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Paustian, Joan Bouchard

College of Education and Social Services

2004

Ed. D.

The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship between per-pupil spending and student performance on the Vermont standardized assessments given yearly to all fourth grade youngsters. Therefore a study was conducted to investigate whether a significant positive correlation exists between school spending and student performance. A five-year longitudinal study (1998 - 2002) was conducted of every Vermont public elementary school meeting the criteria of complete achievement data matched to schools governed by one single board of education with one budget supporting only the school in the study. Vermont Department of Education databases were used to secure all of the needed data for the study. Data included all financial expenditures for each school, school level testing results for the New Standards Reference Exams in both English/Language Arts and Mathematics, and poverty rates.
Descriptive analyses were completed in order to look at patterns shown in data results of expenditures and assessment scores over the five-year period. The mean spending pattern did increase in direct instruction, instructional staff support services, transportation, and cost per student per year. Statistical analyses performed on the data showed a significant linear relationship between per student spending and performance results on scaled scores for the NSRE given to Vermont fourth graders over the five-year period. Analysis results also showed that schools with lower poverty rates outperformed schools with higher poverty rates on the fourth grade assessments. Results indicated that schools that received Title I services had lower test scores that schools not receiving Title I services. Implications suggest that increased spending is related to increased assessment results. Institutions where spending has increased and achievement has improved, the negative effects of poverty are lessened.