Does School Climate Have an Indirect Effect on Academic Growth? A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

• In Event: Studies in Learning Environments in a Secondary School Context

Abstract

School climate has well-established non-causal direct associations with cognitive and non-cognitive student outcomes, showing that the climate of the school is important. However, indirect associations between school climate and academic achievement have not been researched. In this study, we analyzed the indirect effects between school climate and math and reading growth, mediated by attendance and behavior incidences, for students (n = 1,530) in grades 3, 4, and 5 in a midwestern school district. We found that school climate has a positive indirect effect on academic achievement—specifically on reading growth, school climate has a negative direct effect on both attendance and behavior incidences, and behavior incidences have a negative direct effect on reading growth.

Authors

• Julio Caesar, Bloomington Public Schools
  Presenting Author

• Rik Lamm, Bloomington Public Schools
  Presenting Author

• David J. Heistad, Bloomington Public Schools
  Non-Presenting Author

• Michael C. Rodriguez, University of Minnesota
  Non-Presenting Author