Identifying the Specific Dimensions of Instructional Support that Predict Academic Achievement Anthony A. Asti, Stacy R. Grossman & Carroll E. Izard Department of Psychology, University of Delaware Background Central Hypotheses Method Discussion Previous research has identified instructional support as a predictor of academic achievement. No relationship was found in the current study between instructional support or its dimensions in preschool and the three areas of academic achievement in kindergarten. Possible Explanations Instructional support may only have a concurrent effect on academic achievement. In the current study, academic achievement was measured in the spring of kindergarten, a year after instructional support. Instructional support may be less important and less prominent in preschool years. Some research suggests that instructional support may actually be harmful for preschool children with behavior problems. Perhaps all three dimensions of instructional support work in concert together to predict academic achievement. Future Studies Investigate relationship between dimensions of instructional support and academic achievement concurrently and in older students. A more accurate representation of academic achievement may be obtained if the entire WIAT-III battery is administered. Procedure Participants The Importance of Academic Achievement Results Instructional Support N = 84 children from 7 Head Start centers Children’s age in preschool: 4.20 to 5.17 years (M = 4.73; SD = 0.29) 61.9% African American, 32.1% Hispanic or Latino 59.5% males Do the component dimensions of instructional support uniquely predict students’ academic achievement? 1.Concept Development will most strongly predict academic achievement in mathematics. 2.Quality of Feedback will most strongly predict academic achievement in spelling. 3.Language Modeling will most strongly predict academic achievement in reading. Previous research suggests that academic achievement and high school graduation are highly predictive of future employment, better health, and less delinquency. Risk of school failure is often found to be highest in low-income communities. It is important to identify targets for intervention to promote academic achievement. Instructional support is a broad domain measured by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System. Research suggests that instructional support is a moderator of the relationship between risk variables and academic achievement. Instructional support is comprised of 3 dimensions: Concept Development is a measure of the teacher’s use of instructional techniques that foster deeper understanding. Quality of Feedback is a measure of the teacher’s use of conversation to encourage participation and understanding. Language Modeling is a measure of the quality and frequency of the teacher’s use of language to enhance students’ language use. Understanding the relationship among the individual dimensions and different areas of academic achievement can strengthen interventions. Instructional support was measured using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System in the spring of the preschool year. Concept Development Quality of Feedback Language Modeling Academic achievement was measured using the WIAT-III the following spring of the kindergarten year. Early reading skills, spelling, and numerical operations Variable Concept Development Quality of Feedback Language Modeling Instructional Support Reading Spelling Math Intercorrelations among study variables References Bierman, K.L., Domitrovich, C.E., Nix, R.L., Gest, S.D., Welsh, J.A., Greenberg, M.T., Blair, C., Nelson, K.E., & Gill, S. (2008). Promoting academic and social-emotional school readiness: The Head Start REDI Program. Child Development, 79(6), Curby, T.W., LoCastle-Crouch, J., Konold, T.R., Pianta, R.C., Howes, C., Burchinal, M., Bryant, D., Clifford, R., Early, D., & Barbarin, O. (2009). The relations of observed pre-k classroom quality profiles to children’s achievement and social competence. Early Education & Development, 20(2), Dominguez, X., Vitiello, V.E., Fucillo, J.M., Greenfield, D.B., & Bulotsky-Shearer, R.J. (2011). The role of context in preschool learning: A multilevel examination of the contribution of context-specific problem behaviors and classroom process quality to low-income children’s approaches to learning. Journal of School Psychology, 49(2), Hamre, B.K. & Pianta, R.C. (2005). Can instructional and emotional support in the first-grade classroom make a difference for children at risk of school failure? Child Development, 76(5), Pianta, R.C., La Paro, K.M., & Hamre, B.K. (2006). CLASS: Classroom assessment scoring system: Manual. Preschool Version. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia.