The loss of neighborhood secondary schools: how the distance a student lives from their school can affect their academic achievement

The purpose of this study is to examine whether the distance a student lives from their school influences their academic achievement. In detail, this study has correlated the distance in miles a student lives from his or her school with their grade point average at the end of their freshman and junior years. Data has been collected from 100 participants at two private high schools in southern New Jersey, Our Lady of Mercy Academy and Saint Augustine College Prepatory School. Both schools are grades ninth through twelfth. Both schools are Catholic schools but you do not have to be Catholic to attend. Both schools operate off of a 4.0 grade point average scale. The data collected was archival dating back no more than ten years ago. Each participant's town of residence was given as well as their GPA's from ninth and eleventh grades. A test for correlation was used to determine the effect of distance on a student's academic achievement. The researcher hypothesizes that students who do not attend neighborhood schools and therefore must commute will not do as well, academically, as students who do attend neighborhood schools.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A. School Psychology-Professional School Psychology

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Year dc:date.available

2011

Author dc:creator

• Armstrong, Gillian

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dihoff, Roberta

• Academic achievement; Catholic high schools
• Child Psychology
• Student Counseling and Personnel Services

Repository record dc:identifier

https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/84

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:rdw.rowan.edu:etd-1083