Relative Age Effects on Measures of Potential and Access to Appropriate Instruction

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 4
  In Poster Session: Assessing and Promoting Student Achievement in Schools

Abstract

Relative age effects (RAE) are present when a student’s age as compared to his/her classmates has implications for performance. Because assessments are used to identify students’ instructional needs, RAEs could influence student access to appropriate instruction. We used the ECLS-K:2011 to analyze relative age effects on measures of potential. We integrated an instrumental variable into an autoregressive cross-lagged framework to model RAEs on students’ achievement, teacher ratings of students’ academic performance, and teacher ratings of students’ learning behaviors. We identified attenuation in the direct effects on students’ achievement and teacher ratings of learning behaviors, a decrease in total effect on student achievement by the end of third grade, and a sustained total effect on both teacher ratings through third grade.

Authors

• Rebecca O'Brien, Whitworth University

• D. Betsy Mccoach, University of Connecticut

• Catherine A. Little, University of Connecticut