tax shows a slight positive effect---
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9Weak Positive*Student/Teacher Ratiohigher student to teacher ratio has a slight positive effectThis does not mean a higher ratio is better, rather, when you look at the data as a whole, it would suggest this is due to smaller, poor performing schools having a lower ratio of students to teachers which skews the correlation in favor of a higher ratio.
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8Weak Positive*Class Sizemore students per class has a slight positive effectThe rational here is the same as the student/teacher ratio. The small, poor performing schools have smaller class sizes due to low student populations which skews the correlation towards larger class sizes.
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8Weak PositivePercentage Spent on Special Educationhigher the percentage of the total expenditures towards special education, the better---
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-6Weak NegativePercentage of Gifted & Talented Studentshigher the percentage classified as G/T, the worseThis needs more investigation, however, the effect is so small, it is almost negligible.
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-12Weak NegativePercent of Students Who Enrolled in Other Schools Mid-Yearhigher the percentage of students who left mid-year, the worseThis needs more investigation, but this could be a sign of a higher percentage of migrant families in lower performing schools.
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-12Weak NegativeProperty Tax Revenue per Studenthigher the amount of property tax revenue per student, the worseNot entirely clear.
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-18Weak NegativeTotal Percentage of Drop Outs/Withdrawalshigher the percentage of students who drop out or withrawal from school for any reason, the worse---
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-20Weak Negative*Number of Classified Staff per Teacherhigher the ratio of classified staff to teachers, the worseWhen more staff are used for non-instructional purposes, it takes some funding away from teachers and instructional content.
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-23Weak NegativePercentage of Funds Spent on Support Serviceshigher the percentage of funds spend on non-educational support services, the worse---
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-23Weak NegativePercentage of Teacher Attritionhigher the percentage of teacher turnover, the worseIt is difficult to improve the school culture in a school where the teachers change yearly. The lack of continuity or familiarity can negatively impact students learning.
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-25Weak NegativePercentage of Students Retainedhigher the percentage of students required to repeat a grade, the worse---
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-25Weak NegativePercentage of Inexperienced Teachershigher the percentage of inexperienced teachers, the worseThese are teachers with fewer than three years of experience.
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-30Moderate Negative*Percentage of State Funds Restrictedhigher the percentage of state funds with restricted use, the worseWhen schools are given funds but are not given the freedom to use those funds in the ways they best see fit, the worse schools perform. A lot of funds given to schools often have very stringent rules. It's possible poor performing schools have additional guidelines on how funds can and should be spent.
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-41Moderate Negative*Percentage of Federal Funds Restrictedhigher the percentage of federal funds with restricted use, the worseWhen schools are given funds but are not given the freedom to use those funds in the ways they best see fit, the worse schools perform. A lot of funds given to schools often have very stringent rules. It's possible poor performing schools have additional guidelines on how funds can and should be spent.
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-45Moderate NegativePercentage of Teachers with Exceptionshigher the percentage of teachers not fully licensed in the areas they are teaching, the worse---
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-50Moderately Strong Negative*Per Pupil Expenditureshigher the per pupil expenditures, the worse the school performsThis needs more investigation, but presumably, the worst performing schools have the most needs and are thus eligible for additional funding from local, state, and federal sources.
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-60Moderately Strong Negative*Free and Reduced Lunch Percentagehigher the percentage of students on FRL, the worse the school performsSocioeconomic concerns are one of the biggest factors impacting the lives of students.