School climate, family structure, and academic achievement: a study of moderation effects

The contribution of school climate, socioeconomic status, ethnocultural affiliation, and school level to language arts scores: A multilevel moderated mediation model

Evidence suggests that schools can promote academic success and higher grades by reducing the negative effect of socioeconomic disadvantage through the mediation of a positive climate. However, a critical question largely remains unanswered: Does the mediation of positive school climate on the link between socioeconomic background and academic achievement remain similar for all schools in all cultures and among all ethnic groups? Using a nationally representative database with school climate and language arts test scores of primary and secondary Hebrew and Arabic language schools in Israel (N = 1188), we examined the contribution of both internal (i.e., school climate and grade level) and external (i.e., ethnocultural and socioeconomic backgrounds) influences on schools' language arts test scores. Using multilevel analyses, findings indicated that the magnitude of the mediation of positive school climate, as manifested by a greater sense of security and decreased school violence, in the link between socioeconomic status and test scores was significant only for elementary schools educating Arabic language minority populations and not for nonminority elementary Hebrew language schools. However, this was not the case for secondary schools, where evidence of higher test scores in schools with positive school climate did not emerge. Despite the many socioeconomic obstacles that ethnocultural minority students face, these results indicate that schools prioritizing a positive climate can increase academic opportunities and level the playing field for students from vulnerable cultures and backgrounds. School professionals are encouraged to invest resources that improve school climate to support underprivileged students' prosperity, especially in schools educating students from minoritized backgrounds, where more significant contributions likely exist. Implications for educational policy and future research are discussed.

Associations between a technical assistance model to build school organizational capacity and improvements in student perceptions of school climate

Organizational capacity building-the process of developing leadership, collecting and analyzing data, building buy-in, and implementing programming-is foundational to effectively changing schools, and frequently relies on technical assistance. This study employed a quasi-experimental, repeated measured design to evaluate the role of technical assistance provided through Safe School Certification model in improving school climate. Schools worked through an eight-element framework, using data from a sample of six middle and high schools in Washington, D.C. that completed data collection in all years of the evaluation. Students in schools receiving technical assistance for implementing the SSC Framework had more positive changes in perceptions of school climate than students in schools that did not receive support, but those differences were small. The results from this study offer limited evidence that providing schools with technical assistance to improve organizational capacity is associated with more positive student perceptions of school climate.

Identification of Important Factors When Measuring School Climate: Latent Construct Validation and Exploration

BACKGROUND

Researchers regularly must decide what information is necessary to understand school climate and how to include climate in a study. For example, which factors and/or scales should be used, is using just 1 scale for school climate sufficient, and to what extent does the selection of a single scale influence the research findings?

AIMS

Understanding what factors to consider and which available scales to review will assist those interested in measuring school climate.

METHODS

This study explores 8 validated scales related to school climate. Data used are from a previous study (Social and Character Development cooperative agreement funded by IES #R305L030072 and #R305A080253) that looked at Positive Action, a social emotional and character development program for elementary-, middle-, and high-school students.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

Scale correlations and factor analyses show how these scales work together to measure overall middle school climate.

Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task and EF in two samples of adolescents in Brazil and United States

Executive function (EF) is a foundational cognitive construct, which is linked to better cognitive and physical health throughout development. The present study examines the construct validity of an EF task, the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task (HTKS) that was initially developed for young children, in a sample of adolescents. We investigate the initial validity and range in scores between 54 adolescents from Brazil (mean age 12.58) and 56 US adolescents (mean age 12.48) from different socioeconomic contexts. Results indicated that the HTKS showed sufficient variability in both samples, especially for a measure of HTKS efficiency (completion time divided by the total score). The US sample performed better on all cognitive measures. For the Brazilian sample, regression models controlling for age and sex showed a significant relationship between the digit span working memory task, the HTKS total score, and the HTKS efficiency score. The Heart and Flowers cognitive flexibility measure was also included as an independent variable only for the Brazil sample, showing a significant relationship with both HTKS scores. For the US sample, results showed that only the HTKS efficiency score was significantly related to the digit span working memory task. This study highlights the importance of cognitive efficiency measures to achieve greater validity, as they can assess a broader range of performance with different populations. The HTKS showed good ecological validity with two adolescent samples, as it differentiated between populations with high and low socioeconomic status from different cultural contexts.

The adolescent behavioral index: Identifying students at risk for disengagement in high school

BACKGROUND: Proposed frameworks of college and career readiness include aspects of school climate perceptions and behavioral engagement. School climate initiatives emphasize the importance of healthy learning environments; while behavioral indicators tend to be used to identify students at-risk for disengagement, established early warning systems include few, if any, behavioral indicators. A promising and useful screening mechanism that combines behavioral indicators along with school climate perceptions may enhance identification of adolescents at risk for disengagement, academic failure, and dropout, and may ultimately improve college and career readiness. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between self-reported adolescent perceptions of school climate and extant high school academic and behavioral data to create an index score which could be used as an early warning system for student disengagement. METHODS: To accomplish the stated objective, we employed structural equation modeling to estimate a multiple indicators multiple causes model using a sample of high school students (n = 5039) with and without disabilities. Extant school data included grade point average, attendance, tardies, and office discipline referrals, while school climate was measured using the Georgia Brief School Climate survey. RESULTS: Findings show evidence of a robust Adolescent Behavioral Index when controlled for disability status as those with disabilities are expected to have lower index scores indicating greater risk for school disengagement. CONCLUSION: Implications for research and practice are focused on the Adolescent Behavioral Index as a mechanism for systematic data collection that may underlie early warning systems in high schools specifically when designing college and career readiness interventions for adolescents and when identifying students who may be at risk for disengagement.

Can a school climate survey accurately and equitably measure school quality? Examining the multilevel structure and invariance of the Georgia School Climate Scale

School climate measures are increasingly utilized as one indicator of school quality within educational accountability systems. However, concerns have been raised about the accuracy of these indicators given that school climate surveys are often not validated using multilevel methods. Further, cross-school comparisons in climate may not be trustworthy because the school-level invariance of climate surveys has not been investigated. There is a need to examine the validity of school-level climate constructs and to determine if surveys measure climate equitably for schools that serve underrepresented populations. The aim of the current study was to examine the multilevel factor structure of a statewide school climate survey to determine whether it measured climate equitably for students of different races/ethnicities and across schools with varying racial/ethnic and socioeconomic compositions. Participants included 259,778 students from 427 middle schools throughout a southeastern U.S. state. Cross-level invariance analyses revealed that the climate constructs were measured differently across levels of analysis, and school-level climate could not be interpreted as merely the aggregate of individual-level climate. Student- and school-level factorial invariance was tested using multilevel modeling procedures. Results revealed item bias with respect to student and school characteristics, and the relationships between school climate and student and school demographics changed after accounting for identified bias. As more educational agencies consider including school climate surveys in their accountability systems, these findings suggest that multilevel validation procedures and school-level invariance analyses are necessary to ensure accurate and equitable measurement.

Factors influencing secondary school students' reading literacy: An analysis based on XGBoost and SHAP methods

This paper constructs a predictive model of student reading literacy based on data from students who participated in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA 2018) from four provinces/municipalities of China, i.e., Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. We calculated the contribution of influencing factors in the model by using eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithm and sHapley additive exPlanations (SHAP) values, and get the following findings: (1) Factors that have the greatest impact on students' reading literacy are from individual and family levels, with school-level factors taking a relative back seat. (2) The most important influencing factors at individual level are reading metacognition and reading interest. (3) The most important factors at family level are ESCS (index of economic, social and cultural status) and language environment, and dialect is negative for reading literacy, whereas proficiency in both a dialect and Mandarin plays a positive role. (4) At the school level, the most important factors are time dedicated to learning and class discipline, and we found that there is an optimal value for learning time, which suggests that reasonable learning time is beneficial, but overextended learning time may make academic performance worse instead of improving it.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder among Registered Nurses and Nursing Students in Italy during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

(1) Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder characterized by a range of syndromal responses to extreme stressors. The present study aimed to explore any differences in PTSD between registered nurses and nursing students, according to sex and nursing experience, during the COVID-19 pandemic. (2): Methods: An observational descriptive study was conducted among Italian nurses and nursing students during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. An online questionnaire was distributed in an anonymous form through the Google function of Google Modules to some social pages and nursing groups. (3) Results: In total, 576 participants were enrolled in this study. Of these, 291 (50.50%) were registered nurses and 285 (49.50%) were nursing students. By considering the Impact of Event Scale—Revised values in nurses and in nursing students according to sex, a significant difference was reported in the avoidance sub-dimension (p = 0.024), as female nurses recorded higher levels than nursing students. No further significant differences were suggested by considering both sex and nursing experience, respectively. (4) Conclusion: PTSD could be a serious consequence for both nurses and nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Perception of school climate, academic performance and risk behaviors in adolescence

Previous studies support the relevance of students' perception of positive and negative school climate to learning processes and adolescents' adjustment. School climate is affected by both the interactions that are established within the classroom, and by the teachers' behaviors. This study has the overall objective of investigating the relationship between the perception of positive and negative school climate and students' (mal)adjustment during adolescence. Participants were 105 Italian adolescents (52.5% boys, mean age = 15.56,SD = .77) who responded for 15 consecutive days (ecological momentary assessment) to questions related to their perception of positive and negative school climate (Time 1). After one year (Time 2), students' academic performance reported by mothers and fathers and adolescents' self-reported propensity to engage in risk behaviors were examined. Four hierarchical regression models were implemented considering the mean and the instability levels (RMSSD) of the perception of positive and negative school climate as independent variables and, respectively, academic performance and risk behaviors as dependent variables. Results suggest that a higher perception of positive school climate and its instability predict higher academic performance one year later, while a higher perception of negative school climate and its instability predict higher risk behaviors. This study provides an innovative perspective to reflect on the relationship between students' perceptions of school climate and adolescents' (mal)adjustment.

Parental Illness and Life Satisfaction among Young People: A Cross-Sectional Study of the Importance of School Factors

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between parental illness and life satisfaction among Danish adolescents and the potential modifying effect of positive school experiences. Moreover, we describe the use of student counsellor services among adolescents with and without ill parents. Methods: Data included 9565 adolescents primarily aged 13–19 years, who participated in the cross-sectional Well-being Despite Study. Multilevel logistic regression models including joint effect analyses were performed. Results: Parental illness was strongly associated with life satisfaction. Negative school experiences were more frequent among adolescents with ill parents and strongly associated with low life satisfaction for all students. However, joint effect analyses did not show effect modification by school-related variables. The odds ratio of having talked to a student counsellor was highest for adolescents with multiple ill parents, compared to no ill parents. Conclusions: Parental illness is a strong predictor of low life satisfaction among adolescents; the impact depends on number of ill parents, whether parental illness is physical or mental, and their level of impairment. Positive school experiences were less frequent in adolescents of ill parents and did not counteract the effect of parental illness on life satisfaction.

Homophobic Bullying in Positive and Negative School Climates: The Moderating Role of Gender Sexuality Alliances

The presence of Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) in schools has been linked to low rates of bullying for lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning (LGBQ), transgender, and all students. However, little is known about how the heterogeneity in GSA functioning and school climates may affect these rates. This study examines whether a well-functioning GSA would limit the effect of a negative school climate as a risk factor for homophobic victimization experiences. The sample included 38,872 students (3401 LGBQ and 453 transgender) from 58 California high schools. Several independent databases were combined. Students reported on homophobic victimization, the school climate, and demographic information. At the school level, reports from all students were aggregated for school climate; reports from GSA members were aggregated on their perceptions of GSA functioning; publicly-available data were used for school characteristics. The results suggest that greater GSA functioning may be beneficial for all students in schools that have a negative school climate, and particularly protective for transgender students.

School Climate and Perceived Academic Performance: Direct or Resilience-Mediated Relationship?

Although there is a growing interest in identifying the variables that enhance student school adjustment, there is a lack of understanding of the mechanisms involved in it during adolescence. Despite there being works that confirm the positive relationship between school climate and academic performance, it is still unresolved which of the more specific aspects of climate are linked to this performance, as well as the degree to which an individual variable such as resilience can play a mediating role between both; these unknown factors constitute the objective of this study. A total of 731 students (mean age, Mage = 15.20 years; Standard Deviation, SD = 1.62) from the Basque Country participated; they completed the PACE-33 -school climate scale-, the CD-RISC10 -resilience scale- and the EBAE-10 -perceived academic performance subscale-. The full mediation model and the partial mediation model were tested. The results show that the model of choice is that of partial mediation: the resilience mediates the relationship between two specific aspects of the school climate (peer relationship and teachers’ ability to motivate) and perceived academic performance, and a third specific aspect (teachers’ expectations) has a direct relationship with perceived academic performance. These findings highlight the importance of attending to variables specific to the context in which the subject interacts, with the role of the teacher being especially important, in addition to promoting the development of resilience, due to the weight it has on the perception that students have about their school performance.

Academic Achievement Among a Sample of Youth in Foster Care: The Role of School Connectedness

Research shows that youth in foster care experience poor academic performance and disciplinary actions in school more frequently than do non-foster care youth. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to further examine youth in foster care and the relationship between individual/intrapersonal factors (future orientation and school connectedness) and exosystem factors (number of placement and school moves) and academic performance (grades) and disciplinary referrals among 363 youth (9-11 years of age; males=52.9%). Controlling for key variables, hierarchical linear regression analysis was utilized to understand how well students' school connectedness, future outlook, number of placement changes, and number of school moves predicted academic and disciplinary outcomes. Beyond the variance explained by control variables, school connectedness made a significant contribution to this model. Results are discussed in the context of implementing interventions that foster school connectedness among this vulnerable population.

How the Italian Nursing students deal the pandemic Covid-19 condition

Background and Aim of the work:

Since December 2019, a new infectious disease known as Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has rapidly spread globally until it has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. At the same time, if we consider the University context, there is little attention paid during basic nursing education to emergency response, and faculty members report feeling poorly prepared to teach students about this topic. The present study aims to investigate how the Covid-19 pandemic condition influenced the psychological well-being of the Italian nursing students.

Methods:

An online questionnaire was administered to Italian nursing students which contains two parts: a demographic section and the assessment to the psychological well-being nursing student with the Impact of Event Scale-Revised and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9.

Results:

Given the emergency health situation from Covid-19, our initial concern was to find a large number of students with difficulties in mentally processing this situation even with problems such as depression, as their future profession is heavily involved in the management of this pandemic. Fortunately our results have denied our initial hypothesis since both the impact management levels of the event, assessed with the IES-R scale, and the depression levels, assessed with the PHQ-9 recorded values that were almost normal.

Conclusions:

Nursing students are better able to face the situation since they find themselves in the role of spectators and not in the role of actors in the care of patients with Covid-19. If the training ameliorates psychological well being, therefore, it is necessary to provide and preserve nurses expertise to encourage teaching in nursing degree courses on maxi emergencies to prepare future nurses to face them adequately. (www.actabiomedica.it)

An examination of classes of school climate perceptions among Latinx middle school students

Several studies have replicated the finding that Latinx students tend to have less favorable perceptions of school climate than their White peers. However, because most research compares Latinx students to a White standard, little is known about variation within the Latinx group and thus the opportunity to produce strength-defining counter-narratives has been missed. Using latent class analysis, this study identified meaningful classes of school climate perceptions within 20,050 Grade 7 Latinx students in California. Five climate classes were identified, lending support to the hypothesis that substantial heterogeneity of school climate perceptions exists within the Latinx student population. The results support the utility of latent class modeling for examining school climate perceptions beyond traditional variable-centered approaches. Countering the prevailing deficit narrative, the results indicate that nearly half of all Latinx respondents reported generally positive perceptions of school climate. Conversely, supporting the need for environmental supports that encourage Latinx students to voice their concerns and make decisions regarding systems that affect them, over three-quarters of the responses suggested that Latinx students perceive meaningful participation at school negatively. The results suggest the possibility of a cascade effect in the development of the psychological experience of the school, such that some dimensions of school climate perceptions may be antecedents to others. Implications for further research and intervention are discussed.

Mental health status of the general population, healthcare professionals, and university students during 2019 coronavirus disease outbreak in Jordan: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The emergence of COVID-19 global pandemic coupled with high transmission rate and mortality has created an unprecedented state of emergency worldwide. This global situation may have a negative impact on the psychological well-being of individuals which in turn impacts individuals' performance. This study aims to explore the prevalence of depression and anxiety among the GP, HCPs, and USs during COVID-19 outbreak, and to identify key population(s) who might need psychological intervention.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted in Jordan between 22 and 28 March 2020 to explore the mental health status (depression and anxiety) of the general population, healthcare professionals, and university students during the COVID-19 outbreak. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) were used to assess depression and anxiety among the study participants. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of depression and anxiety.

RESULTS

The prevalence of depression and anxiety among the entire study participants was 23.8% and 13.1%, respectively. Anxiety was most prevalent across university students 21.5%, followed by healthcare professionals 11.3%, and general population 8.8%. Females among healthcare professionals and university students, divorced healthcare professionals, pulmonologists, and university students with history of chronic disease were at higher risk of developing depression. Females, divorced participants among the general population, and university students with history of chronic disease and those with high income (≥1,500 JD) were at higher risk of developing anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

During outbreaks, individuals are put under extreme stressful condition resulting in higher risk of developing anxiety and depression particularly for students and healthcare professionals. Policymakers and mental healthcare providers are advised to provide further mental support to these vulnerable groups during this pandemic.

The association of family structure with health behavior, mental health, and perceived academic achievement among adolescents: a 2018 Korean nationally representative survey

BACKGROUND

Adolescence is a period during which physical, social, and mental abilities are rapidly developed, and during this time the family environment plays an important role. Differences in health behaviors, mental health, and academic achievement by family structure may affect future families, income, and employment. The purpose of the study was to investigate the association of family structure with health behaviors, mental health, and academic achievement in Korean adolescents.

METHOD

Data from the 2018 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey were analyzed. The study sample was comprised of 59,096 adolescents. Logistic regression, t-tests, and a variance analysis of a complex sample general linear model were used to examine the association of family structure with health behaviors, mental health, and academic achievement. The significance level was set at P < 0.05.

RESULTS

Non-intact families (single-mother families, single-father families, and restructured families) had significantly higher odds of smoking a cigarette, drinking a sip of alcohol, internet use, physical activity, and sexual experience, and mental health issues such as depression, suicidal ideation, perceived stress, and poor perceived health status than intact families (two-parent families). Also, non-intact families were significantly related to low perceived academic achievement compared to intact ones.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that family structure is a significant factor in adolescent health behavior, mental health, and perceived academic achievement. Adolescents who experience a transition in their family structure may be more vulnerable to health risks and exhibit lower academic achievement than those in an intact family.

School Climate as a Universal Intervention to Prevent Substance Use Initiation in Early Adolescence: A Longitudinal Study

Initiation of substance use often starts during adolescence, with tobacco and alcohol use frequently preceding the use of marijuana and other illicit drugs. Studies suggest that a positive school climate may prevent substance use while promoting healthy student behaviors. The purpose of this study was to determine the longitudinal associations between school climate and substance use initiation in a group of middle school students. Parallel latent growth curve modeling was used to examine changes among study variables longitudinally using a sample of 2,097 sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students across 16 regional schools located in three counties in West Virginia. Results suggest that a positive school climate may prevent substance use initiation (β = -0.07 to -0.25, p < .01). However, perceptions of school climate decreased on their own over time (β = -0.28 to -0.66, p < .01). Furthermore, substance use initiation also increased as students grew older (β = 0.96 to 0.99, p < .01) and reduced the effects of school climate longitudinally (β = -0.07 to -0.24, p < .01). Early substance use initiation may be a warning sign of other underlying student issues and requires additional school support to foster student success. Findings suggest that a positive school climate may delay substance use initiation and promote school success. School climate may, therefore, be useful as an intervention to support school-based health promotion.

Role of school-climate in school-based violence among homeless and nonhomeless students: Individual- and school-level analysis

BACKGROUND

Research is scarce regarding homeless students' school-violence experiences, specifically while considering the role of school-climate and the different groups within the homeless student population. Understanding the relation between school-violence and school-climate might help towards the development of support for homeless students.

OBJECTIVE

Examine the association between school-climate components, homelessness and school discriminatory bullying, behavioral victimization and weapon involvement at the student and school levels.

PARTICIPANTS

389,569 high school students and 811 schools from a representative California statewide sample (2011-2013).

METHODS

Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to examine differences between the subgroups of homeless students as compared to nonhomeless students. Hierarchical logistic regressions were conducted to examine the relation between school-climate and discriminatory bullying, behavioral victimization and weapon involvement in school at the individual level, and hierarchical linear regressions were conducted at the school level.

RESULTS

At the student level adding school-climate dimensions contributed significantly to each outcome. Positive school-climate was associated with lower rates of all school-violence outcomes. Safety, positive relationship and connectedness were all significantly negatively associated with the outcomes, especially safety. At the school level, the partial linear regression coefficient of school-climate is negative and significantly (p < .001) decreases discriminatory bullying, behavioral discrimination and gun involvement.

CONCLUSION

Positive school-climate serves as a protective factor for homeless students with regards to school violence outcomes. Enhancing whole-school interventions improving school-climate at the school level, would benefit students experiencing homelessness.

Predictors of placement disruptions in foster care

BACKGROUND

Many children who are removed from a dangerous or neglectful home and placed in state custody subsequently experience additional disruptions while in custody, which can compound the effects of ongoing stress and instability. As such, placement stability has been identified as a critical objective and a key indicator of success for children residing in substitutive care.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the utility of child protective services data in identifying predictors of placement disruption.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

The current study examined data from youth in Tennessee state custody who had been assessed using the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment within 30-days of their first, out-of-home placement. The sample included 8,853 youth ages 5-19 years old (M = 13.1; SD = 4.0; 44.8 % female).

METHODS

Demographics, placement information, and the CANS assessment were collected by the Tennessee Department of Children's Services for all child welfare episodes for children as part of the system's usual standard of care. Bivariate correlation and linear regression models were conducted.

RESULTS

Multiple risk indices from the CANS appeared to significantly increase risk of placement disruption, including child internalizing and externalizing symptoms, school difficulties, youth affect dysregulation, and child age.

CONCLUSIONS

The current findings suggest that data collected as part of standard practice by child welfare workers such as the CANS is both feasible and has utility for identifying sources of risk for placement disruptions and to inform possible targets of intervention to enhance placement stability.

When Do Employees Speak Up Under Job Stressors? Exploring the Potential U-Shaped Relationship Between Hindrance Stressors and Voice Behavior

Drawing upon the conservation of resources theory, we intend to examine the relationships between voice behaviors and job stressors. Specifically, we propose a non-linear relationship between hindrance stressors and prohibitive and promotive voice behaviors. Furthermore, we argue that challenge stressors moderate the non-linear relationship between hindrance stressors and voice behaviors. Based on a sample of 361 employees in China, our results indicate that the relationship between hindrance stressors and prohibitive and promotive voice is U-shaped. The relationships between challenge stressors and prohibitive and promotive voice are linearly positive. Moreover, challenge stressors moderate the relationships between hindrance stressors and voice behaviors; thus, when challenge stressors are high, hindrance stressors are negatively linear related to prohibitive and promotive voice behaviors, and when challenge stressors are low, hindrance stressors are curvilinearly related to prohibitive and promotive voice behaviors. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.

Residential Mobility Among Elementary School Students in Los Angeles County and Early School Experiences: Opportunities for Early Intervention to Prevent Absenteeism and Academic Failure

School connectedness is closely linked to academic success: students who are engaged at school have better attendance and academic performance, and are less likely to drop out. Residential mobility – having moved homes – can increase the risk of a negative academic trajectory (e.g., absenteeism and academic failure). Increasing housing instability in the United States due to rising housing costs, especially in urban areas, has made residential mobility a growing concern. While existing research has examined residential mobility among students and its connection to long-term consequences such as absenteeism and academic failure, less is known about how residential mobility relates to potential intermediate school experiences (e.g., school disconnectedness, low perceived academic ability, and experiences with school violence and harassment) that contribute to a negative academic trajectory. This study examines associations between residential mobility in elementary school and school experiences in a large urban jurisdiction. Data were collected from a sample of public elementary school students in Los Angeles County (5th grade, n = 5,620) via the California Healthy Kids Survey (2013–2014). Descriptive, Chi-square, multiple logistic regression analyses, and predicted probabilities were performed to examine the relationships between past-year residential mobility and indicators of school connectedness and school-based relationships, perceived academic performance, and exposure to violence and harassment. More than a third (36.6%) of students in the analysis sample moved at least once in the past year. After adjusting for neighborhood and family factors, a higher number of past-year moves was significantly associated with poorer school experiences, including lower odds of school connectedness for high-movers (2+ moves) [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.77; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.68–0.86], compared to non-movers. Movers had lower odds of perceived academic ability (1 move: AOR = 0.72; CI = 0.63–0.83; 2+ moves: AOR = 0.55; CI = 0.44–0.69), but higher odds of exposure to violence and harassment as a victim (1 move: AOR = 1.26, CI = 1.17–1.37; 2+ moves: AOR = 1.34, CI = 1.17–1.54), and as a perpetrator (1 move: AOR = 1.21, CI = 1.08–1.36; 2+ moves: AOR = 1.54, CI = 1.24–1.92). These results highlight the value of developing and implementing strategies that can identify and support students who move at young ages, to prevent student disengagement and promote attendance and academic success early in their life trajectory.

School climate is associated with cortical thickness and executive function in children and adolescents

A positive school climate has been found to support mental and physical health, academic achievement and social adjustment among youth. However, links between school climate and brain structure have not been investigated to date. In this study, we investigated whether school climate was associated with executive function (EF) and brain structure (cortical thickness and surface area) in children and adolescents. We further examined whether these links varied as a function of socioeconomic background. Participants who ranged from 9 to 18 years of age (N = 108) completed EF tasks and a high-resolution, 3-Tesla, T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Overall school climate, academic support, and family socioeconomic background were assessed using questionnaires. Higher academic support was associated with greater EF task performance and increased global cortical thickness. Additionally, academic support moderated the association between family income and EF, such that children from lower income families performed similarly to their more advantaged peers on EF tasks in the context of positive academic support. This work is the first to link school climate to brain structure and contributes to the growing body of evidence suggesting that academic support may be an important protective factor in the context of socioeconomic disadvantage.

Does a rising school climate lift all boats? Differential associations of perceived climate and achievement for students with disabilities and limited English proficiency

Previous research studies show that a positive school climate is associated with desirable academic outcomes for youth. In the United States, students with disabilities and English language learner (ELL) students are particularly at-risk for poor academic outcomes and therefore more in need of interventions to support their academic development. The present study examined whether school climate has a differential association with academic achievement for these at-risk students compared to their peers, which would suggest that school climate has the effect of reducing or widening achievement gaps based on disability and language. For students at all levels, the main effects of perceived school climate and disability status on mathematics and reading achievement were statistically significant controlling for race/ethnicity, gender, and grade. The results of this study have numerous implications for school psychology practice. Our findings suggest that a positive school climate is associated with higher achievement for all students at all levels in both mathematics and reading, school psychologists should consider school climate improvement as part of their mandate.

Validation of a Measure of Foster Home Integration for Foster Youth

OBJECTIVES

This article introduces a youth-reported measure (Essential Youth Experiences [EYE]) developed to assess the experiences of foster youth in their home environment and their critical relationships across a number of service systems. Empirically, the article reports on the psychometric properties of a 9-item scale within the EYE that measures the construct of positive home integration (PHI).

METHODS

The EYE was administered to 328 preadolescent and adolescent youth (164 sibling dyads) enrolled in a larger randomized clinical trial.

RESULTS

Correlational analysis suggests that the PHI Scale shows good psychometric properties and strong current and predictive validity.

CONCLUSION

The PHI is a reliable and valid scale that measures youth perspectives of inclusion in the foster home and relationships with their foster care provider. This scale quickly gathers youth perspectives and differentiates between youth who have more versus less significant needs. Implications for research and social work practice are discussed.

The Belfast Youth Development Study (BYDS): A prospective cohort study of the initiation, persistence and desistance of substance use from adolescence to adulthood in Northern Ireland

Background

Substance misuse persists as a major public health issue worldwide with significant costs for society. The development of interventions requires methodologically sound studies to explore substance misuse causes and consequences. This Cohort description paper outlines the design of the Belfast Youth Development (BYDS), one of the largest cohort studies of its kind in the UK. The study was established to address the need for a long-term prospective cohort study to investigate the initiation, persistence and desistance of substance use, alongside life course processes in adolescence and adulthood. The paper provides an overview of BYDS as a longitudinal data source for investigating substance misuse and outlines the study measures, sample retention and characteristics. We also outline how the BYDS data have been used to date and highlight areas ripe for future work by interested researchers.

Methods

The study began in 2000/1 when participants (n = 3,834) were pupils in their first year of post-primary education (age 10/11 years, school year 8) from over 40 schools in Northern Ireland. Children were followed during the school years: Year 9 (in 2002; aged 12; n = 4,343), Year 10 (in 2003; aged 13; n = 4,522), Year 11 (in 2004; aged 14; n = 3,965) and Year 12 (in 2005; aged 15; n = 3,830) and on two more occasions: 2006/07 (aged 16/17; n = 2,335) and 2010/11 (aged 20/21; n = 2,087). Data were collected on substance use, family, schools, neighbourhoods, offending behaviour and mental health. The most novel aspect of the study was the collection of detailed social network data via friendship nominations allowing the investigation of the spread of substance use via friendship networks. In 2004 (school year 11; respondents aged 14), a sub-sample of participants’ parents (n = 1,097) and siblings (n = 211) also completed measures on substance use and family dynamics.

Results

The most recent wave (in 2010/2011; respondents aged 20/21 years) indicated lifetime use of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis among the cohort was 94, 70 and 45 per cent, respectively. The paper charts the development of drug use behaviour and some of the key results to date are presented. We have also identified a number of key areas ripe for analysis by interested researchers including sexual health and education.

Conclusions

We have established a cohort with detailed data from adolescence to young adulthood, supplemented with parent and sibling reports and peer network data. The dataset, allowing for investigation of trajectories of adolescent substance use, associated factors and subsequent long-term outcomes, constitutes an important resource for longitudinal substance misuse research. A planned further wave as the cohort enter their late twenties and potential to link to administrative data sources, will further enrich the datasets.

The Influence of Personal Well-Being on Learning Achievement in University Students Over Time: Mediating or Moderating Effects of Internal and External University Engagement

The current study examined the relationship between students' personal well-being and their learning achievement during university study, and whether such relationship would be mediated or moderated by university engagement. A total of 434 university students from one public university in Hong Kong participated in the study. The participants completed an online survey consisting of personal well-being (cognitive behavioral competence and general positive youth development), university engagement, and learning achievement measures (personal growth, and accumulated GPA as academic achievement) at four time points with a 1-year interval. Results showed that personal well-being measured at the beginning of university study positively predicted students' personal growth and academic achievement after 3 years' study. While the internal dimensions of university engagement (academic challenge and learning with peers) showed longitudinal significant mediational effect, the external dimensions (experience with faculty and campus environment) did not have significant longitudinal moderating effect. Nevertheless, external dimensions of student engagement also showed direct effect on personal growth and academic achievement. The long-standing positive effects of personal well-being on university engagement and subsequently, learning achievement during university years call for more attention to the promotion of holistic development among university students in Hong Kong.

Preliminary Validation of the Subjective Academic Problems Scale: A New Tool to Aid in Triaging School Mental Health Screening Results

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the preliminary structural, convergent, and incremental classification validity of responses to the Subjective Academic Problems Scale (SAPS), which is a seven-item self-report behavior rating scale intended for use as a triaging tool within secondary-level school mental health screening contexts. Findings from psychometric analyses carried out with Sample 1 ( N = 177) indicated that responses to the SAPS were characterized by a unidimensional measurement model and that scores derived from the scale had convergent validity with scores from several other self-reported measures of student wellbeing and mental health problems. Results from analyses conducted with Sample 2 ( N = 219) confirmed the unidimensionality of responses to the SAPS measurement model and demonstrated that SAPS scores had incremental validity, when used in conjunction with scores from a self-report internalizing problems screener, for identifying students with greater levels of mental health risk. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

How does school climate impact academic achievement? An examination of social identity processes

In explaining academic achievement, school climate and social belonging (connectedness, identification) emerge as important variables. However, both constructs are rarely explored in one model. In the current study, a social psychological framework based on the social identity perspective (Turner, Hogg, Oakes, Reicher, & Wetherell, 1987) is introduced that provides a way to integrate these two areas of enquiry. Using this framework, the current study ( N = 340 grade 7 and 9 students) investigates: (a) school climate and social identification as distinct predictors of academic achievement; and (b) social identification as a mediator of the school climate and achievement relationship. Achievement in reading, numeracy and writing was assessed by a national standardized test. The three variables most significantly associated with achievement were parental education, socio-economic status, and school identification. In line with predictions, school identification fully mediated the relationship between school climate and academic achievement in numeracy and writing, but not reading. The research highlights the importance of feeling psychologically connected to the school as a group for academic success.

Initial Development and Validation of the Youth Internalizing Problems Screener

The present studies report on the initial development and validation of the Youth Internalizing Problems Screener (YIPS), which is a 10-item self-report rating scale for assessing general internalizing problems and identifying depression and anxiety caseness within the context of school mental health screening. Results from Study 1 ( N = 177) demonstrated that responses to the YIPS yielded a single-factor latent structure, that scores derived from the scale had concurrent validity with scores from measures of student subjective well-being and problem behavior, and showed that scores derived from the YIPS demonstrated incremental validity in comparison with scores from another common internalizing problems screener for predicting self-reports of broad student functioning. Findings from Study 2 ( N = 219) confirmed the latent structure and internal reliability of responses to the YIPS, demonstrated that scores derived from this scale had strong associations with scores from criterion measures of depression and anxiety, and showed that YIPS scores had good-to-excellent power for accurately discriminating between youth scoring at or above the clinical caseness thresholds on criterion measures of depression and anxiety. Taken together, results suggest the YIPS shows promise as a technically adequate instrument for measuring general internalizing problems and identifying depression and anxiety caseness among secondary students. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Early Life Psychosocial Stressors and Housing Instability among Young Sexual Minority Men: the P18 Cohort Study

Homelessness and housing instability is a significant public health problem among young sexual minority men. While there is a growing body of literature on correlates of homelessness among sexual minority men, there is a lack of literature parsing the different facets of housing instability. The present study examines factors associated with both living and sleeping in unstable housing among n = 600 sexual minority men (ages 18-19). Multivariate models were constructed to examine the extent to which sociodemographic, interpersonal, and behavioral factors as well as adverse childhood experiences explain housing instability. Overall, 13 % of participants reported sleeping in unstable housing and 18 % had lived in unstable housing at some point in the 6 months preceding the assessment. The odds of currently sleeping in unstable housing were greater among those who experienced more frequent lack of basic needs (food, proper hygiene, clothing) during their childhoods. More frequent experiences of childhood physical abuse and a history of arrest were associated with currently living in unstable housing. Current enrollment in school was a protective factor with both living and sleeping in unstable housing. These findings indicate that being unstably housed can be rooted in early life experiences and suggest a point of intervention that may prevent unstable housing among sexual minority men.

A Replication of the Technical Adequacy of the Student Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire

The present study reports on a replication of the technical adequacy of the Student Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire (SSWQ), which is a 16-item self-report instrument for assessing youth’s academic efficacy, educational purpose, joy of learning, and school connectedness, with a sample of adolescents in Grades 6 to 7 ( N = 438). Findings confirmed the SSWQ’s latent factor structure as well as the reliability and distribution of its factors/scales. Results also indicated that SSWQ scores had concurrent associations with youths’ self-reported academic achievement, cumulative risks, and cumulative assets. Overall, this study provides a strong, positive replication of the technical adequacy of the SSWQ, suggesting that it is a psychometrically sound measure for school psychological research and, potentially, practice. Prior to recommending the SSWQ for practical purposes in schools, however, applied research is needed to investigate issues related to incremental validity and treatment utility.