ERIC Number: ED278145
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1986-Apr
Pages: 26
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Failing Students: Can You Identify Them in Advance?
Lewis, Jack L.
This paper reports on a study conducted to determine the extent to which failing secondary school students can be identified in advance through analysis of student records. The research, conducted in an urban school district, utilized data such as achievement test results, school attendance, and course grades, as well as a survey of sample students and teachers. Study results showed that, despite the availability of large amounts of data and the fact that the analysis did identify some key differences between promoted and nonpromoted students overall, the discriminant analysis procedure was not useful in classifying students as probable failures. Conditions hindering the classification attempt included (1) the overlap of key factors such as attendance and achievement levels, (2) the school policy requiring a student to pass the fourth quarter in a course before passing the course, and (3) the promotion requirement in grades 9 through 11. Implications are that intervention program placement must be done by staff members with more detailed knowledge of student records and reports from teachers. Four tables are included. The appendix includes one page of references, a summary of results of a grade 9 and 10 student survey, and a correlation chart. (IW)
Publication Type: Information Analyses; Speeches/Meeting Papers; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Practitioners
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Note: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (67th, San Francisco, CA, April 16-20, 1986).