The Impact of Children's Social Adjustment on Academic Outcomes

Abstract

This study tested whether social adjustment added to the prediction of academic outcomes above and beyond prior academic functioning. Researchers collected school records and peer-, teacher-, and self-report measures for 1,255 third-grade children in the fall and spring of the school year. Measures of social adjustment included social acceptance by and aggression with peers. Academic outcomes included math and reading grade point average, classroom behavior, academic self-esteem, and absenteeism. As expected, the researchers found support for the causal model such that both forms of social adjustment contributed independently to the prediction of each area of academic adjustment. Gender differences were present in the patterns of results, particularly for the impact of aggression on academic adjustment. Discussion focuses on the implications for social–emotional literacy programs for preventing negative academic outcomes.