EXPLAINING SOL VARIATION ACROSS VIRGINIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS TIEBOUT CHOICE AND COMMUTING CONSTRAINTS

In this research we analyze student performance on Spring 2000 "standards of learning" (SOL) tests across school divisions in Virginia. Using ordinary least squares regression, we are able to explain, on average, approximately two-thirds of the variation among school divisions on twelve separate SOL tests. We use this framework to extend our research to the relationship between "Tiebout Choice" and student performance. The explanatory variable set includes measures of the socio-economic status of the students and their families, school inputs by division (such as pupil-teacher ratios, and degree status of faculty), a measure of student aptitude, and various measures to capture "Tiebout Choice". The results suggest that relative performance on SOL tests is importantly influenced by those explanatory variables, with student aptitude playing a key role. These findings, which are congruent with the broader education literature, suggest that school districts with less able students will have a much more difficult task in achieving passing scores for individual students and minimum scores on these statewide exams for school accreditation. Additionally, we find that after controlling for student aptitude, there is not a significant relationship between Tiebout Choice and student performance. However, if we follow the mainstream literature and do not control for student aptitude, the Tiebout Choice variable gains explanatory power in a majority of our regressions.