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The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of sport participation on locus of control and academic performance among eighth-grade students. In the analysis, particular attention was place...

This paper explores whether high-school sports are functional and accessible activities to keep students from school disciplinary behaviors. For this purpose, we included students racial and linguistic status, socioeconomic status, sex, and prior academic performance with the school’s proportion of free-lunch recipients and minorities, to understand how sport participation affects students of diverse groups. Additionally, the study implemented a multilevel mediation modeling to the Education Longitudinal Study (ELS) data and assessed student dropouts with sequential mediators of sport participation, school misbehavior, and suspension. The findings of the study largely revealed that White students participated in sports more than Black, Hispanic, and Asian. Likewise, students who speak English as the primary language and male students participated in sports more than their counterparts. White sport participants displayed fewer incidents of suspension than White non-sport participants. Black, Hispanic, and White sport participants had lower dropout incidents than their non-sport-participating counterparts.

The goal of the study was to provide empirical findings on the effects of different types of parents’ school involvement (PSI) on their children's mathematics performance. For PSI, we explored parent participation in parent–teacher conferences, voluntary parental involvement in school activities, parent informal contact with school or teachers, and parental phone contact with school or teachers. In addition, we paid focused attention to families of linguistic and racial minority groups who may have different dynamics of PSI for children's schooling and academic achievement. We conducted comprehensive descriptive statistics and multilevel longitudinal modelling using a nationally representative database, the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K), to establish study conclusions with high validity and generalizability. The results showed that four different types of PSI had differential effects for different linguistic and racial groups. The study findings have practical suggestions and implications fo...

This longitudinal study examined the effect of all-day kindergarten programs on the academic achievement of students from racial language minority and low socioeconomic class. The study employed a series of 3-level longitudinal multilevel analyses using a nationally representative database, the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS). The study showed that Hispanic dual-language-speaking students who attended all-day kindergarten narrowed the achievement gap from Hispanic English-only students during kindergarten. The results also showed that Black and Asian dual-language-speaking students, when they attended all-day kindergarten, displayed a significant gain in the growth of performances. The positive effects of all-day kindergarten were pronounced for Black and Asian language-minority students who were from low social classes. These results have implications for policy decisions and support the need for all-day programs for language-minority students.

This study examined the relationship of self-concept, school belonging, school engagement to school performance of Caucasian- and African-American students. The main purpose is to assess the ethnicity-based differences in these psycho-social constructs and to explore their differential relationship to school achievement in high-school students from different ethnic background. The data were collected through a survey questionnaire in three school divisions in the Southwest region of Virginia of the United States. The results showed significant ethnicity-based difference in self-concept and in school engagement, but no significant difference in school belonging. The achievement differences were also significant, Caucasian students being higher on self-reported grades. In the regression model, self-concept was not a significant predictor of school outcomes, while school belonging had a significant relationship to school achievement for African-American students. Both self-concept and school engagement were significant for Caucasian students. The findings of the study provide better understanding of the relationship of these variables to school achievement and point to some policy-relevant implications.

The study examined the longitudinal association of parental involvement in Head Start parent-focused programs, parenting behaviors, and the cognitive development of children by specifying two longitudinal growth models. Model 1 examined the longitudinal effects of the parental involvement in three Head Start parenting programs (parenting classes, group socialization, and support groups) on parenting behaviors (home observation of parental linguistic and cognitive stimulation, video recordings of parental cognitive stimulation, parental sup-portiveness, detachment, and intrusiveness). Model 2 analyzed the longitudinal effects of those parental behaviors on children's Bayley MDI scores. Using Early Head Start Research and Evaluation (EHSRE) study data and longitudinal multilevel analysis, the study also took various ethnic and language differences among families into account. The results revealed that mothers who participated in parenting classes or socialization meetings provided more linguistic a...

The study examines the effects of classroom achievement grouping (AG) practices on the early mathematics performance of language-minority students and compares their mathematics achievement to that of English-speaking majority students. Using a nationally representative database of the USA, both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses were done. In the cross-sectional analyses we explored the direct effect of grouping practice on students performance, while in the longitudinal analysis we looked at the growth trajectory in mathematics learning. The results of cross-sectional analyses indicated that the effect of AG was negative on the math achievement in 1st and 5th graders. The longitudinal analysis showed a significant negative effect of AG for English Language Learners (ELL). The paper provides the basis for practical guidelines for the grouping practices in mathematics.

Introduction ALTHOUGH KINDERGARTENS in the United States have a history of more than 150 years, defining the most beneficial kindergarten program is an issue still to be settled. In early traditional kindergarten, the most beneficial program was identified as one that allowed a child to make a smooth transition from home to school. All that children needed to do in traditional kindergarten was to play and adjust themselves to a social setting (Nelson, 2000). These days, kindergartens in the United States emphasise academic achievement and school readiness, which had been the goal of the first grade curriculum in the past. American kindergarten children are expected to pay attention to highly structured and segmented academic instruction such as reading, writing, mathematics and science lessons (Clark, 2001). While there are debates among policy-makers and scholars over the benefits of full-day versus half-day kindergarten programs and the developmental goals of these programs, the large numbers of American kindergartens try to comply with the learning standards set by the state governments. Those guidelines delineate the general expectations for what young children should know and be able to do before they enter first grade (Cryan, Sheehan, Wiechel & Bandy Hedden, 1992; Elicker & Mathur, 1997). Moreover, the issue of high accountability of schools and the growing demands of a push for an 'early start' add to the importance of kindergarten children's academic performance (Vecchiotti, 2003). Along with the curricula of kindergarten programs, the length of kindergarten has also been an important policy issue in the United States. The number of all-day kindergartens in the US has substantially increased: a typical all-day kindergarten program runs five-six hours per day and five days per week, while a half-day runs two-three hours per day and three-five days per week. In 1999, 56 per cent of all kindergartens programs were all-day programs. Many kindergartens have switched from half-day to all-day programs in recent years, and many more are likely to do so (Elkind, 2001; Fusaro, 1997; Weast, 2001). The changing educational demands on young students explains the rapid growth of all-day kindergartens. Social reasons, such as a growing need for child care, have also provided an impetus for the growth of all-day kindergartens. Many more mothers are in the labour force, and all-day kindergarten is a safe and preferred alternative to other forms of child care (Boardman & Kelly, 2004). Educational policy-makers have also argued in favour of all-day kindergarten for low-income minority children (Magnusona, Ruhmb & Waldfogelc, 2007; Zvoch, Reynolds & Parker, 2008). There are many important policy issues embedded in the debate over the pros and cons of the all-day program. The shift from a half-day to a full-day kindergarten program can be extremery expensive. The change to an all-day program requires a substantial increase in the kindergarten budget for teachers' salaries and additional classrooms and other resources. Not only are the all-day programs more expensive, they also require more human resources, and make increased educational demands on young children. So it is important to critically examine the benefits of all-day versus half-day programs, and to gather data-based evidence on the effects, both short-term and long-term, of all-day programs on children's academic achievement. Although there is growing literature on the effects of all-day kindergarten and children's cognitive development, much of that work consists of policy briefs and concept papers. Proponents of all-day kindergarten claim, however, that those programs are beneficial and worth funding (Vecchiotti, 2003; Weast, 2001). Some studies have supported the benefits of all-day kindergarten for special groups of children and their families. For example, research shows that single-parent and dual-employment families prefer the convenience of all-day kindergartens (Clark & Kirk, 2000; Elkind, 2001), and the academic achievement of children who are at risk is higher for those in all-day kindergarten than for those in half-day kindergarten (Elicker & Mathur, 1997; Fusaro, 1997). …

The author examined the long-term effects of teacher instructional grouping practices on the early mathematical achievement of language minority students from various ethnic groups. The study used 3 longitudinal models. In the 1st model, English language learners (ELLs) displayed lower math performance than did English-only students in the Hispanic and Asian groups. The 2nd model confirmed the significance of social class across all groups. The 3rd model focused on 4 grouping practices: (a) teacher-directed wholeclass activity, (b) teacher-directed small-group activity, (c) teacher-directed individual activity, and (d) student-selected activity. Significant findings include that (a) Hispanic ELL students displayed low math performance in teacher-directed whole-class activities, (b) Asian ELL students showed low math performance in teacher-directed small-group activities, and (c) Hispanic dual-language students benefited from teacher-directed individual activities.

The authors explored the effects of part-time work on school achievement during high school. To estimate the true effects of part-time work on school grades, the authors included family background, students' educational aspirations, and school engagement as controls. Although a substantial literature exists on the relationship of part-time work and school achievement, the findings are inconsistent. The authors hypothesized that work intensity, as measured by number of work hours per week during the school year, would produce a negative effect on achievement. Results indicate that work hours do have a negative relationship with students' self-reported grades after controlling for family background, educational aspirations, and school-engagement. The authors also discuss practical implications of the findings.

The study explored the relationship of self-concept and locus of control to science engagement and science achievement. Furthermore, the relationship of self variables with science engagement and science achievement was studied across ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status (SES). The data were accessed from the 3 waves of the National Education Longitudinal Study: 88 (NELS:88) to estimate both cross-sectional and multilevel longitudinal models. It was hypothesized that self-concept and locus of control would have a positive effect on science engagement and science achievement and that science engagement would affect science achievement positively. The results supported the theoretical formulations of the conceptual model and showed significant effects of self-concept and locus of control constructs on science engagement and science Item Response Theory (IRT) scores. Furthermore, science engagement showed a positive but small effect on science achievement, especially the time spent on science homework...