An analysis and comparison of the implications of Senate Bill 7 on student achievement in certain low and high property wealth school districts in Texas from 1994--2001

Purpose. The Texas public school finance system is a shared arrangement between the state and local school districts. Since school districts rely on the property tax as their local revenue source, revenue at similar rates varies across the state as property wealth varies. The state makes up for this funding difference in inverse relations to the district's property wealth. Therefore, school districts with higher property wealth receive less state money than low property wealth school districts. This results in equalization in overall school funding.; With the passage of Senate Bill 7, school districts in Texas have equal opportunities to spend equal amounts of funds on instruction regardless of the district's tax base revenues, enrollment size, or population mix. This study examines the impact of equalized spending on student achievement in low property wealth and high property wealth districts as measured by the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS).; Method. Data for this study was collected from the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS). The data collected by PEIMS are assimilated annually in a publication known as Snapshots. For this study sample school district data were obtained from Snapshot-District Profiles (Texas Education Agency) for the years 1994--95 through 2001--2002. Data collected included: (a) TAAS results for all student groups, (b) total expenditures per student for instructional materials and services, and (c) student dropout and attendance rates. The data were analyzed using t tests and correlation analysis.; Results. There is not a lack of data on school finance and the impact of such on student achievement. One school of thought argues that the background and educational level of student's parents have more of an impact on achievement than the property wealth of a school district. A strong argument is made by another school of thought that a school district's property wealth has a significant impact on the academic achievement of students especially minorities.; This study found that there was a significant difference in the academic achievement of students in high property wealth school districts compared to students in low property wealth school districts. The study also found that minority students in both high property wealth school districts and low property wealth districts made significant gains on TAAS tests during the period of 1994--95 through 2001--02 school years. Also, students in low property wealth districts are more likely to be dropouts and have lower attendance rates.; Further study should examine the impact of the following on student achievement: (a) parental involvement, (b) staff development, (c) parent income and educational background, (d) single family home, (e) type of residence, i.e. home versus apartment, and (f) class size.