The landscape of public education is changing. Major legislative initiatives, such as No Child Left Behind, have been drafted to improve the public schools through increased accountability. Concurrently, many district administrators are struggling to provide a world-class education while combating record deficits, budget shortfalls, and demands for fiscal responsibility. In essence, school administrators are now required to do more with less. Confronted with the task of allocating limited resources, it is more important than ever to be able to identify schools facing the greatest risk of widespread academic failure. These ¿at-risk¿ schools, the ones most in need of additional resources, have traditionally been identified through measures of students¿ socioeconomic status (SES). This study uses regression analysis to study the relationship between SES and academic achievement in secondary schools, while investigating the possibility that statistical measures of student misconduct may produce variables of superior predictive value. This book is useful and informative for school administrators at all levels, as well as anyone interested in ways to improve the public school system.