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This editorial introduces a special section of the "Journal of Learning Analytics," for which Neil Selwyn's keynote address to LAK '18 has been written up as an article, "What's the problem with learning analytics?" His claims and arguments are engaged in commentaries from Alfred Essa, Rebecca Ferguson, Paul Prinsloo, and Carolyn Rosé, who provide diverse perspectives on Selwyn's proposals and arguments, from applause to refutation. Reflecting on the debate, I note some of the tensions to be resolved for learning analytics and social science critiques to engage productively, observing that central to the debate is how we understand the role of abstraction in the analysis of data about teaching and learning, and hence the opportunities and risks this entails.

This paper is a follow-up on our 2017 study of the effect of Age of Onset of learning English (AO) on the academic performance of University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) students in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS). It investigates the relationship between three factors in the students' Early Language Education {Age of Onset of learning English (AO), Age at Literacy (AGELIT), and Early Learning Language (ELL)} and the students' academic performance, measured by their current Grade Points Average (GPA). A survey of SHSS students registered in the second Semester of the 2018 academic year was conducted using purposive cross-sectional sampling method. A self-designed pretested questionnaire yielded data on the students' language education backgrounds (their AO, AGELIT and ELL). Linear regression and correlation analyses revealed a strong and statistically significant inverse correlation between students' AO/AGELIT and their GPAs. In addition, a strong positive link was observed between ELL English and the students' GPAs. Relatively lower GPAs were associated with ELL Vernacular, and a highly significant decrease in GPAs was observed in the presence of ELL Tok Pisin. These results corroborate the findings of all our earlier studies, which established a highly significant negative correlation between students' AO and their academic performance at UPNG, as well as in all six National High Schools of Papua New Guinea.

Universities play a remarkable role in the development of a country by producing skilled graduates for the country. Graduation rate is low as compared to the enrollment rate in the higher education institutions. Academic failure is main reason for non-degree completion. Students' retention and high academic performance are significant for students, academic and administrative staff of universities. In this paper, our objective is to Predict the chance of students being at risk (AR) or not 'Not at risk' (NAR) with respect to their degree. Population of study consisted of all students of social sciences studying in 4th semester and they enrolled in 2007 session of BS and MA/MSc program at University of Gujrat Hafiz Hayat Campus. By using stratified sampling with proportional allocation method, a sample of 300 students was selected. We have used Multilayer Perception Neural Network Model to predict the chance of students being at risk (AR) or not 'Not at risk' (NAR) with respect to their degree on the basis of CGPA at the end of 2nd semester, Study time. Previous degree marks, Home environment, Study habits Learning skills, Hardworking and Academic interaction. In classifying the students at risk/not at risk, we could achieve a rate of correct classification of over 95% in training sample and over 85% in holdout sample. The estimated models can be used to predict the students being at risk or not with respect to their degree.

This paper aims to examine the nature of the new elementary school curriculum in Turkey. In particular, the authors provide a coherent picture of the fundamentals, basic elements and the classroom implications of the new curriculum development initiative in five content areas: mathematics, science, social science, life science, and Turkish. This paper discusses the fundamental principles underlying the curriculum reform, including social, individual, economical, and historical and cultural aspects. In addition, the paper addresses the main motivators: Turkey's integration with the European Union, major issues with Turkish students' academic performance in national and international arenas which led the curriculum change. It is believed that the implementation of the new curriculum will give new insights to the policy makers, classroom teachers, students, parents and other related parties. The results of the implementation of the curriculum will open new opportunities for researchers to identify the strengths and drawbacks for further improvements. (Contains 1 table.)

The author appreciates the opportunity to reply to Professor Eppley's comment on her paper that was recently published in the "Journal of Research in Rural Education" (Stockard, 2011b). Eppley's paper contains numerous statements that misrepresent both the content of the author's original paper and the social science literature as well as a number of provocative philosophical comments. In this article, the author addresses each of these areas.

This paper forms the first part of research into the phenomenon of curriculum narrowing within Scotland's Curriculum for Excellence (CfE). It presents findings from a preliminary analysis of publicly available data -- Scottish Qualifications and school leavers' attainment data, aggregated by local authorities. Our findings show that the senior phase curriculum is becoming narrower. Fewer subjects are being taken in school year S4 for levels 4 and 5 National Qualifications. Yet, we found that the phenomenon of curriculum narrowing is more nuanced and complex than has been claimed. Attainment at SCQF levels 4-6 has risen since the introduction of the CfE and new national qualifications. The increase in the SCQF level 6 qualifications was particularly noticeable in more deprived local authorities. We acknowledge that the coarse grained nature of the available data makes our findings provisional; further phases of this research will address this through analysis of school level data.

University Malaya enrolls students from all states in Malaysia as well as a small number of students from overseas. The objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of past performance on students at three faculties, namely, Faculty of Economics and Administration(FEA), Faculty of Business and Accounting(FBA) and Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences(FASS). Students' prior achievements include their entry scores or points in English language proficiency and mathematics at the Malaysian Certificate of Education (MCE) level. Other factors taken into consideration are gender of students and their ethnic origins. Research results show that entry points are an important factor in influencing students' achievement in all three faculties. Apart from this, female students are found to have better results than their male counterparts in FBA and FASS. It was also found that mathematics performance at the MCE level is one of the influential factors for academic achievement in FBA. (Contains 1 table and 4 figures.)

Presents an affectionate portrait of the 84-year-old sociologist and renaissance man, Robert K. Merton. Merton's publications studied topics as diverse as historical scientific inquiry and contemporary racism. Not the least of his accomplishments was the creation of the focus group interview and the concept of self-fulfilling prophecy. (MJP)

This paper presents results from a longitudinal study of sojourner students which was conducted at an international university in Germany from 2004 to 2007. The study followed a cohort of undergraduate students from the first week of their studies to their graduation. Participants completed three questionnaires: the Portrait Value Questionnaire (Schwartz et al., 2001), the Study Process Questionnaire (Biggs, 1987b), and the Student Background Questionnaire (Matthews, Lietz, & Darmawan, 2007). Structural Equation Modelling was used to examine how personal values influenced students' learning approaches and how these, in turn, were related to students' achievement. It was also examined how robust these relationships were once gender and discipline area (i.e., Social Sciences or Natural Sciences) were included in the models and whether or not they changed over time. Results showed that specific combinations of values were related to each learning approach. Certain consistency of these relationships was observed over the three years. The deep and achieving learning approaches were associated with higher achievement, whereas students who displayed more characteristics of the surface learning approach had lower academic performance. Finally, analyses pinpointed higher performance of female students and the predominant absence of effects of academic discipline on learning approaches or achievement over time. (Contains 9 tables and 8 figures.)

The loss of talented women from senior academic positions has partly resulted from a lower number of published papers and the accompanying reduced visibility of female compared to male scientists. The reasons for these gender-differences in authorship is unclear. One potential reason is a bias in the editorial and review process of scientific journals. We investigated whether patterns of authorship and editorial outcome were biased according to gender and geographic location in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology. Such potential bias may contribute to inequality in the field. We found patterns of gender differences in authorship, but this was unrelated to the editorial decision of whether to publish the manuscript. Female first-authors (the lead role) were six times less likely to be named as the corresponding author than male first-authors, and female first-authors were more likely to be displaced as corresponding authors by female co-authors than were male first-authors. We found an under-representation of female first- and last-authors compared to baseline populations of members of the European Society for Evolutionary Biology (which publishes the Journal of Evolutionary Biology) and of Evolutionary Biology faculty at the world top-10 universities for the Life Sciences. Also, manuscripts from Asia were five times more likely to be rejected on the final decision, independent of gender. Overall our results suggest that the peer review processes we investigated at the Journal of Evolutionary Biology are predominately gender-neutral, but not neutral to geographic location. Editorial gender-bias is thus unlikely to be a contributing factor to differences in authorship in this journal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigated how vocabulary knowledge is an essential variable for academic achievement during the post-COVID-19 era in Grade 10 learners. Among many variables of poor performance in Grade 10 is inadequate vocabulary in First Additional Language. This paper is underpinned by Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory which advocates that language learning occurs through interaction with more knowledgeable others. The present study is quantitative, in which a vocabulary size test (VST) and a productive vocabulary test (PVLT) were administered to 84 conveniently selected participants. This paper revealed that learners have very limited vocabulary knowledge and this affects academic achievement. In addition, COVID- 19 worsened the situation since social interactions were limited, thereby impeding language development. The authors argue that in order for post-COVID-19 learners to cope in the academic world, strengthening vocabulary knowledge is key to equipping these learners with the required skills to cope with virtual learning. Some of the essential skills for learners to learn online include reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. These skills would assist learners in communicating their needs, discussing solutions and expressing themselves when the need arises. This paper recommends using explicit vocabulary instruction to improve learners’ academic achievement in the post-COVID-19 era. The Department of Basic Education should train teachers on how to design fun vocabulary activities online. For instance, quizzes, the Frayer model and other virtual word activities.

The paper provides a framework for reviewing developments in thinking about social capital over the last decade and for assessing future prospects. It argues for giving particular value to social capital as a phenomenon (conceptual and empirical) which is most effective when viewed in interaction with other elements of analysis or policy. Two forms of interaction are addressed: between bonding and bridging social capital; and between human and social capital. The paper then tracks some of the developments in the policy research debate in order to illustrate the dilemmas involved in the deployment of the concept. The fourth section poses some methodological questions and possible future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have demonstrated the existence of simple, unidimensional socioeconomic gradients in body mass index (BMI). However, in the present paper we move beyond such traditional analyses by simultaneously considering multiple demographic and socioeconomic dimensions. Using the Spanish National Health Survey 2011–2012, we apply intersectionality theory and multilevel analysis of individual heterogeneity and discriminatory accuracy (MAIHDA) to analyze 14,190 adults nested within 108 intersectional strata defined by combining categories of gender, age, income, educational achievement and living situation. We develop two multilevel models to obtain information on stratum-specific BMI averages and the degree of clustering of BMI within strata expressed by the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). The first model is a simple variance components analysis that provides a detailed mapping of the BMI disparities in the population and measures the accuracy of stratum membership to predict individual BMI. The second model includes the variables used to define the intersectional strata as a way to identify stratum-specific interactions. The first model suggests moderate but meaningful clustering of individual BMI within the intersectional strata (ICC = 12.4%). Compared with the population average (BMI = 26.07 Kg/m2), the stratum of cohabiting 18-35-year-old females with medium income and high education presents the lowest BMI (-3.7 Kg/m2), while cohabiting 36-64-year-old females with low income and low education show the highest BMI (+2.6 Kg/m2). In the second model, the ICC falls to 1.9%, suggesting the existence of only very small stratum specific interaction effects. We confirm the existence of a socioeconomic gradient in BMI. Compared with traditional analyses, the intersectional MAIHDA approach provides a better mapping of socioeconomic and demographic inequalities in BMI. Because of the moderate clustering, public health policies aiming to reduce BMI in Spain should not solely focus on the intersectional strata with the highest BMI, but should also consider whole population polices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper estimates the effect of students’ position in the classroom register on their academic performance. We use a unique dataset from Poland which contains information on the academic outcomes of students in the humanities, science and mathematics lower secondary school exams as well as the position students occupy in their classroom register. We find that students whose names are recorded near the end of the class list have lower performance than those students whose names are recorded near the beginning of the list. The effect appears to be larger for performance in the humanities exam, and for low-achieving boys who attend large classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Concerns about reproducibility and impact of research urge improvement initiatives. Current university ranking systems evaluate and compare universities on measures of academic and research performance. Although often useful for marketing purposes, the value of ranking systems when examining quality and outcomes is unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate usefulness of ranking systems and identify opportunities to support research quality and performance improvement. Methods: A systematic review of university ranking systems was conducted to investigate research performance and academic quality measures. Eligibility requirements included: inclusion of at least 100 doctoral granting institutions, be currently produced on an ongoing basis and include both global and US universities, publish rank calculation methodology in English and independently calculate ranks. Ranking systems must also include some measures of research outcomes. Indicators were abstracted and contrasted with basic quality improvement requirements. Exploration of aggregation methods, validity of research and academic quality indicators, and suitability for quality improvement within ranking systems were also conducted. Results: A total of 24 ranking systems were identified and 13 eligible ranking systems were evaluated. Six of the 13 rankings are 100% focused on research performance. For those reporting weighting, 76% of the total ranks are attributed to research indicators, with 24% attributed to academic or teaching quality. Seven systems rely on reputation surveys and/or faculty and alumni awards. Rankings influence academic choice yet research performance measures are the most weighted indicators. There are no generally accepted academic quality indicators in ranking systems. Discussion: No single ranking system provides a comprehensive evaluation of research and academic quality. Utilizing a combined approach of the Leiden, Thomson Reuters Most Innovative Universities, and the SCImago ranking systems may provide institutions with a more effective feedback for research improvement. Rankings which extensively rely on subjective reputation and “luxury” indicators, such as award winning faculty or alumni who are high ranking executives, are not well suited for academic or research performance improvement initiatives. Future efforts should better explore measurement of the university research performance through comprehensive and standardized indicators. This paper could serve as a general literature citation when one or more of university ranking systems are used in efforts to improve academic prominence and research performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper goes beyond the most popular perspective of family social capital among existing research and examines the effect of peer social capital on adolescent academic achievement. Using the official data from a Chinese university and taking into account the endogeneity problems, this paper finds that peer academic performance has a significant effect on human capital accumulation among university students. We have different findings, however, from research abroad. First, peer social capital has an indirect rather than a direct effect. Second, the influence of initial randomly assigned peers tends to increase over time. However, this increase of influence is only present among peers from similar social class backgrounds. Among peers from different backgrounds, the influence remains almost unchanged. In addition to this, the influence of peer social capital is not significantly different among students from different social class backgrounds.

Background: Socioeconomically deprived children are at increased risk of ill-health associated with sedentary behavior, malnutrition, and helminth infection. The resulting reduced physical fitness, growth retardation, and impaired cognitive abilities may impede children’s capacity to pay attention. The present study examines how socioeconomic status (SES), parasitic worm infections, stunting, food insecurity, and physical fitness are associated with selective attention and academic achievement in school-aged children. Methodology: The study cohort included 835 children, aged 8–12 years, from eight primary schools in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods of Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The d2-test was utilized to assess selective attention. This is a paper and pencil letter-cancellation test consisting of randomly mixed letters d and p with one to four single and/or double quotation marks either over and/or under each letter. Children were invited to mark only the letters d that have double quotation marks. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed via the 20 m shuttle run test and muscle strength using the grip strength test. The Kato-Katz thick smear technique was employed to detect helminth eggs in stool samples. SES and food insecurity were determined with a pre-tested questionnaire, while end of year school results were used as an indicator of academic achievement. Principal findings: Children infected with soil-transmitted helminths had lower selective attention, lower school grades (academic achievement scores), and lower grip strength (all p<0.05). In a multiple regression model, low selective attention was associated with soil-transmitted helminth infection (p<0.05) and low shuttle run performance (p<0.001), whereas higher academic achievement was observed in children without soil-transmitted helminth infection (p<0.001) and with higher shuttle run performance (p<0.05). Conclusions/Significance: Soil-transmitted helminth infections and low physical fitness appear to hamper children’s capacity to pay attention and thereby impede their academic performance. Poor academic achievement will make it difficult for children to realize their full potential, perpetuating a vicious cycle of poverty and poor health. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Screen media usage, sleep time and socio-demographic features are related to adolescents' academic performance, but interrelations are little explored. This paper describes these interrelations and behavioral profiles clustered in low and high academic performance. A nationally representative sample of 3,095 Spanish adolescents, aged 12 to 18, was surveyed on 15 variables linked to the purpose of the study. A Self-Organizing Maps analysis established non-linear interrelationships among these variables and identified behavior patterns in subsequent cluster analyses. Topological interrelationships established from the 15 emerging maps indicated that boys used more passive videogames and computers for playing than girls, who tended to use mobile phones to communicate with others. Adolescents with the highest academic performance were the youngest. They slept more and spent less time using sedentary screen media when compared to those with the lowest performance, and they also showed topological relationships with higher socioeconomic status adolescents. Cluster 1 grouped boys who spent more than 5.5 hours daily using sedentary screen media. Their academic performance was low and they slept an average of 8 hours daily. Cluster 2 gathered girls with an excellent academic performance, who slept nearly 9 hours per day, and devoted less time daily to sedentary screen media. Academic performance was directly related to sleep time and socioeconomic status, but inversely related to overall sedentary screen media usage. Profiles from the two clusters were strongly differentiated by gender, age, sedentary screen media usage, sleep time and academic achievement. Girls with the highest academic results had a medium socioeconomic status in Cluster 2. Findings may contribute to establishing recommendations about the timing and duration of screen media usage in adolescents and appropriate sleep time needed to successfully meet the demands of school academics and to improve interventions targeting to affect behavioral change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children can develop their capacities to handle both social and interpersonal conflict in elementary school, without sacrificing attention to academic achievement. This case study, based in one grade four and five classroom with a diverse population, shows how a curriculum focusing on the concept of conflict was tied tightly to social studies and other subject area learning goals, and woven around instances of global as well as interpersonal problems. Complex social or political material, which is frequently avoided in the elementary classroom, served to strengthen the curriculum's conceptual framework and to provide entry points for diverse students to comprehend the sources and management of conflict. The paper presents analysis of descriptive vignettes, selected to represent evidence of curriculum process and content and students' developing understandings of conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on various research papers on the emotionally and socially handicapped. Many behavioral scientists have their turned attention to the area and numerous publications have resulted prescribing social action for the disadvantaged, the delinquent and the disturbed. Majority of publications on this subject have been prescriptions, subjective descriptions, and clinical case studies. In both the areas of major change there is great promise and great need for scientifically responsible research. No specific definition of the emotionally and socially handicapped has been widely accepted and consequently the figures on incidence vary according to the definition employed. An usually accepted but still controversial belief is that emotionally disturbed children as a group are deficient in school skills, particularly in reading. The evidence for the converse of this is that reading-disabled pupils show more maladjustment than pupils making normal progress, but the belief whether disturbed children are also disabled in school skills remains moot.

The paper sought to find out whether gender influences the use of emerging technologies among higher education students at the University of Cape Coast. A data set of 357 respondents was used. It was found that more than half of the respondents were accustomed to the use of emerging technologies which translated in the improvement of their understanding of unclear concepts in their learning. However, the study showed no statistically significant difference in students’ academic performance and their use of emerging technologies. The respondents indicated that they learn best when emerging technologies are available during the learning period (p = 0.017). Further, there was improvement in performance when respondents use emerging technologies to enhance learning. This study concludes that one should be circumspect when using emerging technologies in learning as they can contribute positively and negatively depending on the nature of usage.

Goal of this paper was to determine differences between deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students in motivation for academic achievement and compared to hearing students. Sample was comprised of 94 students averaging 16.5 ± 1.34 years of age. Sample was divided into three groups (deaf, hard of hearing and hearing students). For examination, we used the following: Great Inventory of Achievement Motivation, measuring instrument for assessing students’ motivation for academic achievement, that is comprised of five subtests i.e. 13 areas of measurement (Suzic, 2006). For difference testing t-test was used along with analysis of variance (ANOVA). T-test determined statistically significant difference in areas of “self-efficacy “, “engagement”, “control” and “non-conformism”. Deaf and hard of hearing students displayed less motivation on these parameters than their hearing counterparts. In the area of “valuing academic achievements” DHH students together displayed, better motivation than their hearing counterparts and difference was statistically significant. With Analysis of Variance i.e. with additional Tukey test, we have determined that statistically significant difference is present only when comparing deaf and hearing students, but not when comparing hard of hearing and hearing students.

If a student’s goal is academic achievement and he/she makes an effort to achieve it, he/she will become involved in classroom activities because they are a means for him/her to achieve that goal. Motivation, as an influence that brings about, directs and sustains an activity, is very important for learning. The aim of this paper is to point out the relationship between motivation to learn and academic achievement of deaf and hard of hearing students and to emphasise the importance of appropriate involvement of parents and teachers in the teaching process and the development of motivation in these students. Variables that correlate with academic achievement are presented. Views of the author are stated, which are based on research results and practice, according to which it appears that deaf and hard of hearing students usually have poorer academic achievement than their hearing peers, as well as a lower level of motivation to learn. It can be concluded that the development of interest and motivation to learn is not paid sufficient attention by both deaf and hard of hearing students themselves and their environment (parents and teachers). Where parents and teachers have high expectations of students and take into account all their personal characteristics and other factors, and where parents and teachers are appropriately involved in the teaching process, deaf and hard of hearing students show high levels of interest and motivation to learn and attain better academic achievement.

Since 1965, changes in US immigration policies have led to mass waves of immigrants. In 2016, the foreign-born population of the United States reached 43.7 million, an increase of 12.6 [...]

We aimed basically, through this paper, to investigate the extent to which academic achievement may contribute to developing the students’ intercultural effectiveness. To attain such an aim, we selected the intercultural effectiveness scale as the research tool. It was addressed to sixty third year students of English in the Department of English at Constantine University, divided into two groups according to their high or low academic achievement in English for measuring particular capacities and skills viewed as indispensable components in a culturally diverse environment. The analysis of the data gathered has showed that students with high academic achievement are more interculturally effective than students with low academic achievement.

The article discusses issues related to subjective powerlessness in the U.S. The paper focuses on changes since 1952 in citizen efficacy or feelings of control over government for various sub-groups in the U.S. population such as blacks, blue collar workers, Southerners, Jews, young and old people. As with most issues in the study of social change, there is widespread disagreement on trends in citizen efficacy for industrial societies such as the U.S. Most theory predicts trends in objective powerlessness, rather than subjective powerlessness, although it is possible that trends in objective powerlessness do not match trends in subjective powerlessness. Within the U.S. at each point of observation, powerlessness does not vary much by stratum, except when education and race are used as indicators. And within the white population, some of the differences are heavily explained by educational differentials. It therefore seems fair to conclude that white subordinate interest groups are not oriented toward government as a result of what would seem to be objective powerlessness but more on the basis of their educational achievement.

The article examines the condition of the educational system in Canada. The changes in education are isolated and superficial. Complacency and concessions in change patterns are more prevalent. The autonomy is an obstacle to the educational progress of the country, already hampered by the continual movement of students across borders, in an increasingly mobile society. The confusion of identity and absence of institutional patterns is the result of cultural influences and immature social development.

Abstract Education is a lasting process. Academic performance in primary education plays a crucial role in obtaining further educational opportunities. Thus, it is necessary to examine how family background affects children’s academic achievement at an early stage. Through analysis of data from the Chinese Family Panel Study in 2010(CFPS2010), this paper proposes two pathways through which family influences children’s academic performance. Firstly, parents compete for high-quality educational opportunities for their children and better educational opportunities lead to better academic performance. Secondly, parenting behavior and educational support for their children could cultivate children’s learning habits and affect academic performance. We also find urban students’ academic performance are more heavily affected by their families’ socioeconomic status compared with rural students. These findings bear important implications for how to reduce the class difference in students’ academic performance and promote educational equity in contemporary China.

Recent research shows that preschool children born to opioid-dependent mothers are at increased risk for cognitive, psychomotor, attention, and social-emotional adjustment problems. But very little is known about their school-age functioning, particularly their educational achievement. This analysis examined the educational outcomes of a regional cohort of 100 prenatally methadone-exposed children who were prospectively studied from birth to age 9.5 years alongside a comparison group of 110 randomly identified non-exposed children born between 2003 and 2008. At age 9.5, as part of a comprehensive neurodevelopmental evaluation, children's teachers rated their achievement across the school curriculum, and children completed the Woodcock Johnson-III Tests of Achievement (WJ-III). Detailed information about the birth mother's social background, pregnancy substance use, and mental health was also collected during pregnancy/at term. Infant clinical data were collected after birth. Methadone-exposed children performed less well than non-exposed children across seven school curriculum areas rated by teachers (ps ≤.001), performed less well than non-exposed children on all reading and mathematics subtests of the WJ-III, and had higher rates of any educational delay on the WJ-III (57% vs. 15%), OR = 7.47 (3.71–15.02). Results were similar when children with severe intellectual impairment were excluded. After adjusting for confounding factors, methadone-exposed children had increased odds of educational delay, but this was only marginally significant (OR = 3.62, [1.01–13.01], p = .049). Maternal educational attainment level (OR = 0.69, [0.50–0.89], p = .006), and maternal benzodiazepine use during pregnancy (OR = 2.70 [1.03–7.12], p = .044) were also associated with later educational risk. Findings suggest that children born to opioid-dependent women enrolled in methadone maintenance are at high risk of educational delay by age 9.5 years. Children's academic difficulties appeared to reflect the effects of both adverse prenatal exposures and postnatal social risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the quality of school education is one of the key policy concerns in Korea. This paper examines whether providing schools with adequate autonomy and incentives can meet the policy goals by looking at a recent policy reform in Korea. In 2009, the Korean government granted autonomy to certain private high schools on the condition that no financial subsidies would be provided to the schools. Because the autonomous private high schools cannot receive a subsidy, they have a strong incentive to meet parental demands because schools failing to meet these demands will lose students and will have to close. Applying the value-added model to longitudinal data at the student level, I find that students entering these autonomous schools show faster growth in their academic achievement than their peers in traditional non-autonomous schools. These results suggest that providing schools with autonomy and incentives can be a useful policy tool for improving school education.

This paper is designed to study various factors affecting the academic achievements of high school students. The study was conducted on 210 high school students from Abu Dhabi and Thiruvananthapuram. Procrastination behavior inventory, an index of stress tolerance and study habits scale were used to understand the various factors interfering their academic achievement. The data were analyzed using the statistical techniques; such as, Product-moment coefficient of correlation – person r, and factor analysis. Results provide an insight into the numerous factors effecting students in their learning process and it is a fact that students need to get adequate support and motivation from teachers and parents to keep up their focus on the educational goal.