* The Effects of School Violence and Crime on Academic Achievement

This paper tests the effect of criminal and violent acts in North Carolina public middle schools on the academic performance levels of 8th graders, controlling for a variety of relevant factors. Results confirm that these incidents lower academic achievement, as measured by the percentage of students at or above grade level on N.C. 8th Grade Math and Reading End-of-Grade tests; the first incidents are more disruptive to achievement than later incidents; and the relationship is small in magnitude but statistically significant. Specifically, the average marginal influence of one more incident of crime or violence is a 0.138 decrease in Math scores and a 0.143 decrease in Verbal scores; these findings were also strongly inelastic. The paper directs future research to determine if these effects compound over time and to create education policy around them so as to produce a more efficient public sector.