Improving Learning Environments: School Discipline and Student Achievement in Comparative Perspective

Improving Learning Environments provides the first systematic comparative cross-national study of school disciplinary climates. In this volume, leading international social science researchers explore nine national case studies to identify the institutional determinants of variation in school discipline, the possible links between school environments and student achievement, as well as the implications of these findings for understanding social inequality.

As the book demonstrates, a better understanding of school discipline is essential to the formation of effective educational policies. Ultimately, to improve a school's ability to contribute to youth socialization and student internalization of positive social norms and values, any changes in school discipline must not only be responsive to behavior problems but should also work to enhance the legitimacy and moral authority of school actors.

Richard Arum is Professor of Sociology and Education at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University. He is coauthor of Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses (2011). Melissa Velez is a Senior Analyst in the Social and Economic Policy Division at Abt Associates, Inc.