Use the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test procedure with an a = 0.05 significance level to answer the following questions:

1. In 1887, was the median school-year length different for black and white children? How about in 1915?

2. In 1887, was the median salary different for black and white teachers? How about in 1915? Are there any other analyses that you would like to conduct using these data? Explain. Conduct these analyses.

Write a report detailing your assumptions, analyses, findings, and conclusions regarding the impact of Alabama House Bill 504 on the education provided to black and white children.

Before the Civil War, Confederate State constitutions paid little, if any, attention to public education. Nonetheless, blacks were legally prohibited formal schooling, and black literacy was not encouraged in these states. This situation would soon change. For example, the pre–Civil War general educational clauses of Alabama’s constitution were replaced by new ones with very specific language in 1868. The new legislation provided for sufficient funds for a state-wide public school system, while actively discouraging donations from private sources. The new constitution promised equal educational opportunity regardless of race or economic status, but did not mandate racial segregation of public schools. This decision was left in the hands of the state board of education.

In spite of the state’s promise, equal educational opportunity for blacks was not a reality. Nevertheless, blacks made significant educational gains during the next two decades. Unfortunately, storm clouds were brewing as white Democrats began to regain power in the state. The white-authored Alabama state constitution of 1875 severely restricted public funding for education, though it did provide for financing based on a per child basis. Segregated schools became the law of the state. In spite of the legally enforced segregation, black education continued to flourish, while the conditions for whites eroded.

In 1891, Alabama House Bill 504 passed both legislative houses. The constitutionally guaranteed per capita education funding mechanism was preserved, though effectively circumvented, when this bill turned over state education revenues directly to white county officials, who dispersed the money as they saw fit. As a historian, you are interested in evaluating the impact of House Bill 504. Your research has uncovered the average length of the school year and the average monthly teacher salary by race for various counties in Alabama in 1887 (before the passage of the bill) and 1915 (after its passage). The data are presented in the following tables:

Average Length of Public School Year in Days, by Race of Students, in Selected Alabama Counties in 1887 and 1915 1887 1915 1887 1915 County Autauga Black Black White Black White County White Black White Lowndes 89 61 93 140 83 91 142 Barbour 85 71 91 148 Macon 70 60 101 158 Marengo Bullock 106 70 86 163 95 70 93 126 Monroe Butler 82 65 84 122 59 63 65 120 Montgomery Chambers 131 120 91 156 100 97 121 174 Choctaw 65 65 56 120 Perry 96 72 109 152 Pickens Clarke 82 72 72 110 60 60 80 108 Dallas 108 80 152 75 60 172 Russell 83 71 Greene 106 74 94 158 Sumter 79 79 86 152 Hale 80 64 102 115 Wilcox 78 60 81 151 Lee 95 71 89 156 Average Monthly Pay (in dollars) of Teachers, by Race of Students, in Selected Alabama Counties in 1887 and 1915 1887 1915 1887 1915 County Black White Black White County Black White Black White Autauga 22.08 26.50 24.78 47.93 Lowndes 29.47 26.44 27.84 74.58 Barbour 29.30 23.33 27.54 55.72 Macon 20.00 20.00 28.87 56.65 Bullock 27.50 20.00 25.57 60.48 Marengo 34.50 25.18 22.48 68.66 Butler 26.04 25.56 25.54 55.30 Monroe 19.93 21.77 30.52 49.27 Chambers 31.57 38.00 30.87 49.76 Montgomery 22.00 30.00 31.52 78.96 Choctaw 25.93 22.95 22.12 52.58 Perry 32.39 20.57 26.08 53.65 Clarke 22.33 24.75 30.65 64.23 Pickens 14.00 16.00 20.75 50.22 Dallas 34.33 17.00 22.93 71.73 Russell 31.00 36.95 29.26 70.71 Greene 29.22 19.30 24.29 55.89 Sumter 27.75 27.07 26.46 66.68 Hale 36.86 19.53 25.68 63.55 Wilcox 25.60 16.30 19.88 62.63 Lee 20.75 18.00 32.93 62.28