The objective of this research is to explore how school transitions that occur early in the life course affect students'socio-emotional well-being (i.e., psychological functioning and social relationships) and health behaviors, and how disruptions in these domains affect later educational performance. My research will use a sequential mixed-methods design, with an initial quantitative component informing subsequent qualitative inquiry. The quantitative research will draw on three national, longitudinal data sets targeting different stages of the early life course: the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort for the transition to full- time schooling, the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development for the transition to middle school, and the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health for the transition to high school. Using these datasets, I will address three specific aims: 1) determine racial/ethnic differences in students'socio- emotional well-being and health behaviors across each school transition, 2) identify the school contexts in which disruptions in socio-emotional well-being and health factors-and racial/ethnic differences in these disruptions- are most and least pronounced, and 3) assess how disruptions in socio-emotional well-being and health behaviors during school transitions affect racial/ethnic differences in later educational performance. I will use a number of quantitative analysis techniques (repeated measures, propensity scoring, linear regression, structural equation modeling) to examine transition experiences, the moderating influence of race/ethnicity and school context, and the relationship of transition experiences to distal educational outcomes. Quantitative results will inform the development of a qualitative interview protocol to be used with a diverse sample of 40 students. This qualitative research seeks to identify the specific psychosocial mechanisms by which school transitions can be disruptive to socio-emotional and health functioning for different race/ethnic groups, focusing particularly on differential effects of school transitions for each racial/ethnic group. This research will expand our understanding of how school transitions affect students beyond the well-documented academic challenges.

Public Health Relevance

The expectation is that school transitions will disrupt students'socio-emotional well-being and their health behaviors, and these disruptions will be most pronounced among certain race/ethnic groups. Such research will highlight critical intervention points in students'educational careers and identify specific tools for policy intervention as a way of addressing well-documented racial/ethnic differences in educational attainment that underlie corresponding disparities in income, wealth, fertility, and mortality in the U.S.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F32)
Project #
5F32HD056732-03
Application #
7913091
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-F11-K (20))
Program Officer
King, Rosalind B
Project Start
2008-08-01
Project End
2011-07-31
Budget Start
2010-08-01
Budget End
2011-07-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2010
Total Cost
$52,154
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Texas Austin
Department
Social Sciences
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
170230239
City
Austin
State
TX
Country
United States
Zip Code
78712
Benner, Aprile D; Thornton, Anna; Crosnoe, Robert (2017) Children's exposure to sustainability practices during the transition from preschool into school and their learning and socioemotional development. Appl Dev Sci 21:121-134
Crosnoe, Robert; Purtell, Kelly M; Davis-Kean, Pamela et al. (2016) The selection of children from low-income families into preschool. Dev Psychol 52:599-612
Crosnoe, Robert; Benner, Aprile D; Davis-Kean, Pamela (2016) Preschool Enrollment, Classroom Instruction, Elementary School Context, and the Reading Achievement of Children from Low-Income Families. Res Sociol Educ 19:19-47
Benner, Aprile D; Graham, Sandra (2013) The antecedents and consequences of racial/ethnic discrimination during adolescence: does the source of discrimination matter? Dev Psychol 49:1602-13
Crosnoe, Robert; Benner, Aprile D; Schneider, Barbara (2012) Drinking, socioemotional functioning, and academic progress in secondary school. J Health Soc Behav 53:150-64
Benner, Aprile D (2011) The Transition to High School: Current Knowledge, Future Directions. Educ Psychol Rev 23:299-328
Benner, Aprile D (2011) Latino adolescents' loneliness, academic performance, and the buffering nature of friendships. J Youth Adolesc 40:556-67
Benner, Aprile D; Crosnoe, Robert (2011) The Racial/Ethnic Composition of Elementary Schools and Young Children's Academic and Socioemotional Functioning. Am Educ Res J 48:621-646
Benner, Aprile D; Graham, Sandra (2011) Latino adolescents' experiences of discrimination across the first 2 years of high school: correlates and influences on educational outcomes. Child Dev 82:508-19
Benner, Aprile D; Kim, Su Yeong (2009) Experiences of discrimination among Chinese American adolescents and the consequences for socioemotional and academic development. Dev Psychol 45:1682-94