School Structural Characteristics, Student Effort, Peer Associations, and Parental Involvement

TLDR

This study investigates how individual-level and school structural variables predict academic achievement among 10th‑grade students using data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study. Results indicate that student effort, parent–child discussion, positive peer associations, and school cohesion significantly boost achievement, while school structural characteristics have comparatively smaller effects, suggesting interventions should address both individual and structural factors.

Abstract

This research examines the extent to which individual-level and school structural variables are predictors of academic achievement among a sample of 10th-grade students abstracted from the National Educational Longitudinal Study database. A secondary analysis of the data produced the following findings. The study results show that individual-level predictors, such as student effort, parent—child discussion, and associations with positive peers, play a substantial role in increasing students' achievement. Furthermore, the results also suggest that school climate—in particular, the sense of school cohesion felt by students, teachers, and administrators—is important to successful student outcomes. In total, school structural characteristics were found to have relatively small effects on student achievement when compared with individual-level characteristics. Given these results, interventions aimed at improving academic achievement need take into consideration the impact of individual-level and school structural factors on students and their ability to succeed.