To develop appropriate educational and community policies that will positively affect area children, it is important to understand interactions between community factors and academic achievement of students. In this study, we examined the effects students' family or friend's involvement in a gang has on academic achievement. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY 97) we were able to determine a relationship between the presence of gangs and academic achievement of students. The data collected from students who reside in various areas across the US between 1997 and 2015 was examined using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and internal instruments methods, finding the effects of family or friends' involvement in gangs on student outcomes. The results reveal that gang involvement negatively effects students' academic performance. Utilizing Piat scores, a standardized test completed by survey respondents, it was found that the presence of gangs in a student's friend or family group negatively affected percentile scores by about 5 percentage points, we also found a small decrease in likelihood of completing a four year college degree under the same circumstances. The findings provide support regarding the impact of gangs on student outcomes. With this information, researchers can better identify factors affect students' academic performance allowing policy makers and educators to develop policies and procedures to address the negative effects.
