With my semester coming to an end, I have finished reviewing my data and conducting a structured interview. I analyzed 434 raw test scores from five high schools in Newark, New Jersey. The high schools I examined were Barringer, West Side, University, Malcolm X Shabazz, and Weequahic. The average scores for critical thinking and mathematics fell way below the state average. After examining the raw scores, I compared my findings to my variable model. My independent variables included parental involvement, first language of the test taker and family income. Since only one vice principal spoke to me, I can only account my variables to one school. The vice principal from Barringer high school spoke to me through a telephone. As a result, her answers added substance to my claims. A strong relationship was found between parental involvement and performance of test taker, but not for best language of student and performance of the test.

I plan to continue conducting more interviews with principals. I want to compare the school report cards with what exactly the principals say during the interviews about their school. The predictor variables play a pivotal part in influencing the outcome variable. Not only do I want to continue this, but I also hope for more scholars and researchers to get involved in this study. Understanding why students living in poor districts score low on the S.A.T. can help future students who live in poor districts in regards to the S.A.T. 

After reading a variety of empirical research articles from different researchers, I have refined my views about education reform. A single solution cannot fix the problem with students living in poor income neighborhoods scoring low on standardized tests. Variables such as average class size; gang problems in schools; problems with teacher turnover; litter around the school; and people loitering around school all play a pertinent role in influencing a students’ performance. These variables shed light on how living in a low socioeconomic environment can disrupt education in different districts. Although I previously argued that the government should take action by questioning the schools, I now believe more attention should get directed toward the neighborhoods and homes. For instance, the involvement of the parents in their children’s education or the number of children books located in the home. Ultimately, my goal is to demonstrate that we cannot only blame the schools for students underperforming on intellectual tests and that we need to focus on the child’s home environment.

I just wanted to bring forward this issue. Currently, the United States have horrible scores in regards to standardize test compared to foreign countries. The people of N.J. need to act now and tell the government not to cut the budget for education. 

I wonder if researching about the misconduct of federal money in secondary schools would cause some sort of education reform.

Urban high schools in New Jersey fall below the state average when it comes to standardize tests, such as the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT).  How does the S.A.T. relate to federal money getting distributed to secondary schools? For example, Abbott Districts receive money from the state to ensure students living in poor communities have adequate resources when in school. In short, the money should go towards enhancing the school so students could reach their learning potential like students living in non Abbott Districts.

Sadly, the school facilities of some Abbott schools have better equipment and supplies than non Abbott schools, but do not compare in results when examining S.A.T. scores. The New Jersey Department of Education reported some Abbott high schools fall forty points below the state average. If Abbott schools receive money to improve the learning environment for students living in poor communities, why do most students do poorly when it comes to standardize test, such as the S.A.T.?

I do not have an answer, but i promise to continue researching this topic and hopefully discover some sort of answer that answers all my questions.