- Socioeconomic status and minority status are important predictive factors in Missouri.
- School composition variables of FRL pct and Minority pct are significantly related to science proficiency in the 10th grade.
- Not only are these variables predictive of science proficiency scores, but they also interact with each other and moderate the relationships between context variables and 10th-grade science scores.
- Study suggests that teacher quality in high-poverty majority-minority school settings remains an important policy target for reform and improvement.
- The mobility rate had a negative relationship with science scores when accounting for the other variables. Changing schools is likely disruptive to a student’s ability to grasp the coherence and progression of science concepts.
- The dropout and discipline rates were each negatively related to science scores when accounting for the other variables.
- The percentage of courses taught by highly qualified teachers were related to higher science scores while controlling for other variables.
- SES and minority status are important factors in Missouri related to attainment.
- School composition variables of FRL pct and minority pct are significantly related to science proficiency in the 10th grade. In addition, these variables also interact with each other and moderate the relationship between other school context variables and 10th grade science scores.
- The relationship of the school context variables to science proficiency scores differ and depend on the percentage of FRL and/or minority students in school.