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The Relationship of School Climate and Ninth-grade-on-track Rates in Illinois High Schools
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between school climate and ninth-grade-on-track rates in the State of Illinois. Further, the study examines the dimensions of school climate that have the most influence on ninth-grade-on-track rates. As graduation rates continue to be an area of emphasis for schools due to accountability pressures, school leaders have turned to focusing on early high school success as a means to promote later school achievement. However, little research exists on factors that could be related to such early achievement. This study explores the relationship of school climate and ninth-grade-on-track rates, allowing school leaders to understand factors related to early success for school improvement planning. The following research questions guide this study: (1) What is the relationship between school climate and ninth-grade-on-track rates in Illinois high schools? (2) What dimensions of school climate are most influential to ninth-grade-on-track rates in Illinois high schools? Data was acquired from publically available records provided by the Illinois State Board of Education and multiple linear regressions were used address both research questions. Findings from the study indicate a positive overall school climate is associated with higher ninth-grade-on-track rates. Also, the only dimension of school climate to have a significant association with ninth-grade-on-track rates was Involved Families. The strongest relationship was found to be between a school’s percentage of low socioeconomic status students and the ninth-grade-on-track rate. When considered together, these findings highlight the importance of including families in school processes to foster student success. Further research recommendations and implications for practice are provided based on these findings.
Subject Area
Educational leadership|Educational administration
Recommended Citation
Theisinger, Clayton J, "The Relationship of School Climate and Ninth-grade-on-track Rates in Illinois High Schools" (2020). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI27835365.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI27835365