The purpose of this study was to contribute to the body of literature regarding decisions school leaders make when developing strategic plans to improve student outcomes. This study investigated whether there is a significant relationship between the school’s climate and graduation rates for public high schools in the state of Georgia when controlling for potential covariates. Like most states, Georgia legislatures have increasingly placed more responsibilities on schools to graduate students on time. For this study, \"on time” refers to students who graduate within a four-year cohort, beginning when students enter the ninth grade. Research over the last decade suggests attention should be given to alternative aspects of the school experience, including the quality of instruction, interpersonal relationships, school safety, and structural features within the school building that may increase positive student outcomes (Ali & Siddiqui, 2016; Eller & Eller, 2009; La Salle, 2013; Wang & Degol, 2016).
","abstract_html":"<p>The purpose of this study was to contribute to the body of literature regarding decisions school leaders make when developing strategic plans to improve student outcomes. This study investigated whether there is a significant relationship between the school’s climate and graduation rates for public high schools in the state of Georgia when controlling for potential covariates. Like most states, Georgia legislatures have increasingly placed more responsibilities on schools to graduate students on time. For this study, "on time” refers to students who graduate within a four-year cohort, beginning when students enter the ninth grade. Research over the last decade suggests attention should be given to alternative aspects of the school experience, including the quality of instruction, interpersonal relationships, school safety, and structural features within the school building that may increase positive student outcomes (Ali & Siddiqui, 2016; Eller & Eller, 2009; La Salle, 2013; Wang & Degol, 2016).</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Hand, Nathan"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership for Learning Dissertations","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Educational Leadership","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Jimenez, Albert","Johnson, Arvin"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2019,"date_issued":"2019-03-06T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2019-03-06T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:43:26Z","subjects":["school climate","graduation rates","ecological systems","social learning","social capital","Education","Social and Behavioral Sciences"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/educleaddoc_etd/21","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Jimenez, Albert","Johnson, Arvin"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Hand, Nathan"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Educational Leadership"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership for Learning Dissertations"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["school climate","graduation rates","ecological systems","social learning","social capital","Education","Social and Behavioral Sciences"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/educleaddoc_etd/21"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this study was to contribute to the body of literature regarding decisions school leaders make when developing strategic plans to improve student outcomes. This study investigated whether there is a significant relationship between the school’s climate and graduation rates for public high schools in the state of Georgia when controlling for potential covariates. Like most states, Georgia legislatures have increasingly placed more responsibilities on schools to graduate students on time. For this study, \"on time” refers to students who graduate within a four-year cohort, beginning when students enter the ninth grade. Research over the last decade suggests attention should be given to alternative aspects of the school experience, including the quality of instruction, interpersonal relationships, school safety, and structural features within the school building that may increase positive student outcomes (Ali & Siddiqui, 2016; Eller & Eller, 2009; La Salle, 2013; Wang & Degol, 2016).
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Relationship between School Climate and Graduation Rates from a Control Perspective: Comparing Georgia Public High Schools"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Jimenez, Albert","Johnson, Arvin"],"dc:creator":["Hand, Nathan"],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this study was to contribute to the body of literature regarding decisions school leaders make when developing strategic plans to improve student outcomes. This study investigated whether there is a significant relationship between the school’s climate and graduation rates for public high schools in the state of Georgia when controlling for potential covariates. Like most states, Georgia legislatures have increasingly placed more responsibilities on schools to graduate students on time. For this study, \"on time” refers to students who graduate within a four-year cohort, beginning when students enter the ninth grade. Research over the last decade suggests attention should be given to alternative aspects of the school experience, including the quality of instruction, interpersonal relationships, school safety, and structural features within the school building that may increase positive student outcomes (Ali & Siddiqui, 2016; Eller & Eller, 2009; La Salle, 2013; Wang & Degol, 2016).
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/educleaddoc_etd/21"],"dc:subject":["school climate","graduation rates","ecological systems","social learning","social capital","Education","Social and Behavioral Sciences"],"dc:title":["The Relationship between School Climate and Graduation Rates from a Control Perspective: Comparing Georgia Public High Schools"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Educational Leadership"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership for Learning Dissertations"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:43:26Z"}