Abstract
GIS, Census Blockgroups and SES Determination
Track: GIS for Administration & Planning
Author(s): Trevor Mahlum
Socio Economic Status (SES) is an indicator of Title I (federal education funds targeting students in poverty) status for schools. SES is typically taken from self-referred Free and Reduced Price lunch (F/R) applications made directly to schools or districts. Federal laws protecting the privacy of student records make use of this identifier troublesome. In addition fears of stigmatization associated with applying for F/R lunch make this indicator suspicious of under reporting true SES of a school's student population.
This paper will demonstrate how GIS may provide another approach for collecting the requisite SES information with a higher level of reliability and anonymity. Using GIS to associate the home address of students with US Census bureau block group data can create an SES value for students based on public information. Schools could document the percentage of students whose blockgroup indicators fell below the poverty level to determine Title I funding.
Trevor Mahlum
Natrona County School District ##1
Assessment & Research
970 N. Glenn Rd.
Casper , WY 82601
US
Phone: (307)261-6139
Fax: (307)577-0252
E-mail: trevor_mahlum@ncsd.k12.wy.us