America spends $115,000 per-pupil on education, one of the highest in the world. Even with high funding being provided for the educational budget, standardized state assessment scores are not reflecting the aim for higher quality of education that NCLB is trying to accomplish. Teachers use an assortment of assessments to gauge student's mastery throughout the school year. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) requires schools to use standardized state assessments each year to monitor student progress. This educational reform that NCLB enacted by using the standardized state assessments has a growing number of educators complaining that standardized assessments are becoming the focus in the classroom not the content of material. Therefore, this research study explores elements relating to a possible relationship between the composite reading scores of fourth-grade student assessments in the states of Louisiana, California, Massachusetts, Maryland, Iowa, and Washington Title I public schools along with the funding each state puts forth per-pupil each year using a quantitative, correlational method. The study focused on the 2005-2015 school years for both average reading scores and per-pupil funding. Statistical analysis revealed that there was a moderate positive correlation between the variables of average reading score and per-pupil funding and the correlation is significant at a 0.01 level when data were tested with all 36 variables. Future research needs continue with in this topic to ensure a correlation within all states, across grade levels and subjects. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]