District Factor Groups
Encyclopedia
District Factor Groups were first developed by the New Jersey Department of Education
in 1975 for the purpose of comparing student performance on statewide assessments across demographically similar school districts. The categories are updated every ten years when the United States Census Bureau
releases the data from each new census.
Since the DFGs were created, they have been used for purposes other than analyzing test score performance, including their role in determining the initial group of districts that were classified as Abbott District
s. Additionally, subsequent to the Abbott IV court ruling, the DFGs were also used to define the group of school districts which would receive Abbott v. Burke parity remedy aid.
The DFGs represent an approximate measure of a community’s relative socioeconomic status (SES). The classification system provides a useful tool for examining student achievement and comparing similarly-situated school districts in other analyses. The DFGs do not have a primary or significant influence in the school funding formula beyond the legal requirements associated with parity aid provided to the Abbott districts.
In updating the DFGs using the data from the 2000 Census, efforts were made to improve the methodology while preserving the underlying meaning of the DFG classification system. Based on discussions with representatives from school districts and experimenting with various methods, the DFGs were calculated using the following six variables that have been found to be most closely related to SES:
New Jersey Department of Education
The New Jersey Department of Education administers state and federal aid programs affecting more than 1.4 million public and non-public elementary and secondary school children in the state of New Jersey. The department is headquartered in Trenton.The Department is responsible for ensuring that...
in 1975 for the purpose of comparing student performance on statewide assessments across demographically similar school districts. The categories are updated every ten years when the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
releases the data from each new census.
Since the DFGs were created, they have been used for purposes other than analyzing test score performance, including their role in determining the initial group of districts that were classified as Abbott District
Abbott District
Abbott districts are school districts in New Jersey that are provided remedies to ensure that their students receive public education in accordance with New Jersey’s state constitution. They were created in 1985 as a result of the first ruling of Abbott v. Burke, a case filed by the Education Law...
s. Additionally, subsequent to the Abbott IV court ruling, the DFGs were also used to define the group of school districts which would receive Abbott v. Burke parity remedy aid.
The DFGs represent an approximate measure of a community’s relative socioeconomic status (SES). The classification system provides a useful tool for examining student achievement and comparing similarly-situated school districts in other analyses. The DFGs do not have a primary or significant influence in the school funding formula beyond the legal requirements associated with parity aid provided to the Abbott districts.
In updating the DFGs using the data from the 2000 Census, efforts were made to improve the methodology while preserving the underlying meaning of the DFG classification system. Based on discussions with representatives from school districts and experimenting with various methods, the DFGs were calculated using the following six variables that have been found to be most closely related to SES:
- Percent of adults with no high school diploma
- Percent of adults with some college education
- Occupational status
- Unemployment rate
- Percent of individuals in poverty
- Median family income.
DFG categories
School districts in New Jersey are categorized into District Factor Groups, which describe the socioeconomic characteristics of the local district. From lowest socioeconomic status to highest, the categories are A, B, CD, DE, FG, GH, I and J. Of the 549 districts statewide, the latest District Factor Groups categorized using data from the United States Census 2000 (with some updated information) breakdown as follows:- A: 38
- B: 67
- CD: 68
- DE: 83
- FG: 89
- GH: 76
- I: 103
- J: 25