A Comparison of Social-Emotional and Academic Achievement Levels for 4th and 5th Grade Students in Accelerated and Traditional Programs

The social-emotional and academic achievement levels of 4th and 5th grade students enrolled in accelerated and traditional educational programs as measured by the Behavioral Assessment System for Children Self-Report of Personality Form (BASC-SRP) and the California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) exam were assessed. Accelerated programs have been shown to promote success among secondary and university level students as well as at-risk elementary students. However, there remains a gap in the current literature regarding differences between accelerated and traditional elementary-level students outside of the at-risk classification. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences between elementary students enrolled in accelerated and traditional programs who were not specifically classified as at-risk. The theoretical foundation for this study was grounded in Piaget's constructivist theory and Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. Using a quantitative research design, the BASC-SRPs were administered to a convenience sample of 40 students from accelerated programs and 44 students from traditional programs in one public school system in a Western U.S. state. Student STAR exam scores were collected from the 2008-09 test administration. The data were analyzed using multiple, independent t-tests with Bonferroni adjustment. Results of this study indicated a higher occurrence of social problems and inattention/hyperactivity levels for students in traditional programs. The findings of this study promote positive social change by providing teachers, educational administrators, and school districts with the knowledge to develop more meaningful and effective instructional methods and improve curriculum design that will increase academic achievement and social-emotional levels.