Gentrification and Education at a Crossroads: The Correlation between Neighborhood Change and Student Achievement
Public Deposited- Last Modified
- February 26, 2019
- Creator
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Harris, Tasia S.
- Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Public Policy
- Abstract
- This thesis explores the relationship between gentrification and student achievement in New York State. Gentrification, established by Ruth Glass (1964) as a class issue contextualized by urban geographies, has historically been investigated from the perspective of the gentrifier. Much of the early gentrification research has been focused on defining the gentrifier and the factors that cause gentrification to come about. More recently, researchers have begun to turn their attention to the impact on the existing populations where gentrification takes place. However, these efforts are primarily concerned with the impact gentrification has on the accessibility of affordable housing or how it affects the business landscape. The literature on its relationship with education is very scarce. This thesis involves a quantitative analysis of the relationship between gentrification (as measured by median income, educational attainment, and racial composition) and student achievement (as measured by mean test scores on third grade statewide standardized tests and third grade proficiency rates on statewide standardized tests) in New York from 2006-2012. After a series of bivariate regressions and two multivariate regressions, I find that there is no statistically significant impact of measures of gentrification on math scores and proficiency; the impact of gentrification on English Language Arts scores and proficiency, while statistically significant has no practical influence’ and; lastly, over time student achievement is decreasing in New York. Although the findings regarding gentrification are insightful they are limited by both time and space. I suggest that future quantitative research be conducted for longer periods of time with more aspects of the design aimed at isolating the “stayers,” those who lived in areas prior to the onset gentrification. Lastly, I urge policymakers in New York to act to reverse the trend of decreasing student achievement.
- Date of publication
- spring 2015
- Keyword
- DOI
- Resource type
- Rights statement
- In Copyright
- Note
- Funding: None
- Advisor
- Hemelt, Steven
- Degree
- Bachelor of Arts
- Honors level
- Honors
- Degree granting institution
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Extent
- 36
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