Chapter 8: Racial and Socioeconomic Gaps in Social Skills Development: A Longitudinal Study of K-5 Children’s Growth Trajectories and the Effects of Parents and Schools

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was enacted based on the belief that setting high standards and establishing measurable goals could help improve all students’ academic achievement and close achievement gaps. While performance-driven accountability policy such as NCLB relied heavily on high-stakes testing, the policy did not evidence any significant impact on narrowing racial achievement gaps (Lee & Wong, 2004). Under NCLB, students’ academic skills have been increasingly emphasized even in lower grades, particularly in states where specific literacy and other academic skills standards for young children are in place (Jacobson, 2004; Kessenich, 2006). In contrast, few states developed standards for social-emotional dimensions of development and little attention has been given to the impact of children’s social skills on their academic success (Chiu, 2001; Kessenich, 2006). While many studies have attempted to identify key school and family factors that influence racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps, fewer studies have examined the role and effects of social skills that may account for racial and socioeconomic differences in academic performance. The present study addresses this gap in knowledge by examining the trajectory of students’ social skills development and the factors that influence social skills development among students with diverse racial, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds.