Assessing District-Level Effects on Student Mobility: A Multilevel Examination of Student Mobility in Indiana

• In Event: Rethinking School System Organization and Practice

Abstract

Researchers have paid limited attention to the effect of district-level characteristics on student mobility. This study incorporated both student and district-level characteristics to examine the relationships among these variables on students’ likelihood to exit a public school district. The dataset included data from one cohort of students enrolled in Indiana’s public education system. Using multilevel logistic modeling, we found all student-level characteristics were significant predictors in the student’s likelihood to move, especially students’ eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch. At the district-level, enrollment size, the percentage of students eligible for free or reduced price lunch and the proportion of non-white students had a significant effect on student mobility.

Authors

• Gina Gabriele Mosier, Indiana University - Bloomington

• Chad Lochmiller, Indiana University

• Thomas Sugimoto, Indiana University - Bloomington