Abstract
Explaining Variation in Standardized Test Scores Using GIS Track: GIS for Administration & Planning Author(s): Lisa Murphy The Colorado Student Assessment Program, or CSAP, is the Colorado standardized testing program that measures student progress in reading, writing, and mathematics for all public schools in the state of Colorado. The scores vary across the state between districts, neighborhoods, and schools. Is there any pattern to this variation in scores? Is there one primary factor that explains this variation? This project uses GIS to map the CSAP results and to correlate CSAP scores with neighborhood demographic variables such as income, race, educational attainment, and many others. The hypothesis that school scores are influenced by the social characteristics defining the neighborhoods in which the students live challenges the theory that educational success is independent of these social factors. The use of a GIS was required to perform the database manipulation and analysis between layers, and finally, to display the results. Lisa Murphy University of Denver Geography 6811 S. Kendall Blvd. Littleton , CO 80128 US Phone: 303-932-7483 E-mail: lmurphy@du.edu |
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