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1. Examining School Accountability: Discriminating Schools' A-F Report Card Grades

   Folger, T.; Roberts, A.; Bostic, J. (October 2022, Midwestern educational researcher)

   The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many school accountability systems that rely on student-level achievement data. Many states encountered uncertainty about how to meet federal accountability requirements without typical school data. Prior research provides evidence that student achievement is correlated to students’ social background, which raises concerns about the predictive bias of accountability systems. This mixed-methods study (a) examines the predictive ability of non-achievement-based variables (i.e., students’ social background) on school districts’ report card letter grade in Ohio, and (b) explores educators’ perceptions of report card grades. Results suggest that social background and community demographic variables have a significant impact on measures of school accountability. 

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2. Using non-achievement based variables to differentiate district performance grades

   https://doi.org/10.3102/IP.22.1891006  

   Folger, T.; Roberts, A.; Bostic, J. (April 2022, Annual meeting program American Educational Research Association)

   The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many school accountability systems that rely on student- level achievement data. Many states have encountered uncertainty about how to meet federal accountability requirements without typical school data. Prior research provides an abundance of evidence that student achievement is correlated to students' social background, which raises concerns about the predictive bias of accountability systems. The focus of this quantitative study is to explore the predictive ability of non-achievement based variables (i.e., students' social background) on measures of school accountability in one Midwest state. Results suggest that social background and community demographic variables have a significant impact on measures of school accountability, and might be interpreted cautiously. Implications for policy and future research are discussed. 

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3. Exploring Predictors of Achievement-Goal Profile Stability during Mathematics Learning in an Intelligent Tutoring System

   Harrell-Williams, L.; Mueller, C.; Fancsali, S; Ritter, S.; Zhang, X; Venugopal, D. (July 2022, Proceedings of The Third Workshop of the Learner Data Institute , The 15th International Conference on Educational Data Mining (EDM 2022))

   Using archived student data for middle and high school students’ mathematics-focused intelligent tutoring system (ITS) learning collected across a school year, this study explores situational, achievement-goal latent profile membership and the stability of these profiles with respect to student demographics and dispositional achievement goal scores. Over 65% of students changed situational profile membership at some time during the school year. Start-of-year dispositional motivation scores were not related to whether students remained in the same profile across all unit-level measurements. Grade level was predictive of profile stability. Findings from the present study should shed light on how in-the-moment student motivation fluctuates while students are engaged in ITS math learning. Present findings have potential to inform motivation interventions designed for ITS math learning. 

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4. The Impact of a School-Based Academic Support Program on Students’ Psychosocial Impairment

   White, Gwyne W.; Hatchimonji, Danielle R.; Vaid, Esha; Caldwell Jr., Rickey A; Elias, Maurice J. (May 2023, Journal of educational and developmental psychology)

   The skills conveyed in high school are essential for success, and evidence suggests that psychosocial well-being is critical to that process. Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) is an in-school, academic support program that targets underserved students. The current study explored the impact of an intervention program targeting academic achievement on student perceptions of social support and psychosocial impairment. The study was conducted in an under-resourced, majority Latinx high school and the sample included 75 AVID students and 140 demographically matched controls. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to identify the impact of participation in the AVID program on symptoms of emotional and behavioral distress. After controlling for demographics factors and academic achievement, student perceptions of emotional and teacher support explained 7.2\% of the variance in psychosocial distress; participation in the AVID intervention was found to have significantly improved the variance accounted for (ΔR2=.02, 5.13, p=.025; R2=.11, F(9,204)=2.90, p=.003). The results of this study indicate that perceived teacher social support and AVID participation were, independently, significantly associated with reduced student psychosocial distress. These findings suggest that interventions targeting the complex mechanisms of school achievement may also have a positive impact on psychosocial impairment beyond student perceptions of social support. 

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5. Reciprocal Relations Between Children’s Social and Academic Skills Throughout Elementary School

   https://doi.org/10.1177/07342829221097186  

   Caemmerer, Jacqueline M.; Hajovsky, Daniel B. (May 2022, Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment)

   The purpose of this study was to estimate the longitudinal and reciprocal predictive relations between children’s social skills, measured by an adaptation of the frequently used Social Skills Rating Scale, and their standardized academic achievement. A large nationally representative sample of elementary school students were assessed at least annually from kindergarten through fifth grade in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010–2011 ( n = 7963). Structural equation modeling was used to test a panel model of teacher-rated interpersonal and self-control skills and children’s scores on standardized reading, math, and science achievement tests. Reciprocal relations between children’s social skills and achievement were supported throughout elementary school, with achievement showing a stronger and consistent pattern of influence on children’s subsequent social skills. 

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