This study examined the sense of community felt by students and teachers at 24 elementary schools in 6 school districts in different regions of the United States. The study is based on the assumption that students who feel part of a caring community will adopt the community's norms and values. On a 38-item questionnaire, students indicated the degree to which they considered their schools and classrooms to be caring communities. The study also assessed the poverty level of the students; classroom activities and practices (through observations); teacher attitudes and reports of classroom practices and of school climate; and student attitudes, motives and behavior. The study found that: (1) teacher perceptions and reports of community generally corroborated those of students; (2) both community and poverty level related to many of the student, teacher, and observational measures, with more positive results in high community and low poverty schools; and (3) many of the community effects held in schools at different poverty levels. (MDM)