The document examines disparities in reading test scores between school districts in Pennsylvania. It finds that districts with lower percentages of economically disadvantaged students, such as Upper St Clair SD and Hampton Township SD, have much lower percentages of students scoring below basic on reading assessments, around 2%, compared to districts with higher percentages of economically disadvantaged students, such as Duquesne City SD, which have around 50% of students scoring below basic. The document determines that the disparity is not due to differences in per-pupil spending, district size, or other factors, but is strongly correlated with the percentage of economically disadvantaged students in each district. It concludes that understanding the root causes of the problem is necessary to begin addressing it

1. But What Does It
Mean?
Gianni Ferrara
Hannah Feldman

2. Of all our institutions,
public education is the
most important.
-Napoleon Bonaparte

3. The Problem
Within Pennsylvania, the
quality of education varies
from district to district.

4. Breakdown
Students are not being
given equal opportunity.

5. What do these school districts
have in common?
Upper St Clair SD
Hampton Township SD

6. Only
2.2% 2.2% 2.3%
Hampton Township SD
Upper St Clair SD
of Students with a Below Basic Reading
score on the PSSAs

7. And how about these districts?
Duquesne City SD

8. 52.7% 50.8% 47.5%
Duquesne City SD
of Students with a Below Basic Reading
score on the PSSAs

9. WHY THE
DISPARITY
?

10. It is not a matter of money*
2.2%
2.2% 2.3%
Hampton Township SD
Upper St Clair SD
$11,212 $9,826 $11,928
*Per-pupil spending

11. It is not a matter of money*
52.7% 50.8% 47.5%
Duquesne City SD
$13,647 $12,826 $12,073
*Per-pupil spending

12. It is not a matter of size
2.2%
2.2% 2.3%
Hampton Township SD
Upper St Clair SD
2,165 students 2,225 students 1,672 students
tested tested tested
4,109 total 3,974 total 3,100 total

13. It is not a matter of size
52.7% 50.8% 47.5%
Duquesne City SD
300 students 1,824 students 3,582 students
tested tested tested
705 total 4,586 total 8,918 total

14. Economic Disadvantage
Students who qualify for
free or reduced lunch
Family income at or below
85% above the poverty line

15. In high-performing districts...
2.2% 2.2% 2.3%
Upper St Clair SD Hampton Township SD
3.1% 2.3% 7.1%
Percentage of students considered economically
disadvantaged taking the Reading PSSA

16. In low-performing districts...
52.7% 50.8% 47.5%
Duquesne City SD
92.3% 80.9% 86.8%
Percentage of students considered economically
disadvantaged taking the Reading PSSA

17. When we understand the
causes of a problem, then
we can begin to fix it.

18. this is a problem, and
it needs to be fixed