THE IMPACT OF SCHOOL ON ACADEMIC-ACHIEVEMENT

There is no question that school has the greatest influence on student progress and achievement; after all, they are the goals of the school . This article calls attention to the complexity of the educational sy stem and to the fact that all schools do not provide the same levels o f support and quality of education. The kind of impact schools will ha ve on their students' academic achievement depends on adequate, safe f acilities, trained teachers, supportive and informed administrators wh o encourage problem identification and problem solving, adequately tra ined support personnel, and national policies that recognize and value diversity. This article encourages the clinician to be aware of the i mpact of school on a patient's academic achievement and provides infor mation that will give better understanding of the factors involved, th us enabling the health care professional to better advise the patient and serve as the patient's advocate.