| Title: |
Measuring Student Socioeconomic Status: Toward a Comprehensive Approach. School Finance Series |
| Language: |
English |
| Authors: |
Cookson, Peter W.; Learning Policy Institute |
| Source: |
Learning Policy Institute. 2020. |
| Availability: |
Learning Policy Institute. 1530 Page Mill Road Suite 200, Palo Alto, CA 94304. Tel: 650-332-9797; e-mail: info@learningpolicyinstitute.org; Web site: https://learningpolicyinstitute.org |
| Peer Reviewed: |
Y |
| Page Count: |
28 |
| Publication Date: |
2020 |
| Sponsoring Agency: |
Raikes Foundation |
| Intended Audience: |
Policymakers |
| Document Type: |
Reports - Research |
| Education Level: |
Elementary Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: |
Measurement Techniques; Socioeconomic Status; Economically Disadvantaged; Low Income Groups; Lunch Programs; Eligibility; Poverty; Public Schools; Certification; Welfare Services; Elementary Secondary Education |
| Geographic Terms: |
Massachusetts |
| Abstract: |
Accurately measuring the family incomes of students is essential to allocating school resources that meet the educational needs of all students, particularly the needs of students from low-income families. With the onset of the COVID-19 health and economic crisis, the need to accurately assess the financial condition of families who are suffering a loss of income and employment has taken on new and urgent importance. Public school districts are experiencing a significant loss of funding, making them more dependent on federal dollars to meet children's needs. Measuring student socioeconomic status (SES) accurately is essential if schools educating students from low-income and impoverished families are to receive the funds they need to offer quality education to those students furthest from opportunity. The Free and Reduced-Price Lunch (FRPL) program has been the most commonly used measure of student poverty in the United States, but that is changing. This report examines the limitations of FRPL as a sole proxy for student poverty and the shift away from its use. It considers "direct certification," a newer process for determining students' eligibility for free or reduced-price meals, Title I-sponsored student services, and other programs. This report offers several considerations for state policymakers who are seeking to accurately count students from low-income families through the direct certification process. The report concludes with a call for the continuous development of up-to-date, comprehensive measures of students' SES that will better serve the needs of policymakers, researchers, educators, and families. |
| Abstractor: |
ERIC |
| Entry Date: |
2020 |
| Accession Number: |
ED606617 |
| Database: |
ERIC |