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Puerto Rican students are a growing population in U.S. mainland schools, yet few recent studies have focused on the school contextual and identity-based experiences of Puerto Rican youth. Using stage-environment fit and LatCrit theories, this qualitative study examined seven Puerto Rican adolescent students' perspectives on domains of school context, along with prominent aspects of how they defined "being Puerto Rican," in two urban middle schools. Based on qualitative analyses of student interview and focus groups, findings revealed that students' experiences with teachers, ethnic-racial climate, and sense of belonging were fundamentally contradictory, where examples of purported "equal treatment" were tempered by racialized experiences marked by stereotypes and the suppression of Spanish, especially among male students. However, dimensions of identity-based resiliency such as ethnic pride, sense of familismo with other Puerto Rican students, and being bilingual emerged as sources of strength. We discuss school-based possibilities for the delivery of critically conscious support and ethnic affirmation for students during this critical developmental period, based on our exploratory findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To describe the daily Physical Activity (PA) patterns of adolescents with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), to analyze the differences in terms of PA patterns between adolescents with ADHD and those without ADHD, and to study the factors associated with achieving the daily PA recommendations. Methods: The sample was composed of 778 adolescents who provided complete information on their PA patterns through the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A). Of these, 97 had ADHD according to DSM-5 criteria. Results: The results show that being a girl or being of foreign origin and having ADHD have an impact on the achievement of the recommended amount of daily PA. Conclusions: When promoting PA in adolescents with ADHD within the school environment, it is necessary to consider different domains and specific contexts of a school day, paying special attention to girls and adolescents with ADHD of immigrant origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital game-based learning (DGBL) interventions can be superior to traditional instruction methods for learning, but previous meta-analyses covered a huge period and included a variety of different target groups, limiting the results' transfer on specific target groups. Therefore, the aim of this meta-analysis is a theory-based examination of DGBL interventions' effects on different learning outcomes (cognitive, metacognitive, affective-motivational) in the school context, using studies published between 2015 and 2020 and meta-analytic techniques (including moderator analyses) to examine the effectiveness of DGBL interventions compared to traditional instruction methods. Results from random-effects models revealed a significant medium effect for overall learning (g =.54) and cognitive learning outcomes (g =.67). Also found were a small effect for affective-motivational learning outcomes (g =.32) and no significant effect for metacognitive learning outcomes. Additionally, there was no evidence of publication bias. Further meta-regression models did not reveal evidence of moderating personal, environmental, or confounding factors. The findings partially support the positive impact of DGBL interventions in school, and the study addresses its practical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines secondary school learners' motivation to learn English as a foreign language (EFL) in relation to two contextual factors: school type and school location. Data were collected from 352 Polish learners who attended English instruction in general and technical secondary schools in a large city and a small town in western Poland. Learners' motivation, conceptualized as a continuum from fully autonomous to fully controlled, was measured through a survey at two time points, 2 years apart, which provided an assessment of motivational change. The second measurement was followed by interviews with selected learners. Our results show that learners from general secondary schools in the two locations exhibited different motivational patterns, while those from technical schools were similarly motivated regardless of their schools' locations. A decrease in extrinsic motivation over time was observed in both types of small-town schools. Based on these results, we discuss the implications for EFL pedagogy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the association between school-based discrimination and social-emotional learning (SEL) for Latinx students and the potential protective role of school commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). We also examine whether these associations differ based on Latinx youth's gender and sexual orientation. The sample included 2,017 Latinx youth (ages 11–21; 49% girls) from middle schools and high schools across the United States based on path analyses, we found that school-based discrimination is negatively associated with SEL and that commitment to DEI buffers the negative impact of discrimination on SEL. Multigroup analyses revealed some differences in the path analyses among girls compared to boys and sexual minority youth compared to heterosexual youth. Our findings suggest that school commitment to DEI can be protective against the negative effects of school-based discrimination on SEL for Latinx students and highlight the importance of considering within-group differences among Latinx youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to generate broad insights from the large corpus of literature on the associations between a comprehensive range of school leadership practices and student outcomes in different school contexts. Three-level meta-analysis of 493 independent effects from 108 studies published since 2000 showed that the mean effect size was small at r = 0.14. Effect sizes for leadership practices ranged from r 's = 0.10 to.26. Results underscored the importance of different types of leadership practices related to instructional management, enhancing teacher capacity, and engaging external stakeholders to improve student outcomes. School leadership practices were significantly associated with students' academic achievement (in different subjects except science) and learning attitudes/processes but not attainment. Moderator analyses showed that school leadership effects were significant in studies using a school-level analysis but not in those using a lower-level of analysis. Additionally, school leadership effects were significant at different grade levels (G1–G6, G7–G12) and in research reported in different study types (articles, dissertations) and in different years (2000–2009, 2010–2018). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study reported herein examined the influence of school contexts on leaders' leadership practices in South Africa. To this end, deputy principals were put under the microscope to scrutinize the relationship between their leadership practices and the school contexts in which they operate. The narrative inquiry--a qualitative methodology--was adopted to engage with deputy principals' lived experiences. Five deputy principals were purposively and conveniently sampled, each representing a different school context. Narrative ways of generating and analyzing field texts were utilized. The findings revealed disparities in the influence of school contexts on the deputy principals' leadership practices. While lower Quintile schools appeared to subject deputy principals to a state of leadership deficit, higher Quintile schools appeared to be springboards that enable the leadership endeavors of deputy principals. These disparities reflect inconsistencies in South African communities, mostly characterized by social and economic inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite Latinx students having the second highest rates of dropouts compared with other racial/ethnic groups, few studies qualitatively examine how Latinx youth view the academic and family contexts of leaving school. In this study, 16 Mexican descent youth from low-income backgrounds discussed why they felt pushed out of high school in focus groups. Grounded theory analysis revealed that youth perceive a lack of caring within schools and feel that they are blamed for lack of academic progress. Some youth felt they had to put their dreams on hold due to family stressors and lack of school resources—yet, they sustained hope for future career aspirations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim was to explore predictors of employment during the school year in adolescents aged 13. We report on a population-based sample of children followed-up from 5 months to this day. Parents and children answered questions on family, school, health, and work. A multinomial logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of informal and formal work. Results show that female sex and leisure time physical activity (LTPA) at age 12 were associated with an increased probability of doing informal work at age 13. Also, results indicate that 13-year-olds doing formal work for an employer or in the family business were more likely to report higher LTPA, to have used alcohol, to exhibit more delinquent behaviors, and to report lower educational aspirations at age 12. Such information must be used to devise interventions aiming at reducing the risks that school year employment may entail for education and health of adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The entry of students into middle school constitutes a life transition that involves adaptive challenges at the psychological, academic and social levels. The provision of autonomy support and avoidance of controlling tactics by parents can be effective resources to help the students through this transition. The purpose of the present study was twofold: (1) to identify distinct profiles of parenting support of autonomy and of control, and (2) to examine whether membership to these profiles relates to students' school adjustment once in middle school. Latent profile analysis served to analyze data collected from a sample of 672 students in the spring of their sixth grade and one year later at middle school. Results revealed a three-class model of parenting: Autonomy Centered group (67%), Control Centered group (8.0%), Autonomy/Control Balanced group (25%). School adjustment was poorest for students whose parents belong to the Control Centered group and generally the highest for those whose parents belong to the Autonomy Centered group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to investigate variations between schools when it comes to gambling and risk gambling, and, in particular, to analyse the links between school collective efficacy and student gambling and risk gambling. The data consists of official register information on schools as well as survey data collected in 2016 among 1,061 teachers and 5,191 students in 46 Stockholm upper secondary schools. School collective efficacy was operationalized on the basis of teacher responses, which were aggregated to the school level. Gambling and risk gambling were based on students' self-reports. Two-level binary logistic regression analyses were performed. The results show that there is between-school variation in gambling and in all the study's indicators of risk gambling. Both gambling and risk gambling were more commonly reported by students attending schools with weak collective efficacy, even when adjusting for student- and school-level sociodemographic characteristics. The findings suggest that conditions at school may counteract students' engagement in gambling and risk gambling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current experience sampling study examined the change in distinct daily positive and negative emotions of 136 students (aged 10–12) participating in the Flourishing Students program. Students completed smartphone-based questionnaires covering emotions, daily activities, and social context at eight semi-random intervals for six days. Using a cluster randomized design, 70 students participated in 32 well-being lessons, and 66 students followed their standard curriculum. The findings suggest that the intervention had a buffering effect on the increase in daily negative emotions that is typical during early adolescence. Moreover, participants in the program experienced positive changes in feeling less lonely and increased levels of calmness and enjoyment of being alone. Noticed in several daily activities were similar differences between the groups. The intervention effect was slightly more pronounced in girls than boys. Overall, we hope to encourage incorporation of positive psychology into education and to broaden the scope of evaluation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to systematically review and analyse intervention programs in a school context centred on the family, focused on increasing youths' physical activity. Data source: The research was carried out in the PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases. Study inclusion criteria: Studies were included if participants were children or adolescents, focusing on school-based intervention studies with parental involvement and physical activity, sedentary behaviour or physical fitness outcomes. Data extraction: The search was performed according to the PRISMA protocol. A total of 416 articles were identified. After being considered for eligibility and duplicates, 22 studies were identified as relevant for inclusion. Data synthesis: Sample and intervention characteristics, objective, the role of the family, outcomes measures, main findings regarding the outcomes and risk of bias. Results: Ten studies reported improvements in physical activity, 6 in sedentary behaviour and 9 in the components of physical fitness and/or skills related to healthy behaviours and lifestyles. Most of the interventions adopted a multidisciplinary and multi-component approach. Conclusions: Most interventions employed a school's multidisciplinary/multi-component approach to promoting physical activity, nutrition, and general education for healthier lifestyle behaviours. The impact of school-based interventions involving families on youth's physical activity levels is still a relatively emerging theme. Further research is needed given the diversity of the intervention's characteristics and the disparity in the results' efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School resource officer (SRO) behavior varies across schools, but little is known about what shapes their behavior. Social ecological theories state that features of communities shapes individual behavior, including police officers. This may similarly apply to SROs. This study uses the 2015 to 2016 School Survey on Crime and Safety to test the extent to which three aspects of a school's context related to behavior management (i.e., security measures, disciplinary environment, and restorative practices) shape SROs' involvement in three roles: law enforcement, teacher, and mentor. Using a generalized structural equation model to examine the relationships between school context and SRO roles, consistent with ecological theories, we find that school context shapes SRO roles. Implications and future research are further discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays sexual violence among adolescents continues to be detected in schools. In this sense, several studies show the great importance of the interactions of boys and girls with people in their educational environment to configure their emotional and sexual identity, their beliefs about violence, and their relationship with sexual violence, being necessary to identify the actions that prevent sexual violence at schools. In the current article, and according to the literature review, a model based on structural equations is proposed to analyze the influence of students' relationships with one another, with the educational community (at the center, with faculty, staff, other workers), and families' relationships with the center as well as adolescents' own beliefs related to gender violence on being a victim, bystander, or aggressor of behaviors related to sexual violence in a sample of 4,273 Spanish students in secondary education. This model is replicated for only women (n = 2,022) and only men (n = 2,038). The results show that positive relationships are a protective factor against involvement in situations of sexual aggression, and they influence the acquisition of transformative beliefs regarding models of attraction and nonviolence. In turn, these beliefs even more obviously affect the prevention of this type of violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to estimate the relationship between principal quality and turnover. Principals can have potentially large effects on student outcomes. When school leaders leave their roles, they cause disruptive effects to the school's climate. If effective principals are more likely to leave, the negative effects of principal turnover are likely exacerbated. Relatively little, however, is known about the quality of principals who leave the principalship. Research design: We use teachers' perceptions of their principals as a measure of principal quality to understand the quality of principals who leave schools. We address this research question in New York City public schools from 2013 to 2016, and then replicate it at the national level using the Schools and Staffing Survey data from 2008 to 2012. To understand how principal quality relates to principal turnover, we run linear probability regressions of principal exits on (teacher-assessed) principal quality, controlling for a set of teacher, principal, school, district/state, and time characteristics. Findings: We find that higher quality principals are less likely to leave their schools. This finding persists across school contexts and time, lending robustness to our results. Conclusions: Findings suggest that inasmuch as principal turnover is a concern, it is not driven by higher quality principals. Districts should therefore focus on recruiting more higher quality principals as opposed to focusing on reducing overall principal turnover. Moving forward, research should focus on differential attrition patterns so that efforts to retain principals can be better targeted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sociometer theory proposes that a person's self-esteem is a permanent monitor of perceived social inclusion and exclusion in a given situation. Despite this within-person perspective, respective research in children's everyday lives is lacking. In three intensive longitudinal studies, we examined whether children's self-esteem was associated with social inclusion and exclusion by peers at school. Based on sociometer theory, we expected social inclusion to positively predict self-esteem and social exclusion to negatively predict self-esteem on within- and between-person levels. Children aged 9–12 years reported state self-esteem twice per day (morning and evening) and social inclusion and exclusion once per day for two (Study 1) and four weeks (Studies 2–3). Consistently across studies, we found that social inclusion positively predicted evening self-esteem on within- and between-person levels. By contrast, social exclusion was not associated with evening self-esteem on the within-person level. On the between-person level, social exclusion was negatively linked to evening self-esteem only in Study 1. Multilevel latent change score models revealed that children's self-esteem changed from mornings (before school) to evenings (after school) depending on their perceived daily social inclusion, but not exclusion. The findings are discussed in light of sociometer theory and the bad-is-stronger-than-good phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curricular tracking is common in many countries, yet this school practice might have unintended consequences for students' attitudes toward school. We examined the changes in adolescents' school belonging among sixth graders placed in honors versus regular math, with academic identity as a mediator in this relation. Early adolescents (N = 322; 72% White; 164 girls) in the southeastern United States completed measures of school belonging and academic identity at the beginning and end of their sixth-grade year. With parent education, prior math achievement, and prior school belonging controlled, honors math placement predicted increases in school belonging from the beginning to the end of students' sixth-grade year, and this association was positively mediated by academic identity. Results of this study are important for further understanding the influences of tracking on students' motivational beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely believed that the school context plays a crucial role in teacher burnout. Against that background, we (1) critically review existing empirical multilevel studies on teacher burnout and (2) use data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018 to assess the school-level variance and its correlates in emotional exhaustion, cynical depersonalization, and personal accomplishment in 2,300 primary (183 schools) and 2,700 lower secondary (190 schools) teachers in the Flemish-speaking community of Belgium, and 2,135 lower secondary (120 schools) teachers in the French-speaking community of Belgium. Our results reveal that (1) conceptual confusion exists surrounding school-context variables and (2) the between-school variance in teacher burnout is small. Implications for educational policy and teacher burnout research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although anti-bullying programs often include a component that focuses on strengthening teachers' abilities in identifying and addressing bullying, it is not clear which bullying situations teachers find difficult to address and what type of support is needed. In the current qualitative study, we investigated what teachers considered difficult bullying situations, how they responded to these situations, and which barriers they encountered. We used data from individual in-depth interviews conducted with 38 Dutch elementary school teachers. Qualitative analysis showed that teachers experienced difficulties in (a) identifying bullying that happens out of sight, (b) estimating the seriousness of a reported incident, (c) addressing persistent aggressive and bullying behavior, and (d) finding solutions with parents to reduce bullying. Teachers used a variety of strategies in their efforts to address these situations. The results give insight into teachers' needs regarding specific training and support in anti-bullying programs and preservice teacher programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study employs Macro-level Strain Theory (MST) as a framework to provide a better understanding of the way in which the structural and social context of Stockholm schools covaries with self-reported violent and general offending. The findings contribute to the literature in this area by directing a special focus at the interplay between the theory's macro-level components and some individual-level mechanisms that may be assumed to condition the effect of strain on offending. Using multi-level data on 4789 students nested in 82 schools (violent offending) and 4643 students nested in 83 schools (general offending) in the City of Stockholm, the study notes significant contextual effects of anger, meaninglessness and life dissatisfaction on offending. School-level deprivation appears to have a confounding effect on the relationship between school-contextual negative affect and offending. Further, school-contextual anger influences some individuals more than others. Implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnic-racial climate is a salient dimension of school context, especially amid the current sociopolitical climate. This study examined perceptions of school ethnic-racial climate among adolescent students of color, and the significance they place on being part of a diverse student population, in two urban middle schools, using interviews and focus groups. Qualitative analyses revealed that students' perceptions were contradictory. Students characterized their school interactions in meritocratic terms, where opportunities were grounded in equality and individual effort. However, their reports of racialized treatment were frequent, whereby ethnically segregated peer groups and the presence of stereotypes were prominent. Despite this, students articulated the benefits of school diversity, most notably, because it supported them in "mastering their dreams." Findings suggest that early adolescents are challenged with navigating the racialized context of the school environment. As such, schools must interrogate the promotion of colorblindness, in favor of practices that are more culturally affirming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employing a social capital framework, this study investigates teachers' role in influencing the peer dynamics between English learners (ELs) and their non-EL peers. Participants include 713 students (211 EL students). Observed teacher-student interaction quality and teacher self-reports of their peer network management were used to operationalize the teacher-directed, classroom-level factors. Peer nominations of friendships within the classroom were used to operationalize students' same-language-status (bonding capital) and cross-language-status (bridging capital) friendships. Multilevel models reveal teachers' reported practices and observed interaction quality account for a small proportion of the variance in students' bridging and bonding relationships at the classroom level overall, but with differential effects for EL and non-EL students. For example, in classrooms with greater reported use of bonding practices, EL students reported more bonding and fewer bridging friendships in the fall, and showed relatively less fall-to-spring growth in bridging friendships. Implications for future research and teacher training are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This empirical study analyzed data from 638 teachers and 11,800 students in low-socioeconomic status (SES) urban schools (and schools with urban characteristics) exploring associations of school, teacher, teaching, and professional development characteristics toward student performance on the revised Advanced Placement (AP) Biology and AP Chemistry examinations. The analyses indicated that districts per-student funding allocations, the days of instruction, teachers' knowledge and experience, and some aspects of teachers' professional development participation were significantly associated with student performance on AP science examinations that was better than predicted by students' Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescent girls with overweight or obesity are less socially integrated than their thinner peers. We examine racial-ethnic differences in girls' weight-related friendship patterns, especially noting Black-white distinctions given their different norms about the ideal feminine form. We also test whether schools with more Black students see diminished weight-related differences in peer integration for all girls and/or for Black girls. Using 1994-1995 data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we predict the number of friendship nominations girls receive conditional on their weight status, race-ethnicity, and school's racial composition. Both white and Black girls with overweight or obesity are less integrated than their thinner peers regardless of the school's Black enrollment rate. Hispanic girls with overweight are more integrated than white girls with overweight, particularly in schools with low Black enrollments. The relative consistency of girls' weight-related friendship patterns demonstrates the ubiquity of dominant feminine thinness norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interest in understanding how civic engagement emerges has been fueled by worries about the decline of youth participation in conventional political activities. Acknowledging the developmental nature of civic engagement, this study analyzes involvement in civic activities during early adolescence. We used latent class analysis to identify patterns of participation in a representative sample of Chilean adolescents. A four-class model was highlighted by two contrasting classes: an involved class, with high probabilities of participation, and an uninvolved class, with low probabilities of participation. A third class— volunteers —mostly participates in organizations involved in community service, religious or social causes. This type of participation conforms to the preservation of the status quo, in contrast to a more political or activist form of participation that challenges it. Classes were partially invariant by gender and socioeconomic status. Females were more prevalent in the involved class, and males in the uninvolved class. Adolescents' interest in politics, discussion of political issues, citizenship self-efficacy, and school involvement were associated with higher odds of belonging to the involved class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluation methods emphasizing children's natural interaction help in getting feedback from children for product development. This paper presents a case study with 9- to 10-year-old children in a school context. The evaluated system was an artificial intelligence–based poetry writing system, and the methods used were peer tutoring with paired interviews and group testing with a new Feedback Game. The evaluation criteria included the number of usability problems, usefulness, and fun. The applicability of the methods is discussed along with the resources required. Peer tutoring revealed numerous problems, whereas group testing and the Feedback Game were quick to conduct and analyze. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although research has shown that peer victimization is related to negative school outcomes, whether ethnic ingroup size alters victimization-adjustment links is unclear. This study examines whether smaller ethnic ingroup representation amplifies the negative associations between peer victimization and school adjustment. We also examine whether ingroup representation may be more salient for some ethnic groups than others. The ethnically diverse sample includes 4,577 students from 26 schools spanning from the fall of sixth grade to spring of seventh grade (41% Latino, 26% White, 17% Asian American, 16% African American). An interaction between victimization and ethnic ingroup representation emerged only among Latino students. Latino youth victimized in the sixth grade, who attended a school with fewer same-ethnic peers, showed increases in negative seventh-grade climate perceptions and decreases in engagement. Our findings highlight that for Latino youth, ethnic ingroup representation is an important factor to consider when examining the school-related adjustment of victimized youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The link between noncognitive skills and achievement is well established. There is much less evidence on how these skills are developed and transmitted to students, especially as it relates to girls that attend nonelite schools in non-Western settings. Drawing on insights from girl students attending an urban school in Ghana, this paper illustrates the role of school contexts in facilitating the development of noncognitive skills, namely, achievement-oriented identities—positive beliefs in one’s own ability and the translation of those beliefs into realizable actions. These identities act as useful tools for navigating the gender-specific challenges that impede girls’ abilities to achieve. These findings have implications for research on gender, noncognitive skills, and educational achievement in developing and developed societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study explored how White youth understand structural racism on an abstract and personalized level and the process of developing these understandings. Structural racism encompasses both institutional racism and the broader effects of racism embedded within social structures. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 16 White youth in seventh or eighth grade in a suburban school. Grounded theory qualitative analysis indicated that developing structural racism understanding for White youth involved a process of (a) developing an initial understanding of the existence and meaning of structural racism, (b) reflecting on this awareness independently and with others, (c) developing emotional connections to these issues (sympathy), (d) developing perspective taking skills and empathy, and (e) engaging and struggling with one’s identity as a White person. Results also provided support for the importance of parental racial socialization practices and multicultural antibias education in the process of developing structural racism understanding for White youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a systematic review of school-based cyberbullying prevention and intervention programs. Research presenting empirical evidence about the effectiveness of a school-based cyberbullying prevention or intervention program published before August 2016 was searched. Seventeen studies were obtained and reviewed. The findings showed that studies (a) originated in nine different countries; (b) consisted of different theoretical backgrounds; (c) varied in session frequency and duration; (d) included technological and non-technological strategies, or both; (e) aimed to prevent cyberbullying, intervene in cyberbullying, or both; and (f) were mostly effective in preventing and intervening in cyberbullying. The findings are discussed in terms of theory, practice, and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifty years after the Coleman Report delineated deep inequities across race and ethnicity in school contexts and outcomes, American families still navigate largely inequitable educational systems. The Coleman Report—with only slightly veiled surprise—also revealed the deep value African Americans place on education, their strong motivation to succeed, and the high expectations that they have for academic success. This article provides a critical analysis of the policies designed to increase equity in and access to high-quality education. With a special focus on adolescents, we show how these policies are experienced differently by families in ways that sustain inequities across ethnicity, race, and socioeconomic background. We also review research on the experiences of students in schools, arguing that policy attempts to mitigate disparities in educational experiences across race and socioeconomic condition have had little if any effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: School leadership is fundamental in efforts to successfully implement school reform and improve student and teacher learning. Although there is an abundant amount of research on school leaders’ formal training, assessment, and practice, little is known about their informal professional learning. In other words, how do school leaders learn at the workplace? To answer this question, we took an interactionist approach and argued that school leadership learning is based on the interplay between the school environment and the person. Specifically, we investigated the effect of school context (learning climate, social support), task (task variation), and the personal factor self-efficacy on both individual (reflection and career awareness) and social (asking for feedback and challenging groupthink) learning activities. Method: A questionnaire was administered among 1,150 school leaders in Dutch secondary education. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed relationships between our model variables. Findings: Self-efficacy positively predicted all four learning activities. Task variation positively predicted asking for feedback and reflection. Learning climate positively predicted asking for feedback, reflection, and career awareness. Interestingly, the effect of social support was twofold: It positively predicted social learning, but it negatively predicted individual learning. Finally, self-efficacy was an important mediator in the relationship between school context and professional learning. Conclusions: This study demonstrates how personal, task, and school context factors affect school leaders’ professional learning. These insights help develop tools and conditions for leaders to reflect and discuss on their practice, and to set an example for lifelong learning in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescent stressors coupled with environmental demands, such as pressures to achieve, might lead to negative outcomes for some students. Students who worry about their ability to meet high standards might be more at risk of internalizing problems. The current study investigated the relations among perfectionism, social support, and internalizing problems of middle school students (N = 169). Research has established perfectionism as having maladaptive and adaptive traits. Regression analyses indicated that maladaptive perfectionism was positively related, while adaptive perfectionism was negatively related, to anxiety and depression. Adaptive perfectionists reported significantly higher levels of teacher support than maladaptive perfectionists and nonperfectionists and higher levels of classmate support than nonperfectionists. In addition, classmate support for girls and boys, and teacher support for boys, were found to buffer the relation between maladaptive perfectionism and anxiety and depression. Future research should examine social support and perfectionism and how to best provide support to maladaptive perfectionists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A year after the earthquake in Sichuan, China, a strength-based arts and play support program was launched to promote the well-being of young survivors, and this study was designed to examine its effectiveness. It was hypothesized that participation in the program would have direct positive effects on general self-efficacy and peer support, and that these would mediate the effect of the program on anxiety. One hundred twelve Grade 4 students joined the study, the measures of which included the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Classmate Support Scale, and the Generalized Anxiety subscale in the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale. The results showed that participation in the program was associated with increased general self-efficacy and peer support, which lowered anxiety, although the relationship was not statistically significant. This study has provided insights for the development of a culturally sound arts and play program for young disaster victims in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with chronological age, criminologists have paid less attention to the biological sense of age typically expressed by pubertal development. Studies that have examined pubertal timing's effects on delinquency have almost exclusively been conducted in Western countries using mostly White samples. To our knowledge, no study has ever examined this issue in the Asian context. The current study is the first attempt to bridge this research gap by examining the association among menarcheal timing, the sex composition of schools, and delinquency in a representative sample of 1,108 ninth-grade girls in South Korea. The results show that significant association between early menarche and delinquency exists only in mixed-sex schools but not in all-girls schools. In addition, the significant linkage between early menarche and delinquency in mixed-sex schools is mediated by delinquent peer associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effectiveness of a life skills program to impede tobacco use in early adolescence was scrutinized. The focus was on the mediating role of yielding to peer pressure. The universal school-based life skills program IPSY (Information + Psychosocial Competence = Protection) against adolescent substance use was implemented over 3 years. Over the same time period, it was evaluated based on a longitudinal quasi-experimental design with an intervention and comparison group (4 measurement points; N = 1,657 German students, age 10 at T1). By applying a growth curve modeling approach, we found that participation in IPSY compared with non-participation predicted a slower increase in tobacco use over time, suggesting a significant intervention effect. Moreover, a parallel growth curve model revealed that less yielding to peer pressure induced by IPSY mediated the program effects on tobacco use over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the effects of teacher attunement to victimization on student perceptions of the bullying culture of their schools as a means of fostering a sense of belonging among early adolescents. Participants (n = 1,264) in sixth grade reported on the frequency that they had been bullied, and teachers were asked to report students who were “picked on.” Teacher attunement represented the correspondence between self-identified and teacher-identified victims. Attunement at the beginning of the school year was related to positive changes in student reports that their peers would intervene in bullying; in turn, sense of belonging was greater when students perceived that their peers would intervene in bullying. Teacher attunement was indirectly related to greater belonging through its impact on student perceptions of the bullying context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth readers navigate complex school contexts involving not only different classes, teachers, and texts but also various institutional processes, such as tracking and reading assessment. Yet little research has examined how or why adolescents’ literacy skills vary as youths interact with these myriad contexts across space and time. During this year-long study, I shadowed eight ninth graders identified as struggling readers across content classes. Data sources included 425 hours of observations, 64 interviews, assessments, and school records and artifacts. Analysis showed that participants’ interactions with interrelated institutional contexts for reading intervention and school discipline tended to position students as deficient readers and deviant youths regardless, sometimes, of engaged, skillful reading. Findings have implications for the reconstruction of secondary literacy contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood obesity continues to be a major concern in the United States, warranting a comprehensive approach. However, the majority of research studies continue to neglect the influence of peers on dietary behaviors. The present descriptive study aimed to provide information about the ways peers directly shape dietary choices via food exchanges (i.e., sharing, trading, and stealing). Peer food exchanges were examined through daily observations in a sample of 76 fifth-graders. Peer food exchanges occurred among students, in particular, those who brought packed lunch engaged in more sharing exchanges. Obese students engaged in an increased amount of interactions in which they gained food from peers. Findings suggest that students are not always eating what their parents packed for them or the school lunch provides. Future intervention efforts should consider the role that peers play in shaping youth’s dietary behavior through a peer food market economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a growing body of research on data use in education, there has been relatively little focus on the role of students. This article begins to fill this gap by exploring teacher and administrator reports on engaging students in data use at six middle schools. Even though teachers expressed a belief that involving students in data use would motivate students, they often enacted potentially demotivating, performance-oriented classroom structures: sharing data publically, comparing results with others, focusing on status, and providing limited feedback/support on how to close gaps in knowledge. School and district conditions and accountability policies shaped these classroom practices. In some cases, these contextual factors pressed teachers to focus on performance; in others, it buffered them, allowing for a greater emphasis on individual student learning. The authors contribute a theoretically driven, motivational perspective on data use and a cautionary tale of the “trickle-down” effects of accountability policy on students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In concert with policy trends, theory and research on the ways in which school context affects student outcomes have focused almost exclusively on academic achievement in recent years. Given the fundamental role that schools should play in civic education, and the potential for schools to affect civic equality, more empirical and theoretical research is warranted to help predict and explain how schools affect civic outcomes. The author outlines the ways in which schools act as civic institutions and analyzes how theories of school effects might be applied to hypotheses regarding youth civic behavior and attitudes. The author provides two examples of mechanisms that provide unique pathways to civic learning in schools – student diversity and the existence of a micro-political environment – and discusses the consequences of the unequal distribution of civic opportunities in schools. She concludes with a discussion of the challenges for empirical research on the civic effects of schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescents typically like school less after making age-graded school transitions. Stage-environment fit theory (Eccles & Midgley, 1989) attributes this to a mismatch between developmental needs and new school environments. Our in vivo study provides a basis for future quantitative designs by uncovering the most prevalent stage-environment interactions in adolescents’ descriptions about school. Across one school year, adolescents discussed their emotional and motivational engagement. Emotional engagement (i.e., liking) was mainly based on adolescents’ emotions interacting with their daily experiences of teachers, peers, and lessons. In comparison, motivational engagement (i.e., value) was attributed to distal interactions between the self-concept and school as a gateway to friendships and a career. Because unique stage-environment interactions occurred for each engagement type and adolescents felt simultaneously engaged and disengaged, we recommend finer grained analyses of measured engagement. Finally, we argue for discerning time periods of preparing for, encountering, and adapting to new environments in stage-environment fit models, in our proposed model of transition phase psychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of the present study was to examine state levels of loneliness in adolescence. Both concurrent associations and temporal dynamics between social contexts and state levels of loneliness were examined. Data were collected from 286 adolescents (Mage = 14.19 years, 59% girls) by using the Experience Sampling Method. Results showed that adolescents had higher levels of state loneliness when they were alone, compared with being with company. When adolescents were with others, they were most lonely at school and with classmates. Adolescents showed a relief effect when they entered the company of friends after being alone, whereas a spillover effect of solitude was found when adolescents entered the company of family after being alone. Our findings show the dynamics of state loneliness, in that being with classmates increases state loneliness, whereas being with friends reduces loneliness after being alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future time perspective (FTP) has been associated with positive outcomes in adolescents’ development across different contexts. However, the extent to which FTP influences adaptation needs additional understanding. In this study, we analysed the relationship between FTP and adolescents’ behavior in school, as expressed in several indicators of achievement, social integration, and overall satisfaction. We also considered the mediating role of FTP in the association between socioeconomic status, defined by parental education, and adolescents’ behavior in school. The sample consisted of 349 Portuguese adolescents, ranging in age from 14- to 18-years-old. We used a self-report measure of FTP and a school life survey. Regression analyses and bootstrapping procedures revealed that FTP was a significant predictor of school adaptation and a mediator of parental education influence on several adaptation variables. We discussed the results regarding the broader role of FTP in adaptive behavior as well as the importance of school counseling services aimed at fostering adolescents’ FTP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to examine how high school locale moderates the association between same-sex sexuality (SSS) and postsecondary outcomes, including four-year college enrollment and four-year degree completion. Our results suggest that the link between same-sex sexuality and college completion is complex, varying by gender, high school locale, and the timing of same-sex sexuality. We find that sexual minority men who attended a rural high school enroll in and complete college at higher rates than their heterosexual peers, although this varies by the timing of same-sex sexuality. Sexual minority women are less likely than heterosexual women to enroll in and complete college, and high school locale does not moderate this association. We discuss these gender differences and the role of high school locale in shaping both high school and college outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the systematic observation in the educational setting of early adolescents, the discussion on strengths and drawbacks of the methodology, and the address on issues. Topics mentioned include the presenting of empirical articles that address the using of observation in research methodology, the issues addressed are related to relicability and rigor, and the impact of application in the educational setting.

This special issue highlights recent research on measures of early adolescents’ development and the school contexts in which they spend their time. We are particularly interested in measures with direct application—providing actionable data to teachers, principals, parents, school counselors, or the students themselves, in ways that promote social-emotional and academic learning. In this introduction, we highlight the ways in which articles in this special issue offer rigorous, relevant, and feasible approaches to this measurement work and discuss future directions for research and practice in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Valid measurement of how students’ experiences in secondary school classrooms lead to gains in learning requires a developmental approach to conceptualizing classroom processes. This article presents a potentially useful theoretical model, the Teaching Through Interactions framework, which posits teacher-student interactions as a central driver for student learning and that teacher-student interactions can be organized into three major domains. Results from 1,482 classrooms provide evidence for distinct emotional, organizational, and instructional domains of teacher-student interaction. It also appears that a three-factor structure is a better fit to observational data than alternative one- and two-domain models of teacher-student classroom interactions, and that the three-domain structure is generalizable from 6th through 12th grade. Implications for practitioners, stakeholders, and researchers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study was to examine links between observed social participation in the schoolyard and indices of socio-emotional functioning in early adolescence. Participants were children (N = 290) aged 9 to 12 years. Social participation (e.g., solitary play, dyadic interaction, group interaction) was assessed in the schoolyard during recess and lunch using behavioral observations. Measures of perceptions of peer difficulties (e.g., perceived peer relations, loneliness) and internalizing problems (e.g., social anxiety, depression) were provided via maternal ratings and child self-reports. Results from cluster analyses revealed several subgroups of children characterized by distinct patterns of social participation. The groups also differed in terms of their socio-emotional functioning. For example, nonsocial children (who displayed the most frequent solitary activities) reported the highest levels of internalizing problems and more peer difficulties. Results are discussed in terms of the utility of observed social participation behaviors as marker variables for socio-emotional difficulties in early adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]