End Of 8th Grade Research Articles

An examination of Japanese curriculum materials through quantitative and covariational reasoning: the treatment of linear functions

ABSTRACT In this study, we investigated how Japanese curriculum materials represent functional relationships through the lenses of quantitative and covariational reasoning. Utilizing macro and micro analyses, we analyzed Japanese elementary and lower secondary-level curriculum materials, including course of study, teachers’ guide, and Mathematics International textbook series. We analyzed a set of statements and explanations in the course of study and the teachers’ guide. We examined tasks, questions, and representations in the textbooks. Findings showed that Japanese curriculum materials attentively focus on learners’ quantitative and covariational reasoning starting from 4th grade by the end of 8th grade. Particularly, Japanese curriculum materials have a spiral nature that supports learners’ covariational reasoning gradually building up to continuous covariation in learning functional relationships involved in proportional and linear situations. We discuss the possible implications of this study for teachers, teacher educators, curriculum developers, and textbook writers.

The Effects of Bookworms Literacy Curriculum on Student Achievement in Grades 2-5

ABSTRACT Purpose In this study, we investigated the effects of a schoolwide program, Bookworms K-5 Reading and Writing, on student achievement. Method The study included seven cohorts of students (N = 8,806) in grades 2–5 in 17 elementary schools across three school years. We used a comparative interrupted time-series design, conducting multilevel growth curve models of Measures of Academic Progress reading scores with up to 10 data points per student. By modeling each student’s growth curve, including a time by treatment interaction term, we were able to estimate the change in students’ achievement trajectories corresponding to the implementation of Bookworms. Results Results confirm a significant positive impact of Bookworms on achievement, with gains compounding over time and producing an overall standardized effect size of .26 by the end of 5th grade. Students who began third grade with relatively weaker achievement experienced more growth than those with average achievement, and those with average achievement experienced more growth than those with the highest achievement. Conclusion This study provides evidence that a comprehensive literacy curriculum that emphasizes high-volume reading of grade-level texts and the use of evidence-based instructional practices produces positive effects on student achievement for students with a range of initial reading achievement.

Heritage culture and national identity trajectories: Relations to classroom cultural diversity climate and socioemotional adjustment for adolescents of immigrant descent

Adolescents’ heritage culture and national identities are potential developmental assets for socioemotional adjustment. The school context can support the development of such identities. Therefore, the aims of our study are to (1) identify patterns of heritage and national identity trajectories across mid-adolescence, (2) test whether they are predicted by classroom cultural diversity climate, and (3) test whether they are linked to socioemotional adjustment. Adolescents of immigrant descent in Germany (N = 431, 50.3% female, Mage = 12.36 at T1) filled out surveys at the beginning (T1) and end of 7th grade (T2), and end of 8th grade (T3). Using latent growth mixture models, three trajectories were identified, which had stable, moderate national identities but varied in heritage identity: “high decreasing heritage identity”, “moderate stable identities”, and “low increasing heritage identity”. At the classroom level (but not individual level) diversity climate at T1 predicted a “moderate stable identities” trajectory, compared to a “low increasing heritage identity” trajectory. Further, adolescents in the “moderate stable identities” trajectory reported higher life satisfaction at T3 compared to those in the “low increasing heritage identity” trajectory. Overall, the findings suggest heterogeneity in identity trajectories with implications for socioemotional adjustment.

Prospective association between evening circadian preference and academic functioning in adolescents: the role of daytime sleepiness.

There is growing evidence for the role of circadian factors in adolescents' sleep and academic adjustment, with greater evening preference being linked to poorer academic functioning. However, studies have yet to evaluate this association prospectively in adolescence, nor have studies examined daytime sleepiness as a putative mechanism linking evening preference to poor academic functioning. The current study used a multi-informant design to test the prospective association of evening circadian preference, daytime sleepiness, and academic functioning (e.g., global academic impairment and grades) across 2 years in adolescence. As evening circadian preference, sleepiness, and academic problems are elevated in adolescents with ADHD, we used a sample enriched for adolescents with ADHD and explored whether ADHD moderated effects. Participants were 302 adolescents (Mage = 13.17 years; 44.7% female; 81.8% White; 52% with ADHD). In the fall of eighth grade, adolescents reported on their circadian preference, and in the fall of ninth grade, adolescents and parents completed ratings of daytime sleepiness. In the middle of 10th grade, parents and teachers reported on adolescents' academic impairment and at the end of 10th grade, adolescents' grade point average (GPA) was obtained from school records. Above and beyond covariates (e.g., adolescent sex, ADHD status, medication, sleep duration) and baseline academic impairment, greater self-reported evening preference in 8th grade predicted increased parent ratings of academic impairment in 10th grade indirectly via adolescent and parent ratings of daytime sleepiness in 9th grade. Furthermore, evening preference in 8th grade predicted greater teacher ratings of academic impairment and lower average GPA in 10th grade via parent ratings of daytime sleepiness in 9th grade, controlling for covariates and baseline GPA. ADHD status did not moderate indirect effects. Findings underscore daytime sleepiness as a possible intervening mechanism linking evening preference to poor academic functioning across adolescence. Intervention studies are needed to evaluate whether targeting circadian preference and sleepiness improves academic functioning in adolescents.

Be under your own influence: Effectiveness of a Culturally-Adapted drug prevention campaign targeting Reservation-Dwelling American Indian youth.

Be Under Your Own Influence (BUYOI) is a previously validated school-based intervention designed to delay adolescent substance use (SU) initiation. This study examined the effectiveness of a culturally-adapted version of BUYOI in delaying SU initiation among reservation-dwelling American Indian (AI) youth. Five reservation-based middle schools participated. Three schools were randomly assigned to receive BUYOI-AI (N = 321), and two schools served as controls (N = 176). Beginning in 7th grade, all participating students completed four assessments over the study period. Discrete time hazard models estimated the effects of BUYOI on students' risk of initiating alcohol, alcohol intoxication and marijuana before the end of 8th grade. AI students exposed to BUYOI had a lower risk of initiating alcohol use or intoxication, though sex moderated the effect on intoxication. These findings provide preliminary support for the effectiveness of a culturally-adapted version of BUYOI in delaying AI youth's first-time alcohol use and intoxication.

Evaluation of English for Palestine Textbooks and English Language Examination in Light of Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFRL): تقويم مقررات واختبارات اللغة الإنجليزية في فلسطين وفقاً للإطار المرجعي الأوروبي للغات (CEFRL)

This study aimed at identifying the degree of alignment between English for Palestine textbook tasks, its intended objectives, and teachers’ exams in the light of (CEFRL). To achieve this purpose and to answer the research questions, the researcher adopted a descriptive analytical method and chose a sample consisted of 10th grade English for Palestine textbook. The sample consists of 55 midterm and final exams for 10th grade. A sample of 10 English language teachers was selected randomly to answer the structured interview. The researcher utilized two main instruments; a framework for the analysis of the tasks included in 10th grade English for Palestine textbook, and a structured interview. It has been applied to monitor the recurrence of task skills and objectives, and then calculates the alignment between the two elements using Porter’s alignment Index. To determine the reliability of the instruments, Holsti's Equation was used. Frequencies and Porter Alignment Index were used to analyze the collected data. The major findings of the study revealed that most textbook tasks were A2 level; the highest tasks were reading and writing tasks. Teachers’ exams were at the A2 level with high concentration on reading and writing skills. Results showed that most of exams excluded speaking and listening. There is a low alignment between 10th grade textbook tasks and the objectives intended to be achieved by the end of 10th grade. Moreover, there is moderate alignment between textbook tasks and exams. The application level of Bloom’s taxonomy has the highest percentage; however, the evaluation level does not achieve any score. Based on the previous findings, the study recommends that textbook designers should reconsider the nature of the tasks in the English language textbook to align them with the objectives of the textbook. They also need to design training courses for teachers on the development of exams so that they are aligned with the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFRL), and achieve a stated balanced distribution for each skill.

Parallel Trajectories of Proactive and Reactive Aggression in Middle Childhood and Their Outcomes in Early Adolescence.

This study used an accelerated longitudinal design to investigate trajectories of proactive and reactive aggression in middlechildhood and their outcomes in early adolescence. Children (N = 1420; ages 5-12; 48% female) were assessed biannually over 6 school years. Classroom teachers rated students' proactive and reactive aggression throughout grades K-5; and multi-method (teacher-report, self-report, school records) measures of peer problems, depressive symptoms, academic performance, disciplinary actions, and school absenteeism were collected throughout grades 3-5. Latent class growth models were estimated to differentiate parallel-process trajectories of proactive-reactive aggression. Class membership was then examined as a predictor of outcomes at the end of 5th grade. The best-fitting solution had four trajectory classes: (1) low aggression, 76.7%; (2) high proactive-reactive aggression, 4.7%; (3) declining aggression, 4.9%; and (4) predominantly reactive aggression, 13.7%. Most classes showed seasonal upticks in aggressive behavior in the spring semester relative to fall; these were especially pronounced for proactive aggression, both as a variable and for the proactive-reactive class. Relative to their low-aggression peers, children in any elevated-aggression class had higher levels of peer problems, depressive symptoms, and disciplinary actions and lower GPAs at the end of 5th grade. The reactive class-which on no occasion had the highest total aggression-exhibited the most consistently unfavorable pattern of outcomes across methods and measures. Findings offer new insights concerning the multifinality and heterogeneity of aggressive behavior in childhood. Research, theory, and practice could benefit from adopting person-centered conceptualizations that consider the long-term trajectories, short-term variations, and proactive vs. reactive functions of youth aggression.

Longitudinal study of individual, environmental and contextual factors predicting adaptation to the transition to lower secondary education

Transitions into higher educational levels are normative life events that challenge students' academic and socio-emotional development. This longitudinal study aims to examine outcomes of and determinants of students' adaptation to the transition from classroom (4th grade) to subject teaching (5th grade). The outcomes of adaptation were assessed by changes in students' GPA and learning self-efficacy from 4th to 5th grade as well as by the self-perceived adaptation. In addition, a number of individual, environmental and contextual determinants of the three adaptation outcomes were examined. Participants were 860 students aged 10–11 years from Zagreb, Croatia. They participated in data collection at the end of 4th grade, at the mid-term of 5th grade and at the end of 5th grade. The results showed that students' GPA and learning self-efficacy declined following transition, although they generally perceived their academic adaptation as successful. Several individual, environmental and contextual variables explained academic adaptation to transition operationalized as self-perceived adaptation, learning self-efficacy and GPA in 5th grade. The stage-environment fit model of educational transition was supported even when transition takes place within the same school building and class.

Sustained effects of a school readiness intervention: 5th grade outcomes of the Head Start REDI program

This study examined the sustained effects of the Head Start Research-based Developmentally Informed (REDI) program, which enriched preschools with evidence-based programming targeting social-emotional and language/emergent literacy skills. 44 Head Start classrooms were randomly assigned to intervention or a usual practice control group, and 356 4-year-olds (25% African American, 17% Latino, 54% female) were followed through the end of 5th grade. Growth curve analyses revealed that significant intervention effects on teacher-rated social adjustment, academic engagement, and parent involvement identified at the end of the Head Start year were sustained throughout elementary school. These findings demonstrate that evidence-based curricula combined with professional development support can enhance preschool programming and promote the elementary school adjustment of children living in poverty.

Too tough at the top: Using latent class growth analysis to assess cool status during middle school

IntroductionObtaining and maintaining high social status in one's peer group is often a critical developmental goal during adolescence. The present study investigated factors that predict trajectories of cool status for middle school adolescents as well as how different cool status trajectories affect depressive symptoms. MethodsThe participants were 5,991 adolescents (52% girls) from 26 urban middle schools in California. Using latent class growth analysis, baseline assessment occurred in the fall of sixth grade, and repeated assessments occurred in the spring of sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. ResultsThree cool status trajectories were identified: (1) a high ascending cool status group (5% of the sample); (2) a decreasing cool status group (25%); and (3) a maintaining low cool status group (70%). Differences in the three groups were explained by GPA and having a reputation as aggressive at the beginning of middle school and the level of depression at the end of middle school. Those in the high ascending cool status group experienced the most depressive symptoms at the end of 8th grade. ConclusionsThe findings suggest the need for a more nuanced perspective on maintaining cool status during adolescence that considers both its risks and benefits.

Student agency at the crux: Mitigating disengagement in middle and high school

Considerable evidence indicates that students’ academic motivation and engagement generally decline as they move through middle school and on to high school. This study applied social cognitive theory to explore how self-efficacy and perceived control—two main factors of personal agency—may play a role in mitigating this decline in engagement and further contribute to academic performance. We used dual change score modeling to examine the dynamic structure of personal agency and disengagement during grades 8–10 for a large sample of students from the Pacific Northwest in the U.S. In that model, we analyzed how those variables predicted grade point average and attendance for students at the end of 10th grade. Students did not necessarily become more disengaged as a result of lower perceptions of control, rather they became more disengaged without the resilience factor of self-efficacy. The actual influence of disengagement on attendance and academic performance appears to be far weaker than the role of personal agency factors. Our results indicate that when student’s self-efficacy drops, disengagement in school increases during the years transitioning to high school. Increased disengagement weakens perceived control and change in both the control and self-efficacy dimensions of personal agency drive academic performance. Schools should prioritize the development of personal agency in each student during the middle school to high school transition years.

Are students with disabilities suspended more frequently than otherwise similar students without disabilities?

Students with disabilities (SWD) have been reported to be disproportionately suspended from U.S. schools and so more likely to experience the “school-to-prison pipeline” through suspension's associations with lower academic achievement, dropout, juvenile delinquency, and adult criminality. Yet few studies have estimated SWD's risk of more frequent suspension while simultaneously controlling for potential confounds. Negative binomial regression modeling of suspension count data from a nationally representative and longitudinal sample (N = 6,740) indicated that males, those from lower resourced families, and students attending more economically segregated schools were more frequently suspended. On average, students who are Black received about 1.6 times as many suspensions by the end of 8th grade as otherwise similar White students. In contrast, having a disability by 1st grade was not a risk factor for more frequent suspension by the end of 8th grade while simultaneously accounting for other risk factors (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, family SES, prior history of externalizing problem behaviors, being from a English-speaking household, school-level economic composition). Students with specific disability conditions (e.g., emotional disturbances, speech or language impairments) were not at increased risk for more frequent suspension. Students with disabilities who are Black, Hispanic, or of other race/ethnicity were not more frequently suspended than SWD who are White.

Perceptions of competence, control, and belongingness over the transition to high school: A mixed-method study

This study employed a mixed method, longitudinal design to examine adolescent beliefs about their competence, control, and social belongingness (emotional support from teachers and peers) across the transition from middle school (8th grade) to high school (9th grade). Qualitative data based on open-ended questions suggested that students (N = 93; 13–16 year-olds) were mostly concerned with competence-related issues as they transitioned into high school and through the end of 10th grade. Results of path models (N = 160) suggested that self-reported beliefs about competence, control, and belongingness were relatively stable from 8th to 9th grade; eighth-grade perceived competence and belongingness with peers significantly predicted students’ ninth-grade emotional well-being by way of ninth-grade perceived competence and belongingness, respectively.

Assessment of Exposure to High-Performing Schools and Risk of Adolescent Substance Use

Although school environments are thought to influence health behaviors, experimental data assessing causality are lacking, and which aspects of school environments may be most important for adolescent health are unknown. To test whether exposure to high-performing schools is associated with risky adolescent health behaviors. This natural experiment used admission lotteries, which mimic random assignment, to estimate the association of school environments and adolescent health. A survey of 1270 students who applied to at least 1 of 5 high-performing public charter schools in low-income minority communities in Los Angeles, California. Schools had an academic performance ranked in the top tertile of Los Angeles County public high schools, applicants outnumbered available seats by at least 50, and an admissions lottery was used. Participants included lottery winners (intervention group [n = 694]) and lottery losers (control group [n = 576]) from the end of 8th grade and beginning of 9th grade through the end of 11th grade. Intention-to-treat (ITT) and instrumental variable techniques estimated the association of winning the lottery and attending high-performing schools with health behaviors and whether the association varied by sex. Data were collected from March 11, 2013, through February 22, 2017, and analyzed from October 1, 2017, through July 1, 2018. Schools were considered high performing if they placed in the top tercile of public high schools in LA County on 2012 state standardized tests. Most students attended that same school for 3 years (9th-11th grades). Primary self-reported outcomes were 30-day and high-risk self-reported marijuana use. Additional health outcomes included 30-day alcohol use, alcohol misuse, ever being in a fight, ever having sex, and past-year delinquency. Potential intermediate factors (time studying, truancy, school mobility, school culture, school order, teacher support for college, and proportion of substance-using peers in students' social networks) were also examined. Among the 1270 participating students (52.6% female; mean [SD] age at enrollment, 14.3 [0.5] years), ITT analysis showed that the intervention group reported less marijuana misuse than the control group (mean marijuana misuse score, 0.46 vs 0.71), as well as fewer substance-using peers (9.6% vs 12.7%), more time studying (mean, 2.63 vs 2.49 hours), less truancy (84.3% vs 77.3% with no truancy), greater teacher support for college (mean scores, 7.20 vs 7.02), more orderly schools (mean order score, 7.06 vs 6.83), and less school mobility (21.4% vs 28.4%) (all P < .05). Stratified analyses suggest that among boys, intervention participants had significantly lower marijuana use (mean misuse score, 0.43 vs 0.88; difference, -0.45; 95% CI, -0.78 to -0.13) and alcohol misuse (mean misuse score, 0.52 vs 0.97; difference, -0.44; 95% CI, -0.80 to -0.09) scores compared with control participants, whereas no significant health outcomes were noted for girls. This natural experiment provides evidence that school environments can improve risky behaviors for low-income minority adolescents.

NP36 - Using the Child as Change Agent for Preventing Childhood Obesity in Rural Georgia: Home Environment Results

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine if the Action Pack Families child as change agent intervention resulted in changes in the home food and physical activity environment of children over the course of a 3-year intervention. Description: This study was a group-randomized intervention that included all 10 elementary schools in a county in rural Georgia. Action Pack Families was a child as change agent nutrition and physical activity intervention with school, home, and community based components. The intervention was delivered by trained family nutrition educators in partnership with University of Georgia Extension. The school curriculum was designed to be physically active and experiential. Students were taught strategies for sharing what they learned with their families. In addition to the school-to-home activities that engaged families in intervention activities at home, the family component of the intervention included community events, family fun nights, and communication via Facebook. Community recognition and support of the program was enhanced by participation in local events. Evaluation: Child height and weight were collected at school by the research team; diet, physical activity, and home environment factors were self-reported by parents using a paper-pencil survey. Anthropometric data were collected at the beginning and end of each school year from 3rd through 5th grade. Parent survey data were collected at the beginning of each school year as well as at the end of 5th grade. Conclusions and Implications: Previous cross-sectional analyses of baseline data from this study suggested that the home environment does not necessarily influence the dietary behavior of children in the same way across all racial/ethnic groups. An analysis of intervention effects on home environment, dietary, and activity variables showed that the intervention impacted key variables for positive changes in the home environment with the effect varying across racial/ethnic groups. Using children as change agents might be effective in altering some home environment variables that could aid in preventing childhood obesity. Funding: 2012-68001-19625. The following is the supplementary data to this article: Download .pdf (.86 MB) Help with pdf files Poster

Examining the Impact and School‐Level Predictors of Impact Variability of an 8th Grade Reading Intervention on At‐Risk Students’ Reading Achievement

AbstractThe purpose of the present article is to report on a large‐scale investigation of six school districts’ implementation of an initiative aimed at reducing dropout rates by improving reading achievement in the middle grades. Data for the Middle School Intervention Project (MSIP) were collected in 25 middle schools across the state of Oregon. We examined (a) the degree to which the schools improved reading achievement for struggling readers in 8th grade, and (b) whether we could account for school differences in the treatment effect through measured explicit and intensive intervention factors. At the end of 8th grade there was no evidence of significant or positive effects on the two primary reading outcome measures.

O impacto da transição escolar para o 2.° ciclo sobre o autoconceito e a autoestima

Secondary school transition takes place earlier in Portugal than in most Western countries. This study aims to analyze the impact of this transition on the self‐concept and self‐esteem of Portuguese students, and to identify potential differential gender impacts. The sample included 377 students (Mage=9.46; SD=0.93; 52.8% boys). Self‐report questionnaires were administered in 4th grade (middle and end) and 5th grade (beginning and end). Multilevel linear modeling with a repeated measures design was used to evaluate the evolution of self‐perceptions during secondary school transitions. Results show significant decreases in all dimensions of self‐concept and in self‐esteem during this transition. Gender differences emerged with boys showing greater decreases in emotional self‐concept and girls in academic self‐concept. Students retained at the end of 5th grade had greater declines in all self‐perceptions. The results highlight the importance of intervention to prevent the negative impact of secondary school transition on self‐perceptions.

The Impact of Secondary School Transition on Self-Concept and Self-Esteem

Secondary school transition takes place earlier in Portugal than in most Western countries. This study aims to analyze the impact of this transition on the self-concept and self-esteem of Portuguese students, and to identify potential differential gender impacts. The sample included 377 students (Mage=9.46; SD=.93; 52.8% boys). Self-report questionnaires were administered in 4th grade (middle and end) and 5th grade (beginning and end). Multilevel linear modeling with a repeated measures design was used to evaluate the evolution of self-perceptions during secondary school transitions. Results show significant decreases in all dimensions of self-concept and in self-esteem during this transition. Gender differences emerged with boys showing greater decreases in emotional self-concept and girls in academic self-concept. Students retained at the end of 5th grade had greater declines in all self-perceptions. The results highlight the importance of intervention to prevent the negative impact of secondary school transition on self-perceptions.

How is the body’s systemic nature manifested amongst high school biology students?

This study follows two groups of students (67 in all) through the 3 years of their high school biology education and examines the development of their systems thinking - specifically their models of the human body as a system. Both groups were composed of biology majors, but the students in one group also participated in a PBLbased extension program called “Medical Systems”. Data was gathered by means of concept maps, which the students completed at four strategic stages of the learning process: beginning of 10th grade, end of 10th grade, end of 11th grade and end of 12th grade. At the end of the 3 year learning process, the students’ showed more complex system models. They included a wider range of concepts in their maps, spanning hierarchy levels ranging from the molecular and cellular to the system level. We also found an increase in references to dynamic interactions, but this did not encourage the students to use cellular level processes when explaining phenomena that occur at the systems level. The impact of the PBL teaching method was strongly evident in the complexity of the Medical Systems program students’ concept maps, which heavily emphasized “hierarchy” and “diseases” as system characteristics.

The Effect of English Language Learner Reclassification on Student ACT Scores, High School Graduation, and Postsecondary Enrollment: Regression Discontinuity Evidence from Wisconsin

AbstractThe recent increase in the number of students classified as English language learners (ELLs) has focused significant attention on reclassification policy, which governs the process by which ELLs move toward, and are deemed to reach, full English proficiency. In this paper, we draw on a data set containing annual individual‐level records for every Wisconsin student ever classified as an ELL between the 2006–07 and 2012–13 school years to estimate the effects of being reclassified at the end of 10th grade—a crucial period on the pathway to postsecondary education—on several measures related to students’ postsecondary attainments. We estimate these effects in a regression discontinuity framework, exploiting Wisconsin's policy rule that automatically reclassifies ELLs who score above a specified cutoff on the state's English language proficiency exam. Our analysis indicates that being reclassified as fully English proficient in 10th grade has a positive effect on students’ ACT scores. It also provides some evidence of a positive effect on high school graduation and the probability of enrolling in a postsecondary institution the fall after graduation. Together, our analyses provide evidence on the effects of a policy directly relevant to the country's fastest growing student population, and we close the paper with a discussion of the implications for research and policy.