A multilevel analysis of the relation of school learning and social environments to minority achievement in public elementary schools

The present study employed a sample of 25,087 students in 117 elementary schools, Using hierarchical linear modeling, relations of school- and classroom-level instrumental support (academic emphasis) and expressive support (communal relationships) to student academic achievement were examined. At the individual level, student perceptions of each type of support were significantly and positively related to self-reported grade point average (GPA), with classroom expressive support having the strongest relation, At the school level, only classroom expressive support was associated with schools having higher student self-reported GPAs. All the various 2-way combinations of the types of support found in schools did not contribute significantly to school GPA. However, among schools having more socioeconomically disadvantaged students, expressive support in combination with its respective level of instrumental support (either school or classroom) was associated with higher GPAs. Additionally, school expressive support combined with classroom instrumental support was associated with smaller gaps in GPAs between minority and nonminority students. Results are discussed in relation to past explanations as to why instrumental support and, in particular, expressive support might benefit the learning of socioeconomically disadvantaged and minority children.