Volume 4 - Issue 1 - DBU Journal of K-12 Educational Research - Page 83

Journal of K-12 Educational Research 81 Significant, negative relationships existed between total school funding and Grade 8 STAARMathematics results among all student demographic groups at traditional public schools with the exception of White students. The effect size of total school funding on Grade 8 STAAR Mathematics was small in almost all student demographic groups at traditional public schools with only Black student results realizing a medium effect. Almost all relationships between total school funding and Grade 8 STAAR Mathematics results at open enrollment charter schools were significant and negative; however, the Black student cohort resulted in a non-significant relationship. The effect size of total school funding on Grade 8 STAAR Mathematics was small in most student demographic groups at open enrollment charter schools; however, the All student cohort results realized a medium effect, while the White student group registered a large effect. Significant, mostly negative relationships existed between total school funding and Grade 8 STAAR Reading results among all student demographic groups at traditional public schools. Only the White student cohort realized a positive relationship between the independent and dependent variables. The effect size of total school funding on Grade 8 STAAR Reading was small in almost all student demographic groups at traditional public schools with only the Black student cohort results realizing a medium effect. Mostly non-significant relationships existed between total school funding and Grade 8 STAAR Reading results among student demographic groups at open enrollment charter schools. Only one student group, All students, realized a significant relationship between the independent and dependent variables. The relationships between total school funding and Grade 8 STAAR Reading results among student demographic groups at open enrollment charter schools were mostly positive, with only All students realizing a negative outcome between the two variables. Given the non-significant relationship between total school funding and Grade 8 STAAR Reading results in most student demographic groups at open enrollment charter schools, minimal effects sizes were reported. Implications Implications arising from the findings of the current study exist in four chief areas. The largest overall conclusion to be drawn from the current study indicates increased school funding impacts student achievement significantly and negatively in most of the student cohort groups reviewed. Only one, White students at traditional public schools, rated significant and positive results, while the final student cohort group, Black students at open enrollment charter schools, realized a non-significant and negative outcome. A less definite pattern of results existed within the review of the 10 combined student cohort groups’ Grade 8 STAAR Reading assessment outcomes at traditional public schools and open enrollment charter schools. Half of the student cohort groups registered significant outcomes, with all trending in a negative direction. Only White students at traditional public schools rated positive and significant results. The remaining four student cohort groups registered non-significant but positive results. These findings largely negate the effort levied by the Texas Charter School Association in Mike Morath, Commissioner of Education, et al. v. Texas Taxpayer & Student Fairness Coalition, et al. (2016), in which the group sought increased operational funding as well as the initiation of facility funding via constitutional adequacy and equal protection claims. The findings of the current study generally indicate that any increase in total school funding, whether for operational expenses or facility funding at either traditional public schools or open enrollment charter schools, would most often result in decreased student assessment scores. The second implication derived from the current study addresses the school funding gap between traditional public schools and open enrollment charter schools. Numerous researchers have documented the growing nationwide disparity in school funding provided to traditional public schools and open enrollment charter schools (Battdorff, Maloney, May, Doyle, & Hassel, 2010; 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.