ABSTRACT

There have been numerous studies that have attempted to ascertain the amount of variance that can be attributed to the input from the school. Among the most sophisticated are multi-level modeling procedures that can assist in determining this amount of variance relative to other potential influences (Fitz-Gibbon & Kochan, 2000; Teddlie, Reynolds, & Sammons, 2000). This multi-level modeling allows estimation of variability at the student, class, and school levels simultaneously (and assessment of interaction effects across levels). As an example of its use, Konstantopoulos (2005) found that a substantial proportion of the variation in student achievement lies within schools and not between schools. If the variance is within, this means that factors such as teacher variability have a relatively larger effect on student achievement than do school effects. “It appears that the teachers students are assigned to may be more important than the schools they attend” (p. 36).