Large Metropolitan School District Research Articles

The PedsQLTM 4.0 as a School Population Health Measure: Feasibility, Reliability, and Validity

The application of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) as a school population health measure may facilitate risk assessment and resource allocation, the tracking of student health at the school and district level, the identification of health disparities among schoolchildren, and the determination of health outcomes from interventions and policy decisions at the school, district, and county level. To determine the feasibility, reliability, and validity of the 23-item PedsQL 4.0 (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory) Generic Core Scales as a school population health measure for children and adolescents. Survey conducted in 304 classes at 18 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, and 3 high schools within a large metropolitan school district. The PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales (Physical, Emotional, Social, School Functioning) were completed by 2437 children ages 8-18 and 4227 parents of children ages 5-18. The PedsQL 4.0 evidenced minimal missing responses, achieved excellent reliability for the Total Scale Score (alpha = 0.89 child, 0.92, parent report), and distinguished between healthy children and children with chronic health conditions. The PedsQL 4.0 was related to indicators of socioeconomic status (SES) at the school and district level. The PedsQL School Functioning Scale was significantly correlated with standardized achievement scores based on the Stanford 9. The results demonstrate the feasibility, reliability and validity of the PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales as a school population health measure. The implications of measuring HRQOL in schoolchildren at the school, district, and county level for identifying and ameliorating health disparities are discussed.

Predicting patterns of adolescent alcohol use: a longitudinal study.

Because most studies of adolescent alcohol use have focused primarily on the frequency and quantity of consumption, we know little about how adolescent drinking patterns change during the high school years. The purpose of this article is to provide such data, as well as to identify some of the individual, family, social life and community predictors of changes in drinking patterns over time. A sample of 1,253 students in grades 9 through 12 (57% female) in a large metropolitan school district participated. Three ethnicities were represented: African American, European American and Mexican American. Students completed questionnaires every 6 months for a 2-year period (n = 743 at Time 4). Cluster analyses of the drinking variables yielded one problem-drinking group (heavy, multiple-context drinking), two high-risk groups (i.e., date and outdoor drinking) and three normative groups (light, family/parent, moderate/ party drinking). The most predictable patterns of longitudinal changes in adolescent drinking were consistent with the following progression (or the reverse): abstainer --> normative drinker --> high-risk drinker --> problem drinker. Paternal attitudes toward adolescent drinking and peer involvement in antisocial behavior predicted movement into normative drinking; social activity with peers predicted movement into high-risk drinking; and emotional distress predicted the transition into problem drinking. These findings are consistent with the multistage social learning model, demonstrating that the predictors of adolescent alcohol use vary across different levels of adolescent alcohol involvement.

Identifying patterns of adolescent drinking: a tri-ethnic study.

The present study was designed to identify common patterns of adolescent drinking in a tri-ethnic sample and to identify which patterns may be the most problematic in each ethnic group. Students (N = 1,874, 60% female) in 9th through 12th grade (653 African Americans, 722 European Americans and 499 Mexican Americans), recruited from six high schools in a large metropolitan school district in the Southwest, completed questionnaires on their drinking practices, self-esteem and involvement in antisocial behaviors. Cluster analyses performed on 950 students identified eight common adolescent drinking patterns: Light, Parent, Family Occasion, Date, Moderate-Friend, Party, Outdoor and Heavy Multiple-Context drinkers. As predicted, Light, Parent and Family Occasion drinkers showed the highest levels of self-esteem and the lowest levels of drinking consequences, drinking reasons and antisocial behavior. Heavy Multiple-Context drinkers showed low self-esteem and high levels of antisocial behavior, drinking reasons and drinking consequences. Party and Date drinkers generally fell between these two groups on the drinking and adjustment variables, with the exception that Date drinkers were as likely to engage in antisocial behaviors as were drinkers in the Heavy Multiple-Context group. Among all of the drinking groups, Outdoor drinkers showed the highest levels of self-esteem, high levels of antisocial behavior and moderate levels of drinking reasons and consequences. Follow-up analyses showed that the differences between the groups on adjustment and consequences were not simply a function of the frequency and quantity of consumption. These findings, taken together, help identify patterns of normative, problem and at-risk drinking, which should be useful in the assessment of adolescent drinking and in future research on the consequences of adolescent alcohol use.

Opportunities Within a Large Metropolitan School District

As a school district employee, the child psychiatrist can offer valuable school consultations at multiple levels as an "insider." The access to teamwork within the district system is particularly empowering and advantageous. This article outlines the richness and variety of school consultative opportunities within the school district.

Gang membership and student behavior: nursing's involvement with prevention, intervention, and suppression.

Gangs are alive, and growing stronger each day, as they infiltrate all socioeconomic levels of most towns, cities, and metropolitan areas. This is the first of two articles in this issue discussing students and gang membership and a school nurse's involvement with gang prevention, intervention, and suppression. It is also about a large metropolitan school district's proactive approach to gang prevention, which includes a meaningful partnership involving the family, community, and school. The program is a comprehensive developmental guidance program to promote pro-social behaviors, equip students with refusal skills, and encourage problem-solving strategies that enable students to avoid engaging in high-risk activities.

Attraction to physical activity in urban schoolchildren: parental socialization and gender influences.

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the contribution of parental socialization processes and gender to children's interest in physical activity using Eccles' expectancy-value model of motivation. An additional purpose was to examine the nature of these relationships among children of a lower socioeconomic level, a sample that has been under-represented in pediatric exercise research to date. Fourth-through sixth-grade children (N = 107) from a large metropolitan school district were participants in this study and completed questionnaires assessing attraction to physical activity, perceived physical competence, and perceptions of their parents' physical activity beliefs and behaviors. Multivariate regression analyses revealed a significant relationship between parental socialization processes and children's perceived physical competence and attraction to physical activity. Gender differences were also identified and were primarily related to liking of the exertional characteristics of physical activity and exercise. These findings are consistent with theory and research regarding parental and gender-role socialization during childhood.

The effects of the sing, spell, read and write program on reading achievement of beginning readers

Abstract “Sing, Spell, Read, and Write” (SSRW) was designed for teaching reading, writing, spelling, and speaking in kindergarten through Grade 3. Throughout the program there is a strong phonics orientation. Given the growth of SSRW in schools across the United States, the present study was designed to evaluate its effectiveness in a large metropolitan school district. Eight randomly selected SSRW schools were divided into three strata (high, middle, and low) on the basis of socioeconomic status and were individually matched at the school and class level with nine comparison schools on the basis of socioeconomic status, racial makeup, and standardized achievement scores. Analysis of reading, writing, and spelling scores indicated that SSRW was somewhat more effective than the traditional (basal) curriculum for teaching word attack and letter‐word identification, especially for students in low‐stratum schools. For more complex language skills, such as writing and oral reading comprehension, SSRW was not more effective than the conventional curriculum.

We can agree after all! Achieving consensus for a critical thinking component of a gifted program using the Delphi technique1

There are two main purposes for this article. First, we believe that educators, at least in a district, must agree on a common set of criteria before efforts to develop and implement a program reach the point of large expenditures for materials. This article provides a set of definitions and lists of separate critical thinking abilities that may be used by any district to move toward common criteria. Secondly, we describe the details and results of one study wherein an initial group of educators working with the gifted in one large metropolitan school district used the Delphi Technique to reach consensus on criteria for deciding what thinking skills program might be adopted or developed. In addition, because of the Delphi's ability to gather data from large numbers of colleagues within a local situation for assessment of their individual and group preferences, objectives and procedures for utilizing the Delphi Technique are included as a rational for its application in this particular situation. The statistical research is offered to illustrate as well as highlight the use of the Delphi Technique and post‐study interviews with participants are included to provide personal observations and perceptions by those who were actually involved in this study. Hopefully, this can serve as a procedural model for other districts searching for curriculum consensus on critical thinking programs.

Test Use Among Classroom Teachers and Its Relationship to Teaching Level and Teaching Practices

This study surveyed a representative sample of teachers from a large metropolitan school district to investigate the weight they assign to the results of teacher-prepared tests, nationally standardized tests, and state minimumcompetency tests in making major educational decisions. Teachers reported that all three test types were used to some extent in each of eight decision categories, but in none of these decisions were the three test types judged to play a clearly dominant role. The results also suggested that test use varies, depending on teaching level and, to some extent, on certain teaching practices.

A community survey of self-injurious behavior among developmentally disabled children and adolescents.

The extent, nature, and treatment of self-injurious behavior was surveyed among 2,663 developmentally disabled children and adolescents in a large metropolitan school district during the 1984-85 school year. Sixty-nine, or 2.6 percent, of the students exhibited at least one type of self-injurious behavior during the preceding 12 months; 59 percent of these students were males and 41 percent were females. Most of the self-injurious students were either severely or profoundly retarded, and their mean age was 10.2 years. Although almost three-quarters of the students exhibited self-injurious behavior at least daily, only a third were engaged in formal treatment programs for the problem. More than half (53.6 percent) had been restrained during the preceding 12 months for such behavior, and 8.7 percent had received psychotropic medications. The authors believe that the development of effective treatment strategies for self-injurious individuals living in the community may help them avoid institutionalization.

Health promotion for educators: Impact on absenteeism

The impact of a comprehensive worksite health promotion program on employee absenteeism in a large metropolitan school district was evaluated. Participants in the program ( n = 3,846) did not differ from nonparticipants ( n = 8,290) in age or sex distributions. Program participants improved their physical fitness, body composition, coronary risk factors, and overall feeling of well-being. Absenteeism was determined for the study year and for the previous year from records in the district personnel office. Absenteeism differences were evaluated by analysis of covariance by using age, sex, ethnic group, and the previous year's absenteeism as covariates. Participants who completed the health promotion program had an average of 1.25 days less absenteeism ( P < 0.0001) during the study year than nonparticipants. Regression analyses indicated that improvement in physical fitness was associated with less absenteeism. The results suggest that a reduction in absenteeism due to the health promotion program was possibly associated with an improvement in physical fitness.

Characteristics of emotionally disturbed children referred for special education assessment.

This paper describes a comprehensive program of evaluation and consultation services provided to socially and emotionally disturbed (SED) youngsters in a large metropolitan school district. Problems with traditional SED evaluations and re-evaluations are reviewed, and the current assessment techniques and consultation services are discussed. These include the use of direct classroom observation by an observer/data collector and systematic school personnel contacts. A description of students referred for assessment is provided.

Effects of counselor sex, student sex, and student attractiveness on counselors' judgments

Thirty-two male and thirty-two female high school counselors in a large metropolitan school district were provided with routine student profile data and asked to make predictions about the student's potential for post-high school education and to suggest occupations for the student to explore. All data reviewed by the counselors were identical except for a photograph of the student attached to the profile. Within counselor sex groups, counselors were randomly assigned to one of the following four photograph conditions: (a) attractive female; (b) unattractive female; (c) attractive male; and (d) unattractive male. Male subjects were found to discriminate on the basis of student sex when they suggested occupations for the student to explore. Predictions of post-high school education and the social status of suggested occupations were not found to be related to counselor sex, student sex, or student attractiveness.

The Classroom Ratio of High- and Low-aptitude Students and Its Effect on Achievement

Classrooms with “more favorable” teaching situations were defined as those in which more than a third of the students were high aptitude and less than a third of the students were low aptitude. “Less favorable” classrooms were those in which less than a third of the students were high aptitude and more than a third of the students were low aptitude. The stated hypothesis was that the ratio of high-aptitude students to low-aptitude students in the classrooms would influence the mathematics achievement of students. Individual standardized aptitude and achievement data were available for 103 third- and fourth-grade classrooms. The sample was drawn from a large metropolitan school district that basically served a middle-class population in neighborhood schools. Analyses of variance tests indicated that both high- and low-aptitude students in more favorable classrooms had greater achievement gains than comparable students in less favorable classrooms.

Effects of Class Heterogeneity in Junior High School

Classroom process data from 27 junior high school English classes in a large metropolitan school district were analyzed to assess the learning environment, classroom managerial constraints, and general teacher effects associated with teaching in classes with wide ranges of student academic entering level. A series of regression models that accounted for differences in teachers' management skill levels and entering class mean achievement levels was used to evaluate relationships between class heterogeneity (standard deviations of students' entering achievement scores) and a variety of classroom process measures and teacher self-report variables. Results suggest that heterogeneity of students' entering achievement levels in a given class limits teachers' successful adaptation of instruction to individual student academic and affective needs. Higher heterogeneity was also associated with a lesser degree of student task engagement and cooperation. Effects of extreme heterogeneity were greater in classes taught by relatively poor managers.

Effects of Class Heterogeneity in Junior High School

Classroom process data from 27 junior high school English classes in a large metropolitan school district were analyzed to assess the learning environment, classroom managerial constraints, and general teacher effects associated with teaching in classes with wide ranges of student academic entering level. A series of regression models that accounted for differences in teachers' management skill levels and entering class mean achievement levels was used to evaluate relationships between class heterogeneity (standard deviations of students' entering achievement scores) and a variety of classroom process measures and teacher self-report variables. Results suggest that heterogeneity of students' entering achievement levels in a given class limits teachers' successful adaptation of instruction to individual student academic and affective needs. Higher heterogeneity was also associated with a lesser degree of student task engagement and cooperation. Effects of extreme heterogeneity were greater in classes taught by relatively poor managers.

Psychometric characteristics and norms for disadvantaged third and fourth grade children on the state-trait anxiety inventory for children.

The STAIC was administered to 1,522 third and fourth grade Black disadvantaged children from a large metropolitan school district. Although A-State scores were equivalent to the original normative sample. A-Trait levels for boys and girls were found to be higher. Similar alpha coefficients were observed for the A-State scale; the A-Trait scale yielded slightly lower alpha coefficients than the original sample. Norms for the STAIC scales were extended to the third grade level. The small differences between the present study and the original normative study were attributed to differences in population. The STAIC provides a valid and reliable means to measure trait and state anxiety in children of elementary school age.

The Development and Preliminary Validation of Three Forms of a Self-Concept Measure Emphasizing School-Related Activities

Subsequent to the presentation of a simple rationale for construction of a self-concept measure emphasizing five school-related constructs, the development and internal validation of three forms of the instrument entitled Dimensions of Self-Concept (DOSC) are described. For three samples of 479 elementary school pupils, 478 junior high school students, and 469 senior high school students in a large metropolitan school district, item-analysis data and factor-analytic information are presented for the three forms designed for students at three different educational levels. Intercorrelations of the scales and split-half reliability estimates are also cited. Covering hypothesized dimensions of level of aspiration, anxiety, academic interest and satisfaction, leadership and initiative, and identification vs. alienation, the three forms of the DOSC appear to offer considerable promise in providing information that would be useful to teachers and counselors in helping students in their cognitive and affective development.

The Factorial Validity of the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale for Each of Three Samples of Elementary, Junior High, and Senior High School Students in a Large Metropolitan School District

For each of three samples of 299 elementary school pupils, 302 junior high school pupils, and 300 senior high school students in a large metropolitan school district, factor analyses of the intercorrelations of the responses to 80 items in The Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale yielded three major dimensions that were essentially invariant across the three samples: (a) physical appearance, (b) socially unacceptable (bad) behavior, and (c) academic or school status. Variance within a complex domain of emotionality was differentiated among a number of factors such as anxiety, abasement, self-contentment, and self-dissatisfaction that were not invariant across samples. In both the junior high school and senior high school samples identifiable factors of popularity and perceived psychomotor coordination appeared. Implications for writing of items to represent the constructs associated with self-concept are discussed.

Graduation: What Happens to the Retarded Child When He Grows Up?

Interviews were held with parents or guardians of 120 graduates of classes for the moderately (trainable) retarded in a large southern California metropolitan school district in the years 1968, 1969, and 1970. Information was gathered to assess the quality of community life experienced by these moderately retarded adults after graduation from school. Recommendation is made for (a) new criteria for evaluation of community adjustment of the moderately retarded which emphasizes comprehensive postschool programing to meet the recreational and social needs of the retarded as well as to provide occupational and vocational training and (b) community based residential facilities to provide such programing as an alternative to the parent care model and the permanent parent-child relationship it reinforces.