A Multilevel Model for Examining Perceptions of School Climate, Socioeconomic Status, and Academic Achievement for Secondary School Students

Abstract

This multilevel study examined the effects of socioeconomic status (SES) and student perceptions of school climate on academic achievement at the student and school levels. Data used were from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002. The sample included 9,518 students enrolled in 584 public high schools. The results revealed that student-level predictors, such as gender, race, SES, academic risk factors, high school programming, and student perceptions of school climate, play a significant role in math achievement scores. A school-level variable (e.g., school SES) was also a significant predictor in math achievement scores. The findings have important implications, specifically, they point to a need for measuring school climate at the student level and using data to inform climate improvement strategies and interventions at the student level, especially for those living in poverty and exposed to multiple risks.