There is little doubt public education in the United States is under intense scrutiny from the American public in recent years. In Mississippi, years of negative student outcomes have created a great deal of negative publicity for the state’s public schools. It is important for educators, whether at the district level, research level, or policymaking level, to continue to study available data to identify areas of weakness with the realm of education and work collaboratively to remedy those issues. This report is a summary of several specific data sets collected by the Mississippi Department of Education and statistically analyzed for potential implications. This report will briefly highlight the necessity of such an analysis, and provide the
…show more content…
First, the variable Percentage Black Students had a medium negative correlation (r = -0.59) to QDI. A linear regression analysis using Black Student Percentage as the independent variable and QDI the dependent variable resulted in a linear regression equation with a y-intercept of 163.11 and a slope of -0.27, which is statistically significant due to a p value of 0.01. The results of the regression analysis for these variables can be seen below in Figure …show more content…
If children in Mississippi, especially black children, are more likely to live in poverty than children in almost every other state in the US, and poverty has a distinct negative impact on student academic achievement and subsequently on school accountability outcomes, it is necessary for school leaders and researchers across the state to seek research-based, policy goals to address these shortcomings in Mississippi schools. For instance, perhaps additional research should be done to analyze other poverty-stricken states across the US for programs and policies designed to overcome the obstacles associated with poverty. In the meantime, school leaders could develop professional development opportunities for their teachers centered on the academic, social, and psychological issues stemming from poverty, as well as instructional strategies to combat those obstacles. Overall, it will take a concerted effort on the part of educators, policymakers, and community members to adequately address the educational issues facing this state, in order to take steps toward promoting a public education system, which is positive, learning-centered, and equitable to provide all of Mississippi’s school children with the best
First, the variable Percentage Black Students had a medium negative correlation (r = -0.59) to QDI. A linear regression analysis using Black Student Percentage as the independent variable and QDI the dependent variable resulted in a linear regression equation with a y-intercept of 163.11 and a slope of -0.27, which is statistically significant due to a p value of 0.01. The results of the regression analysis for these variables can be seen below in Figure …show more content…
If children in Mississippi, especially black children, are more likely to live in poverty than children in almost every other state in the US, and poverty has a distinct negative impact on student academic achievement and subsequently on school accountability outcomes, it is necessary for school leaders and researchers across the state to seek research-based, policy goals to address these shortcomings in Mississippi schools. For instance, perhaps additional research should be done to analyze other poverty-stricken states across the US for programs and policies designed to overcome the obstacles associated with poverty. In the meantime, school leaders could develop professional development opportunities for their teachers centered on the academic, social, and psychological issues stemming from poverty, as well as instructional strategies to combat those obstacles. Overall, it will take a concerted effort on the part of educators, policymakers, and community members to adequately address the educational issues facing this state, in order to take steps toward promoting a public education system, which is positive, learning-centered, and equitable to provide all of Mississippi’s school children with the best