An Analysis of ESEA Title I Data in New Jersey. Occasional Papers in Education.

An extensive Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title I data base was developed in order to study the distribution and effect of Title I funds in New Jersey. The information in this data base was then analyzed in conjunction with information concerning reading and mathematics achievement, program adoption, and demography, to determine correlations with ESEA Title I programs. The following conclusions were drawn from the analysis: (1) Those school districts with higher average staff Title I salaries usually reported poorer performing students in both reading and mathematics. (2) Those districts with a larger ratio (more students per instructor) were the poorer performing districts. (3) Those schools allotting more time per student per instructor for Title I instruction were the better performing schools. (4) There was generally no association between achievement and number of compensatory education programs adopted. (Author/MV)