The Socioeconomic-Driven Academic Achievement Gap: Sources of Risk and Resilience

Background: Using the Social Ecological Model of Resilience the present study sought to gain further understanding into the factors of various social systems to academic achievement and for various socio-economic levels. Investigation into the relationships between social, dispositional, and school-based social sources of risk and protection, their relationships with academic achievement and how these relationships differ between low-, median-, and high-income groups. Method: 535 undergraduate participants from diverse backgrounds were asked to provide information about participant social factors, school-based social factors, and individual connections to school. Results: Results of the MANOVA showed that the Pillai's Trace was significant (F = 3.14; p = .001; η² = .082; observed power = .99) indicating a difference across SES groups on a linear combination of academic achievement, dispositional, social, and school-based social factors. Also, SES group membership demonstrated a statistically significant effect on academic achievement (F (2,323) = 7.22; p = 00; η² = .04), connection to school (F (2,323) = 5.10; p = 01; η² = .03), neighborhood inputs (F (2,323) = 3.35; p = 02; η² = .02), community inputs (F (2,323) = 3.95; p = 02; η² = .02), and teacher and staff support (F (2,323) = 3.00; p = 05; η² = .02). Post-hoc analysis suggested significant group differences between three SES groups for academic achievement, community inputs, neighborhood factors, and connection to school. Academic achievement serves the greatest discriminant function. No significant indirect effects were observed per the model with the model potentially being improved moving the connection from dispositional factors to school-based social factors (M.I. = 131.73; standardized E.P.C. = .72). Conclusions: Significant relationships were found between social systems, school-based social systems, and dispositional factors that indicate families, neighborhoods, and communities provide significant sources of risk and protection.