Factors in Achieving Education Quality

ACHIEVING EDUCATION QUALITY: AN ASSESSMENT OF CONTRIBUTING FACTORS

This research assessed factors contributing to the achievement of education quality. The assessment involved the analysis of relevant macro variables collected by state.

The initial task in this research was defining education quality. One possible measure of education quality is the mean SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) score for a state. The SAT score is a recognized indicator of the scholastic potential of an individual. With respect to education quality, however, one drawback of the SAT score is that it reflects both learning and native intelligence. One may assume, however, that the various levels of native intelligence are more or less uniformly distributed across states. A potentially major methodological problem with the mean SAT score, however, is the variation by state of student participation. Some states require all high school seniors to take the test, while taking the test is voluntary in other states, and yet other states actively discourage all but the best students from taking the test. This variation in participation holds the potential to compromise the validity of mean SAT scores as a measure of education quality within a state.

A second possible measure of education quality is the proportion of the appropriate aged population segment within a state completing high school. The high school graduation rate is an indicator of formal educational attainment. The major methodological

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ucation spending per capita (student). Higher education spending, thus, was expected to be associated with a higher mean SAT score. 5. Percent of Teachers Holding A Master's Degree. The rationale for the selection of this factor as an explanatory variable for mean SAT scores was that better qualified teachers are able to provide a higher quality education for students. A higher percent of teachers holding master's degrees, thus, was expected to be associated with a higher mean SAT score. 6. Mean Teacher Salary. The rationale for the selection of this factor as an explanatory variable for mean SAT scores was that higher teacher salaries should attract better qualified teachers, who, in turn, will able to provide a higher quality education for students. A higher mean teacher salary, thus, was expected to be associated with a higher mean SAT score. The high school completion rate was the dependent variable in hypothesis number two. With respect to the high school completion rate, six factors were identified as potential explanatory (independent) variables. These six factors were as follows: 1. Number of Single Parent Households. The rationale for the selection of this factor as an explanatory variable for the high school c

Category: Psychology - F