Factors Affecting School Quality In Florida

Abstract

This paper examines the factors that are theorized to be determinants of school quality in the 67 counties of Florida from 2000 to 2011. The model constructed for this purpose is comprised of a mix of independent variables that include county educational attainment (number of high school graduates and State University System enrollees) and economic factors (median household income, unemployment rate, number of housing starts, and property tax revenue per student). Furthermore, the model also considers 4 demographic/social variables (percent of population from 5 to 17 years old, percent white, percent female, and crime rate), as well as a variable for trend. The trend variable allows inferences to be made about the impact of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. It is hypothesized that these 11 variables will explain the variation in school quality by county over the observed time period.