McCathern, Daniel
Researchers: Daniel McCathern
University Affiliation: Clarendon SC School District
Email: dmccathern@clarendon2.k12.sc.us
Research Question:
Determine whether a relationship exists between school size and student achievement in reading and in math in SC public elementary schools.
Published: 1
Journal Name or Institutional Affiliation: N/A
Journal Entry: University of South Carolina
Year: 2004
Findings:
- Study found no significant relationship between school size and reading or mathematics achievement. Results were consistent across two sets of samples for each achievement area and across two years, thus increasing the validity of the study and the reliability of the findings.
- The study affirmed that the most significant predictor of student achievement was school’s socioeconomic status which had a strong, negative correlation with achievement in all four samples.
- Per pupil expenditures had a small, positive, and significant correlation with student achievement in this sample indicating that schools which spent more on instruction produced higher reading achievement.
- The percentage of African-American students was a significant predictor of achievement in the 1988 MAT7 reading sample. The negative correlation indicted that schools with higher percentages of African-American students demonstrated lower reading achievement in that sample.