Annotated Bibliography

1. Mahoney, Joseph L. and Cairns, Robert B. (1997). Do Extracurricular Activities Protect Against Early School Dropout. Developmental Psychology Vol. 33 (2).

Link: http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.montclair.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=9711153633&site=ehost-live

Article details study of several hundred students from 7th through 12th grade and how extracurricular activities impacted whether or not they dropped out. Can be used in our paper because we can point out discrepancies in the amount of money allocated for extracurricular activities in different districts, and the impact that could have on students. Developmental Psychology journal is published by the American Psychological Association, and the authors of this particular article are professors at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

2. Hanushek, Eric. (1989). The Impact of Differential Expenditures on School Performance. Educational Researcher Vol. 18

Article details a study done that actually downplays the impact resources have on school performance. I found the article in the book "Does money matter?: the effect of school resources on student achievement and adult success" by Gary Burtless, which is a compilation of articles dealing with the topic. In most articles I came across, references to this study were made. It was important to look at this article and to understand why some of the conclusions drawn were incorrect. The journal, Educational Researcher, is peer reviewed

3. Tobin, Kenneth and Kincheloe, Joe L. (2006). Doing Educational Research. Sense Publishers.

Link: http://books.google.com/books?id=pj1c67LuwJYC

Book describes many methods that could be useful in urban education. For the purpose of our project, I focused on a few excerpts (accessed through Google Books) that dealt with science education in an urban setting. Tobin's findings on how hands-on learning and relevant lab work help improve urban students' perspectives on science, and also help them understand the concepts, is pertinent to our project because the availability of the resources mentioned determines how applicable Tobin's suggestions are. Without the proper resources, these ideas cannot be implemented, and students could become disinterested in science. Tobin is a very renowned researcher and a credible source in the area of urban education.

4. (2009). High school dropout crisis continues in US, study says. CNN

Link: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/05/05/dropout.rate.study/

Article brings out how lack of funding has damaged high school re-enrollment programs, which were programs that help students who have dropped out get back to school and earn their degree. Uncertain if this article will be used, as our focus is going to be on budget factors we can analyze in New Jersey districts (such as amount spent on faculty, extracurricular activities, or school supplies). It's unclear what these programs actually are, and whether or not they even exist in New Jersey. Statistics and testimonials brought out in article make reference to successes in Chicago, Milwaukee, Los Angeles, and Portland.

5. Greenwald, Rob et al. The Effect of School Resources on Student Achievement. (1996). Review of Educational Research, Vol. 66 (3).

Link: http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.montclair.edu:2048/sici?sici=0034-6543(1996)66%3A3%3C361%3ATEOSRO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-4&origin=serialsolutions&cookieSet=1

This article is a meta-analysis on whether or not resources impact student achievement. Essentially, it is a rebuttal to Hanushek's study. The study analyzes the impact of 7 different variables on student achievement: Per-pupil expenditure, teacher ability, teacher education, teacher experience, teacher salary, teacher/pupil ratio, and school size. Review of Educational Research is a peer reviewed journal.

The actual analysis done in this article is very comprehensive. I appreciate how many different ways the information is broken down: full analysis, post-1970, quasi-longitudinal study, longitudinal study, etc. I also appreciate how cautious the authors were before jumping to conclusions, as they tested for both positive and negative correlations in each study, and only emphatically stated a variable had an impact if there were positive correlations and no negative correlations across the board. I also appreciated the sensitivity analysis done towards the end of the article.

The conclusion of this study, that there is a "substantial correlation between educational resource inputs and academic achievement," is really the core of our project. However, this study defined academic achievement by standardized test scores, which is why I found articles dealing with resource impact on other measures of student success (i.e. content knowledge and dropout rates) to supplement this article's findings.