THIS study examines the relationship between Year 12 students' perceptions of life in Catholic schools and their achievement in the Higher School Certificate (HSC) examination. It investigates whether the quality of school life which students experience differs across Catholic schools and whether it still affects students' achievement in the HSC when school and student background variables are controlled. The study was conducted by surveying 4949 students from 44 Catholic high schools in New South Wales, in May 1990 regarding their perceptions of the quality of school life. Student achievement was measured by their Tertiary Entrance Score at the HSC examination in November 1990. The clear picture which emerges suggests that Catholic schools differ considerably in terms of students' HSC achievement and that the quality of school life which students experience in these schools has a significant impact on their academic achievement over and above student characteristics and background characteristics of the schools.
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