Poor Educational Achievement Research Articles

Education and employment outcomes of young adults with a history of developmental language disorder.

BackgroundDevelopmental language disorder (DLD) presents a considerable barrier for young adults to engage in further education and training. Early studies with young adults with DLD revealed poor educational achievement and lack of opportunities to progress in education. More recent studies have provided more positive findings. Relatively sparse data exist, however, on current cohorts and the factors that predict outcomes.AimsTo examine educational and employment outcomes in young adulthood in a sample of people with histories of DLD compared with an age‐matched peer group without DLD. We ask: How do educational pathways and early jobs compare between those with and without DLD? Are young adults with DLD receiving similar levels of income as their peers? To what extent are language and literacy abilities associated with outcomes?Methods & ProceduresParticipants included 84 individuals with DLD (67% males) and 88 age‐matched peers without DLD (56% males). Participants were on average 24 years of age. They completed a battery of psycholinguistic, literacy and nonverbal skills assessments. Data were also collected on educational qualifications, current educational status, extent of educational support received, employment status, history and support, as well as current income.Outcomes & ResultsThose with DLD obtained lower academic and vocational qualifications. Higher educational/vocational qualifications were associated with better language, better reading and higher performance IQ (PIQ). There were few differences between the two groups in terms of engagement with education, but the mean age at leaving education was significantly earlier in the participants with DLD. Substantially more participants with DLD reported receiving support or dispensation from their educational institution. There was no significant difference between groups in the proportion of young people currently employed, though a higher proportion of the age‐matched peers was in work full time. Participants with DLD were much more likely to be in non‐professional occupations. However, when examining pay in relation to types of occupation, the groups’ incomes were broadly comparable.Conclusions & ImplicationsAt the group level, young people with a history of DLD more commonly have less skilled employment and more rarely achieve professional roles. At the individual level there is considerable variation with smaller but not trivial proportions of young adults with a history of DLD showing good educational and employment outcomes. There are positive aspects to early adult outcomes for some young people with a history of DLD.

Childhood risk factors for disability pension among adult former Swedish child welfare clients: Same or different as for majority population peers?

This study contributes to the literature on preventing social exclusion, here indicated by collecting disability pension in adulthood, by asking whether the pattern and strength of childhood related risk factors is the same for high-risk child welfare clients, as for their peers in the majority population. Longitudinal register data on >500,000 Swedes, including around 18,000 former child welfare clients, were analyzed by means of linear probability models and calculations of population attributable fractions. Systematic comparisons of effect sizes suggest that the differences in pattern were marginal, but there were significant differences in strength. Overall, poor educational achievement and low educational attainment were the two most prominent risk factors across all groups, also when prevalence was taken into account. In the majority population, the hypothetical reduction of collecting disability pension was on the scale of 20% if either of the two risk factors could be eliminated. Among child welfare alumni, however, the hypothetical reduction was even larger, nearly 30% on average. Prevention strategies targeting poor school performance and low educational attainment may thus substantially reduce the prevalence of disability pension among adults with a history of child welfare involvement.

Gestational age and school achievement: a population study

ObjectiveAcademic achievement varies according to gestational age but it is unclear whether achievement varies within ‘term’ (37–41 weeks gestation) or for ‘post-term’ births (≥42 weeks). We examined gestational age from...

Falling off the ladder: Using focal theory to understand and improve the educational experiences of young people in transition from public care

Coleman's focal theory, developed in relation to adolescents in the general population, appears to offer some explanation for the poor educational achievement and social exclusion of care leavers, but has been little tested empirically. This paper revisits data from two studies of care-experienced young people aged 18–25, drawing on qualitative interviews in the UK and four other European countries, to see if focal theory would have helped to predict their educational progression or otherwise. The lives of research participants were found to be characterised by disruptions and uncertainty, with multiple challenges confronting them in quick succession, making it hard for them to pace their transitions as, according to focal theory, other young people do. Findings suggest that the theory could be used to inform policy designed to improve educational outcomes and should be incorporated into training for those responsible for supporting care leavers through their transition to adulthood.

Effectiveness of a group-based academic tutoring program for children in foster care: A randomized controlled trial

The consistently poor educational achievement of children in foster care has been associated with many negative outcomes including long term poor adult adjustment (e.g., higher rates of suicide, criminality, and substance abuse). The current study was undertaken to improve foster children's academic skills through academic remediation. Across this two year randomized study, 91 children in out of home foster or kinship care, between grades 1 and 8 inclusive, completed the study. One-half were randomly assigned to the 30-week direct-instruction small group tutoring condition, while the other half served as wait-list controls. A statistically significant increase in standard scores was found on reading decoding, spelling and mathematic skills for the children who received tutoring, but no differences were obtained on sentence comprehension. Significant effect sizes, in the small to moderate range, were also found in support of the tutoring condition across these three domains. The implications of these positive findings as they relate to improving educational achievement among children in foster care are discussed.

Non-syndromic congenital hearing loss

Non-syndromic congenital hearing loss is a global problem. It is the most common disorder at birth, occurring in 1-2/1000 newborns. Congenital hearing loss leads to delayed language development, impaired psychosocial interactions abnormal behavior and poor educational achievement. Genetic transmission is implicated in 50% of the cases of congenital deafness. Of these, about 70 % are non-syndromic. Genetic counseling is essential to making the parents aware of the most appropriate treatment. Classification and the rationale for screening of hearing loss in the newborn will be reviewed here.

Abstract 15999: Beyond Morbidity and Mortality: Academic Outcomes in Children With Congenital Heart Disease

Introduction: While children with congenital heart disease (CHD) are known to have neurodevelopmental challenges, how these challenges translate to school performance is unknown. The purpose of our study was to compare the academic achievement of children with CHD to that of children without known birth defects. Hypothesis: Children with CHD would have lower standardized test performance scores and greater need for grade retention than their peers without birth defects. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study comparing educational outcomes for children born 1998-2003 with CHD, identified from the North Carolina (NC) Birth Defects Registry, vs. those without a known birth defect, randomly sampled from NC birth certificates. All children were linked to 3rd grade public school records from the NC Department of Public Instruction through 2012. We performed logistic regression to compare our outcomes of interest: a) meeting standards on the reading and math portions of 3rd grade End of Grade Testing, and b) 3rd grade retention. Models were adjusted for maternal education, public pre-K enrollment, and race/ethnicity. Results: Of the 5624 subjects with CHD and 10,832 with no birth defect, 51% and 60% were linked, respectively, to 3rd grade standard End of Grade testing records. Compared to children without a birth defect, those with CHD were more likely not to meet proficiency standards in reading (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.3-1.6), math (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.1-1.4), or both (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.3-1.7). (Figure) Similarly, children with CHD were more likely to be retained in 3rd grade (2.8% vs. 1.9%, OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.9). Conclusions: Children with CHD have poorer educational achievement as compared to their peers without birth defects. History of CHD should be considered an important factor in determining a student’s need for specialized education services.

Policy strategies to reduce youth recreational marijuana use.

Legalization of marijuana for recreational use among adults could significantly increase access to the drug among youth and is a growing concern for pediatric health in the United States. In a January 2015 policy statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reaffirmed its opposition to legalization of recreational marijuana because of potential harms to youth. Alongside efforts to promote prevention and treatment, it advocated for decriminalization (reducing criminal penalties for marijuana possession) to reduce adverse effects of felony convictions on youth, especially minorities.1 Adolescents who regularly use marijuana are at elevated risk for cognitive decline, poor educational achievement, mental illness in adulthood, and injury and death caused by marijuana-impaired driving. Marijuana potency has more than doubled since the 1990s, amplifying concerns about children accidentally consuming dangerous levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) when marijuana is added to candies and baked goods, as such products are easily mistaken for marijuana-free goods.2 Despite these risks, the movement to legalize marijuana is gaining momentum. Voters in 4 states (Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska) and the District of Columbia have passed laws legalizing recreational marijuana, and additional states may follow in 2016. When marijuana is legalized for recreational use by adults, it is essential that states develop stringent regulations to protect children and adolescents. Legalization normalizes marijuana and reduces perceived risks, a concern raised by the AAP.1 However, legalization with strong regulation potentially provides greater scope for protecting children than decriminalization policies, which on their own reduce criminal penalties without controlling marijuana supply and price. On its current trajectory, marijuana legalization will … Address correspondence to Brendan Saloner, PhD, Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N Broadway, Room 344, Baltimore, MD 21205. E-mail: bsaloner{at}jhu.edu

Educational trajectories after childhood cancer: When illness experience matters

With the increase in survival from childhood cancer, research has increasingly focused on the educational and professional achievements of childhood cancer survivors. Yet, if large-scale studies provide an acute description of the current situation of childhood cancer survivors, little is known about their trajectories and the social processes shaping these trajectories.Using a qualitative methodology, drawing from a life course perspective, this study sought to describe the role of childhood cancer and its side effects in educational trajectories, as perceived by the participants. We investigated related processes of social adjustment to cancer, that is to say, choices or decisions that survivors related to the illness in the making of their career plans. Eighty long-term French childhood cancer survivors participating in the Euro2K longitudinal study were interviewed through in-depth, face-to-face interviews undertaken in 2011–2012.There were various types of impact described by respondents of the diagnosis of cancer on their trajectories. These varied according to gender. In women, childhood cancer tended to result in poor educational achievement, or in steering the individual towards a health care or child care occupation. This was justified by a desire to return the support that had been offered to them as patients. In men, however, childhood cancer led to a shift in career plans, because of physical sequelae, or because of concerns about their future health. Paradoxically, this limitation had a positive impact in their occupational achievement, as most of these men disregarded blue-collar jobs and chose more qualified white-collar occupations. Overall, findings suggest that childhood cancer influenced educational trajectories and, thus, socioeconomic status in adulthood, through mechanisms embedded in gender norms. These mechanisms could explain gender inequalities in educational achievement after childhood cancer reported in large-scale cohort studies.

Introducing physical education to hospital learning – can patients participate?

Children and young people with chronic health conditions are at greater risk of school absence and poorer educational achievement than their healthy peers. A range of strategies are implemented in home, school and hospital settings to improve the connection of these children and young people to their educational pathways, yet gaps in provision remain. Physical education (PE), while widely recognised as bringing important educational, social and health benefits to students, is not often included in hospital-based education support. This is due to a range of factors which result from the unique confluence of students with health conditions, use of generalist rather than specialist teachers in hospitals and the physical constraints on learning in the health care setting. This paper reports on the evaluation of an initiative to introduce PE for students in hospital.

Effects of simulated interventions to improve school entry academic skills on socioeconomic inequalities in educational achievement.

Randomized controlled trial evidence shows that interventions before age 5 can improve skills necessary for educational success; the effect of these interventions on socioeconomic inequalities is unknown. Using trial effect estimates, and marginal structural models with data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (n = 11,764, imputed), simulated effects of plausible interventions to improve school entry academic skills on socioeconomic inequality in educational achievement at age 16 were examined. Progressive universal interventions (i.e., more intense intervention for those with greater need) to improve school entry academic skills could raise population levels of educational achievement by 5% and reduce absolute socioeconomic inequality in poor educational achievement by 15%.

An Ongoing Lack of Knowledge About Lead Poisoning

Lead poisoning is a serious health problem facing children in the United States. For that reason, the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) network was particularly interested in the recent article by Zhang et al. detailing early lead exposure and poorer educational achievement among school children in Detroit, Michigan.1 The PEHSU is a network of specialists (pediatrics, family medicine, occupational medicine, and medical toxicology) throughout North America who respond to questions from health professionals, policymakers, and the public concerning pediatric environmental health. The PEHSU network responds to inquiries about a diverse array of environmental exposures; however, the most frequent substance of concern is lead. Zhang et al. suggested that, “[t]he control of lead poisoning should focus on primary prevention of lead exposure in children and development of special education programs for students with lead poisoning.” The PEHSU strives to prevent environmentally related health threats by going beyond traditional primary preventative measures to include environmental health education for health care providers.2 Medical students endorse the need for an environmental history, but few ask for an environmental history during a clinical encounter.3 Pediatricians report low self-efficacy regarding environmental history taking, discussing environmental exposures with parents, and finding diagnostic and treatment resources related to environmental exposures.4,5 The PEHSU program’s mission is to provide educational and consultative services to bridge this environmental health knowledge gap.2 The PEHSU database substantiates an ongoing lack of knowledge about lead poisoning. From 2007 to 2012, lead was the primary environmental concern in 36% of the 7512 contacts received by the network. Half of the lead inquires were from health care professionals, and 72% were regarding children aged one to five years. This suggests that clinicians lack comfort identifying and treating lead poisoning. Recently, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 535 000 US children aged one to five years had blood lead levels greater than or equal to five micrograms per deciliter; thus, the impact of this lack of clinician knowledge is significant.6 The environmental contribution to disease in US children was $76.6 billion in 2008.7 The PEHSU program provides a credible, academic, noncommercial source of health information and clinical expertise regarding pediatric environmental health and operates with funding from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and the US Environmental Protection Agency at $1.8 million annually. Delayed or missed identification of children with elevated lead levels is critically important in light of its impact on school achievement and adult health.1,8 The PEHSU network has created its “Recommendations on Medical Management of Childhood Lead Exposure and Poisoning,” which are available at http://aoec.org/PEHSU/documents/medical-mgmnt-childhood-lead-exposure-April2013.pdf.

Beyond a Minimalist Approach: Towards a Contextual Analysis of Basic Educational Statistics

The anomaly of simultaneous existence of glorified educational statistics and poor educational achievements is found in India. One of the reasons for the same is the way educational statistics collected in minimalist approach, which legitimizes the state and educational institutions. In this paper we argue that educational statistics needs to consider social context in which education takes place. The paper suggests practical ways to make educational statistics meaningful in developing countries.

Local Responses to Federal Grants: Evidence from the Introduction of Title I in the South

We analyze the effects of the introduction of Title I of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, a large federal grants program designed to increase poor students' educational services and achievement. We focus on the South, the poorest region of the country. Title I increased school spending by $0.50 on the dollar in the average southern school district and by more in districts with less ability to offset grants through local tax reductions. Title I-induced increases in school budgets appear to have reduced high school dropout rates of whites, but not blacks. (JEL H52, H75, I21, I28, J15)

Predictors of dropout from in-patient treatment of eating disorders: An italian experience

The aim of the study was to examine possible risk factors for dropout from in-patient treatment for eating disorders (ED). The present study consisted of a retrospective analysis of clinical and non-clinical available information about 186 patients suffering from ED consecutively admitted into the Villa Maria Luigia Private Hospital (Parma, Italy) in a three-year period (01/01/2006 - 31/12/2009). Sociodemographics, clinical history and current features, and results to the following psychometric instruments were analysed: Eating Disorder Questionnaire (EDQ), Predisposing, On-set and Maintaining risk factors list for Eating Disorders, Eating Disorders Inventory-II, Body Uneasiness Test and SCL-90. Of the 186 patients, 46 (24.7%) voluntarily left the treatment program prematurely. Predictive factors included poor educational and professional achievements, parents' divorcing, parents' history of substance abuse and difficulties in interpersonal relationships. Dropout is a multifactorial phenomenon with deep clinical consequences: the recognition of possible risk factors may support the choice of specific therapeutic strategies to improve the treatment of ED and its outcomes.

Social Exclusion of Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon: Reflections on the Mechanisms that Cement their Persistent Poverty

The majority of Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon lives in poverty. This can be observed across a number of socio-economic indicators such as low income and few assets held by the household, poor housing, poor educational achievements, poor health, and others. However, these factors, while completing the picture of what it means to be poor for a Palestinian household, fail to explain the persistence of the low socio-economic status suffered by most Palestinian households. This article argues that restriction of access to major social and occupational institutions of society tremendously affects the living conditions of Palestinian households. Identifying these restrictions as systematic social exclusion, this article outlines mechanisms of exclusion. Particular attention is given to the camp as a form of urban exclusion, aggravating the existing legal discrimination against Palestinian refugees.

Attitude of Secondary School Students in Port Harcourt to Teenage Pregnancy

Background: Early initiation of coitus in adolescence is often done without birth control and may result in pregnancy which is at high risk for poor maternal and infant outcome. There is also significant psychosocial morbidity for the adolescent mother, father, and the child. Also, affected females may ultimately suffer from poor educational achievement. In Nigeria, data on teenage pregnancy and sexuality issues are scanty, possibly due to aversion for the topic because of socio-cultural and religious reasons. Pregnancy is the most common cause of school drop-out for adolescent girls [1]; as such prevention should be the primary goal. Objective: To evaluate the attitude of secondary school students in Port Harcourt towards teenage pregnancy. Methods: This is a cross sectional study of secondary school students in Port Harcourt using a structured, anonymous, self-administered questionnaire. Information sought included student’s Bio-data, sexual activity if any, contraception use, and actions taken if pregnant occurred. Results: There were 1050 students; 486 males and 564 females. Age ranged from 10-19 years. Ninety-six students (9.14%) were sexually active. Of these, 50 (52.1%) used contraception. Five hundred and forty-eight students (52.2%) will blame affected females for becoming pregnant. Six hundred and ten (58.1%) will inform their parent if they become pregnant or impregnate a girl; while 36 will seek abortion. Conclusion: Secondary school students had poor attitude towards teenage pregnancy and contraception issues, but will inform their parents should a pregnancy occur. Majority of girls prefer to drop out of school if pregnant. There is thus an urgent need to address adolescents’ sexuality and pregnancy related issues via sexuality education in schools.

Young Adult Outcomes of Children Born to Teen Mothers: Effects of Being Born During Their Teen or Later Years

Children of teen mothers exhibit adverse outcomes through adolescence. It is unclear whether these adverse outcomes extend to adulthood and apply to all of her children, or only those born when she was a teen. We examine the associations between young adult functioning and being born to a teen mother aged ≤20 years at the time of birth (current teen), and being born to a teen mother later in her life (>21 years, prior teen). The 1983 Ontario Child Health Study (OCHS) and 2001 follow-up are used, including 2,355 participants 4 to 16 years old in 1983 with 2001 data. Using multilevel modeling we assessed the association between being born to a current versus prior teen mother, relative to a nonteen mother, and 2001 outcomes, controlling for individual and family level characteristics assessed in childhood. Being born to a teen mother (versus a nonteen mother) is associated with poorer educational achievement, life satisfaction, and personal income. Accounting for time of sample children's birth in teen mothers' lives, individuals born to current and prior teen mothers showed a ~0.8-year educational deficit, relative to individuals born to nonteen mothers in fully adjusted models. Individuals born to current teen mothers reported lower life satisfaction and personal income (-$7,262). There were no significant group differences at follow-up in mental or physical health between individuals born to nonteen mothers and those born to current or prior teen mothers. Although being born to a teen mother exerts a pervasive adverse effect on educational attainment, the adverse effects on life satisfaction and personal income appear to be selective for individuals born to a current teen mother. Further research is required to understand these differential effects.

The Neglected Role of Adolescent Emotional Well-Being in National Educational Achievement: Bridging the Gap Between Education and Mental Health Policies

Although child poverty is recognized as a critical determinant of poor educational achievement in the United States, policy discussions on raising academic achievement rarely include the importance of the effects of poverty on the mental health of adolescents. This article examines the role of adolescent emotional well-being (indicators of depression) as a mediator of the effects of poverty on differences in educational achievement at the national and U.S. state levels. Differences in standardized adolescent academic achievement across 23 developed countries and 39 U.S. states were analyzed using path analytic techniques to test the hypothesis that indicators of adolescent emotional well-being mediate relations between child poverty rates and academic achievement. Child poverty rates were related to both adolescent emotional well-being and educational achievement across both U.S. states and developed countries. Path analyses showed that the status of a country's or state's adolescent emotional well-being is a strong predictor of its educational achievement and that emotional well-being mediates the relationship between poverty and educational achievement. Policies designed to ameliorate the adverse effects of poverty on mental health are critical as they are likely to improve both average educational achievement and student emotional well-being. Attention to improving mental health care not only has the potential to reduce societal and individual costs directly related to health but also to reduce the indirect costs of poor educational achievement.

The Varied Impact of Couple Relationship Breakdown on Children: Implications for Practice and Policy

This review of international literature assesses the impacts that the relationship breakdown of parents has on children and factors that can provide support should this occur. The parental separation process causes significant albeit short‐term distress for most children, with a minority reporting longer‐term outcomes such as socio‐economic disadvantage, behavioural problems, poor educational achievement, and physical and emotional health problems. Factors increasing the likelihood of sustained disadvantage include: poverty; poor parent–child relationships; continuing parental conflict, multiple transitions in family formation; and poor maternal mental health. Supporting the factors that can improve child outcomes, exploring opportune ways to strengthen couple and family relationships, and integrating the views of children (for example, in court‐based dispute resolution) are the leading implications for practice and policy.