Pathways to Resilience III: Beyond Nature vs. Nurture

Abstract #297
Resilience Among Low-Income, Ethnically Diverse Children: Early Predictors of Later Academic Success in Elementary School Students
Presenter: Jameela Conway-Turner Co - Presenters: Tanya Tavassolie, Adam Winsler
Abstract:
Resilience is defined as academic/social competency despite experiencing significant challenges (Masten & Coatsworth, 1998). Using public school records of child ethnicity, gender, receipt of free/reduced lunch, language at home, and parent report of marital status and education, we examine longitudinal predictors of academic resilience (receiving ≥ B average and passing standardized tests) using data from the Miami School Readiness Project. This sample includes 28,138 children (59.1% Hispanic, 33.5% Black; 57% ELL; 79% receiving free/reduced lunch) who completed third-grade after attending subsidized childcare and/or public school pre-K and receiving school readiness assessments in pre-K. Resilient students (~60% of sample) were less likely to be in poverty and more likely to be native English speakers, White, female, and from two-parent households with more educated parents. Selecting only those in poverty in K, logistic regression analyses found children’s social-emotional strengths at age four significantly predicted third-grade academic achievement. Additional analyses will investigate whether relations between social-emotional strengths and later academic achievement are different for different ethnic groups. Although numerous risk-factors decrease the likelihood of academic excellence, many children in poverty overcome such challenges and do well academically. Early social-emotional skills serve as an important protective factor for children experiencing early economic adversity.