The treatment of education as a production function has become a relevant way to numerically assess the state of schools and districts at a local, state, and federal level. This study examines the relationship between accreditation scores, a more holistic assessment of district quality and achievement, and the three main inputs of the education system –student, teachers, and expenditures—by using an OLS regression of Colorado Department of Education data for the 2010 – 2011 school year. Significant negative correlations between specific operating costs and pupil-teacher ratio were found with accreditation scores. These, paired with social demographic variables, were to have the largest impact on accreditation scores and thus, district quality and achievement.
