This dissertation is a collection of three papers. The first is a conceptual paper, followed by two data analysis papers. All three papers examine the connection between structural equation models and regression models, and how one may better learn, research and apply structural equation models when structural equation models are thought of as…

This study examines the effect of school socioeconomic composition on student achievement growth in Australian schooling, and its relationship with academic composition utilising the National Assessment Program--Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) dataset. Previous research has found that school composition predicts a range of schooling outcomes. A…