A new 2014 report, "The Relationships Between School Poverty and Student Achievement in Maine", has been published by the, Center for Education Policy, Applied Research, and Evaluation at the University of Southern Maine.
From the report:
Executive Summary
The goal of this study was to examine the relationships between school level poverty found in Maine schools and student academic performance. The evidence clearly shows that there is a relationship. As the percent of poverty increases in a school, student performance declines. But the poverty level alone does not explain the wide variations in performance found across the state. The level of poverty in a school is the single best predictor of average student performance, but other factors also play a role in influencing student achievement. Some of these factors include the type of school students are enrolled in, years of teaching experience of the school staff, and the education levels of teachers. Evidence was also found for some higher poverty schools that were defying the odds. Even with higher levels of poverty in their schools, these schools were successful in producing higher levels of student performance.
Some Maine Media coverage:
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD, January 10, 2014
BANGOR DAILY NEWS, January 10, 2014
