This report describes a study on how perceptions of home climates, school climates, and interaction between the two factors might affect academic achievement and school related behavior among students of different racial/ethnic groups, sex, and socioeconomic background. The report summarizes procedures and results of the ethnographic phase, in which seventh graders from five ethnic groups (Portuguese American, Jewish American, Irish American, Armenian American, and West Indian American) were studied to determine perceptions of family organization, relationships, and family influence on personal development; and to explore subjects' perceptions of their school climates. Results of a survey among seventh and eighth graders from 10 ethnic/racial groups to elicit their ratings of 13 home climate factors and 13 school climate factors are also summarized. The findings include: (1) racial/ethnic group differences in home climate perceptions; (2) similar perceptions of home climates within ethnic groups; (3) different perceptions of school climates among students of the same ethnic/racial group attending different schools; (4) differences by race/ethnic group, class, sex, and school in absences, academic achievement, and teacher-assigned social ratings; (5) independent effects of school and home climates on school outcomes; and (6) varying but important effects of discrepancies in school and home climate perceptions on academic performance and behavior. Implications for improved educational practices are discussed. (Author/MJL)