Study shows performance gaps among smaller Indiana schools
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
A new Ball State University study indicates that substantial gaps exist in academic performance between students enrolled in the state’s smallest school districts and their peers in larger districts.
Students enrolled in school districts with less than 2,000 students scored lower on state-standardized exams and lack the same amount of access to high-level courses, according to a news release highlighting the results of the report by Ball State University’s Center for Business and Economic Research.
The report, commissioned by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, also notes less college preparation and lower college enrollment rates.
“When an entire K-12 school district is very small, the research clearly shows a significant negative difference in student learning, course offerings and post-graduation educational opportunities,” Kevin Brinegar, president and CEO of the Indiana Chamber, said in the news release. “It’s an uncomfortable reality and problem, but when one in five Hoosier students are enrolled in these very small districts, we are not only hurting these kids and their economic prosperity, but also small communities and our state’s future.”
The report, “School Corporation Size and Student Outcomes: An Update and Extensions,” notes that 20% of students are enrolled in districts of less than 2,000 students and that districts of such size constitute 56% of the state’s 290 school districts.
The study, which analyzed student performance data, graduation rates, postsecondary education enrollment, advanced course offerings and other factors, suggests that modest increases to student enrollment can improve performance. Increasing district size to at least 1,000 students is associated with a 13-percentage point increase in students passing the eighth grade ILEARN test, a 10-point increase in IREAD exam passage rates and a 17-point increase in the number of high school graduates going to college, the news release said.
The news release said the research is tied to the Indiana Chamber’s Indiana Prosperity 2035 economic vision plan, which includes goals to improve student performance by merging small districts, sharing services between districts and increasing online access to high-level courses.