1,721,005 research outputs found
Negative Affectivity, Authoritarianism, and Anxiety of Infection Explain Early Maladjusted Behavior During the COVID-19 Outbreak
Get PDFDuring the first phase of the COVID-19 outbreak, Italy experienced problems of public order and maladjusted behavior. This study assessed the role of negative affectivity, right-wing authoritarianism, and anxiety of COVID-19 infection in explaining a variety of the maladjusted behaviors (i.e., “China-phobic” discrimination, panic buying) observed with an Italian sample. Specifically, we examined the effect of Negative Affectivity and Right-Wing Authoritarianism on maladjusted behaviors, and the moderating role of anxiety of infection. Seven hundred and fifty-seven Italian participants completed an online survey between March 3rd to the 7th 2020, which was immediately before the lockdown. A moderated-mediation model was tested using a structural equation modeling approach. Results indicated that both Negative Affectivity and Right-Wing Authoritarianism were positively associated with COVID-19-related maladjusted behavior, and that Right-Wing Authoritarianism mediated the relationship between Negative Affectivity and maladjusted behavior. Furthermore, the effect of Right-Wing Authoritarianism on maladjusted behavior was greater for those with high anxiety of infection, and the indirect effect of Negative Affectivity on maladjusted behavior through Right-Wing Authoritarianism was moderated by infection anxiety. Findings highlight potential psychological paths that may inform communication strategies and public health initiatives aimed at promoting healthy behavior during an outbreak
Does Immigrant Advantage Remain Stable Throughout Elementary School?
Get PDFThere are many risk factors, including low-socioeconomic status, gender, and teacher/school perceptions, which impede in the academic achievement of immigrant students. Despite these risk factors, recent research shows that immigrant students often outperform their native U.S.-born peers academically. This thesis examined the differences in academic outcomes during third through fifth grade between immigrant students and native students. Additionally, academic outcomes among immigrant generation (first-generation vs. second-generation) are compared. Data will be examined from the Miami School Readiness Project (MSRP; Winsler et al., 2008), a cohort sequential, longitudinal project that recruited children receiving subsidized childcare and attending public school pre-K. Outcome variables include FCAT math and reading scores, school suspension, school retention, attendance, and end-of-year grades. The following research questions were answered: Will the immigrant advantage continue to manifest itself in academic outcomes (end-of-year grades, FCAT math and reading scores, attendance, suspension, and retention) for students over time (from third to fifth grade)? Does gender or race moderate the size and timing of immigrant advantage? Hierarchical Linear Models (HLM) showed immigrant advantage in terms of initial status at 3rd grade (immigrants higher in FCAT math and reading, end-of-year grades, and attendance), but these advantages became smaller by 4th grade and by 5th grade immigrant disadvantage was seen for FCAT math and reading, and end-of-year grades. There were no significant gender by immigrant status interactions. However, there were race by immigrant status interactions for FCAT math and reading, end-of-year grades, and attendance. Black and Latino immigrants initially scored higher in third grade, but decreased over time. However, Latino immigrant decreased at a faster rate compared to Black immigrants in fourth and fifth grade. It is critical for researchers to explore what is going on in 4th and 5th grade that make 1st generation immigrants take a turn for the worst and lose their immigrant advantage. Black immigrant advantage should be further explored and studied. These results suggest that immigrant advantage may look differently for different ethnic groups. Latino immigrants may need more resources and support compared to Black immigrant students. Future studies should focus on disentangling these issues to understand and improve the educational experience of all immigrant students
Who Gets in?: Selection into Advanced Courses among Low-income, Ethnically Diverse Youth
Get PDFStudies of educational disparity focus primarily on students who are failing to meet minimum standards. However, looking at students who outperform the standards expected of them may also be critical to understanding the achievement gap. This study assesses top performers by looking at those who enroll in honors, advanced placement, and international baccalaureate classes among a low-income and a majority Hispanic/Latino population. The population at hand comes from Miami-Dade county and is 49.2% male, 71.7% on free lunch, 9.8% on reduced lunch, 6.5% White/Other (N= 1,753), 58.8% Hispanic/Latino (N=15,692), 30.3% Black (N=8,081), .66% Asian (N=175). Prior research finds that low-income and ethnically diverse students under enroll in advanced level coursework as compared to their White, non-low-income peers due to a variety of factors. Using a range of measures including school readiness assessments such as the LAP-D, measures of socioemotional skills (the DECA), and an array of demographic and school information provided by Miami-Dade county, this study addresses how many students are taking advanced courses, how demographic factors relate to enrollment, how school readiness and prior competence predicts later enrollment, and finally whether race-based access problems still exist after controlling for all of these factors. This will be done through multiple regression, logistic regression, and hierarchical linear modeling
What are athletes saying to themselves? Self-talk and motivation in youth tennis
Get PDFThe current study explores what young tennis players actually say to themselves and what they report they say, the associations between observed and reported speech, and the relation of self-talk to tennis performance, personal sport motivation, the coach climate, and coach promotion of self-talk. Twenty-eight tennis players (ages 9 to 17 years) were recruited from a competitive camp. They were video and audio recorded in practice while wearing a wireless microphone, and private speech was reliably coded into positive, negative, instructional, and motivational categories. Participants were also live-coded during match play using the Self-Talk and Gestures Rating Scale (STAGRS). Subjects also reported their self-talk on the Self-Talk Use Questionnaire (STUQ), the Automatic Self-Talk Questionnaire for Sport (ASTQS), and gave post-match examples of the private speech they used. Players also reported their personal motivation for sport using the Achievement Goal Scale for Youth Sports (AGSYS), indicated their self-efficacy for tennis, and gave their perceptions of the coach motivational climate using the Motivational Climate Scale for Youth Sports (MCSYS), and their coach’s promotion of self-talk
Predictors of Mandatory Third Grade Retention From High-Stakes Test Performance for Low-Income, Ethnically Diverse Children
Get PDFAs a result of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policy, Florida, like many other states, has mandatory third grade retention for children who fail the high-stakes reading test, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test [FCAT]. Since implementation, the percentage of third graders retained has increased dramatically. Various exceptions and loopholes exist to help with retention and promotion decisions. Little research exists, however, on actual practices in enforcing mandatory retention policies from high-stakes test results. Using data from the Miami School Readiness Project (MSRP), I examined a large (N = 27,980) and ethnically diverse (59.2% Latino, 33.3% Black, 7.4% White/other) sample of third graders over five cohorts who completed third grade between 2006-2010. I ask the following research questions: (1) What proportion of children take and fail the FCAT reading test, and of those children, how many actually repeat 3rd grade? (2) To what extent is failing the FCAT, and subsequent retention, related to demographic variables and children’s academic performance in 3rd grade? (3) When considering all demographic factors, what are the unique and combined predictors of failing the FCAT, and actually being retained? Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that even after accounting for demographic variables (e.g. free/reduced lunch, gender, ethnicity, ELL and special education status), those receiving free/reduced lunch, who were not English proficient, and in special education in third grade were more likely to fail the FCAT reading test, and be retained after failing. Latinos and Blacks were less likely to be retained even after failing the FCAT, compared to Whites. Implications for high-stakes testing policy in Florida are discussed
Academic Outcomes for Students with Autism in Middle and High School
Get PDFThere is debate over whether students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) should be held to the same standards as typical children in testing. This has raised concerns regarding standards, test accommodations, and alternate assessments. The high-stakes testing policies for individuals with ASD are often not clear and more research is crucial in order to understand what and how they are doing. To address these gaps in the literature and inform debate and policies regarding the academic outcomes for children with ASD, I review the research regarding state policies and procedures, and explore Miami School Readiness Project (MSRP) data for secondary students (grades 6-12) with ASD: such as standardized test scores, GPA, retention, and school leaving. The goals are to address: (1) How are the children in grades 6-12 with ASD doing in terms of end-ofyear grades (GPA)? (2) What percent of students with ASD are retained in grades 6-12? (3) What proportion of students with ASD in grades 6-12 take the high stakes FCAT and how do they do? (4) How do students with ASD do on End of Course (EOC) exams and what percent take the EOC exams? (5) How are those that do and do not take the FCAT tests different in terms of GPA? (6) What kind of diploma, if any, do the students typically receive? and finally (7) Are there gender differences in any of the above? I hypothesized that the grades for students with ASD would be a B average in middle school, but would decline to a C in high school. I anticipated about 30% of the students would be retained, and I expected only about 33% to take the FCAT. Given earlier results in elementary school, I expected around 75% of the students to fail the reading and math portions, and those who take the FCAT to have higher GPA. I hypothesized that the students would struggle on the EOC exams, only about a third would take the EOC exams, and that only a few of the students would have received a standard diploma. Results contradicted my hypothesis because the results showed that as the students progressed through high school, mean grade (GPA) stayed stagnant through 10th grade, until 11th and 12th grade when mean GPA increased. Only 41% (n = 42) of the 103 students with G12 data were ever retained in grades 6-12, and 75% of the students who took the FCAT Math assessment in grades 6-8 failed the exam. The highest percentage of students who took the FCAT/FSA reading assessment was just 46% in 6th grade, but in grades 7-10 the percentage of students who took the FCAT/FSA exams stayed around 20- 30%, which supported my hypothesis that about a third of the students would take the exams. Around 75% of students who took the FCAT reading and math assessments in grades 6-9 failed the exam, which also supported my hypothesis. The results for the EOC exam partially support my hypothesis that the students would be struggling on the exams; the students scored about 30-40% on the EOC Algebra 1 exam in 9th grade and the EOC Biology exam in 10th grade, but in every other grade, 88% of the students passed. The hypothesis that more students would be receiving a certificate of completion than standard diplomas was not supported; 80% of the students who graduated received a standard diploma of some type and the remaining 20% received an accelerated or special diploma. The students who took the FCAT assessments did not have higher GPA’s; instead they had lower GPA’s when compared to those who did not take the FCAT. No differences were found between males and females in regards to the FCAT assessment. In 8th grade, males had a higher mean score on the EOC Algebra 1 exam when compared to the females, and the same happened in 9th grade on the EOC Biology exam. In 10th grade, however, females had a higher mean score on the EOC Biology exam. Future studies are needed to determine how secondary school age students with ASD are doing on the standardized tests, whether the tests and their IEP are individualized, appropriate and are setting the students up for success in the school system
Early Bilingualism and Foreign Language Learning in Secondary School
Get PDFEarly exposure to multiple languages shapes children's experiences and language background as well as influences later functioning. Prior research indicates that students who speak a minority language at home experience unique benefits when learning an additional third language (L3) in school. In the context of the United States, where foreign language learning is not mandatory, it is challenging to directly examine this relationship. Not all students decide to take a foreign language course, and it is assumed that those who enroll in these courses differ from those who do not in several unique ways. Earlier findings reveal that student characteristics may influence their motivation to learn a foreign language. Thus, the present study examined the relationship between student's early language status (monolingual, dual language learner [DLL], and bilingual) and later foreign language course enrollment and performance in middle and high school. The current research used prospective longitudinal data from the Miami School Readiness Project (MSRP) with an ethnically diverse and low-income population. A total of 33,247 students (58.8% Latino, 33.4% Black/African American, 6.9% White/Asian/other; 81.8% free/reduced lunch) who attended public school pre-K or received subsidies for center-based family childcare in the community were assessed for school readiness at age four and prospectively followed through high school. School record data indicated DLL status in kindergarten, early English proficiency, and foreign language course taking in middle and high school. Hierarchical regression analyses were run to predict foreign language course enrollment and performance in middle or high school as the outcomes, with students’ demographic, school readiness, and elementary school academic performance as covariates. Results suggested complex relationships among different factors; however, early language status significantly predicts later enrollment and performance in foreign language courses, even after controlling for student demographic, school readiness skills, and early academic achievement. Early bilinguals were more likely to take foreign language courses than DLLs, who enrolled in such courses more than monolingual students, controlling for all other factors. The same pattern favoring bilinguals, then DLLs, then monolinguals was found for performance in foreign language courses. I explored the findings in detail pertaining to general foreign language enrollment, as well as performance and enrollment across different level and languages. Limitations and implications were discussed
Neighborhood Poverty and Violence, School Readiness, and Third Grade Academic Achievement
Get PDFNeighborhood disadvantage and crime have been found to be predictive of poorer academic outcomes. Children in disadvantaged neighborhoods and those with high crime levels have been found to perform worse academically than those from more affluent or safer communities. This thesis investigated the role of neighborhood crime and economic disadvantage in children’s early (pre-kindergarten) and later (3rd grade) academic achievement. Moreover, I explored the role of school readiness as a mediator between neighborhoods and academic achievement. This thesis used a subsample of 3,350 children from the Miami School Readiness Project (MSRP), which followed children attending subsidized childcare services at age four between 2002 and 2007 in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The MSRP provided data on child and family demographics, school readiness, and 3rd-grade outcomes. Factor analyses were used to create a residential neighborhood disadvantage measure using data from the 2000 Census and a single indicator of crime using data from the National Neighborhood Crime Study for each of the 308 identified census tracts. Two-level models that nested children in their census tracts and added neighborhood characteristics to the second level alongside child characteristics that were present at both levels were used to address research questions. Results indicated that neighborhood disadvantage significantly predicted cognitive abilities at age four, third-grade math achievement, and GPA. Unexpectedly, neighborhood crime was a positive predictor of reading test scores and GPA. Cognitive skills at age four mediated the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and math achievement. The implications and limitations of these results are discussed
DOES DIVERSITY MATTER? THE IMPACT OF SCHOOL RACIAL COMPOSITION ON THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN AN ETHNICALLY DIVERSE LOW-INCOME SAMPLE
Get PDFSince 1954 when segregation of schools became illegal, educators and parents have wondered how diversity impacts children’s outcomes. While some research studies have shown that schools with more equal representation of racial groups have more positive academic outcomes for students, other studies show that as minority concentration increases within a school, students tend to perform worse academically. The different bodies of literature use different methods of measuring diversity within schools and no one has yet looked at comparing multiple methods within one study. Additionally, much of the research compares only Black and White students, and the experiences of Hispanic students are often left out. The goal of this dissertation is to examine how the racial diversity schools affects ethnically diverse student outcomes by combining multiple methods of measuring school racial composition. Data came from 3rd graders, N = 33,857 (51.8% male; 57.2% Latino, 32.6% Black, 5.3% White, 4.9% other) in 278 schools from the Miami School Readiness Project (MSRP). Using multi-level models (HLM; Raudenbush & Bryk, 2002), I examined 1) the association between school racial composition and academic outcomes? 2) whether different methods of measuring the diversity of schools (e.g., Simpson’s index of diversity indicating more equal representation of racial groups vs. a continuous measure of minority concentration) predict students’ academic outcomes differently, 3) whether the percentage of same-race peers (percent like me) was associated with students’ academic achievement, 4) whether the effect of same-race peers depended on school racial diversity, 5) whether there was a non-linear relationship between diversity and academic performance? and 6) whether the association between school racial diversity and academic outcomes depended on child ethnicity (Black, White, and Latino). Results showed that, overall, the Simpson Index was negatively related to academic achievement, but this association was moderated by race such that for White students, more equal representation of groups was positively related to academic achievement, but this association was negative for Black and Hispanic students. Additionally, overall, minority concentration was not related to academic achievement, but there was a significant interaction with ethnicity. For Black students, there was a positive association between minority concentration and academic achievement, but for White students, there was a negative association
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