Behavioral and Academic Adjustment in Elementary School

个人描述(申请人提供)：一个孩子？S小学头几年 学校被称为发展的“关键时期”，因为 在学校早期的学习成绩是最高的。 一个孩子的预测因素？S长期的学业成就。这项研究将探索 家庭和邻里关系特征对青少年父母参与的影响 学校与小学生的行为适应与学业成就 在校学生。这项研究的设计将包括横断面和 短期纵向跟踪，样本将包括480个一级 儿童和他们的家人生活在巴尔的摩的60个不同社区。 家庭访谈将在一年级的秋季进行，并进行一次简短的 电话调查将在学术会议的最后几个月进行。 年。家庭访谈将包括关于父母态度和 行为、父母对邻居的看法和对邻居的评估 孩子。学业成绩信息将从学校记录中提取出来。 后续的电话调查将包括孩子S的父母报告 适应学校和家长对学校的参与。以下研究 问题将被解决：(1)邻里结构(即经济)如何 贫困、涂鸦、空置房屋)和社区气候(即， 社会凝聚力)直接和间接地影响父母在学校的参与度 通过邻里参与过程(即集体社会化)进行调解 实践)？；(2)在父母的协调下，做社区结构和气候 卷入，影响孩子？S对小学的行为适应？ 以及(3)在父母的引导下，做社区结构和气候 卷入，影响孩子？S在小学的学业成绩？ 分析方法将包括多层次的最新统计工具 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.