Answer
No it is not reasonable to make this conclusion that states can increase the mean Mathematics SAT score in their state when they reduce teacher salaries, as there can be other lurking variables. After all, we note that there is a weak correlation between Math SAT score and teacher salaries. Reducing the salaries may demoralize the teacher, resulting in lower SAT scores.
Work Step by Step
No it is not reasonable to make this conclusion that states can increase the mean Mathematics SAT score in their state when they reduce teacher salaries, as there can be other lurking variables. After all, we note that there is a weak correlation between Math SAT score and teacher salaries. Reducing the salaries may demoralize the teacher, resulting in lower SAT scores.
