Disentangling the Long-Term Compositional Effects of School-Average Achievement and SES: a Substantive-Methodological Synergy

Abstract We juxtapose (positive and negative) compositional effects of school-average achievement socioeconomic status (SES) on students’ academic self-concept (ASC), final high-school grade-point-average (GPA), long-term outcomes at age 26 (educational attainment educational occupational expectations). used doubly-latent multilevel models with a large, nationally representative longitudinal sample (16,197 Year-10 students from 751 US high schools), controlling background variables (gender, age, ethnicity, track, composite risk factor). At the individual-student level, achievement, SES, ASC, GPA were consistently positive. However, mostly consistent priori theoretical predictions, (1) GPA, expectations significantly negative (although non-significant for attainment); (2) SES attainment, positive (but nonsignificant GPA); (3) partly mediated by ASC particularly GPA. These findings demonstrate that are distinguishable adverse achievement. discuss how these extend Göllner et al.'s (Psychological Science 29:1785–1796, 2018) highly controversial conclusion regarding benefits schools but low also relate our research to Luthar al.’s (American Psychologist 75:983–995, 2020) mental health problems associated attending high-achieving schools. Our results have important implications not only theory methodology parents’ selection their children policy structure (a substantive-methodological synergy).