Students in the School of Planning and Public Affairs partnered with the City of Dubuque and the Dubuque Community School District (DCSD) to study the relationship between housing policy, neighborhoods, and elementary school student achievement.

Through their research, students created a community survey; a production function, a tool which identifies factors critical to student performance; and a hedonic preference model which identifies how DCSD's schools affect home values. In addition, students identified policy options for exploration by the City of Dubuque and DCSD.