Assessment Report Roundup

Student Mobility

By Sarah D. Sparks — October 13, 2015 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Changing schools often in the earliest grades puts students at a significant risk of poor math performance and critical-thinking skills in upper elementary school, according to a new study in the journal Developmental Psychology.

New York University researchers tracked 381 low-income, predominantly ethnic-minority students participating in the Chicago School Readiness Project from the time they were in Head Start preschools through 4th grade. They found that only 54 children, or 14 percent, remained in the same school throughout this time, while 86 percent, or 327 students, changed schools at least once. Forty children switched schools three or more times during the study.

The more often students changed schools in their early years, the worse they performed on both 4th grade standardized mathematics tests and 3rd-grade teacher observations of the students’ critical-thinking skills, even after controlling for the students’ initial cognitive skills.

A version of this article appeared in the October 14, 2015 edition of Education Week as Student Mobility

Events

School Climate & Safety Webinar Engaging Every Student: How to Address Absenteeism and Build Belonging
Gain valuable insights and practical solutions to address absenteeism and build a more welcoming and supportive school environment.
Student Well-Being K-12 Essentials Forum Social-Emotional Learning 2025: Examining Priorities and Practices
Join this free virtual event to learn about SEL strategies, skills, and to hear from experts on the use and expansion of SEL programs.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Inside PLCs: Proven Strategies from K-12 Leaders
Join an expert panel to explore strategies for building collaborative PLCs, overcoming common challenges, and using data effectively.
Content provided by Otus

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Assessment Why the Pioneers of High School Exit Exams Are Rolling Them Back
Massachusetts is doing away with a decades-old graduation requirement. What will take its place?
7 min read
Close up of student holding a pencil and filling in answer sheet on a bubble test.
iStock/Getty
Assessment Massachusetts Voters Poised to Ditch High School Exit Exam
The support for nixing the testing requirement could foreshadow public opinion on state standardized testing in general.
3 min read
Tight cropped photograph of a bubble sheet test with  a pencil.
E+
Assessment This School Didn't Like Traditional Grades. So It Created Its Own System
Principals at this middle school said the transition to the new system took patience and time.
6 min read
Close-up of a teacher's hands grading papers in the classroom.
E+/Getty
Assessment Opinion 'Academic Rigor Is in Decline.' A College Professor Reflects on AP Scores
The College Board’s new tack on AP scoring means fewer students are prepared for college.
4 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week