Cognitive Development in Adolescence Flashcards

15.5.1 Vocabulary & Grammar

• Adolescents' emerging abstract thought is reflected in an expanding vocabulary.
• Vocabulary is directly linked to experiences, both academic and social.
• Specific vocabulary is linked to peer group acceptance and emerging self-identity.
• Academic content area specialization has led to a diminished emphasis on secondary school literacy skills.
• NAEP (National Assessment of Education Progress)

15.5.2 Pragmatics

• Adolescents develop skills in adapting language style to social contexts.
• More experiences in social situations provide opportunities for practice.
• Improvement in language styles is linked to greater empathy and cognitive self-regulation.
• Older adolescents mentally rehearse statements prior to expected situations.
• Contemporary online “worlds,” largely in social media, have unique slang, phrases, and symbols that provide specific pragmatic practice.
• Question posed: Does using emojis, abbreviations, or slang improve language skills? The answer is unknown (“IDK”).

NAEP Reading & Mathematics (9- & 13-Year-Olds)

• The image shows NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) scale scores for reading and mathematics for 9 and 13-year-olds across assessment years.
• The data spans from 1971/1973 to 2020/2022.
• Specific scores are highlighted for various years, and there's commentary on score changes between 2020 and 2022.
• Score change between 2020 and 2022
  • Largest score drop in reading since 1990
  • First ever score drop in mathematics

15.6.1 School Transitions

• Impact of School Transitions:
  • School transitions are associated with reductions in achievement test scores and school attendance.
  • School transitions brought about by familial instability (divorce, poverty, job loss, etc.) greatly diminish children’s opportunities for school success.
• Helping Adolescents Adjust to School Transitions:
  • Parent-Teacher Partnerships; Two-Way School Communication
  • Cultivating School Belonging/Affiliation
  • Smaller Learning Units within Large Middle Schools/High Schools
  • Counseling – child and family

15.6.2 Academic Achievement

• Child-Reading Styles:
  • Authoritative Parents/Guardians, Coregulation (i.e., joint decision-making)
• Parent-School Partnerships:
  • Two-way communication between home and school
  • Overcome language and education barriers
  • Accommodate work schedules for both groups, parents, and teachers
• School Culture Reflects Community Culture
  • Classroom parents/community volunteers
  • Participation in school is more than attending sports
• Peer Influences:
  • Achievement orientation
  • Home Room/School Counselors
  • Activity orientation among students
  • Resources for expanding adolescent interests ($)
  • Simple question – Do activities exclude students from well-defined groups?
• Technology used for learning/education, as well as student population management.

15.6.2 Academic Achievement (continued) SCHOOL CHARACTERISTICS

• LEADERSHIP AT ALL LEVELS IN A SCHOOL
• HIGH ACADEMIC AND PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS
• ONGOING EVALUATION OF PROGRAMS AND CLASSROOM PRACTICES
• GOALS, DIRECTION, VISION, MISSION ARE CLEAR AND UNDERSTOOD
• SAFETY AND HEALTH OF ALL IS PARAMOUNT
• THE SCHOOL IS ORGANIZED, PHYSICAL SETTING, OPERATIONS, TIME

15.6.3 Dropping Out

• Factors Related to Dropping Out of High School
  • STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS
    • Poor school attendance
    • Inattentiveness in class
    • School discipline problems, especially aggressive behavior
    • Inability to get along with teachers
    • One to two years behind in grade level
    • Poor school grades
    • A sharp drop in academic performance after school transition
    • Dislike of school
    • Enrollment in a general education or vocational track
    • Low educational expectations
    • Low self-esteem, especially academic self-esteem
    • Friendships with peers who have left school
    • Low involvement in extracurricular activities
    • Drug use
    • Law-breaking behavior
    • Early sexual activity and adolescent parenthood
  • FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS
    • Parents who do not support or emphasize achievement
    • Parents who were high school dropouts
    • Parents who are uninvolved in the adolescent's education
    • Parents who react with anger and punishment to the adolescent's low grades
    • Single-parent household
    • Parental divorce during high school
    • Low income
    • Frequent school changes
  • SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS
    • Large, unstimulating classes
    • Lack of opportunity to form personal relationships with teachers
    • Curriculum irrelevant to student interests and needs
    • School authority structure that emphasizes the teacher and discourages student input
    • High rate of peer victimization at school
    • Large student body
    • School located in low-SES racially or ethnically segregated neighborhood
    • High-poverty community
    • Availability of work that requires only on-the-job training

Status dropout rates of 16- to 24-year-olds, by race/ethnicity: 2010 and 2020

• Total:
  • 2010: 7.4
  • 2020: 5.3
• White:
  • 2010: 5.1
  • 2020: 4.8
• Black:
  • 2010: 8.0
  • 2020: 4.2
• Hispanic:
  • 2010: 15.1
  • 2020: 7.4
• Asian:
  • 2010: 4.1
  • 2020: 2.4
• Pacific Islander:
  • 2010: Reporting standards not met
  • 2020: Reporting standards not met
• American Indian/Alaska Native:
  • 2010: 12.4
  • 2020: 11.5
• Two or more races:
  • 2010: 5.4
  • 2020: 6.5$$
• NOTE: The status dropout rate is the percentage of 16- to 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in high school and who lack a high school credential (either a diploma or an alternative credential such as a GED certificate).

15.6.3 Preventing School Drop Out

• Supplementary Academic Instruction and Counseling
• High-Quality Vocational Education
• Address The Many School and Social Factors for Dropping Out
• Participation in Extra Curricular Activities

15.7.1 Selecting a Vocation

• FANTASY PERIOD
  • Early & Middle Childhood
• TENTATIVE PERIOD
  • Middle/Junior High School
• REALISTIC PERIOD
  • Late Adolescence & Young Adulthood

15.7.2 Factors Influencing Vocational Choice

• Personality
• Family Influences
• Teachers
• Gender Stereotypes

15.7.3 Vocational Preparation of Non-College Bound Adolescents

• (No specific details provided in the excerpt.)