The purpose of this study is to investigate how the school budgeting process factors into the financial stability of a district, that ultimately impacts academic achievement. Best practices as defined by methods that allow for greater transparency, cost effectiveness, and overall success in the passing of school budgets. School funding is an important facet regarding how resources are ultimately provided within the classroom and indirectly may have a major impact on student learning. Review of the literature has provided a background on the successful implementation of school-based budgeting and factors that lead into budget development. The data techniques implemented were to gather information regarding measurable achievement and financial standing of every possible traditional public school district in New York State. Multiple data tests were conducted to compare test results against the financial condition and the geographical makeup of a district. The quantitative analysis was intended to see what effect the financial condition may have on achievement. The results from the study aimed to connect and make a suggestion towards what goes into the financial affairs of a school district and if any prediction can be made regarding various financial conditions and academic performance. This may help future studies better understand the budgeting process, learn the importance of maximizing financial resources, and reveal any other potential connections to underlying student achievement.

Research has shown that poverty is a greater predictor of educational disparities than race, despite the national focus on racial disparities. Further, living in disadvantaged neighborhoods that are characterized by qualities such as high poverty and unemployment can place a double burden on already poor students, further undermining educational achievement and future success. Neighborhood disadvantage is linked to a range of poor academic outcomes, yet only recently has research begun to explore the processes underlying the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and these outcomes. Drawing on ecological theory, the following study proposes to examine how multiple settings relate to student outcomes. Given the importance of schools on student outcomes and the lack of attention given to schools in the neighborhood literature, this study will examine how school climate and school type relate to neighborhoods and student outcomes. Specifically, this study proposes that neighborhood disadvantage is associated with poor academic outcomes (11th grade GPA and postsecondary educational attainment) and that this relationship is mediated by school climate (academic climate, school order, and the condition of school facilities). Thus, the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and student outcomes will be explained by school climates that undermine learning among students within these neighborhoods. Further, this study proposes that school choice disrupts neighborhood processes by providing access to schools with positive climates that support student learning, thereby alleviating the indirect effects of poverty on student outcomes. This study draws on data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002). The sample includes 11,490 students from 730 schools. In order to account for the nested nature of the data, multilevel models are used to examine the relationship between neighborhoods and schools on student GPA in 11th grade and educational attainment (or highest degree earned) ten years later. Results revealed a negative relation between neighborhood disadvantage and both GPA and educational attainment. However, this relationship was not mediated by school climate. Neighborhood disadvantage was negatively associated with school climate, but school climate was not predictive of GPA or educational attainment. Additionally, school choice was not found to moderate the relation between neighborhood disadvantage, school climate, and student outcomes. These findings have important implications for policy and practice. The negative effects of neighborhood disadvantage on school climate and student outcomes suggest that policies that address poverty concentration should be considered in order to support students. Further, although school climate was not predictive of achievement or attainment, the negative effects of neighborhood disadvantage on school climate indicate that schools should seek to provide all students with positive climates in which to learn, particularly in disadvantaged areas.

Research indicates that ecological contexts, such as the family and school, surrounding youth are significant influences on their educational outcomes. This study examined the relationship of family, community and school environments and the academic achievement of African American and Hispanic students. In addition, this study sought to examine the interaction between family socioeconomic status and other familial factors in predicting students' self-reported grades and standardized test scores. In a sample of 1,633 eighth graders drawn from the base-year of the public-use National Educational Longitudinal Survey of 1988 (NELS:88), familial and school factors were found to significantly influence students' grades and standardized test scores. Furthermore, family socioeconomic status moderated other family factors, such as parent-child interactions, family resources, and parental involvement, to predict students' grades and test scores. These findings suggest that the immediate environments surrounding students are important to their academic performance. The findings of this study have implications for educators, policymakers, and parents as well as researchers who study academic achievement.