The purpose of this study was to examine the direct and indirect effects of selected factors on school grades in public high schools in the state of Florida. A sample of 316 public high schools was created using data obtained from the Florida Education and the Florida High School Athletic Association. The selected factors that were chosen to be measured in the study were: minority percentage as measured by the proportion of minority students in relation to the total student body at a given school, socio economic status percentage (SES) as measured by the proportion of students participating in the free and reduced lunch program in relation to the total student body at a given school, academic achievement of 10th grade reading mean scale scores and 10th grade mathematics mean scale scores as measured by the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), and football winning percentage as measured by reported scores to the Florida High School Athletic Association. The direct and indirect effects of minority percentage, socio economic status percentage, and football winning percentage were tested using a path model in calculating linear regressions to analyze the effects on school grades; while only the direct effects of academic achievement were tested for the effects on school grades. The path model assessed the desired path of the selected factors in the study (See Figure 1); however, all paths were tested in the fully recursive model as illustrated (See Figure 2) for both the 2004-2005 and the 2005-2006 school years in the sample. Selected factors that demonstrated strength of effects were examined for predictability on school grades. Selected factors that indicated indirect effects were analyzed for indication of any discriminating patterns. For the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 school years, there was not a statistically significant direct effect for minority percentage and socio economic status percentage on winning percentage; FCAT reading mean scale score and FCAT mathematics mean scale score on winning percentage; winning percentage and FCAT reading mean scale score on school grades; winning percentage and FCAT mathematics mean scale score on school grades; minority percentage, socio economic status percentage, and winning percentage on FCAT reading mean scale score; minority percentage, socio economic status percentage, and winning percentage on FCAT mathematics mean scale score; or minority percentage, socio economic status percentage, and winning percentage on school grades. Two important effects were determined in the linear regression analysis. First, socio economic status percentage was not directly significant on school grades; however, it had a significant direct effect on the FCAT scores schools received on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Second, the FCAT reading and mathematics mean scale scores had direct significant effects on school grades in both the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 school years. Recommendations were made for potential changes to the study to include school size, graduation rates, and student violence that could influence school grades. Future considerations should be given to inclusions based on the Florida Writes requirement, 10th grade science mean scale scores, and other subject content not currently part of the state mandate for graduation. In addition, a study could be conducted that included changes to the path model to reflect minority percentage more accurately in the effects toward the designation of school grades. Finally, a study could be conducted that included participation in sports to account for any ancillary variables that may contribute to the effects of the designation of school grades.

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