A Factor Analysis of Neighborhood Factors and Their Impact on Educational Outcomes

Abstract

The study leverages the Building Dreams technology platform, which aggregates data on observed student behavior and links observations to core values of Social and Emotional Learning. During the fall 2023 semester, 34,808 data points for 443 students in grades 3 to 6 across two urban K-12 schools in Indiana were used. Few studies have comprehensively examined how multiple external factors collectively influence academic performance. A partnership formed between Butler University, The Fight for Life Foundation, and two participating public schools aim to address this gap. Research question: “How do adverse neighborhood conditions impact students’ peer relationships and academic success?” The study employed exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis utilizing a multivariate approach and multiple data points, which resulted in the model accounting for 82.0% of the variance in schooling success for students in School A and 74.5% for students in School B when examining neighborhood, relationship, academic, and engagement data. The findings suggest a correlation between adverse neighborhood factors, academic success, and observed classroom behavior among students in grades 3 to 6.