Research tracks early signs of college and career success |
On Board Online • December 16, 2013
By Gayle Simidian
Research Analyst
How soon can schools begin to tell whether students are on track to succeed in college and the workplace? That question has been studied by the American Institutes for Research (AIR), a non-partisan social science think tank.
How about kindergarten? The researchers could not find any measureable “indicators” for kindergartners’ college and career achievement in kindergarten-aged or younger children. But more squishy “predictors” of later academic success were documented, such as participation in pre-school education. The researchers also identified a third category of “other potential factors” such as being able to self-regulate one’s emotions and showing persistence.
The more positive factors, the better, according to “Predictors of Postsecondary Success,” a new report by AIR’s College & Career Readiness & Success Center.
The center, which is supported by the U.S. Department of Education, reviewed 80 studies published in the last decade. It concluded that focusing on certain skills and attributes in very young students can help teachers and administrators target resources to these areas to promote future success, according to the report.
Birth to kindergarten
The study noted the work of Elizabeth Hair, senior research scientist at the University of Chicago, who has lead the development of profiling incoming kindergarteners and assessing which students fit into one of two “risk profiles.”
Playing well with peers and seeing tasks through to their completion are among other potential factors corresponding to educational readiness. Such attributes, coupled with having a strong memory, correspond to achievement in math and literacy through fifth grade, said the report.
Elementary school
The study cited the Social Skills Rating System developed by Christine Malecki of Northern Illinois University and Steven Elliott of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. That tool collects views not only from teachers but also parents and students and assesses “cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy and self-control.”
Research also suggests the importance of grasping literacy before third grade and an absenteeism rate less than 10 percent for students in grades K-3. Strong social skills are also shown to correspond with later academic success including social competence, an awareness of others’ perspectives and ability to get along with others.
Middle school
Research has identified several indicators of high school academic success for middle school students, including high attendance rates (less than 20 percent absenteeism), successful ELA and math course completion in grades 5 and 6, and, starting in eighth grade, “scoring at or above 292 on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in mathematics.”
Predictors of success for this age group include attaining “benchmark scores” on assessments like the Grit Scale, which was developed by Angela Lee Duckworth and Patrick Quinn of the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Psychology. A high score on the Grit Scale demonstrates the “ability to continue the pursuit of academic goals despite uncertainty, risk of failure, or feelings of frustration.” Additional potential factors of success in middle school, says the report, include critical thinking and strong social and emotional learning skills.
High school
The primary indicators of college and career success for high school students include “attendance, GPA, and test scores,” according to the report. Graduation rates correlate with less than 10 percent absenteeism per grade, says the research. In addition, a GPA of 3.0 or greater or successful completion of secondary exit exams predict achievement in beginner college courses. Successful completion of Algebra I and II in eighth and ninth grade, respectively, is related to lack of need for college remedial courses. Achievement in the first couple of years of college is also related to getting a score of 3 or above on Advanced Placement courses, says the research.
Summer college transition programs also help promote college success. In addition, a predictor of high school and college success includes low-mobility. Other potential factors of later success in both academics and the workforce for this age group include strong social and emotional skills. According to the report, SEL characteristics “are valuable to prospective employers and have been included in numerous work standards, suggesting that those who exhibit these skills may have an increased likelihood of becoming employed.”
While the report highlights several skills and attributes associated with academic and/or workplace success, the authors note some limitations in the research. For example, research on special education students is sparse, so more research in this area is needed. Also, this report discusses factors that correlate with academic and/or workplace success but don’t cause that success.
The authors recommend that school administrators use the predictors of success to assist with prevention efforts for students at-risk of academic failure. To view the report, go to http://www.ccrscenter.org/products-resources/predictors-postsecondary-success.