Thesis advisor: Mary E. Walsh / Developmental-contextual theory asserts that the contexts in which children develop have the potential to foster or inhibit healthy development (Lerner, 1984; 1995). Given the potential for developmental contexts to promote positive development for at-risk children, systemic student support interventions have been developed to change school contexts into more supportive environments for healthy child development (e.g., BCCOSS, 2010; Communities in Schools, 2010; Dryfoos, 2003). The current study examined the effects of one such student support program, City Connects (formerly Boston Connects). Previous evaluation research has found that City Connects positively impacts multiple factors of child development (BCCCFCP, 2009; BCCOSS, 2010). This study expanded upon the evaluation research to investigate the relationship between the City Connects intervention and specific domains of social development: friendship, bullying, peer victimization, relationship with teacher, and school belonging. Positive social development has been found to foster resilience and promote positive child development in other domains. Thus, this study also examined these domains of social development as the mechanisms through which City Connects is related to student report card grades in math, reading, behavior, and work habits. Within the current study sample of 3rd through 5th grade students in 2007, significant direct relationships between City Connects and domains of social development were not found. Since City Connects did not significantly predict improvements in social development, the mediating hypothesis was not supported. However, follow-up analyses revealed indirect relationships between City Connects and domains of social development, which were mediated by report card grades in reading and work habits. Reading grades significantly mediated the relationships between City Connects and school belonging, peer victimization, and bullying behavior. Work habit grades approached significance as a mediator of the relationships between City Connects and school belonging, relationship with teacher, bullying behavior and peer victimization. The current study underscores the complexity of developmental pathways, and the need for complex, multifaceted student support interventions to help support positive child development for low-income, urban children. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BOSTON/oai:dlib.bc.edu:bc-ir_101863 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Malatino, Kristin Wieneke |
| Publisher | Boston College |
| Source Sets | Boston College |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, thesis |
| Format | electronic, application/pdf |
| Rights | Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. |
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