Variation in the Effect of Mobility on Achievement: Reasons for School Changes

• In Event: Poster Session 4
  In Poster Session: Poster Fair A: Examining Student Outcomes

Abstract

Mobility, or students making unscheduled transfers between schools, is generally shown to have a negative effect on academic achievement. However, some types of moves may be beneficial. Research that fully explores the diverse reasons for mobility is lacking, so we do not fully understand which moves have a negative impact and which have neutral or even positive effects. This study of the complete school histories of nearly 7,000 fifth, eighth, and twelfth graders in a mid-Atlantic state will use appropriate cross-classified multiple membership growth curve modeling to examine the effects of mobility on students’ academic growth, and the variation in these effects due to the full spectrum of reasons for school changes.

Author

• Bess A. Rose, Johns Hopkins University