A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Center for Research on the Education of Disadvantaged Students (CDS)

Project #7120: Survey Analyses of Effective Middle Grades and High Schools for Disadvantaged Students

Project Description: Survey Analyses of Effective Middle Grades and High Schools for Disadvantaged Students is working with NCES data sets to study the components of effective schools for disadvantaged students. Analyses include effective practices for disadvantaged middle grade students, patterns of progress and performance of disadvantaged students, high school programs for dropout prevention and recovery, and trends and outcomes of retention practices in middle and high schools.

The Center has gained access to and entered major national data sets into its computer files, identified key variables, prepared the data sets for use in analysis, and concluded analyses on various topics (many in conjunction with work in Project 2.1). Current analyses are proceeding on how middle school tracking structures affect the course and track placements of disadvantaged students in high school.

Project Director: Mac Iver, Douglas

Institution: Johns Hopkins University

List of Selected Publications

Statement of Finding(s): Most disadvantaged middle grades schools provide fewer resources and opportunities in curriculum and instruction to their students, but some do provide opportunities and some use effective practices.

Description of Finding(s): The findings include: (1) Schools that serve disadvantaged students are less likely than other schools to offer a rich array of exploratory or mini-courses or extracurricular activities for all students, but are as likely as other schools to use certain responsive practices in the middle grades (i.e., cooperative learning, interdisciplinary teaming, and group advisory periods). (2) Schools that serve disadvantaged young adolescents are as likely as other schools to offer their students substantial instruction in basic academic subjects but are less likely to offer extensive remedial programs, advanced courses, or instructional methods that promote active or higher order learning. (3) Middle grades schools that contain a high proportion of minority students, regardless of their students' overall level of disadvantage on achievement and economic-related risk factors, are less likely to offer instruction for active learning, higher order thinking, or enriched electives.

Analyses revealed alterable school and classroom organization and instructional approaches that increase "advantaged outcomes," such as more positive attitudes about school, improved achievement and report card grades, higher self-esteem and aspirations, and other characteristics of successful students.

Extended analyses of NELS:88 data on curriculum and instruction were conducted of the impact of advanced content in math on math achievement and the impact of rich instructional practices on achievement in four subjects. Analyses generally show that many middle grades schools do not offer students advanced academic courses or rich instructional approaches to develop higher level skills. But analyses of these survey data show that opportunities to learn in advanced math courses increase students' math achievements and positive attitudes toward math, and opportunities to learn through frequent experiences with high-level instructional approaches in four major academic subjects produces higher achievements and more positive attitudes. These findings emphasize the need for greater equity in access to advanced curriculum offerings and to rich and challenging instructional approaches for advantaged and disadvantaged students.

Analyses also find that middle schools that offer students the opportunity to take a second period of math or reading during the regular school day instead of other electives show significant gains in standardized test scores in both reading and math. But only 17 percent of schools in a national representative survey use this approach, and schools with large numbers of disadvantaged students were the least likely to use it. Saturday and summer remedial classes, which also provide students with extra instruction, were also found to help at-risk students.

Are data from the study available? Yes

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