Education Outcome in Westchester County; The Role of Socioeconomic status and School Funding

Abstract

This paper aims to examine the factors contributing to the educational gap between high and low-income families in Westchester County, New York. Using math and reading test scores of total 115 elementary schools in 26 out of 43 public school districts at Westchester County, I explore the relationship between students' performances and financial and educational resources of individual schools. I also analyze the relationship between students' performances and their parental socioeconomic status. The results show that the socioeconomic status is the most relevant predictor for education outcome. In addition, income segregation between school districts has also contributed to the racial achievement gap. Results show that Hispanic families are more likely to live in a district with concentrated poverty and underfunded schools.