This dissertation studies different social factors that affect students' cognitive, non-cognitive skills, and behaviors. The first chapter provides evidence on the immediate effects of exposure to violent crimes on academic performance and externalizing behaviors among high school students. I find that exposure to violent crimes decreases PSAT,…

A decline in student performance on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Achievement Tests, the American College Test, and the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test has been observed nationally since the mid 1960's and evidence indicates that very similar trends have occurred in Massachusetts. Score declines have occurred in public, private, and…

This paper analyzes Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) score declines of two decades--the 1960s and 1970s. The importance of pervasive societal influences is accepted. A variety of data suggests, however, that the increase in school retention rates of poorly prepared students and the resulting heterogeneity of the high school population is a unifying…