Student Achievement as an Investment in Human Capital: Using Longitudinal Patterns of Per Pupil Instructional and Capital Expenditures, Socioeconomic Status, and Past Performance in Predicting Student Achievement

Abstract

Existing research illustrating a significant relationship between school spending and student achievement is expanding. However, research specifically investigating the relationships between capital expenditures (maintenance, renovations, and construction) and instructional expenditures (teacher quality, teacher salaries, textbooks, class size) with student achievement both individually, and as a function of overall school spending, is lacking. Recent studies have linked school spending to student achievement in an attempt to increase school funding as a response to No Child Left Behind Act (2001) mandates. This study attempts to augment this area of inquiry by providing feedback across the Commonwealth of Virginia on longitudinal patterns of student achievement as a function of longitudinal patterns of instructional and capital expenditures per pupil.