The aim of this study was to assess the interrelations of social support and school attitudes as predictors of achievement across a culturally and economically diverse sample of preadolescent children. Parent and peer support were assessed along with parent and peer attitudes toward school. Achievement indices were the child's own attitudes,…

Noting that both stress and social support play an important role in middle school students' adjustment and motivation for school, two studies compared the stress and social support experienced by students entering middle school in different settings. The two studies of middle school students included overlapping measures of stress, social…

Examined relationships among child-mother attachment when children were age 3; family stress when children were 3, 4, and 5; and social-emotional outcomes in kindergarten. Found that less secure kindergartners were more aggressive and less socially competent than secure peers, and kindergartners who had experienced more family stress in preschool…

Examined the social behavior, social adjustment, and school adjustment of a sample of elementary school students in Shanghai, China. Found that, consistent with studies of Western children, sociability-leadership was associated with and predictive of indexes of adjustment. Inconsistent with Western studies, shyness-sensitivity was positively and…

This study evaluated whether personality and family characteristics could predict socioemotional adjustment of 44 adolescent girls enrolled in a residential early college entrance/acceleration program. Results indicated predictive relationships between staff, student, and peer assessments (such as Jackson Personality Inventory and the…

Examined contributions of different risk factors to predicting children's psychological and academic outcomes at end of first grade. Found that each analysis level contributed to prediction of most outcomes; 18 to 29% of outcome variance was predicted; a common set of predictors predicted numerous outcomes; ethnicity showed little unique…

Examined how young adolescents perceived the opportunities provided by middle school teachers and staff and how such opportunities related to changes in academic and social-emotional functioning over time. Found that specific instructional, interpersonal, and organizational dimensions of middle school life were associated in important ways with…

Two studies examined a "child x environment" model of early school adjustment. Findings indicated that entry factors directly and indirectly influenced behavior, participation, and achievement in kindergarten. Initial behavioral orientation influenced the type of relationships formed with peers and teachers. Stressful aspects of…

An analysis of longitudinal data on a sample of low-income mothers and children was conducted to identify maternal characteristics during pregnancy and infancy that predict child school adaptation during kindergarten. The sample consisted of low-income mothers recruited while receiving prenatal services from public health clinics. The children,…

The relationships between teacher ratings and standardized achievement tests as measures of student progress are investigated. Initial teacher ratings of pupils in grade 3 and subsequently in grade 6, were contrasted to scores obtained on the Metropolitan Achievement Test (MAT). It was found that a teacher's rating does not provide the same…

A study examined four features of African-American college students' social adjustment to predominantly White campuses: sense of underrepresentedness; direct perceptions of racism; hurdle of approaching faculty; and effects of faculty familiarity. The model described African-Americans' experiences in adjusting to institutional climate and relating…

Change in middle school students' sense of school belonging was examined in relation to grade point average, motivation variables, and teachers' promotion of mutual respect in classes. Survey data from 618 students collected in three waves during the sixth and seventh grades were submitted to growth curve analysis. On average, students' sense of…

Numerous studies indicate that children of adolescent mothers are at an increased risk for a variety of negative outcomes, even after controlling for diverse social and health factors. However, relatively less research has examined positive adjustment in these children, or protective factors associated with such adjustment. We examined the…

As part of the Competency Based Teacher Certification Project in Carroll County, Georgia, large samples of elementary and secondary school teachers and students were observed during a two-year period. Four low-inference observation measures were used to record teacher behaviors and student-teacher interactions: (1) Teacher Practices Observation…

Study examined whether adaptive and maladaptive functioning related to academic achievement in African-American and white students. Parent interviews indicated adaptive and maladaptive behaviors predicted grade point average and achievement test scores for white students, but only maladaptive behavior predicted scores for African-American…