| This dissertation explores the relationship between elementary grade school configuration and achievement in high school. The study examined high school seniors at two districts in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. Achievement scores were taken from the students' scores on the EXPLORE, PLAN, and ACT exams. The study also measured student growth from the EXPLORE to ACT exams. Students were grouped based on their elementary school configuration prior to entering high school. Additionally, the study separated participants based on gender, race, and socio-economic status as well as the classification of Off Target, Nearly On Target, and On Target as defined by the ACT's Reasonable Growth Model.;The study examined student achievement scores based on the child's elementary school of last attendance. The first question compared split elementary school students to K-eighth grade span. The second question compared three different split elementary configurations to K-eighth grade span. The last question examined the student growth of different sub-groups based on whether they attended a split elementary or a K-eighth grade configuration. For the first two questions, the data suggest that students who attended a split elementary school configuration had higher achievement scores on most of the exams. However, the results for the third question indicated only a few sub-groups showed significant growth based on elementary school configuration. |
