Date Approved

2024

Degree Type

Open Access Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department or School

Leadership and Counseling

Committee Member

Davis Clement, PhD

Committee Member

Phillip Caldwell II, PhD

Committee Member

Robert Carpenter, PhD

Committee Member

David Anderson, EdD

Abstract

The research investigates persistent inequities in K-12 school funding in Michigan, emphasizingthe correlation between funding disparities and the socioeconomic status of communities. The study highlights how historically segregated communities of color face significant challenges in securing equitable funding compared to predominantly White communities, perpetuating racial inequalities in educational resources. The study explores the impact of funding on key factors affecting student achievement, such as teacher quality, class size, and socio-emotional support, while analyzing the role of parental education attainment in perpetuating intergenerational inequality. Using structural equation modeling, the findings reveal that socioeconomic status significantly influences educational outcomes and per pupil funding has a small to moderate influence depending on demographic group. The findings underscore the need for legislatures to pass progressive funding models and comprehensive policies to enhance equity and support marginalized students in achieving long-term educational success. The study promotes how adequate funding can promote intergenerational economic mobility and improved academic success for all students. The findings also underscore the need for K-12 leaders to revise their policies and practices to position students for success in affording a postsecondary education. The study examines the impact of human resource shortages on students’ ability to receive the K-12 experience necessary to afford, enroll in, persist at, and graduate from a four-year institution of higher education (IHE). The study reinforces the need for 4-year IHE’s to support students of color to succeed in rigorous coursework specific to their degree and beyond the typical first two years of general education courses.

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