How Does Income Impact Student Achievement At Neshaminy?

A recent study by the Stanford University Center for Education Policy Analysis, published by the New York Times, investigated just how large the achievement gap between students in America's richest and poorest communities truly is.

The study analyzed several thousand school districts across the country, including Neshaminy, and found that the yearly income of families was correlated to student performance. The study indicates that the most highly impoverished school districts achieved at levels four grades below children in some of the country's richest school districts.

The study says the difference in the achievement gap between districts is correlated to parental income, parental education and racial/ethnic segregation.

According to the data, families in Neshaminy earn a median income of $87,000 per year. Students in Neshaminy performed 1.1 grade levels above the national average.

Correlation does not necessarily show causation across the country, as some communities with low median incomes have been shown to have high performance in their school districts. Steubenville, OH has a median income of $19,000 per year, but its students are performing at 1.1 grade levels above the national average.

In addition, Newport, TN has a median income of $19,000 per year, but its students are performing at 0.6 grade levels above the average.

Click here to view the full study by the University of Stanford Center for Education Policy Analysis.

Click here to see the full New York Times report.