Special report
July 17, 2021 11:00 a.m.
Last updated: July 17, 2021 11:20 am
Every child is born in a unique environmentAttitudes. And it is these various social, family, economic, environmental and many other factors that contribute to who they become. While there are myriad of these conditions, a handful of factors play a paramount role in a child’s development and the likelihood of future success – including academic success.
Whether or not a child is academically successful can largely depend on the quality of the school. A student who falls behind in one school district may have excelled academically in another. Not just in the classroom, many of the strongest influences on a child’s future lie in the home environment and the resources available or lacking there.
Using data from the US Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics, 24/7 Wall St. developed an index of four measures to determine which school district has the lowest chance of success in each state. The index measures include: the child poverty rate, the teacher-student ratio, the expenditure on education per student and the proportion of adults with a university degree.
In our analysis we also have the quality measures of the school districts of Education and Community Data Clearinghouse, Niche. Favorable placements in these measures alone do not ensure the children’s chances of success during schooling, but they can bring considerable advantages.
Half of the index used in the 24/7 Wall St. Ranking relates to the district’s school system itself. The student-teacher ratio – one of the metrics used – is an important indicator as smaller class sizes allow more individualizationed instruand reduced chance of a stallionomitted Behind. Similarly, high annual spending on education per student means more educational resources that students can benefit from. However, it is important to note that spending on higher education alone is not a guarantee of improved academic outcomes. Here’s a look at the states that pay their teachers the most (and the least).
The other half of the index – child poverty and the proportion of adults with a bachelor’s degree – focuses on key socio-economic factors outside of the classroom. Children in households with serious financial difficulties are less likely to be academically successful, while children raised by college-educated parents are statistically more likely to perform well in school. So many children live in poverty in your state.
Click here to see the worst school district in each state.
Click here to see our methodology.
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