The Relationship between Type of High School Attended and Student Behavior

Incidents of violence have intensified concern about student conduct in America’s schools, leading to a desire for greater insight into its causes. This study investigates adolescent behavior in schools by examining the impact of family, peer and school traits on student conduct. In employing extensive controls for family traits, it advances knowledge in education policy, as addressed by scholars as Anthony Bryk and James Coleman, by probing the type of high school attended: public, Catholic, or private. The findings indicate Catholic schools may influence student conduct, but its seeming impact is complex, suggesting that the “interplay” has been oversimplified in past research. The study also investigates the dynamics of class lesson difficulty, a too neglected “X factor” in school reform. Through the use of advanced statistical methods and unusually extensive controls for family traits, this work makes important contributions to adolescent development, school type, and education reform.