Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2005. / Advisor: Dr. Santa Arias, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Modern Languages and Linguistics. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Sept. 19, 2005). Document formatted into pages; contains xi, 177 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

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As the concern for standardized testing continues to rise, so to does the concern for providing students with an appropriate and equal educational opportunity. The goal of this research was to investigate relevant data to determine if there is a relationship between the wealth behind each student and the academic proficiency amongst 5th grade white, black, and Hispanic students within the 67 counties of Florida. The desired outcome of this study was to produce information relevant to political leaders, educational leaders, and teachers in Florida public school districts with influential strategies necessary to increase the proportion of 5th grade students achieving academic proficiency. The review of literature and analysis of the data gathered from the Florida Department of Education for the school year 2006-2007 and the Florida Department of Revenue, 2007 revealed the following findings: (1) there is a statistically significant correlation between reading scores among white and black students in grade 5 as measured by the FCAT and the wealth behind each student within the state of Florida; (2) there is no statistically significant correlation between reading scores among Hispanic students in grade 5 as measured by the FCAT and the wealth behind each student within the state of Florida. In other words, as school districts are deemed more wealthy, white and black students in grade 5 tend to do better in reading than their white and black counterparts in poorer districts. In contrast, Hispanic students in wealthy school districts do not do better in reading than their Hispanic counterparts in poor districts.