Exploratory Analyses of the Long-Term Effects of Improving Behavior, Attendance, and Educational Achievement in Grades 1-6 and 8-12. ACT Research Report Series, 2012 (3)

We studied relationships among background characteristics, behavioral infractions, punishments, attendance, and educational achievement, using longitudinal data of students in grades 1-6 and 8-12. We estimated how much hypothesized early improvements in educational achievement or sustained improvements in behavior and attendance might ultimately increase educational achievement in grades 6 and 12. We also calculated similar estimates for increasing the rate of promotion from grade 1 to grade 2. Reducing infractions and punishments to zero and days absent to the average observed level in grades 1-6 would increase the percentage of students attaining proficiency on sixth-grade achievement tests by approximately 3% in literacy and 4% in mathematics. For purposes of comparison, increasing first-grade educational achievement by 0.1 SD would increase proficiency rates in grade 6 by approximately 2% in either area. For students in grades 8-12, the outcome variable was attainment of all four ACT College Readiness Benchmarks, which are indicators of students' readiness to take typical first-year college courses. Reducing infractions and punishments to zero and days absent to average levels would increase attainment of the Benchmarks by about 2%. Increasing eighth-grade achievement by 0.1 SD would increase attainment of the Benchmarks by approximately 3%. As measured by average changes in scale scores, our results indicate that the benefits of improved prior achievement substantially fade with time. For example, a 0.1 SD increase in grade 1 literacy score corresponds to an expected increase of less than 0.04 SD in grade 6 literacy score. To endure over time, therefore, the benefits of improved prior achievement must be enhanced by sustained interventions (in this study, on behavior and attendance). Appended are: (1) Variables in the Study; (2) Summary of Variables, by Analysis File; (3) Prediction of Infractions, Punishments, Attendance, and Achievement in g1-g6 (Parsimonious models; p less than 0.01); and (4) Prediction of Infractions, Punishments, Attendance, and Achievement in g8-g12 (Parsimonious models; p less than 0.01). (Contains 8 tables, 7 figures, and 11 footnotes.)