| Xin Ma
University of Alberta
A longitudinal assessment of early acceleration of students in mathematics
FINAL REPORT:
Study 1: A longitudinal assessment of early acceleration of students in mathematics on growth in mathematics achievement.
Early acceleration of students in mathematics has been a controversial educational practice for decades. To evaluate this educational practice, this study examined the rate of growth in mathematics achievement of accelerated gifted, honors, and regular students across the entire secondary years (Grades 7 to 12), using data from the Longitudinal Study of American Youth (LSAY). Hierarchical linear models (HLM) were used to examine how students grew in achievement once they were accelerated in contrast to those non-accelerated. Results show that early acceleration created little advantage in achievement among gifted students, small advantage among honors students, but large advantage among regular students. Early acceleration created gender and racial-ethnic differences in achievement of gifted and honors but not regular students. Early acceleration, however, consistently promoted socioeconomic equity in achievement. Schools played a critical role in early acceleration. School context affected accelerated gifted and honors but not regular students. School climate showed more impacts on non-accelerated than accelerated students, and had little influence on gifted students but more influence on honors and regular students.
Study 2: A longitudinal assessment of early acceleration of students in mathematics on growth in self-esteem.
The Longitudinal Study of American Youth (LSAY) database was employed to examine the educational practice of early acceleration of students in mathematics on the development of their self-esteem across the entire secondary grade levels. Students were classified into three different academic categories (gifted, honors, and regular). Results of hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) indicated that, in terms of the development of their self-esteem, gifted students benefited from early acceleration, honors students did not benefit, and regular students were harmed from early acceleration. For honors and regular students accelerated, their rate of growth in self-esteem depended on their initial status in self-esteem. Early acceleration in mathematics promoted a significant growth in self-esteem of gifted male students and minority students. When students were accelerated, schools showed similar average growth in self-esteem among gifted students, a small effect of principal leadership on the average growth in self-esteem among honors students, and a large effect of computer-student ratio in mathematics (mirroring material conditions of mathematics education in a school) and a small effect of staff cooperation on the average growth in self-esteem among regular students.
Study 3: Effects of early acceleration of student in mathematics on attitude and anxiety toward mathematics: The developmental perspective.
This study aimed to examine the effects of early acceleration of students in mathematics on the development of their attitude and anxiety toward mathematics across junior and senior high school. Using data from the Longitudinal Study of American Youth (LSAY), students were classified into gifted, honors, and regular students. Results of hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) showed that, as far as the development of their attitude and anxiety are concerned, early acceleration in mathematics was appropriate for gifted and honors students, but not for regular students. In comparison to accelerated honors and regular students, the rate of change in attitude and anxiety of accelerated gifted students depended more heavily on their initial status in attitude and anxiety. Minority students benefited from early acceleration in mathematics at the student level, and computer-student ratio in mathematics, principal leadership, and mathematics homework were major mediating factors at the school level.
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