3.4 Assignment: Simple Linear Regression and Graphs

By

Antonio Gilbert

STAT 535

INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

TITLE OF THE PAPER iii

01/2021

Contents PROJECT BACKGROUND 2 Purpose of the Study 2 Context of the Problem, Challenge Opportunity or Issue 2 Objectives of the Study 2 Limitations of the Study 2 Assumptions of the Study 2 Significance of the Study 2 What are the goals of the Study 2 Significance of the Topic to the Writer 2 Significance of the Topic to Stakeholders 2 Broader Implications of the Topic 2 INFORMATION and LITERATURE REVIEW 3 Brief Summary of the Literature on the Subject 3 Systematic Review of the Literature 3 Descriptive Statistics 3 Descriptive Graphs 4 PROJECT ANALYSIS 5 Analysis of the Literature Review Research Findings 5 Simple Linear Regression Analysis 5 Single Sample Hypothesis Test of the Mean 5 Chi-Square Analysis 5 PROJECT SUMMARY 6 Conclusions 6 Specific Recommendations 6 Suggestions for Future Research 6 References 6 Appendices 8 Appendix A: Data Set 8 Appendix B: Pictures of Analysis 9

This study seeks to determine the role of socio-economic factors in influencing the performance of students in 12th Grade proficiency exams.

There have been concerns about deteriorating performance in 12th grade proficiency exams. In both 2015 and 2019, the majority of the students failed to attain proficiency in the three tested subjects- English, Science and reading (AMACAD, 2021; Wexler, 2020). In 2019 examinations, for instance, only 24% attained proficiency in math, while the proficiency attainment in reading was just 37%. The performance was worse in mathematics, where 40% of the students recorded below basic performance (Wexler, 2020). While the performance ion reading was better, still 30% performed below basic performance. The performance of the students have been generally been on the decline, and presently worse than it was two decades ago (AMACAD, 2021). High failure rates in 12th grade performance has serious implications in educational development of the country, as it jeopardizes the proportion of students who qualify for the final stage in the high school (high school graduation), and by extension transition to college. In the long run, it adversely affects human resource building-which primarily depends on educational pathways.

Objectives of the Study

The study will seek to attain the following objectives:

a) To determine the role of specific socio-economic background (family income, family welfare, and property value) in determining students score in 12th grade proficiency examinations.

b) To assess the role of specific monetary incentives (spent per pupil, and salary of classroom teachers) in influencing student scores in 12th grade proficiency examination.

The study is limited by the low sample size (N=94), thereby exposing the outcome to possible errors of probability. Further, the study used school-level data, thereby failing to reflect student-level attributes which would be more representative of the individual learners. The school-level data uses mean values for each variable, therefore depicting central tendencies rather than real socio-economic and performance data of every student.

This study assumes that the mean values in the data set are representative of individual students. It further assumes that the sample used is representative of the entire population (all American schools).

The goal study is to determine the role of socio-economic factors in determining student performance in 12th Grade proficiency examinations in the United States.

The researcher has a scholarly interest in educational welfare of American students at elementary level. This topic advances this interest by allowing the researcher to delve into the role of specific socio-economic variables.

Significance of the Topic to Stakeholders

The persistent performance of significant proportion of candidates sitting for 12th Grade proficiency exams is unresolved challenge in the US, and an educational issue attracting extensive media coverage and criticism (Wexler, 2012). The study offers empirical evidence on the role of socio-economic factors in shaping the performance. It therefore offers evidence-based avenue for educationists, curriculum policy stakeholders, the government and school management to address the ongoing concerns over the poor performance in 12th grade proficiency exams.

Industry implications.

This study has a potential to generate an outcome that facilitates understanding of the underlying socio-economic factors for the massive failures in 12th grade proficiency examinations. The education sector (industry) would be able to assess the extent to which socio-economic backgrounds accounts for the failures, and whether addressing socio-economic barriers would help address high failure rates.

Global implications.

This study offers comparative evidence on the influence of socio-economic background and financial incentives on educational performance. There are already evidence from Germany (Akukwe & Schroeders, 2016), New Zealand (Rubie‐Davies et al., 2012) Turkey (Bellibus, 2016), and Canada (Braun et al., 2011) affirming their effect of socio-demographical factors. This study offers American perspectives, allowing comparative study.

Family background, including socio-economic status is found to affect student attainment, with students from low status being disadvantaged (Akukwe & Schroeders, 2016; Bellibas, 2016; Gonzalez, 2012).

Past research (Rubie-Davies, 2012) finds that community socio-economic context constitute vital school-level contextual factor impacting on performance. Schools POOR communities tend to be well resourced through government spending and capitation, leading to better performance. In absence of government funding, low-socio-economic status schools would perform poorer. Further, Braun et al. (2011) has found that student-level incentives and support would significantly improve their performance. High support empowers student ability to buy reading materials and learning resources leading to better performance.

Summary and Relevance of the Literature to the problem or questions

Bellibas (2016) examined the link between socio-economic background and student attainment, in the context of Turkish Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)-2012. Using multiple regression analysis, the study established a negative correlation between low socio-economic status and student attainment. However, the socio-economically disadvantaged groups performed better that those in the higher status where the disadvantaged group had educational support, in terms of ICT availability and home educational resources. Similarly, Akukwe and Schroeders (2016) similarly investigate how family factors, including socio-economic factors, impact on academic achievement ninth graders (studying Biology) in Germany. The study finds that parent competency and number of books bought at home predicts performance. While the current study does not investigate parent attainment, Akukwe and Schroeders (2016) underscore the need to focus on family condition as a crucial socio-economic factor to impact on performance. Ability to buy books is closely knitted with family income, and support, which is subject of the current research. Studies in the US have affirmed that LOW socio-economic disadvantages at family level negatively disadvantages pre-k–grade 12 students when it comes to language (Gonzalez, 2012The study offers insights that household factors impact on attainment, so this investigation incorporate household socio-economic attributes.

A study by Rubie-Davies (2012) utilized data obtained from teachers in urban New Zealand schools to establish that socio-economic level of the school impacts on educational attainment. This study underscores the significance of school contextual factors. They indicate that school neighborhood-whether it is located in affluent or poor community affect performance. Consequently the study focuses on school level monetary incentives directed to the teacher and the learner- spent per pupil, and salary of classroom teachers.

Baun et al. (2011) investigates the socio-economic factors impacting on 12th-Grade NAEP reading assessment in Canada. The study established that monetary incentives to students significantly increased student engagement and overall performance. This study will focus on spent per child as an indication of student-level financial support.

Thematic Findings in Literature as Applied to the Topic

Past research (Akukwe & Schroeders, 2016; Bellibas, 2016) has examined socio-economic factors that increase likelihood of student’s attainment. These include household factors that benefits student education (including home educational resources, parental education and access to ICT resources). This study focuses on family income and support though welfare as family-level socio-economic factors.

Research is further focusing on student-level financial support and incentives. International evidence (Braun et al., 2011) finds such incentives effective in promoting student attainment.

The role of school-level socio-economic factors is another dominant theme in the extant literature. (Rubie-Davies, 2012). Rubie-Davies (2012) finds that low socio-economic schools well-funded low socio-economic schools performs better than less funded schools in high socio-economic zones (low socio-economic schools). Without funding, schools in low socio-economic zones would be disadvantaged. The study focuses on teacher salary and spent per pupil as proxies of government financial incentives, and by extension indicators of school socio-economic factors.

Key Definitions.

For purposes of this study, the following terms have been accorded the meanings as defined below:

· Monetary incentives – these include monetary support and motivation provided to learners and teachers in the context of learning environment. They encompass spent per pupil, and salary of classroom teachers.

Ethical Consideration from the Literature Review.

The past research using human subjects (Akukwe and Schroeders, 2016; Rubie-Davies, 2012) have c9onsidered pertinent ethical issues of informed consent, participant privacy and confidentiality. These will not be germane to this Study, since data are secondary. However, honesty and data integrity will be ensured by using true data as obtained from US government official education databases.

Type of Variables in the Data Set.

The dependent variables include family level socio-economic background (family income, family welfare, and property value) and monetary incentives (spent per pupil, and salary of classroom teachers).

Table 1: Descriptive Statitics for Independent Variable

The dependent variable includes student scores in 12th grade proficiency examination. Descriptive statitics is summarized below:

Table 2: Descriptive Statitics for Dependent Variable

The following are the research questions:

i. What is the relationship between family-level socio-economic statuses on student attainment?

ii. How do monetary incentives (to teachers and students) impact on student performance?