Session: Advancing Research on the School Context through Application of Latent Class Analysis (Society for Social Work and Research 22nd Annual Conference - Achieving Equal Opportunity, Equity, and Justice)

Schools are important contexts of youth development. Studies widely illustrate that staff and student perceptions and experiences of the school environment promote positive outcomes. In fact, research suggests that positive school environments can alleviate disparities in academic achievement due to socioeconomic status. From a social-ecological perspective, teachers and staff, afterschool time and space, and serious drug use are all related to school practice.

While research has established important relationships between the school context and student outcomes, what is overlooked in many theoretical and empirical frameworks is the inclusion of school-level variables that can support policy initiatives. The majority of studies assumes that the school context equally influences student outcomes. However, in reality, different individuals may respond differently to their school environment. This symposium features three papers clarifying the role of the school context as it relates across heterogeneous groups of individuals through the use of latent class analysis.

The first paper examines patterns of staff perceptions of school climate, and their relations to characteristics such as race/ethnicity, job in school, and years of teaching experience. Few studies have examined staff perceptions of school climate, yet staff members are expected to contribute to school climate interventions. Results indicate four patterns of school climate and that staff in middle and high school are more likely to report negative school climate. Findings highlight the importance for school leaders and policy makers to consider multiple dimensions of school climate that influence school staff and their work with students.

The second paper focuses on patterns of problem behaviors amongst 10th grade students, their extracurricular participation, and academic outcomes. This study identified four patterns of problem behaviors, and assessed if participation in sports, performance, or school clubs was associated with different outcomes for each of the student groups. Findings suggest that while participation is protective for all groups, the magnitude of difference and type of participation that was most protective varied across student groups. Schools should consider utilizing extracurricular activities to improve outcomes among specific groups of at-risk youth.

The third paper focuses on patterns of 12th grade poly-substance use and their associations with school contextual factors, family and individual characteristics. Results indicated three patterns of poly-substance use. Findings suggest significant associations among academic grades, serious disciplinary problems, and school extracurricular participation in differentiating membership across the patterns of poly-substance use. Levels of parental involvement and sensation seeking were also significant correlates of group membership. Findings highlight the importance of screening for pertinent school, family, and individual risk characteristics to identify students at risk for problematic substance use.

Applications of the findings from the three papers to advance school policy and practice will be discussed. The discussion will be framed around issues relating to contemporary school approaches to address student academic and behavioral problems that are based on multi-tiered systems of support. The contributions and opportunities for latent class analysis to further research on the school context as applied to multi-tiered approaches to interventions will be highlighted.