Does School District Size Impact the Percent
of Students Proficient?
The Literacy and Mathematics maps represent district-level
classifications based on total enrollment and performance on the Benchmark and
End-of-Course Exams. Districts with a percentage of students proficient higher
than the state average are colored green, and those with a lower proficiency
rate are colored red. The shade of the color represents the size of the district:
the lighter the shade, the smaller the number of students in the district.
Methodology
Separate maps have been generated for each year (2003, 2004 and 2005).
For each district, the total number of non-mobile students
proficient on the 4th, 6th, 8th Grade Benchmark Exam and the Algebra, Geometry,
and Literacy End-of-Course exams was identified. This number was divided by
the total number of non-mobile students in the district attempting these exams
to produce a district-level Percent Proficient for both literacy and mathematics.
This methodology was repeated at the state level to determine the Arkansas Mean
Percent Proficient in both Literacy and Mathematics. For each subject area,
the Percent Proficient for district was compared to the Arkansas Mean Percent
Proficient and the district was categorized as above (green) or below (red)
the state mean. In 2005 the literacy assessment was changed and this had the greatest impact on the 4th grade.
Additionally, school districts were categorized by enrollment
size. If a school district had less than 500 students, it was assigned a light
shade. If a school district contained between 500 and 999 students it was assigned
a moderate shade. Finally, if a school district had 1000 or more students is
was assigned a dark shade.
Examples
1) A school district performing below the Arkansas Mean Percent
Proficient which enrolls less than 500 students will be colored light red on
the map.
2) A school district performing above Arkansas Mean Percent
Proficient which enrolls 1000 or more students will be colored dark green on
the map.
Interpretation of the Literacy and Mathematics Maps
There is no specific trend between school size and performance above or below the state average for either literacy or mathematics across the three years of data. For large districts throughout the state (dark green versus dark red), we find a similar number of districts in each group, although more of the below average performance districts are located in the Delta region of Arkansas or below Interstate 30. Similar patterns are found for median size districts (median green versus median red) and for small districts (light green versus light red). To consider a specific district, one can compare the district across all six maps. There are districts that may move from below the state average to above the state average and vise-versa in either literacy or mathematics. Similarly, the number of students in a district may change from year-to-year. The 2005 map reflects the consolidation of some districts. Because of consolidation and school growth, there are fewer small districts in 2005. Performance appears to be more related to geographical region rather than school size. Regardless of school size, districts that perform below the state average are more likely to be located in the Delta region or below Interstate 30.
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