Contributions of School Climate and Demographic Factors to Predicting School English Language Arts Achievement in Urban Schools

• In Event: 46.086 - Roundtable Session 16
  In Roundtable Session: 46.086-25 - Theorizing in and About Educational Organizations

Abstract

Relative contributions of school demographic factors (SES, enrollment, percentage ELL, percentage Back/Hispanic students), attendance, and school climate to predicting school English Language Arts achievement was examined (N=1198 elementary, K-8, and middle schools). R-squared was .80 to .82 for the three school types (p<.001).
Both the demographic and the climate blocks were significant for all 3 school types (p < .001). The most important individual predictors were SES, percentage ELL, and the Safety & Respect factor of school climate. It is important to know that climate is significant even when demographics such as SES are controlled for 2 reasons: (1) SES is known to have a large impact on achievement, and (2) climate can be influenced by principals, while SES cannot.

Authors

• Paul M. Miller, Saint John's University

• Lois Harris, St. John's University

• Naomi Beth Landau, St. John's University

• Lavinia Marchis, St. John's University

• Nancy S. Fagley, Rutgers University

• C. J. Tarter, The University of Alabama