NEARC Fall 2017

AUTHORS. Luke Davis, Eastern Connecticut State University

ABSTRACT. In 2015, approximately fifty-percent of Hartford Public Schools were identified as underperforming. This trend is a continuation of years prior; thus, a statistical analysis on the Hartford Public School system was completed to determine whether internal or external factors contributed to observed school performance in an attempt to help progress the Hartford Public School system. A multivariable regression analysis evaluated both internal and external factors to predict school performance. Internal factors considered included percent of the students in different ethnic groups, the percent of students who qualify as low income, and percent of classes taught by qualified teachers. External factors considered were the percent of the population in different ethnic groups, percent of crime throughout Hartford, percent of adults who did not to receive a H.S. diploma, and percent of households on financial assistance. Results showed that the ethnic groups of students were statistically significant and had a 43.99% influence in predicting school performance. Evaluation of external factors showed that no variables were statistically significant in predicting school performance yet explained 14.52% of the school performance. Results correspond to previous studies that have shown internal factors are more influential on school performance. This suggests that Hartford should focus on individual schools and the students within them to enhance student's performance. Programs, like Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (Conn Can), help the public school systems throughout the state and similar programs could be utilized in cities comparable to Hartford to help increase the performance of public schools throughout the country.