Do School and School District Influence Students’ Performance on Civics End-of-Course Assessment? A Multilevel Analysis

Abstract

This study examined the influence of school and school district variables on schools’ average results for the civics end-of-course (EOC) assessment. A two-level hierarchical analysis was conducted using the percentage of students from low-SES per school, school size, and school type as Level 1 predictors and the average district poverty ratio and non-Hispanic White population as Level 2 moderators. The results showed that a higher percentage of poor students, district poverty level, and the district non-Hispanic White population had a negative impact on the average number of students who score proficient on civics EOC assessments. Similarly, school size and school type were significant predictors of the average school civics EOC proficiency rate.