Education Reforms and Convergence in Student Performance: Evidence from Arkansas

Autor/inn/en	Duan, Huiqiong; Kalulu, Mavuto; Gao, Xuechen; Yuan, Weici
Titel	Education Reforms and Convergence in Student Performance: Evidence from Arkansas
Quelle	In: eJEP: eJournal of Education Policy, 23 (2022) 1, (32 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Schlagwörter	Educational Change; Educational Finance; Disadvantaged Schools; Academic Achievement; Resource Allocation; School Districts; Minority Group Students; Males; Achievement Gap; Educational Legislation; Elementary Education; Expenditure per Student; Arkansas + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Bildungsreform; Bildungsfonds; Schulleistung; Ressourcenallokation; School district; Schulbezirk; Male; Männliches Geschlecht; Bildungsrecht; Schulgesetz; Elementarunterricht
Abstract	Arkansas launched a series of far-reaching reforms in 2003 and 2004 aimed at promoting equity and adequacy of education. The education funding system has since directed considerably more school resources to economically disadvantaged and low-performing school districts. This study investigates whether a more equitable allocation of educational resources is followed by more equal student performance. In particular, we examine convergence in student achievements among Arkansas school districts from 2004-05 to 2013-14 academic years. Using traditional convergence tests, we find some degree of overall convergence. We further employ a novel clustering method developed by Phillips and Sul (2007, 2009) to detect convergence clubs. We find that instead of a full panel convergence, school districts' overall academic outcomes converged into three clubs, within which the member districts trend toward their club-specific equilibrium paths. Poorer districts and districts serving a larger proportion of non-white and male students are more likely to end up in the low-performing club. Our results suggest that school finance reforms can reduce but not eliminate student achievement gaps. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Arizona Board of Regents, for and on behalf of Northern Arizona University. PO Box 4087, Flagstaff, AZ 86011. Web site: https://nau.edu/coe/ejournal/
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01