Transition to middle school is a turbulent time of development in which friends have growing impact on adolescents’ academic adjustment. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the unique and joint contributions of academically oriented and deviant close friends on reading and math achievement, competence beliefs in reading and math, and engagement during the transition into middle school. The sample was 652 (53.4 percent male) ethnically diverse and academically at-risk students. Within-wave associations between peer affiliation and outcome variables were found in the expected directions. Outcome variables were highly stable. The model yielded adequate fit of the data. Contrary to expectations, neither peer affiliation variable (academically-oriented friends or deviant friends) contributed to year 6 outcomes, controlling for year 5 outcomes, nor did the two affiliation variables interact in predicting changes in outcomes. Affiliation with close friends was moderately stable over time and affiliation with learning oriented friends was positively associated with the academic outcomes and affiliation with deviant friends was negatively associated with the academic outcomes. Close friendships may change so rapidly that a relationship between close friend affiliation at any one point in time is not predictive of changes in one’s engagement, competence beliefs, or achievement. Future research that examines peer relationships and academic competencies across a longer period of time and more frequently may allow for a clearer understanding of relationships among peer affiliation and academic outcomes.

Psychosocial interventions to cultivate functional motivational beliefs in students are becoming increasingly popular. However, in education it is easy to prematurely place hope in promising, emerging techniques and ideas before they are fully explored through research. This study seeks to add to the body of knowledge examining psychosocial interventions by investigating one of the constructs popularly targeted in these interventions: self-theories of intelligence (STIs). Within this study, STIs are explored within a previously tested model of motivational variables (goal orientations, effort beliefs, interest, causal attributions, and failure response). The addition of metacognition to this model of achievement motivation is also investigated. Because research has suggested that STIs may be domain-specific, this study focused on STIs in the domain of science. Within this study, I used a self-report instrument comprised of seven subscales (each representing one motivational variable) to collect information on the achievement motivation of rural middle school students in the domain of science. Students from three schools in two counties in rural southwest Virginia participated in the study (n = 367). Independent and paired-samples t-tests, confirmatory factor analysis, mediational analyses, and structural equation modeling were used to answer the following four research questions. 1. To what extent are rural middle school students' self-theories of intelligence fixed or malleable in the domain of science? 2. To what extent do rural middle schools students have metacognitive knowledge and skills in the domain of science? 3. Does metacognition mediate the relationship between a malleable belief of intelligence and positive effort beliefs? 4. To what extent does the Blackwell, Trzesniewski, and Dweck (2007) model fit data obtained from rural middle school students in the domain of science? The results showed that the participants expressed a significant malleable view of intelligence, and demonstrated moderate amounts of metacognitive knowledge and skills. Metacognition was shown to be a significant mediator of STIs and effort beliefs. Standardized path coefficients for the achievement motivation model were significant; however, model fit indices revealed that this model may not be an adequate fit for these students' beliefs in the domain of science. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this study was to compare scores students received on the eighth grade EXPLORE test in math and English to scores received in English 9 and Algebra I on both the End-of-Course (EOC) test and the final average in those courses. These scores were taken from a rural East Tennessee High School and the middle schools that feed into the high school. Data were collected over a 2-year period (2012 – 2014). Students who had a score in eighth grade and a corresponding score in ninth grade were included. All others were omitted. A series of Pearson correlations were conducted between EXPLORE scores in Math and English with final averages in English 9 and Algebra I and EOC scores in English 9 and Algebra I. An independent samples t test was conducted to determine whether the mean scores on the EXPLORE English and math test, mean scores for English 9 and Algebra I final averages and mean scores for EOC exams in English 9 and Algebra 1 differ between female and male students. Based on the findings of this study, the score received on the eighth grade EXPLORE in English has a strong positive correlation to the score received on the English 9 EOC and the final average in English 9. The same was true for the score on the EXPLORE in math, it also had a strong positive correlation to the score received on the Algebra I EOC and the final average in Algebra I. Additionally gender has an impact upon English 9 final averages, English 9 EOC scores, Algebra I final averages and EXPLORE scores in English, with female students scoring higher than male students in those categories. Conversely gender did not have an effect on Algebra I EOC scores or EXPLORE scores in math.

No description available.

The dropout rate for first-generation Mexican Americans students in American schools has increased in the past decade. The purpose of this study, as reflected in the central research question, was to explore the factors that influenced the decision of first-generation Mexican American students to transition to high school or drop out after Grade 8. The research design was a phenomenological case study. The conceptual framework was based on current research surrounding first-generation Mexican American student dropout questions. In addition, how the concepts of family and community involvement and relationships between the home and school have an impact on the first generation Mexican American dropout rate. Participants were 10 first-generation Mexican Americans between the ages of 18-24, who either dropped out of school at the end of Grade 8 or completed high school. Data was collected from multiple interviews with participants. Data analysis involved coding, categorization, and analysis of themes and discrepant data. Factors that influenced students' decisions to stay in school or drop out included lack of support at home, lack of support at school, and financial needs. This study contributes to positive social change because educators may develop a deeper understanding about how to prevent first-generation Mexican American students from dropping out of school. In helping these students to graduate from high school, educators will assist these students in developing educational and employment goals that will confidently lead them to lives that are more productive.

The purpose of this study was to examine the phenomena of middle school transition and achievement as it relates to Hispanic students. According to the 2000 U.S. census, there are more than 35 million registered Hispanic citizens. Of those, 3.6 million are public school students. The literature indicated that there was a marked regression in student achievement during the transition to middle school. Through the use of descriptive statistics and regression analysis, sixth grade Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) reading and math developmental scale scores (DSS) were analyzed to determine if the mean achievement improved or declined after the transition to middle school. A purposeful sampling procedure was used to select 615 Hispanic students from more than 6,000 students that were enrolled in sixth grade during the 2008-2009 school year. The major findings of this study did not support the literature that indicated that students experienced a decline in achievement when they transitioned to middle school. Analysis of the descriptive statistics indicated that sixth grade Hispanic students experienced a substantial increase in their mean FCAT reading DSS and a smaller increase in the mean math DSS only increasing by 30 points or 2% after they transitioned to middle school.

No description available.