Cognitive And Behavioral Consequences Of Mobility For Fifth-grade Students In A Large Metropolitan School District

Abstract

School mobility increases the likelihood that students will experience low academic achievement, more discipline infractions, absenteeism, grade retention, and a higher propensity to drop out of high school compared to students who are nonmobile. The purpose of this quantitative ex post facto study was to examine the cognitive and behavioral implications of mobility on a group of fifth-grade students. A nonexperimental, quantitative, ex post research design was used to collect and analyze data to answer five research questions that guided the study. Archival school and state data were collected, as well as College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) scores from 2012 and 2013 for 35 elementary schools in one school district. The researcher selected 2,195 fifth-grade students to participate in the study, with 450 students selected as the sample.

The results from the study suggested that there were no statistically significant differences in the CRCT mathematics scores of mobile and nonmobile fifth grades. Moreover, findings indicated that there were no statistically significant differences in the CRCT reading and mathematics scores of mobile fifth-grade students who transferred to either a low-performing or high-performing school. Results also showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the number of discipline referrals and the number of days of out-of-school suspension of mobile and nonmobile fifth-grade students. However, there were significant differences found in the CRCT reading scores and grade-point averages of mobile and nonmobile fifth-grade students. Also, findings suggested that there were significant differences in the CRCT reading and mathematics scores of mobile fifth-grade students who transferred to either a low-performing or high performing school. Lastly, findings indicated significant differences in the number of days absent and the number of days tardy of mobile and nonmobile students. Due to the limitations of the study and findings from the analysis of data, the researcher suggested a qualitative study for future research.