Effects of Neighborhood Socioeconomic Characteristics and Class Composition on Highly Competent Children

• Published in: The Journal of educational research (Washington, D.C.) D.C.), 2004-11, Vol.98 (2), p.109-114
• Main Authors: Maggi, Stefania, Hertzman, Clyde, Kohen, Dafina, D'angiulli, Amedeo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic achievement; At risk youth; Biological and medical sciences; British Columbia; British Columbia (Vancouver); Child development; Children & youth; Class size; Classrooms; Cognitive development; conditions preventing development of learning potential; Educational Practices; Educational psychology; Elementary education; Elementary school students; Family Environment; Foreign Countries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gifted children; Grade 1; Grade 4; Grades (Scholastic); highly competent children; Impact analysis; Kindergarten; Kindergarten education; Kindergarten students; Language Acquisition; Learning; Learning disabilities; Neighborhood; Neighborhood schools; Neighborhoods; Numeracy; Preschool education; Preschool Teachers; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Pupil and student. Academic achievement and failure; Reading; School districts; School environment; Social classes; Socioeconomic factors; Socioeconomic Status; Socioeconomics; students in kindergarten and Grades 4 and 7; Teachers; Young Children; Youths at risk
• ISSN: 0022-0671; 1940-0675
• DOI: 10.3200/JOER.98.2.109-114

The conditions that prevent highly competent children from fully developing their learning potential rarely have been addressed. The authors investigated the relationship between neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics, class composition, and changes in the proportion of highly competent children in kindergarten and in Grades 4 and 7. The authors used cross-sectional data from 78 Vancouver, British Columbia, schools to conduct a series of multipleregression analyses. Results show that the proportion of highly competent kindergarten children was correlated weakly with neighborhood socioeconomic status. In contrast, in Grades 4 and 7, the proportion of highly competent kindergarten children was correlated strongly with neighborhood socioeconomic factors. In addition, the proportion of children at risk was strongly and increasingly correlated with the proportion of highly competent children in kindergarten and in Grades 4 and 7.