Developing an Additive Risk Model for Predicting Academic Index: School Factors and Academic Achievement

Abstract

The impact of school factors on academic achievement has become an important focus for identifying, preventing, and intervening with youth at-risk for academic failure. This study was designed to develop and test a more comprehensive school factor risk index. Specifically, the relationship between cumulative grade point average (GPA) and an additive risk index (ARI) were tested and an analysis of the index is presented. School factors that been shown in previous research to impact academic achievement were tested. Those factors were included in the final risk index if they met the criteria of (1) having a correlation with GPA, (2) containing a difference in outcomes between the risk and non-risk groups, and (3) making a unique contribution to the overall index. The risk and protective factors included in the creation of the ARI were attendance, academic self-efficacy, academic expectations, grade retention, music instruction, and school behaviors. The interplay between risk and protective factors was shown to have a significant relationship with GPA.Keywords Additive risk index Á Academic achievement Á Social work Á Cumulative grade point average Á School factorsThe current status of K-12 education in the United States is alarming. Overall, only 75% of freshman will graduate within 4 years of starting high school. Approximately 10% of all students will drop out of school prior to graduation, while close to

Is there a common pathway to maladjustment for internationally adopted and non-adopted adolescents?

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