Behavioral and Academic Adjustment in Elementary School

描述（由申请人提供）：一个孩子？在小学的头几年， 学校被称为发展的“关键时期”，因为 在学校的最初几年里，学习成绩是最好的之一。 预测一个孩子？长期的学术成就。本研究将探讨 家庭和邻里特征对父母参与幼儿园活动影响 学校和行为调整和小学的学业成绩 学生。研究设计将包括横截面， 短期纵向随访，样本将包括480个一年级 住在巴尔的摩60个不同社区的孩子和他们的家人。 家庭访谈将在一年级秋季进行，并简要介绍 电话调查将在学术会议的最后几个月进行 年家庭访谈将包括有关父母态度的问题， 行为，父母对邻里的看法，以及对 孩子学术成就信息将从学校记录中提取。 后续电话调查将包括孩子的家长报告？S 适应学校和家长参与学校。了以下研究 将解决以下问题：（1）邻域结构（即，经济 涂鸦，空置房屋）和邻里气候（即， 社会凝聚力）直接影响到父母对学校参与， 由邻域参与过程介导（即，集体社会 实践）？(2)邻里结构和气候，作为父母的调解 影响一个孩子学生对小学的行为适应能力如何？ （3）邻里结构和气候，如父母介导的 影响一个孩子在小学的学习成绩如何？ 分析方法将包括最新的统计工具， 分析和结构方程建模。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A child?s first few years of elementary school have been referred to as a "critical period" for development because academic achievement during the early years of school is one of the strongest predictors of a child?s long term academic success. This study will explore the influence of family and neighborhood characteristics on parent involvement in school and on the behavioral adjustment and academic achievement of elementary school children. The study design will include be cross-sectional with a short-term longitudinal follow-up, and the sample will include 480 first grade children and their families living in 60 different neighborhoods in Baltimore. Home interviews will be conducted during the fall of first grade, and a brief telephone survey will be conducted during the final few months of the academic year. Home interviews will consist of questions regarding parent attitudes and behaviors, parent perceptions of the neighborhood, and assessments of the child. Academic achievement information will be abstracted from school records. The follow-up telephone survey will include a parent report of the child?s adjustment to school and parent involvement in school. The following research questions will be addressed: (1) How do neighborhood structure (i.e., economic impoverishment, graffiti, vacant housing) and neighborhood climate (i.e., social cohesion) influence parental involvement in school, both directly and as mediated by neighborhood involvement processes (i.e., collective socialization practices)?; (2) Do neighborhood structure and climate, as mediated by parental involvement, influence a child?s behavioral adjustment to elementary school?; and (3) Do neighborhood structure and climate, as mediated by parental involvement, influence a child?s academic achievement in elementary school? Analysis methods will include the latest statistical tools for multilevel analysis and structural equations modeling.