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July 26, 2006
Test scores hit home, literallyTesting, testing, testing. Sometimes it seems like that's all we ever hear. That and the housing bubble always seem to be hot topics these days. Who'da thunk the two might actually be related?
Sure, everyone knows that prospective home buyers frequently check out the school district into which they will be moving, but a new study out of Ohio State University last week indicates a correlation between proficiency test scores and home values.
"The study of Ohio school districts showed that an increase of about 20 percentage points in the proficiency test 'pass rate' increased house values in a district about 7 percent, even after taking into account other factors that impact house values." Time to call a Realtor!
Donald Haurin, the study's co-author noted, "If parents and residents are paying attention to test outcomes, and not a value-added approach, that means school boards need to pay attention to outcomes too. But focusing on test scores may not be the best way to achieve the goal of educating the students to the best of their abilities."
BoardBuzz also found this article in the Saratoga (CA) News from 2001, which notes that high test scores are part of what affects home values in higher-priced regions like Saratoga. Realtor Nina Yamaguchi pointed out, "Even within a district you can see the difference in the value of homes. If one school has better test scores and is more desirable than another, the housing prices will reflect that value."
Posted July 26, 2006 1:01 PM | Students
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Comments(1)
Posted by: Bill Irwin on July 28, 2006 2:34 PM
"'Well-off families can provide the mental stimulation needed for genes to build the brain circuitry for intelligence.'.... children in the wealthiest households have the greatest opportunity to develop all their genetic capacities. The better-off the family, the more a childââ¬â¢s genetic potential is likely to be, as Turkheimer puts it, 'maxed out.'"
From "After the Bell Curve," New York Times Magazine DAVID L. KIRP July 23, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/23/magazine/23wwln_idealab.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
Let's see, is it that high test scores increase home prices, or those who can afford high priced houses can afford to more fully develop the IQ potential of their children.
Did the study actually look at whether house prices increased after scores went up? Or did they "discover" that there is a correlation between high house prices and high test scores?
Has anyone seen the actual study?
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