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Who Switches Schools? Child-Level Predictors of School Mobility in Middle School Students

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Abstract

It is vital for researchers examining student outcomes of school mobility to understand and control for selection effects—the many ways that students who experience school mobility are different from those who do not switch schools. Using data from a 5-cohort sequential longitudinal study (N = 26,063, 61.2% Latinx, 31.3% Black, 6.7% White/other, and 0.7% Asian/Pacific Islander), we examined characteristics of students who did and did not engage in between-year, non-promotional, within-district moves throughout middle school (6th, 7th, and 8th Grade). Children were directly assessed for school readiness at age 4 and prospective longitudinal public school record data were collected on students through 8th grade. Approximately 19% of the sample moved to a different school at least once during middle school. Multivariate logistic regressions found that with all covariates included in the model, Black and Latinx students, those in poverty, and females were more likely to switch to a different middle school. Conversely, those who attended public school pre-K and those with better behavior at school entry were less likely to switch middle schools. Students who performed better academically back in 5th grade were less likely to switch schools. Researchers attempting to claim that school mobility has adverse effects on students’ academic performance and school completion need to understand and statistically control for these pre-existing differences between movers and non-movers before analyzing student outcomes.

Highlights

  • Examined student characteristics associated with school mobility in middle school, where almost 20% of students moved schools between 6th, 7th, and 8th grade.

  • Black and Latinx students, those in poverty, and females were more likely to switch middle schools.

  • Students who switched middle schools tended to struggle more academically earlier in elementary school.

  • Those who attended public school pre-K and those with better behavior were less likely to switch middle schools.

  • It is critical for researchers examining outcomes from school mobility to understand and control for these pre-existing selection effects or predictors of mobility.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA

    Enya Calibuso & Adam Winsler

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  1. Enya Calibuso
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  2. Adam Winsler
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Correspondence to Adam Winsler.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Informed Consent

Participants provided informed consent for the de-identified longitudinal follow up through the public schools as part of the original community evaluation project in the pre-K year. The project was approved by the institutional review boards of both the university and the school system involved.

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Calibuso, E., Winsler, A. Who Switches Schools? Child-Level Predictors of School Mobility in Middle School Students. J Child Fam Stud 30, 263–275 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-020-01820-3

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