Social Capital and Student Achievement in Norwegian Secondary Schools Paper submitted to QMSS conference in Prag June 2007

Clarifying the concept Coleman (1988): Social capital is a resource inhering in the relations between and among actors. Three dimension (Astone et al. 1999): forms of social capital, quality of social capital, and the resources available via a form of social capital.

The analytical framework Family human and financial capitals Community human and financial capitals School human and financial capitals Social capital of a student Student achievement

Measurement of home social and economic capitals

Factor loadings for social capital My parents always ask me about the test results I had in school 0,74-0,140,010,02-0,09-0,03 My parents appraise me often about my school work 0,74-0,15-0,11-0,080,06-0,05 My parents are very interested in my school work 0,71-0,15-0,02 0,09-0,01 My parents talk often about how clever I am 0,71-0,10-0,09-0,030,07-0,03 I always tell my parents my tests and school work results 0,70-0,17-0,070,03-0,03-0,06 My parents usually know about my activities in school 0,66-0,23-0,100,06-0,09-0,07 When I need help for school work, father is the person I seek help from -0,150,760,050,10-0,03-0,08 When it is about my future educational plan, father is the person to talk with -0,140,750,00-0,20-0,030,17 When I need talk about my future educational plan, mother person to talk with -0,200,640,09-0,100,020,16 When I need help for personal problems, mother is the person I go to -0,190,600,110,260,06-0,05 When I need help for personal problems, father is the person I go to -0,300,550,030,01-0,04-0,02 How many times in the past 12 months you were thrown out from a class -0,090,040,850,03-0,030,04 How often in last 12 months you were called to the principal for wrong deeds -0,040,040,830,06-0,020,01 How many times in the past 12 month you had fights with teachers -0,160,140,73-0,02 0,04 When I need help for school work, a friend is the person I seek help from 0,080,050,000,74-0,040,06 About my future educational plan, a friend is the person I talk with -0,05-0,040,010,72-0,060,09 When I need help for personal problems, a friend is the person I go to -0,040,010,050,66-0,060,09 How often do you discuss social problems with your friends -0,020,01-0,04-0,100,90-0,03 How often do you discuss social problems with other people 0,04-0,03-0,02-0,080,89-0,08 When I need help for school work, a teacher is the person I seek help from 0,000,14-0,06-0,080,000,74 About my future educational plan, a teacher is the person I talk with 0,00-0,030,090,24-0,090,67 When I need help for personal problems, a teacher is the person I go to -0,150,000,060,13-0,020,60

Measurement of social capital

Parameter estimates in the structural model