Longitudinal Effects of School Climate on Middle-school Students' Academic, Social-emotional and Behavioral Outcomes

Longitudinal Effects of School Climate on Middle-school Students' Academic, Social-emotional and Behavioral Outcomes PDF Author: Jennifer L. Engelland-Schultz
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781339049687
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 122

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Book Description
Millions of youth are at risk for low academic achievement, school dropout, risky behavior, bullying, and mental health concerns, especially those living in rural areas. Protective factors can reduce the likelihood of children and adolescents experiencing these negative outcomes. Research shows that positive school climate is a powerful protective factor for youth. The present study investigated the longitudinal relations between middle school students' school climate perceptions and their academic, social-emotional, and behavioral development over two years. Specifically, 510 students in grades 5-9 from six rural schools rated their support and influence at school as well as their internalizing problems, personal adjustment, and risky behavior. Students' academic performance was progress monitored using reading and math curriculum-based measures. Data were examined using Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM). Results revealed significant relations between students' perceived school climate and their social-emotional, behavioral, and mathematics outcomes over time. Further, school climate was a predictor of students' future involvement in risky behavior. There was a slight negative trend in students' perceived school climate as well as increases in their social-emotional problems and risky behavior, which suggests the need to implement evidence-based school climate improvement strategies aligned to students' developmental levels. Findings indicate the importance of incorporating school climate assessment and improvement strategies in school practices and policies to enhance student outcomes and school contexts. Limitations and future directions for research are discussed based on results from the present study and the school climate literature. Overall, school climate significantly influences outcomes for youth.

Longitudinal Effects of School Climate on Middle-school Students' Academic, Social-emotional and Behavioral Outcomes

Longitudinal Effects of School Climate on Middle-school Students' Academic, Social-emotional and Behavioral Outcomes PDF Author: Jennifer L. Engelland-Schultz
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781339049687
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 122

Get Book Here

Book Description
Millions of youth are at risk for low academic achievement, school dropout, risky behavior, bullying, and mental health concerns, especially those living in rural areas. Protective factors can reduce the likelihood of children and adolescents experiencing these negative outcomes. Research shows that positive school climate is a powerful protective factor for youth. The present study investigated the longitudinal relations between middle school students' school climate perceptions and their academic, social-emotional, and behavioral development over two years. Specifically, 510 students in grades 5-9 from six rural schools rated their support and influence at school as well as their internalizing problems, personal adjustment, and risky behavior. Students' academic performance was progress monitored using reading and math curriculum-based measures. Data were examined using Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM). Results revealed significant relations between students' perceived school climate and their social-emotional, behavioral, and mathematics outcomes over time. Further, school climate was a predictor of students' future involvement in risky behavior. There was a slight negative trend in students' perceived school climate as well as increases in their social-emotional problems and risky behavior, which suggests the need to implement evidence-based school climate improvement strategies aligned to students' developmental levels. Findings indicate the importance of incorporating school climate assessment and improvement strategies in school practices and policies to enhance student outcomes and school contexts. Limitations and future directions for research are discussed based on results from the present study and the school climate literature. Overall, school climate significantly influences outcomes for youth.

The Role of interest in Learning and Development

The Role of interest in Learning and Development PDF Author: K. Ann Renninger
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 1317783522
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 423

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Book Description
Interest is just emerging as a critical bridge between cognitive and affective issues in both learning and development. This developing "interest" in interest appears to be linked to an increasing concern for studying the individual in context, examining affective variables as opposed to purely structural features of text, analyzing the interrelationship of cognitive and social development, understanding practical applications of theories of motivation, and recognizing the importance of developmental psychology for the study of learning. This book addresses both how individual interest and interest inherent in stimuli (books, text, toys, etc.) across subjects affect cognitive performance. While the book's particular emphasis is on theory-driven research, each of the contributing authors offers a unique perspective on understanding interest and its effects on learning and development. As such, each has contributed a chapter in which particular questions in interest research are described and linked to a clearly stated theoretical perspective and recent findings. Relevant material from the broader literatures of psychology and education are analyzed in the context of these discussions. In addition, the introductory and concluding chapters build on the contributions to the volume by providing the basis of a coherent view of interest across genres such as stories and expository text, and domains as varied as play, reading, and mathematics.

Social-Emotional Skills, Parental Monitoring, and Behavioral and Academic Outcomes in 5th to 8th Grade Students

Social-Emotional Skills, Parental Monitoring, and Behavioral and Academic Outcomes in 5th to 8th Grade Students PDF Author: Namik Top
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
School-based programs designed to reduce general problematic behaviors, increase prosocial behaviors, and improve academic achievement have often been characterized as social-emotional learning or character development (education) programs. The primary aims of this longitudinal study were: 1) to determine if the Second Step curriculum decreased negative school behaviors and increased positive school behaviors compared to control schools across 4 school semesters for 5th to 8th grade students, 2) to examine potential linkages between parental monitoring, school behaviors, and school grades, and 3) to investigate whether participation in the Second Step curriculum moderated the relationship between parental monitoring and school behaviors and grades. This study consisted of two samples. To address questions related to the role of Second Step on school outcomes, a sample of 5,189 students from 5th to 8th grades (between Fall of 2012 and Spring of 2014) from 35 schools (16 control and 19 treatment schools) in an open-enrollment charter school system in Texas participated. To address questions related to the role of parental monitoring on school outcomes and whether there are joint (interactive) effects between parental monitoring and Second Step on school outcomes, a sample of 763 parents and their children who were in 5th to 8th grades were recruited in Spring of 2014 to participate from the 22 (8 control and 14 treatment) schools among the 35 schools mentioned above. Three-level longitudinal growth model analysis was conducted to examine the effectiveness of Second Step curriculum on students' school outcomes. In addition, a two-level random coefficient model was tested to assess the effect of parental monitoring on school outcomes, as well as the interaction between character development (education) curriculum and parental monitoring. Study results indicated that 5th to 8th grade students who participated in the Second Step (social-emotional or character development) curriculum attained higher school grades and exhibited fewer negative school behaviors than students in the control schools (without the Second Step curriculum) across 4 school semesters (between Fall of 2012 to Fall of 2014). In addition, students in schools with the Second Step curriculum exhibited more prosocial behaviors than students in the control schools although this finding was marginally significant or approaching significance. In addition, parental monitoring was found to be a significant predictor on school outcomes; parental monitoring was linked to school behaviors and achievement. Furthermore, Second Step curriculum was found to significantly moderate the relationship between parental monitoring and school outcomes (problem behaviors, prosocial behaviors, and school grades). The electronic version of this dissertation is accessible from http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/155422

The Psychology of School Climate

The Psychology of School Climate PDF Author: Garry Wade McGiboney
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN: 1443896683
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 270

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Book Description
Many people have become impatient with school reform and school improvement efforts that fail to include school climate. The importance of a positive school climate is emerging in current research, not only as an essential component of school reform and school improvement, but also as a necessary framework for maintaining excellent schools and providing healthy and safe schools for all students. Research strongly suggests that educators and policy makers have a lot to learn about the importance of school climate for school safety and academic success. With the growing body of research regarding school climate, it is important to study the research and understand how the psychology of school climate and how the elements of school climate can be viewed from a population-based perspective, as well as understanding the impact of school climate on individual students. This review of school climate research includes hundreds of articles and research papers of different perspectives from around the world in numerous cultures. School climate is becoming a science of education and psychology that must be studied further in order to understand the dynamic nature of learning environments, to identify elements that support or threaten the learning environment, and to learn how to improve the conditions for learning in all schools.

High School Students' Perceptions of School Climate in Relation to Discipline History and Discipline Approach

High School Students' Perceptions of School Climate in Relation to Discipline History and Discipline Approach PDF Author: Kayla R. Gordon
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
High school is a unique period of time within students' educational careers where there are an increasing number of variables that can facilitate or impede their academic, social-emotional, and behavioral success. Previous research has demonstrated strong effects of school climate, or the quality of school life and experiences within the school building, on factors including students' academic performance, motivation to learn, and attendance. In addition, school climate has been negatively correlated with drop out rates as well as other short and long term negative outcomes for students. The purpose of this study was to examine student perceptions of school climate in grades 9-12 in two public school districts, and to investigate how factors including participant demographic characteristics as well as discipline history and discipline practices are able to predict perceptions of climate. Participants (N=856) completed the Delaware School Climate Survey (Bear, Yang, Mantz, et al., 2014). Discipline history was measured by asking each student to report how many times they have been sent to the office, given a detention, and the number of days that they have been suspended during one school year. Lastly, the present study assessed student perceptions of implementation of core components of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), which is an evidence-based framework to inform school discipline practices. Students were asked about their perception of whether they feel core components of PBIS are in place in their school buildings. Using linear regression, the number of times that a student reported being sent to the office, and the total number of discipline infractions reported, were shown to significantly predict perceptions of school climate. Additionally, PBIS implementation was found to be a significant moderator of both of these relationships. Thus, students who reported more frequent discipline infractions also reported more negative perceptions of school climate unless they perceived that PBIS was in place in their school. Significant differences in perceptions of school climate by gender, race, and grades received during one school year were also found. Limitations of the study, implications for the field, and future directions will also be discussed.

Improving School Climate

Improving School Climate PDF Author: George G. Bear
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351170465
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 221

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Book Description
Improving School Climate provides evidence-based and practical strategies for cultivating a healthy school environment, while also avoiding behavior problems. The book is packed with strategies centered on key components and conditions for a positive school climate, such as positive teacher-student relationships, positive student-student relationships (including absence of bullying), supportive home-school relationships, student engagement, effective classroom management and school discipline, school safety, and student self-discipline. This text is an important inclusion for educators and school psychologists who prefer a structured, evidence-based, and practical approach for improving school climate, while also promoting students’ academic achievements, preventing behavior problems, and fostering students’ social and emotional competencies.

The Effect of a Social-emotional-behavioral Framework on Middle School Student Achievement

The Effect of a Social-emotional-behavioral Framework on Middle School Student Achievement PDF Author: Meredith Nicole Ford Jordan
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Academic achievement
Languages : en
Pages : 138

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Book Description
With heightened accountability requirements, schools are under pressure to produce academic results while addressing behavioral challenges. The implementation of social-emotional-behavioral frameworks has improved behavioral outcomes in students, but the impact on academic outcomes has yet to be answered. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that the full implementation of a social-emotional-behavioral framework produces the desired academic outcome results and growth on state-standards achievement tests in students with disabilities at the middle school level. Ninety-two Virginia middle schools formed the sample population. Three settings implemented a three-tier framework for one-two (MSA) years, three-four years (MSB), and five years plus (MSC) respectively. Reading Standards of Learning assessments were examined to evaluate the effect of the full implementation on student achievement. An ex post facto causal comparative design was utilized. Data was collected through the Virginia Department of Education’s publicly accessible database and exported into Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). With 28 participant schools in MSA, 29 participant schools in MSB, and 35 participate schools in MSC, an ANOVA was utilized to analyze the ELA data. The study did find statistically significant differences between MSA and MSC in English language arts.

How Are Middle School Climate and Academic Performance Related Across Schools and Over Time?

How Are Middle School Climate and Academic Performance Related Across Schools and Over Time? PDF Author: Adam Voight
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 29

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Book Description
A growing number of educators concur that, in order to improve student academic performance, schools need to focus not only on students' academic needs but also on their social, emotional, and material needs (Piscatelli & Lee, 2011). As a result, school climate--the social, emotional, and physical characteristics of a school community (Cohen, McCabe, Michelli, & Pickeral, 2009)--is gaining more attention as a lever to improve student academic performance. Most studies on the relationship between school climate and academic performance assert that a more positive school climate promotes higher academic performance. But evidence of a relationship between the two is weak. These studies generally are based on data collected at a single point in time and compare academic performance across schools with different school climates. They show that academic performance is higher in schools with a more positive school climate at single points in time. However, little evidence exists that changes in school climate over time are associated with changes in academic performance. This study used grade 7 student data from the California Healthy Kids Survey and administrative data for approximately 1,000 middle schools in California for 2004/05-2010/11 to measure students' perceptions about six domains of school climate. Schools with a positive school climate were those in which students reported high levels of safety/connectedness, caring relationships with adults, and meaningful student participation and low rates of substance use at school, bullying/discrimination, and student delinquency. School-level academic performance was measured using grade 7 California Standards Test scores in English language arts and math. The study team examined the relationship between school climate and academic performance across schools to determine whether in a given year California middle schools with a more positive school climate had higher academic performance. The study team also sought to determine how academic performance for a given school improved as school climate improved by examining how changes in school climate over two-year intervals were related to changes in average academic performance. Key findings include: (1) Schools with a more positive student-reported school climate had higher academic performance in English language arts and math; (2) Changes in a school's student-reported school climate over time were associated with changes in academic performance at that school; and (3) The changes in academic performance within a school that were associated with changes in student-reported school climate over time were substantially smaller than the differences in academic performance across schools with different school climate values in a given year. For example, in a given year schools at the 50th percentile on school climate were at the 48th percentile on math performance, on average, while schools at the 60th percentile on school climate were at the 51st percentile on math performance. This finding suggests that an improvement of 10 percentile points in school climate would be associated with an average 3 percentile point increase in academic performance. However, when followed over time, schools with a 10 percentile point increase in student perceptions of school climate averaged a less than 1 percentile point increase in academic performance. The following are appended: (1) School climate domains measured on the California Healthy Kids Survey, grade 7 students; (2) Data and methodology; and (3) Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between school climate and academic performance in percentile point and standard deviation metrics.

The Science of Learning and Development

The Science of Learning and Development PDF Author: Pamela Cantor
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 100039977X
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 245

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Book Description
This essential text unpacks major transformations in the study of learning and human development and provides evidence for how science can inform innovation in the design of settings, policies, practice, and research to enhance the life path, opportunity and prosperity of every child. The ideas presented provide researchers and educators with a rationale for focusing on the specific pathways and developmental patterns that may lead a specific child, with a specific family, school, and community, to prosper in school and in life. Expanding key published articles and expert commentary, the book explores a profound evolution in thinking that integrates findings from psychology with biology through sociology, education, law, and history with an emphasis on institutionalized inequities and disparate outcomes and how to address them. It points toward possible solutions through an understanding of and addressing the dynamic relations between a child and the contexts within which he or she lives, offering all researchers of human development and education a new way to understand and promote healthy development and learning for diverse, specific youth regardless of race, socioeconomic status, or history of adversity, challenge, or trauma. The book brings together scholars and practitioners from the biological/medical sciences, the social and behavioral sciences, educational science, and fields of law and social and educational policy. It provides an invaluable and unique resource for understanding the bases and status of the new science, and presents a roadmap for progress that will frame progress for at least the next decade and perhaps beyond.

The Case of Social Emotional Learning: Evidence-Based Practices

The Case of Social Emotional Learning: Evidence-Based Practices PDF Author: Pedro Rosário
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
ISBN: 2832547303
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 220

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Book Description
At the end of the last century, social emotional learning (SEL) emerged as a relevant theme in education all over the world. What is SEL? SEL may be defined as a multidimensional construct orchestrating individuals’ ability to identify and manage emotions, feelings, and concern for others, as well as to organize and manage behaviors toward goals, solve problems and develop positive relationships. SEL has been gaining growing popularity among researchers and practitioners. Still, there is a reasonable degree of ambiguity regarding the concept. In fact, the term is often used as an umbrella for many types of programs and interventions from distinct areas such as school, public health, mental health or character education, addressing the vulnerability of children and youth to various social and psychological problems. What is more, topics covered under the SEL umbrella are diverse as follows: emotions, cognition (including multiple intelligences), motivation, socialization in schools and families, and self-regulation and its effects.