Date of Award

2021

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

Abstract

Many political leaders advocate for school consolidation as a strategy for solving Indianas school funding issues and increasing student academic performance. However, school consolidation should be a decision made by local stakeholders and community members with thoughtful consideration given to a multitude of academic and economic factors. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there were differences between small Indiana school corporations (i.e., enrollment below 2000 students) and large Indiana school corporations (i.e., enrollment above 2000 students) with regard to academic and economic performance in the following areas: • ISTEP test scores from 2010 to 2020 • IREAD test scores from 2011 to 2018 • Graduation rates from 2010 to 2018 • A-F letter grades from 2012 to 2018• Tax rates from 2009 to 2018• General fund expenditures per ADM from 2009 to 2018 The goal of this study was to answer one primary question—Do large school corporations outperform small school corporations in specific academic and economic areas warranting school consolidation? Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted in four academic indicator areas and two economic indicator areas specific to Indiana public school corporations. An independent samples t -test was conducted between small and large school corporations for each academic and economic indicator utilizing a large sample size with .05 significance to ensure statistical validity. The study revealed small school corporations scored statistically significantly higher on the IREAD exam than large school corporations. The study also indicated small school corporations had a statistically significantly lower tax rate than large school corporations. Further, the study conveyed no significant difference between small and large school corporations in relation to ISTEP test scores, graduation rates, A-F letter grades, or general fund expenditures per ADM. An overwhelming theme emerged during the research. Small school corporations have performed at similar academic and economic levels as large school corporations. In some cases, small school corporations have outperformed large school corporations. Moreover, collaboration efforts made by all school corporations to reduce costs and improve academic opportunities for students may serve as a better option than mandated school consolidation efforts. Four recommendations came from this study. First, allow local community members and stakeholders to make the decisions in regards to the best interest of its students. Second, utilize a wide range of academic and economic data points for making decisions in regards to consolidation. Third, Indiana lawmakers must put into place a funding system that provides schools with the financial resources needed to meet the academic requirements. Last, lawmakers must create an accountability system that is consistent and fair to a diverse student population.

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