Patterns of Middle School Adjustment and Ninth Grade Adaptation of Rural African American Youth: Grades and Substance Use

• NCJ Number: 218638
• Journal: Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 36 Issue: 4 Dated: May 2007 Pages: 477-487
• Author(s): David B. Estell; Thomas W. Farmer; Matthew J. Irvin; Jana H. Thompson; Bryan C. Hutchins; Erin M. McDonough
• Date Published: May 2007
• Length: 11 pages
• Grant Number(s): I81CCU416369; R49CC419824; R305A04056
• Sponsoring Agency: National Ctr for Education Statistics; Ctr's for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study investigated patterns of middle school adjustment and the transition to high school among 447 African-American adolescents from 2 rural counties in the deep South, using academic grades and substance use as indicators of adjustment.

Abstract

The results indicated that academic and social functioning during middle school were associated with ninth grade academic grades and self-reported substance use among rural African-American youth. Youths exhibiting middle school and transition patterns marked by low aggression, high popularity, and high academic functioning were more likely to have high grades during their freshman years in high school. However, the pathways that predicted grades were not the same pathways that predicted substance use among participants. Findings indicated that high social status combined with disruptive behavior was related to substance use, possibly suggesting that substance use among marginalized African-American youth might be more a function of social influences on popular but deviant youth and have less to do with self-medication among those struggling in all areas of school functioning. The findings suggest that intervention programming should begin early in youths’ academic careers to promote the positive adjustment of at-risk youth during the middle school years. Future research should continue to explore the relationship between patterns of middle school adjustment and high school outcomes. Data were drawn from a longitudinal study of the developmental pathways of rural African-American adolescents. The current analysis drew on annual teacher assessments, school grades, and participant self-report data. The 447 African-American adolescent participants were recruited from 2 rural counties in the deep South consistently identified as among the poorest in the South. Cluster analysis was used to analyze the data. Tables, references