The impact of downsizing on student achievement as reported in the academic excellence indicator system in North East Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas

This study determined the impact of downsizing on student achievement as reported in the AEIS database for the 10 downsized elementary schools in North East Independent School District (NEISD). Ten existing elementary schools lost students and teachers to four new schools that opened in 2005. Conclusions have been made regarding the impact of downsizing at these ten existing feeder schools on student achievement. The population of this study were students enrolled in third, fourth, and fifth grades at the ten downsized elementary campuses. Research questions were analyzed using an Independent Sample t test and the Pearson Product Moment Correlations to examine whether there was a significant difference between the variables and student achievement and correlations between student achievement and changes in teacher demographics. Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations are provided: 1. Total tested student population and White subpopulation TAKS scores returned statistically significant improvement at the ten elementary campuses in the area of reading ?met standards? after downsizing. 2. The Hispanic subpopulation returned statistically significant improvement in the area of reading ?commended performance? after downsizing. 3. The overall tested student population and the Hispanic subpopulation returned statistically significant in the area of mathematics ?met standards? after downsizing. 4. The overall tested student population and the Hispanic and White subpopulations returned statistically significant improvement in the area of mathematics ?commended performance? after downsizing. 5. The African American subpopulation was the only population in this study whose student achievement mean declined from 2005 to 2006 in the areas of reading ?met standards? and mathematics ?commended performance.? 6. The African American subpopulation was the only population in this study to show a significant negative correlation between teacher years of experience and student achievement in ?commended performance? for reading and mathematics prior to downsizing.