A Quantitative Study On The Relationship Between Students\u27 Perceptions Of School Safety And Academic Outcomes In New York City High Schools

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the 2019 New York City school climate mean safety scores and high school students\u27 academic achievement as measured by the New York State Regents exam mean scores for the 2019 academic school year. This study was conducted utilizing a non-experimental, cross-sectional, explanatory design with quantitative methods to examine the relationship between perceptions of school safety and academic achievement while controlling for the school-level demographics of race, gender, students with disabilities (SWD), English Language Learners (ELL), and the Economic Need Index (ENI) as defined by New York City. This study is important to the field of research as it provides insight into school climate survey measurements of safety and the link to academic achievement. It also provides insight into the importance of school safety within schools and the possible implications on educational leadership and policy. Through statistical analysis, this study showed that there is a significant relationship between school safety and academic outcomes. School mean safety scores had a statistically significant impact on the mean scores of Common Core Algebra I Regents exams, Common Core English Language Arts Regents exams, Global History and Geography Regents exams, U.S. History and Government Regents exams, Living Environment Regents exams, Physical Setting/Earth Science Regents exams, and Physical Setting/Chemistry Regents exams. School mean safety scores have a statistically significant relationship with academic outcomes when controlling for school-level demographics. This study provides implications for future policy and practices, as well as suggestions for future research