Community Influences on E/BD Student Achievement

Abstract

No Child Left Behind has mandated that all students reach proficiency by 2014. This mandate places special emphasis on the performance of special education students. The purpose of this study is to use social theory to understand the factors that explain the achievement of emotionally or behaviorally disordered (E/BD) students. Results suggest a differential effect of neighborhood composition on the development of social ties for Black and White E/BD students. The author argues for an increased awareness of the development of within-school social ties that integrate groups.

The Impact of Neighborhood Disadvantage on the Black–White Achievement Gap

“…By virtue of this substantial literature on the fear of neighborhood crime over the last 3 decades, the link between individual demographics and the fear of crime has been well documented. Nonetheless, with a few exceptions (e.g., Madyun & Lee, 2008;Weller-Clarke, 2002), less has been charted about whether neighborhood crime similarly or differently links with individual demographics such as race to influence academic achievement. Given accurate measurement of such neighborhood factors, an empirical study that explores the link between these two major factors and academic outcomes is important.…”

“…Through collective socialization, young people develop goals and expectations based on the quality of the individuals within their community and the number of options they feel the adults have. Therefore, Blacks residing in inner cities experience a lack of social control, which ultimately results in their school failure, whereas affluent, involved communities use social capital to expose young people to many resources and networks that contribute to their school success (as cited in Madyun & Lee, 2008). Jencks and Mayer (1990) theorized a set of models that explain the potential positive influence of neighborhood factors.…”

“…Epidemic models explain development by utilizing peer contagion theories. The normalization of behaviors and attitudes are maintained by the peer culture, which is thus recognized as the most powerful socialization force within the community (as cited in Madyun & Lee, 2008).…”

Differential selection or differential socialization? Examining the effects of part-time work on school disengagement behaviors among South Korean adolescents

“…Note Students involved in more than one part-time job during their years at school were counted multiple times. As a result, the total frequency is 646, while n = 488 Lee and Madyun 2009;Madyun and Lee 2008, 2010a, 2010b. 4 As mentioned above, the major influence of the participation of young people in part-time work in South Korea are their peers, which suggests a lack of formal control by institutional agents, as well as a lack of informal control by parents in the decision-making process of young people to participate in part-time work.…”

“…Similarly,Lee (2008) research using PSM investigates the effects of youth part-time employment in the USA. Differential selection or differential socialization?……”