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Connection Collection

Annotation from the Connection Collection

You are viewing a record from the Connection Collection, a searchable annotated bibliography database. It links you with research-based information that you can use to connect schools, families, and communities.

Annotation:
The purpose of this research study is to explore the relationship between the educational character (academic climates and educational success) of inner-city schools and the different communities in which they are embedded. Researchers are guided by an ecological perspective and previous research by Kantor and Brenzel (1993), who assert that social and economic contexts of a metropolitan area are the principal determinants of the success of schools in teaching students. The authors defined the community of a school as the areas where students live, not necessarily the immediate neighborhood surrounding the school. The analysis of data revealed that schools in the sample were different from each other in their student make-up, cultural make-up, and levels of educational achievement, and that these differences were predominantly a consequence of the communities in which the schools were embedded. Also, the study found that there was a clear relationship between school educational climate and the community of a school. The researchers conclude that what takes place in schools, particularly the success schools have in teaching students, is directly affected by the character of the communities from which students are drawn. Data for this study came from public elementary and middle schools in the Houston Independent School District. First, a computer matching program was used to attach data describing each studentÕs home census tract to each studentÕs achievement record, then aggregated for each school to generate a picture of its communityÕs characteristics. Cluster analysis was then used to group elementary and middle schools into five clusters of school-communities. Then, the researchers made comparisons across the five clusters using data taken from the districtÕs School Profile Report, which summarizes the characteristics of students in schools, including indicators such as attendance and average reading scores. This study points out the importance of considering the interrelatedness between schools and their communities, and between childrenÕs academic success and the characteristics of the families and communities from where they come. The researchers point to community policies that deal with unemployment, the location of manufacturing, family income levels, access to medical services, racial discrimination, and inter-group conflict, as some examples of non-educational policies that impact school climate and success. It should be acknowledged that results were for one urban school district in Texas and may or may not be generalized to other settings.

Suggested Citation Style:

• Yancey, W. L., & Saporito, S. J. (1997). The social ecology of education: The case of HoustonÕs inner-city public schools. In G. D. Haertel & M. C. Wang (Eds.), Coordination, cooperation, collaboration (pp. 136-149). Philadelphia: PA: The Mid-Atlantic Regional Educational Laboratory at Temple University.