THE APPROPRIATENESS OF CONSOLIDATION IN ILLINOIS: A STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF POVERTY, DISTRICT TYPE, AND SIZE ON EXPENDITURES AND ACHIEVEMENT

This study examined whether or not enrollment, poverty rate, and district type could be used to predict cost and achievement, as measured on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test and Prairie State Achievement Exam, at the building and district levels within the state of Illinois. This study provides quantitative data that will aid educational leaders and policy makers in making decisions related to the appropriateness of consolidation as related to the factors of enrollment, poverty rate, and district type. This study revealed that these factors have varying relationships with the outcomes. All were significant predictors at some level. The most influential predictor, however, was always poverty rate in outcomes where it was a significant predictor, which included all outcomes related to student achievement. Enrollment, in cases where it was a significant predictor, was typically the predictor that had the least impact on the outcome. District type was often a significant predictor, with an indicated increase of scores in elementary districts as opposed to unit districts and an increased cost for elementary and high school districts as opposed to unit districts