Researchers at New York University found students living in public housing are more likely to drop out of high school and perform worse on standardized tests than their fellow students – even when they attend the same school and share similar demographics.

Researchers say it's not entirely clear why, although they do cite several factors – including a lack of role models for the importance of education within their communities.

The study is based on public school data from the 2002-2003 school year.

Education officials say they will review the study, but pointed to gains in student test scores across the city. Officials also say the chancellor is focused on making sure that every student, wherever he or she lives, has the opportunity to get an excellent education.