School Demographic Characteristics Research Articles

Effects of school-level norms on student substance use.

This study examines the relationship between school norms of substance use disapproval (disapproval by the student body) and students' use of cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana. Data came from nationally representative samples of 8th (N = 16,051), 10th (N = 13,251), and 12th (N = 8,797) grade students, attending 150, 140, and 142 schools, respectively. These students participated in the Monitoring the Future Project in 1999. Measures of school norms of disapproval of substance use were obtained by aggregating students' personal disapproval of daily cigarette use, heavy drinking, and marijuana use within each school. Analysis using logistic nonlinear hierarchical models indicated that in general, school-level disapproval lowered the probability of students' use of these substances, controlling for their own disapproval and for student and school demographic characteristics. The beneficial effect of school-level disapproval of cigarette and marijuana use on 8th-grade students' probability of daily cigarette use and marijuana use was significantly higher than it was for the 12th-grade students. The effect of school-level disapproval of heavy drinking on the probability of students' drinking was not significantly different across the three grades. Further, a school environment of disapproval was also found to create a protective environment for those students in the 8th and 10th grades who were themselves not disapproving of daily cigarette use. These results argue for prevention programs that include creation of an overarching environment of disapproval of substance use in schools.

Taking Foreign Languages in High School

ABSTRACT This study examined variability in foreign language courses taken by students in American high schools. The conceptual model for the study depicted engagement in language courses as being shaped by (1) the school's offerings; (2) school policies and practices that determine access for some or all students, and (3) student choice: the focus of the study was on the first two of these. Data consisted of actual course catalogues of three hundred forty public and private high schools, and transcripts of approximately twenty‐four thousand students who graduated from those schools in 1994. Course offerings in specific languages and summary measures of offerings were examined by school sector, enrollment, urbanicity, and socioeconomic status. Course‐taking, with total credits and advanced study considered separately, was summarized for the student sample. Finally, course‐taking was examined in a statistical model that included school demographic characteristics, school policies (language requirements; advanced language offerings), and student characteristics including academic track. In addition to providing descriptive information about language offerings and course‐taking, the investigation underscored the importance of advanced offerings (especially for more able students), the effects of school‐wide language requirements (especially for lower‐track students), and the deleterious effect of tracking on foreign language study.

Pitfalls of Using SAT Results to Compare Schools

Public reports and comparisons of school SAT results are on the rise. This study uses a simple model of schooling to address two questions which are raised by school SAT comparisons. How are the demographic and academic characteristics of the student population in schools related to participation in the SAT? How are participation rates and the demographic characteristics of the sample of test-takers and of their schools related to SAT performance? School participation was associated with parent education, achievement, and English language fluency. The relationship between participation and parent education was curvilinear. School SAT scores were positively correlated with participation and parent education of the test-takers as well as with overall twelfth-grade school-average achievement and demographic characteristics. After adjustment for school demographic characteristics, participation rates were negatively associated with scores. School-average achievement was associated with SAT performance even after adjusting for demographic characteristics. These findings illustrate some of the complex relationships between the demographic characteristics of students and performance on the SAT which should be considered when making school comparisons.