Different Structures, Different Outcomes: An Empirical Study on the Effect of School District Structures on Equity in Student Achievement Across the United States

Abstract

This thesis examines the effects of state-level averages and standard deviations in school district enrollment and spending on equity in student performance. I use data from the United States Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics to measure differences in test scores between students of different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. I find that increases in state-level average district enrollment tend to have a widening effect on the gaps between White and Hispanic students and between poor and non-poor students, while having a muted effect on the gap between White and Black students. I also find that increases in state-level standard deviation in district enrollment tends to have a narrowing effect on test score gaps across the board, while increases in state-level average and standard deviation of per pupil spending per district have a widening effect on achievement gaps.