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[Pages:175]A Descriptive Statistical Analysis of the Relationships Between Socioeconomic Status, Attendance Rates, Per Pupil Expenditures, Teacher Qualifications, and On-Time Educational Attainment Rates within the State of Virginia Including a Comparative Study of the Appalachian

and Non-Appalachian School Division

Kevin W. Siers

Dissertation submitted to the faculty of Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Doctor of Education In

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Theodore B. Creighton, Committee Chair James R. Craig, Committee Member Glen I. Earthman, Committee Member N. Wayne Tripp, Committee Member

April 1, 2010 Blacksburg, VA

Keywords: Appalachian School Divisions, Non-Appalachian School Divisions, NonAppalachian School Divisions of Similar Size, Non-Appalachian Large School Divisions, On-

Time Educational Attainment, and 9th Grade Bubble

A Descriptive Statistical Analysis of the Relationships Between Socioeconomic Status, Attendance Rates, Per Pupil Expenditures, Teacher Qualifications, and On-Time Educational Attainment Rates within the State of Virginia Including a Comparative Study of the Appalachian

and Non-Appalachian School Division Kevin W. Siers

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE This study had two purposes: (a) to examine the possible predicting abilities of socioeconomic status, per pupil expenditures, percentage of highly qualified teachers and attendance rates for on-time educational attainment in the state of Virginia and (b) to compare the Appalachian School Divisions of Virginia with the non-Appalachian school divisions for each of these variables.

METHOD Data pertaining to socioeconomic status, per pupil expenditures, attendance rates, teacher qualifications, and on-time educational attainment were collected for the graduating cohorts of 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was conducted on these variables to address the first purpose. A general linear model repeated measures ANOVA was conducted for each variable to compare differences between the Appalachian, non-Appalachian divisions of similar size, non-Appalachian large school divisions, and the total non-Appalachian divisions to address the second purpose of the study.

RESULTS Socioeconomic status and attendance rates were found to be the independent variables that were significantly able to predict on-time educational attainment rates. Socioeconomic status rates were found to be significantly higher in the Appalachian divisions than in the nonAppalachian large school divisions. Teacher qualification rates were found to be significantly higher in the Appalachian divisions than the non-Appalachian divisions of similar size. On-time educational attainment rates were found to be significantly higher in the Appalachian school divisions than in all three classifications of the non-Appalachian divisions.

DEDICATION

To my wife, Jane, who has been my biggest supporter through what seems like 20 years of continuous educational pursuits.

To my mom, Carol Sue, who had to give up her own educational pursuits to raise a family and then lost a battle with cancer just as she was about to be able to begin them once again.

To Mamaw, Garnett Forren Simmons, who taught me that being raised penniless in a log cabin in the backwoods of Snake Run, WV doesn't mean you have to live your life poorly.

To Papaw, Charles Simmons, who was quite possibly the most intelligent sixth grade drop out who ever lived. He taught me that having a good sense of humor and an occasional cigar under a shade tree by the river are essential ingredients to a content life.

To my dad, Gary, who passed down the discipline and drive that have served me well in the military, at work, and throughout these courses.

To my youngest sister, Lora Beth, who had to endure two rough years at a time that should have been the most carefree in her life.

To my granddaughter, Samantha, who sacrificed many hours of playground time and tent building in the house so that I attend class and work on this dissertation.

Finally, this is dedicated to every native Appalachian. We are the last remaining ethnic group who can still be openly ridiculed without consideration for political correctness. Hopefully, the results of this study show that we are a little more complex than we've been portrayed in the media.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to offer my sincerest thanks to those who have taught the courses, encouraged my writing, and provided (the sometimes stroke inducing) suggestions for improvement: To Dr. Ted Creighton, I thank you for chairing this committee. You were the first professor with whom I spoke at Virginia Tech and I'm glad to have been with you through the entire process. To Dr. Glenn Earthman, I thank you for serving on this committee and for continually upholding the standards that Virginia Tech has come to represent. To Dr. Wayne Tripp, I thank you for serving on this committee, for your guidance, and for your attention to grammatical detail. To Dr. Jim Craig, I thank you for serving on this committee, for offering your statistical expertise, and most importantly for demonstrating the rarest talent in all of higher educationmaking Quantitative Analysis enjoyable.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 1

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY ...................................................................................................... 1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM ..................................................................................................... 2 STATEMENT OF THE PURPOSE ...................................................................................................... 2 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ................................................................................................................ 3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ...................................................................................................... 3 DEFINITION OF TERMS ................................................................................................................. 4 LIMITATIONS................................................................................................................................ 5 DELIMITATIONS ........................................................................................................................... 5 ASSUMPTIONS .............................................................................................................................. 6 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ........................................................................................................ 6 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY .................................................................................................... 8

CHAPTER II REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE.................................................................... 9

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 9 History of Education and Current Status in Appalachia ...................................................... 10 Economic Ramifications in Appalachia................................................................................ 13 School District Size ............................................................................................................... 18 Per Pupil Expenditures ......................................................................................................... 22 Attendance............................................................................................................................. 28 Socioeconomic Status............................................................................................................ 32 Teacher Qualifications.......................................................................................................... 36 On-Time Educational Attainment ......................................................................................... 43

CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................. 49

CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................... 52

INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 52 RESEARCH DESIGN .................................................................................................................... 52 DATA SOURCES.......................................................................................................................... 54 DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS ........................................................................................... 55 SUMMARY.................................................................................................................................. 55

CHAPTER IV PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA ........................................... 57

INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 57 Variable Relationships.......................................................................................................... 57 Research Question 1 ......................................................................................................... 57 Descriptive statistics for all variables. .......................................................................... 58 Stepwise regression analysis......................................................................................... 59 Collinearity. .................................................................................................................. 59 Casewise diagnostics. ................................................................................................... 59 Check of assumptions. .................................................................................................. 60

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS .......................................................................................................... 60 Research Question 2 ......................................................................................................... 61 Per pupil expenditures................................................................................................... 61

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Socioeconomic status.................................................................................................... 61 Attendance rates............................................................................................................ 61 Teacher qualifications. .................................................................................................. 62 On-time educational attainment rates. .......................................................................... 62 Research Question 3 ......................................................................................................... 63 Per pupil expenditures................................................................................................... 63 Socioeconomic status.................................................................................................... 63 Attendance rates............................................................................................................ 64 Teacher qualifications. .................................................................................................. 64 On-time educational attainment rates. .......................................................................... 64 Research Question 4 ......................................................................................................... 65 Per pupil expenditures................................................................................................... 65 Socioeconomic status.................................................................................................... 66 Attendance rates............................................................................................................ 66 Teacher qualifications. .................................................................................................. 66 On-time educational attainment. ................................................................................... 67 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS ............................................................................................................. 68

CHAPTER V SUMMARY AND IMPLICATIONS ................................................................ 72

INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 72 SUMMARY OF THE CURRENT STUDY .......................................................................................... 72

Implications for Educational, Civic, and Business Leaders ................................................. 73 Variable Relationships ...................................................................................................... 73 Comparative Analyses ...................................................................................................... 74 Educational and Professional Organizations .................................................................... 75

SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ...................................................................................... 76 CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................. 77

REFERENCES............................................................................................................................ 79

APPENDIX A IRB EXEMPTION LETTER ........................................................................... 83

APPENDIX B PER PUPIL EXPENDITURES FOR THE CLASSES OF 2005-2008 ........ 84

APPENDIX C ATTENDANCE RATES FOR THE CLASS OF 2005-2008 ......................... 91

APPENDIX D SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS- PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS RECEIVING FREE OR REDUCED LUNCHES.................................................................... 98

APPENDIX E PERCENTAGE OF HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS......................... 105

APPENDIX F ON-TIME EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT RATES THAT ACCOUNT FOR THE NINTH GRADE BUBBLE .................................................................................... 112

APPENDIX G ON-TIME EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT RATES WITHOUT ACCOUNTING FOR THE NINTH GRADE BUBBLE ...................................................... 119

APPENDIX H STEPWISE MULTIPLE REGRESSION-SPSS OUTPUT......................... 126

APPENDIX I REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR PER PUPIL EXPENDITURES APPALACHIAN SCHOOL DIVISIONS AND NON-APPALACHIAN DIVISIONS OF SIMILAR SIZE ............................................................................................ 136

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APPENDIX J REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS APPALACHIAN SCHOOL DIVISIONS AND NONAPPALACHIAN DIVISIONS OF SIMILAR SIZE .............................................................. 138

APPENDIX K REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR ATTENDANCE RATES APPALACHIAN SCHOOL DIVISIONS AND NONAPPALACHIAN DIVISIONS OF SIMILAR SIZE .............................................................. 139

APPENDIX L REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS APPALACHIAN SCHOOL DIVISIONS AND NONAPPALACHIAN DIVISIONS OF SIMILAR SIZE .............................................................. 140

APPENDIX M REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR OEA RATES ACCOUNTING FOR THE NINTH GRADE BUBBLE FOR APPALACHIAN SCHOOL DIVISIONS AND NON-APPALACHIAN DIVISIONS OF SIMILAR SIZE .................... 142

APPENDIX N REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR OEA RATES THAT DID NOT ACCOUNT FOR THE NINTH GRADE BUBBLE FOR APPALACHIAN SCHOOL DIVISIONS AND NON-APPALACHIAN DIVISIONS OF SIMILAR SIZE ......................................................................................................................... 144

APPENDIX O REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR PER PUPIL EXPENDITURES APPALACHIAN SCHOOL DIVISIONS AND NON-APPALACHIAN LARGE SCHOOL DIVISIONS .............................................................................................. 146

APPENDIX P REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS APPALACHIAN SCHOOL DIVISIONS AND NONAPPALACHIAN LARGE SCHOOL DIVISIONS................................................................ 148

APPENDIX Q REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR ATTENDANCE RATES APPALACHIAN SCHOOL DIVISIONS AND NONAPPALACHIAN LARGE SCHOOL DIVISIONS................................................................ 150

APPENDIX R REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS APPALACHIAN SCHOOL DIVISIONS AND NONAPPALACHIAN LARGE SCHOOL DIVISIONS................................................................ 151

APPENDIX S REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR OEA RATES ACCOUNTING FOR THE NINTH GRADE BUBBLE FOR APPALACHIAN SCHOOL DIVISIONS AND NON-APPALACHIAN LARGE SCHOOL DIVISIONS ...................... 152

APPENDIX T REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR OEA RATES THAT DID NOT ACCOUNT FOR THE NINTH GRADE BUBBLE FOR APPALACHIAN SCHOOL DIVISIONS AND NON-APPALACHIAN LARGE SCHOOL DIVISIONS................................................................................................................................ 154

APPENDIX U REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR PER PUPIL EXPENDITURES APPALACHIAN SCHOOL DIVISIONS AND TOTAL NONAPPALACHIAN DIVISIONS ................................................................................................. 156

APPENDIX V REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS APPALACHIAN SCHOOL DIVISIONS AND TOTAL NON-APPALACHIAN SCHOOL DIVISIONS..................................................................... 158

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APPENDIX W REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR ATTENDANCE RATES APPALACHIAN SCHOOL DIVISIONS AND TOTAL NONAPPALACHIAN DIVISIONS ................................................................................................. 159 APPENDIX X REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS APPALACHIAN SCHOOL DIVISIONS AND TOTAL NONAPPALACHIAN SCHOOL DIVISIONS ............................................................................... 160 APPENDIX Y REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR OEA RATES ACCOUNTING FOR THE NINTH GRADE BUBBLE FOR APPALACHIAN SCHOOL DIVISIONS AND TOTAL NON-APPALACHIAN SCHOOL DIVISIONS ...................... 162 APPENDIX Z REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR OEA RATES THAT DID NOT ACCOUNT FOR THE NINTH GRADE BUBBLE FOR APPALACHIAN SCHOOL DIVISIONS AND TOTAL NON-APPALACHIAN SCHOOL DIVISIONS................................................................................................................................ 164

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