Individual and School Structural Effects on African American High School Students' Academic Achievement

Autor/in	Stewart, Endya B.
Titel	Individual and School Structural Effects on African American High School Students' Academic Achievement
Quelle	In: High School Journal, 91 (2008) 2, S.16-34 (19 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0018-1498
Schlagwörter	African American Students; Academic Achievement; Achievement Need; Grade 10; High School Students; Individual Characteristics; Student Characteristics; Correlation; School Culture; Longitudinal Studies; Peer Influence; Parent Influence; Parent Participation; Institutional Characteristics; Educational Environment; Student Attitudes + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? African Americans; Student; Students; Afroamerikaner; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Schulleistung; High school; High schools; Oberschule; Personality characteristic; Personality traits; Persönlichkeitsmerkmal; Korrelation; Schulkultur; Schulleben; Longitudinal study; Longitudinal method; Longitudinal methods; Längsschnittuntersuchung; Elternmitwirkung; Lernumgebung; Pädagogische Umwelt; Schulumwelt; Schülerverhalten
Abstract	The research examining the correlates of academic achievement is immense. In particular, scores of studies have examined individual- and family-level variables that influence student achievement. Based upon Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological theory of human development, this study extends one step beyond previous studies and incorporates school-level characteristics into an investigation of the factors that influence adolescents' academic achievement. Using regression-based techniques that account for within-school clustering of students, this research examined the extent to which individual-level and school structural variables predict academic achievement among a sample of 10th grade African American students abstracted from the National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS) database. The results suggest that individual-level predictors, such as student effort, parent-child discussion, and associations with positive peers, play a substantial role in increasing students' achievement. Further, the results also suggest that school climate, in particular the sense of school cohesion felt by students, teachers, and administrators, is important to successful student outcomes. Given these findings, the author suggests that an ecological approach which encompasses individual-, family-, and school-level variables be considered when examining predictors of academic achievement. Also, policy and interventions aimed at improving academic achievement need to take into consideration the impact of individual-level and school structural factors on students and their ability to succeed. (Contains 2 tables and 2 footnotes.) (Author).
Anmerkungen	University of North Carolina Press. 116 South Boundary Street, P.O. Box 2288, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2288. Tel: 800-848-6224; Tel: 919-966-7449; Fax: 919-962-2704; e-mail: uncpress@unc.edu; Web site: http://uncpress.unc.edu/
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10