title: School climate, family structure, and academic achievement: a study of moderation effects.
abstract: School climate has been lauded for its relationship to a host of desirable academic, behavioral, and social-emotional outcomes for youth. The present study tested the hypothesis that school climate counteracts youths' home-school risk by examining the moderating effects of students' school climate perceptions on the relationship between family structure (i.e., two-parent, one-parent, foster-care, and homeless households), and academic performance (i.e., self-reported [grade point average] GPA). The present sample consisted of 902 California public high schools, including responses from over 490,000 students in Grades 9 and 11. Results indicated that, regardless of family structure, students with more positive school climate perceptions self-reported higher GPAs. Youths with two-parent, one-parent, and homeless family structures displayed stepwise, linear improvements in self-reported GPA as perceptions of climate improved. Foster-care students' positive school climate perceptions had a weaker effect on their self-reported GPA compared with students living in other family structures. A unique curvilinear trend was found for homeless students, as the relationship between their school climate perceptions and self-reported GPA was stronger at lower levels. Overall, the moderation effect of positive school climate perceptions on self-reported GPA was strongest for homeless youth and youth from one-parent homes, suggesting that school climate has a protective effect for students living in these family structures. A protective effect was not found for youth in foster-care. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Health and Human Development Program.
authors.forename: Meagan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O'Malley
authors.affiliation: Health and Human Development Program.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Voight
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University.
authors.forename: Tyler L
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3087-5126
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Renshaw
authors.affiliation: College of Education, University of Arizona.
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eklund
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D002140:California; D005190:Family; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005581:Foster Home Care; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012574:Schools; D020954:Single-Parent Family; D012931:Social Environment; D013334:Students