Mixed Income School Catchment Area Analysis
Background
The association between early childhood readiness for learning, high school success and outcomes such as literacy, school performance, grade failure and employment opportunities later in life have been widely studied and acknowledged (Hertzman, 1992; Power & Hertzman, 1997; Fergusson & Horwood, 1998; McLoyd, 1998). Research has investigated the factors that influence poor high school outcomes -such as the effect of family and neighbourhood socioeconomic characteristics- and the development of skills such as reading and mathematics (Maggi et al., 2004).
In Canada, measures of basic school related competencies, such as reading and mathematics, have been significantly associated with family income and parental education levels in children as young as five years of age. Research results have revealed that by the time children begin a formal education they may already be at risk for developing problems in basic school related competencies that vary significantly according to school neighbourhood (Maggi et al., 2004).
However, there are other issues –beyond the role of family income and education levels- that needs to be investigated when trying to understand what factors affect educational outcomes. Specifically, the role of socio-economic characteristics at the neighbourhood (or school catchment) level on influencing educational outcomes. Maggi et al. (2004) suggests that highly competent children in less affluent neighborhoods are compromised by a higher proportion of children with learning disabilities and developmental delays. This is often paired with larger class sizes and fewer available resources. The disproportionate numbers of learning difficulties in turn negatively affect the rest of the class. The highly competent children are compromised by a less stimulating classroom environment and the lack of individual attention available from a teacher.
In addition to this, funding often differs between affluent and poorer school areas. In Vancouver, although public school funding is based on assessed ‘need,’ disparities exist. These funding disparities are produced through private fundraising on behalf of parents. The proceeds from fundraising efforts remain in the SCA from which they are generated; this is exemplified by west-side schools in Vancouver which, as a result of fundraising receive significantly more funding. This raises the question: if neighbourhoods were more economically mixed, then would the educational disparities, created through factors like fundraising, be reduced across the city?
The following analysis looks at the relationship between mixed neighbourhoods and early child development scores as well as high school outcomes. The question guiding this analysis is: Can high school outcomes be predicted by considering the influence of mixed income neighbourhoods on early childhood development measures
Results Mixed Neighbourhood Analysis
From the results of the mixed income high school catchment area analysis, Eric Hamber, Kitsilano, Prince of Wales, King George and Sir Charles Tupper were designated mixed income high school catchment areas. The results showed that the majority of mixed income high school catchment areas had high average incomes, so Sir Charles Tupper was included as a mixed income high school catchement area to represent a low income mixed income catchment area. These results are summarized in Table 1 showing mixed income neighbourhoods in yellow and uniform income neighbourhoods in blue. Figure 1 shows the range of average income Enumeration Areas for the school catchment areas that have been designated as either mixed or uniform.
Table 1
Map 1
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Figure 1
EDI Results and Discussion
EDI scores were analysed for the designated mixed income high school catchment areas. As low income catchment areas more frequently attain lower academic outcomes focus was given to the middle and low income category catchment areas, namely King George and Sir Charles Tupper. This was to determine if higher academic scores could potentially be achieved in low and middle inome mixed catchment areas than in uniformly low income areas. The average Total EDI scores for Sir Charles Tupper was the second to lowest for all of the 19 catchment areas in Vancouver. The Total EDI score for King George (187.59) school catchment area was the second highest after Eric Hamber (187.84) and slightly higher than Kitsilano (187.43). The Total EDI scores as well as the EDI Language and Cognitive Development scores for all school catchment areas in Vancouver are summarized in Table 2.
It is interesting to note that the average total EDI score for King George, a middle income mixed neighbourhood had higher average Total EDI scores than Kitsilano, Point Grey, Lord Byng, Magee, Prince of Wales and University Hill high school catchment areas that are all of higher average income.
Table 2
When the language and cognitive development measure of the EDI is ranked King George school catchment area attains the fourth highest average score for Vancouver, while other mixed income high school catchment areas, Eric Hamber and Kitsilano also rank in the top five ahead of some uniformly high income catchment areas, such as University Hill and Lord Byng.
Map 2
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Map 3
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Map 4
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Results and Discussion for High School
High School Provincial Exam Averages were also analysed and outcomes were not as positive for the middle and low income mixed neighbourhoods. Sir Charles Tupper had the fourth lowest Provincial Exam Average and King George had the seventh lowest out of the eighteen high school catchment areas.
The high income mixed neighbourhoods had better high school Provincial Exam Averages than some of the uniformly high income school catchment areas, such as Magee and Lord Byng.
Graduation rates for King George are the lowest for all of Vancouver and the provincial exam rate and Fraser Institute ranking are ninth and eighth respectively out of the eighteen public schools ranked in Vancouver. Graduation Rates and Provincial Exam Averages are summarized in Figure 2.
Figure 2
Table 3
Map 5
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Map 6
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Map 7
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Based on the results, high income areas generally have better academic outcomes than low income areas. However, it is interesting to note that higher income, mixed income neighbourhoods in the centre of Vancouver, such as Kitsilano, Eric Hamber and Prince of Wales have consistent high levels of childhood readiness for learning and high school academic performance. While these neighbourhoods are not considered low income and good school performance is expected, these school catchment areas often surpass uniformly high income catchment areas such as Lord Byng and University Hill in measures of school readiness.