Place, Poverty and Student Outcomes: Identifying the New Socio-spatial Dynamics of Schooling Disadvantage in NSW

Abstract

This chapter explores the nature of the unevenness of student outcomes in rural regions. We present a comprehensive report of variations in student outcomes and gain scores using State-wide testing data for Years 3, 5, 7 and 8 Literacy and Numeracy and Years 10 and 12 English and Mathematics analysed by three indicators of place (Country Area Programs, 'Regionality', and School Transfer Points) and one indicator of poverty (Priority School Funding Programs. The analysis then drills down to variations in outcomes at regional and local school levels in one rural region. Thus schooling outcomes at three levels of spatial organization are analysed: state, regional and School Education Area.