Do Social and Behavioral Characteristics Targeted by Preventive Interventions Predict Standardized Test Scores and Grades?

Abstract

This study assessed whether characteristics of individuals that are predictors of youth problem behavior such as substance use, delinquency, and violence also predict academic achievement. Longitudinal data from 576 students participating in the Raising Healthy Children (RHC) project were analyzed. The RHC project is a study of students recruited from a suburban Pacific Northwest school district. Tenth‐grade academic achievement was measured by scores on a standardized test administered to students in Washington State (as part of compliance with the No Child Left Behind Act) and by student self‐report of grades. Measures of social and behavioral characteristics at seventh grade were based on data from student, parent, and teacher surveys. Researchers assessed overall correlations between 7th‐grade predictors and 10th‐grade academic achievement as well as partial correlations adjusted for demographic characteristics and scores on an earlier achievement test, the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills, in 4th grade. Results indicated that higher levels of school bonding and better social, emotional, and decision‐making skills were related to higher test scores and higher grades. Lower test scores and lower grades were predicted by elevated levels of attention problems, negative behavior of peers, and disruptive and aggressive behavior. Lower test scores also were predicted by early use of alcohol and cigarettes. These findings support the premise that school‐based social development interventions that address specific risk factors, curb early manifestations of antisocial behavior, and promote school bonding and social and emotional skills are likely to improve student academic achievement.

Attitudes about Violence and Involvement in Peer Violence among Youth: Findings from a High-Risk Community

“…The Youth Violence Survey was conducted in April, 2004 to assess prevalence of risk factors for violence among high-risk youth in grades 7 through 12. The survey was administered to all eligible students in grades 7,9,11, and 12 in a school district that operated 16 public schools in a high-risk community. Study description has been provided elsewhere.…”

„MindMatters“

“…Insgesamt stellt Resilienz eine verän-derliche, bereichsspezifische und kontextabhängige Persönlichkeitseigenschaft dar [10]. Das bedeutet, dass eine Resilienzförderung prinzipiell möglich ist.…”

“…Förderlich für schulische Leistungen wie auch für das Erreichen hoher Schulabschlüsse sind hingegen eine stark ausgeprägte Verbundenheit zur Schule, das Vorhandensein sozial-emotionaler Fä-higkeiten sowie Kompetenzen zur Entscheidungsfindung/Problemlösekompe-tenzen [10]. Programme, die die oben genannten Risiko-und Schutzfaktoren fokussieren, frühzeitig antisoziales Verhalten unterbinden sowie die Verbundenheit zur Schule und sozialemotionale Kompetenzen fördern, sind somit geeignet, schulische Leistungen zu verbessern und unterstützen Schulen in ihrem Bildungsund Erziehungsauftrag [10].…”

“…Programme, die die oben genannten Risiko-und Schutzfaktoren fokussieren, frühzeitig antisoziales Verhalten unterbinden sowie die Verbundenheit zur Schule und sozialemotionale Kompetenzen fördern, sind somit geeignet, schulische Leistungen zu verbessern und unterstützen Schulen in ihrem Bildungsund Erziehungsauftrag [10]. Solche Ziele verfolgt auch das Programm "MindMatters", das Ende der 1990er Jahre an 3 australischen Universitäten mit Unterstüt-zung des "Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care" entwickelt wurde ( [31], http://www.online.curriculum.edu.…”

Uso de alcohol y tabaco y variables cognitivo-motivacionales en el ámbito escolar: Efectos sobre el rendimiento académico en adolescentes españoles

“…In this sense, Musgrave-Marquart, Bromley and Dalley (1997) found, in a sample of 161 American undergraduates, that nicotine use was a significant negative predictor of GPA while no relation was found for academic attribution. Fleming et al (2005) also tackled academic performance attending to both drug use and academic variables in a sample of 576 American adolescents. In order to analyze academic variables, Fleming et al (2005) used "school bonding" (bonding to school and commitment to school) which appeared not to be related to achievement test scores, while alcohol and cigarettes use were related to academic performance even when the influence of other variables was partially out.…”