Publication Date

2020

Document Type

Book

Description

This project analyzes the performance of the Binghamton City School District (BCSD) in comparison to New York State averages and to the school districts in Troy, Schenectady, Utica, and Niagara Falls. By collecting data from twenty-one different school years, provided by New York State on the New York State Education Data Site (NYSED), we illustrate a clear decline from the state mean in Binghamton’s academic performance that remains in line with the pattern of academic performance in the other four, previously mentioned, school districts. To look at why this is occurring, we collected population data from the U.S. Census Bureau; gathered budgeting data from NYSED and the United States Department of Education; and conducted interviews with district leaders in order to understand factors that influence student achievement. Our analysis reveals a rate of population mobility and a pattern of per-pupil expenditure - within the Binghamton community - that is disproportionately higher when compared to others of similar socioeconomic standing. This study indicates that, despite increased school expenditures, the academic underperformance that BCSD generates is linked to above-average mobility in the city. Our results suggest state education should reform through policies that promote greater parental involvement and revise testing standards.

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Collapse at the Confluence: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Binghamton City School District

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