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Project STAR and Beyond:
Database User’s Guide

Jeremy D. Finn
Reva M. Fish

Jayne Boyd-Zaharias
Susan B. Gerber

HEROS, Incorporated
P.O. Box 1271
Lebanon, Tennessee 37088

January 1, 2007

Boyd-Zaharias is Executive Director of HEROS, Inc. Finn, Fish, and Gerber are affiliated with the
State University of New York at Buffalo. This work was supported by a grant from the William T.
Grant Foundation. The authors are grateful to Charles Achilles for historical information and
reactions to on earlier drafts of this report.
The authors welcome comments or suggestions regarding this User’s Guide.
comments to JayneZaharias@HEROS-Inc.org

Please send

Contents
Page
Chapter 1

Project STAR Background and Data Collection

1.1

Overview of the Data Files

1.1

Contact Us

1.2

Planning and Execution of Project STAR

1.2

Selection of Schools
Study Design and Implementation
End-of-year Measures

1.3
1.5
1.6

Additional Stages of Data Collection
Academic Achievement in Grades 4—8
Classroom Participation
Identification With School
College Entrance Examinations
High School Transcripts

Chapter 2

1.9
1.11
1.12
1.12
1.13

Final Sample Sizes

1.14

The Data Files and their Contents

2.1

Four STAR-and-Beyond Data Files

2.1

Information about Selected Variables

2.3

Identification Numbers
Flag Variables
Demographics
Class Size; Class Type Composite Variables
Attendance, Special Education, Retention
Achievement Test Scores
Engagement Variables
High School Courses and Grades
College Entrance Exams
High School Graduation
Chapter 3

1.9

2.3
2.3
2.4
2.4
2.5
2.5
2.6
2.6
2.8
2.9

Student Data File

3.1

Types of Variables in Student File

3.2

Sequence of Variables in Student File

3.5

Codebook

3.6

i

CONTENTS (continued)
Page
Chapter 4

School Data Files

4.1

Types of Variables in K—3 School File

4.2

Types of Variables in High School File

4.2

K—3 Codebook

4.3

High School Codebook

4.11

Selected References

5.1

Appendices
Appendix A Fourth-Grade Student Participation Questionnaire
Eighth-Grade Student Participation Questionnaire

A1
A5

Appendix B Identification With School Questionnaire

B1

Appendix C Coding of Duration Composite Variables

C1

ii

BACKGROUND AND DATA COLLECTION 1.1

CHAPTER 1
PROJECT STAR BACKGROUND AND DATA COLLECTION
Overview of the Data Files
The STAR-and-Beyond database contains raw student- and school-level data from a
longitudinal experiment conducted in Tennessee beginning in 1985. The experiment
lasted for four years, with a single cohort of students progressing from kindergarten
through third grade. Achievement tests and non-achievement measures were
administered annually. The experiment ended in 1989. However, student achievement
data continued to be collected through high school,1 and ancillary studies resulted in
other non-achievement variables being added to the data set.
The primary student-level data file contains information on 11,601 students who
participated in the experimental phase for at least one year. Information for each of
grades K-3 includes:
•
•
•
•
•
•

Demographic variables;
School and class identifiers;
School and teacher information;
Experimental condition (“class type”);
Norm-referenced and criterion-referenced achievement test scores;
Motivation and self-concept scores.

Additional data, added to the records of some or all students, include:
•
•
•
•
•
•

Achievement test scores for the students when they were in grades 4 – 8,
obtained from the Tennessee State Department of Education;
Teachers’ ratings of student behavior in grades 4 and 8;
Students’ self-reports of school engagement and peer effects in grade 8;
Course taking in mathematics, science, and foreign language in high
school, obtained from student transcripts;
SAT/ACT participation and scores, obtained from ACT, Inc. and from
Educational Testing Service;
Graduation/dropout information, obtained from high school transcripts and
the Tennessee State Department of Education.

In some cases, data were not available for all students and are indicated as “missing,”
for example, scores not available from State of Tennessee records. In other cases,
some students did not participate in particular ancillary studies (e.g., the studies of

1

Students who completed high school on time graduated in June 1998.

BACKGROUND AND DATA COLLECTION

1.2

school engagement). Flags in the data file indicate participation/non-participation at
each stage of data collection.
Other data files include:
(1)

Student data on 1780 students in grades 1 – 3 in 21 comparison schools,
matched with STAR schools but not participating in the experiment;
A school-level file with additional information about each of the 80 STAR
schools;2
A school-level file with additional information about each high school
attended by STAR students.

(2)
(3)

The data are provided in SPSS “SAV” format (using Version 11.5).3 Flags in the data
indicate the presence or absence of particular sets of variables (e.g., whether the
student attended a STAR school in each grade from K-3; whether high school transcript
data were available for the student). These flags help users select subsets of data for
secondary analysis.
Chapter 2 of the User’s Guide gives further information about the data files and the
variables. Detailed information is given about particular variables, organized by the type
of measure (e.g., achievement tests; course-taking). Researchers using the data are
advised to examine this section. Chapters 3 and 4 of the User’s Guide give distributions
of the variables in the student and school files, respectively. A topical reference list is
given at the end of the Guide.
Contact Us
•
•
•

Data files are available at www.heros-inc.org/data.htm
For additional information, contact STARDATA@heros-inc.org
Phone for HEROS, Inc: (615)-449-7904

Planning and Execution of Project STAR4
In May of 1985, the Tennessee Legislature passed House Bill (HB) 544, authorizing and
funding a policy study to determine the effects of class size on student achievement in
the primary grades. The legislation directed that three questions be addressed:
(1)

2

What are the effects of a reduced class size on the achievement (normed and
criterion tests) and development (self-concept, attendance, etc.) of students in
public elementary school grades (K-3)?

A maximum of 79 schools participated in STAR in any one year.
A set of files in STATA format is planned for the near future.
4
More complete histories are given in the STAR Final Report (Word et al., 1990), from which most of this
section was taken, and in Ritter and Boruch (1999). The Final Report is available on the HEROS
website, www.heros-Inc.org
3

BACKGROUND AND DATA COLLECTION 1.3
(2)

(3)

Is there a cumulative effects of being in a small class over an extended time
(4 years) as compared with a one-year effect for students in a small class for
one year?
Does a training program designed to help teachers take maximum advantage
of small classes, or to use aides effectively, improve student performance as
compared with teachers who have no special preparation for their altered
conditions?

To design and conduct the study, the Tennessee State Department of Education formed
a consortium of researchers from the Department, the State Board of Education, the
State Superintendents’ Association, and representatives from four Tennessee
universities.5 Responsibility for direct contact with schools was delegated to the
university representatives. The study was named Project STAR, an acronym for
Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio.
The Consortium reviewed prior class size research and used this as the basis for
decisions about its own study: The study would begin in the earliest grades, where
small classes would be most likely to show positive effects; the small classes would
have no fewer than 13 students and no more than 17 students; it would allow
disaggregation of the data by school location (urbanicity), student race/ethnicity, and
socioeconomic status (SES). Most importantly, the study would use an experimental
design in which causal connections between the experimental variable (class size) and
student outcomes could be discerned.
The State paid the costs associated with the study, including the salaries of extra
teachers required to reduce class sizes, and of project teacher aides. The total cost of
the four-year project, plus data analysis and reporting in the fifth year, was
approximately $12 million.
Selection of Schools
All Tennessee school systems were invited to participate in STAR and were sent
guidelines for participation. Although costs associated with STAR would be borne by
the State, local school systems would provide any additional classroom space needed.
There were to be no major changes in school processes, organization, or policies other
than those required by the class size experiment. Schools were to plan to participate in
the project for four years, beginning with kindergarten in 1985-1986. All participating
teachers had to be certified for the grade level they were teaching. Schools had to
agree to the random assignment of teachers and students to different class conditions
(i.e., class sizes).
5

The Project was directed by Elizabeth Word of the Tennessee State Department of Education.
University members of the Consortium were C. M. Achilles (University of Tennessee), Helen Pate Bain
(Tennessee State University), John Folger (Vanderbilt University), and Fred Bellott (year 1) and John
Johnston (years 2–4; University of Memphis). Jayne Boyd-Zaharias and DeWayne Fulton were data
managers for Project STAR. Jeremy Finn was external evaluator for the project.

1.4

BACKGROUND AND DATA COLLECTION

The legislation specified that the project should include “inner city, suburban, urban, and
rural schools.” The consortium specified that inner-city and suburban schools were all
located in metropolitan areas (Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, or Chattanooga). Schools
with more than half of their students on free or reduced price lunch were defined as
inner-city. Schools in the outlying areas of metropolitan cities were classified as
suburban. Schools in non-metropolitan areas were classified as urban or rural
depending on location. Urban schools were located in towns of over 2,500 persons,
serving primarily an urban population according to the definition provided by the U.S.
Census. All other schools were classified as rural. Rural schools were typically located
several miles away from metropolitan areas and were situated in counties with large
amounts of farmland.
Initially, 180 schools in about 50 districts expressed an interest in participating. Only
about 100 schools had enough kindergarten students to be eligible to participate. A
minimum of 57 students was necessary, providing enough students for one class of
each of three conditions (with 13, 22, and 22 students, respectively). Taking into
account the requirements to include four types of schools (inner city, suburban, urban,
and rural), and to span the State of Tennessee geographically, 79 schools in 42 districts
were selected to participate.6 This included 17 inner-city schools and 16 suburban
schools from metropolitan areas, plus 8 urban and 38 rural schools.
The number of schools was reduced slightly in subsequent years. In the 1986-1987
school year, one kindergarten-only school merged with another elementary school that
joined STAR for grades 1–3. Three schools withdrew from the Project at the end of
kindergarten, leaving 76 schools in grade 1. One additional school withdrew at the end
of grade 1, leaving 75 schools in grades 2 and 3 (the third and fourth year of the
Project). The four schools withdrew for several reasons: two could not maintain the
randomization required by STAR, and several found the paperwork and additional
testing too onerous.
As a result of the purposeful sampling process, Project STAR schools were slightly
larger than the statewide average. Prior to STAR, the average mathematics and
reading scores of STAR schools were slightly lower than the statewide averages. Other
comparisons show that STAR schools and districts were similar to the statewide
averages on most measures (see Word et al., 1990, Section I.G).
Comparison schools. Twenty-one non-project schools comprise a comparison
sample beginning when STAR students were in first grade (1986-1987). The
comparison schools, selected from 13 of the same districts as STAR schools, had
similar characteristics to STAR schools in their respective districts. They did not
participate in the class-size reduction program but administered the same achievement
tests in the spring of 1987, 1988, and 1989, when STAR students were in grades 1, 2,
and 3, respectively. One comparison school did not provide achievement test scores in
1989, leaving 20 schools for that year. The STAR schools and comparison schools
6

Approximately 6,300 students from the 79 schools participated in STAR in the kindergarten year.

BACKGROUND AND DATA COLLECTION 1.5
were compared on measures of academic achievement gathered in grade 2 the year
preceding the experiment, and were shown to be very similar (see Word et al., 1990,
Table I-4).
Unlike STAR students, students in the comparison schools were assigned to classes in
the usual manner, which is often non-random. The two methods of assigning students
to classes were compared in Zaharias, Achilles, and Cain (1995).
Study Design and Implementation
The STAR experiment involved one cohort of students followed for four years –
students entering kindergarten in 1985 (or those who began public schooling in first
grade in 1986). Within each school, all students entering kindergarten were assigned at
random to one of three experimental conditions: a small class (S) with 13-17 students, a
regular class (R ) with 22-25 students, or a regular class with a full-time teacher aide
(RA) and 22-25 students. Students entering the school by November 1 of the school
year, as determined by teachers’ records, were considered to part of the STAR cohort
for that year. A ‘distribution plan’ was followed to determine the number of classes of
each type in schools with more than three kindergarten classes (see Word et al., 1990,
Table II-1).
In total, 128 small classes, 101 regular classes, and 99 regular-aide classes were
formed in kindergarten. Since kindergarten was not legally mandated in Tennessee at
the time, a substantial number of students joined the STAR sample when they entered
first grade. They, too, were assigned at random to the three experimental conditions at
the time of entry (as long as they entered the school by November 1 of 1986).
The randomization was conducted by members of the STAR Consortium and monitored
at the school level by graduate students from the four universities. The samples were
compared on gender, race, and free-lunch composition to look for any systematic bias
that may have arisen; none was found. Teachers were assigned at random to the
classes. Other than class size and teacher aides, no other experimental changes were
implemented; the intent of the Project was to maintain normal school policies and
practices so that the effects of reduced class sizes could be shown clearly.
Once assigned to a class type, students were to remain in the assigned class type as
long as they were in the project. Students with the longest duration participated from
kindergarten (1985-1986) through grade 3 (1988-1989). In all, 26.6% of the 11,601
STAR students participated for four consecutive years. Of the remainder, 22.0%
entered in first grade and participated through third grade.
Additional factors that affected the study design. Beyond the randomization
of students into class types, three operational factors affected the design of the STAR
experiment. First, at the end of the kindergarten year, the STAR consortium decided on
one design modification. There had been no significant differences in the achievement
of regular (R ) classes and teacher-aide (RA) classes in the kindergarten year. Thus,

1.6

BACKGROUND AND DATA COLLECTION

approximately one-half of R students were randomly assigned to RA classes for the
second year (and beyond), and approximately one-half of RA students were assigned at
random to R classes for the second year (and beyond). No students were purposely
reassigned into or out of small (S) classes. No further modifications of this sort were
made in subsequent years.
Second, during the summer between grade 1 and grade 2 (summer 1987), a three-day
training course was given to 54 second-grade teachers (out of 340) from 15 STAR
schools. The training was the same for all 54 teachers, since the assignment to class
types had not yet been made. No special attempt was made to prepare teachers to
take advantage of a small-class setting. Comparisons of grade-2 achievement scores
showed no significant difference between the classes of trained and untrained teachers
(see Word et al., 1990, Chapter VI).7 Teachers who participated in the training are
flagged in the student data file.
Third, ordinary student mobility over the years affected the composition and size of
STAR classes. Students moving into STAR schools from non-STAR schools during the
four-year experiment were assigned at random to one of the class types, with the
constraint that small classes could not exceed 17 students.
Students moving from one STAR school to another were assigned to the same type of
class as they had participated in previously (space allowing). Students moving out of a
STAR school diminished the class enrollment, occasionally causing the regular classes
to become as small as some of the small classes. The extent of this “class size drift” is
documented in Achilles (1999); its potential impact on statistical results is discussed in
Boyd-Zaharias et al. (1995) and Hedges, Nye, and Konstantopolous (2000). Table 1
shows the actual class enrollments in each year of the Project.
As a result of mobility, some students participated in STAR for one, two, or three years
according to different patterns. For example, some may have participated in STAR for
two consecutive years (e.g., grades 1 and 2) or for two nonconsecutive years (e.g.,
grades 1 and 3); others may have participated for two consecutive years but beginning
at different ages (e.g., grades K and 1, or grades 2 and 3). The primary patterns that
characterize most STAR students were summarized into a pair of codes in the student
data file (Class type composite CMPSTYPE; Duration composite CMPSDURA). These
were used in one study to analyze patterns of small-class participation (Finn, Gerber,
Achilles, & Boyd-Zaharias, 2001).
End-of-year Measures
Measures of academic performance and self-concept/motivation were administered in
the spring of each year of STAR (1986—1989). Both norm-referenced and criterion-

7

Mosteller (1995) described the program as ‘modest’ given that 30% of the teachers already had 20
years of teaching experience and only four had fewer than years of experience.

BACKGROUND AND DATA COLLECTION 1.7
Table 1. Distribution of STAR Classes by Grade (K-3) by Designation
S (Small), R (Regular), and RA (Regular and Aide)
K (n classes)
S
B

A

B

C

B

R

RA

1 (n classes)
S

R

2 (n classes)

RA

S

R

3 (n classes)

RA

11

S

R

RA

2

12

8

2

3

2

13

19

14

16

15

14

22

18

27

17

15

23

31

32

31

16

31

4

17

24

4

18

1

16

1

29

1

33

1

19

27

1

2

6

2

6

10

19

7

6

3

4

3

3

3

20

6

6

1

10

6

2

1

9

13

21

14

12

18

18

7

11

11

12

22

20

20

27

15

23

21

13

16

23

16

21

19

20

20

21

10

14

24

19

14

16

11

22

25

15

14

25

6

6

7

9

9

15

116

15

26

4

3

5

9

6

7

5

12

27

1

6

2

4

4

1

5

8

1

1

2

1

0

2

6

29

1

2

2

2

2

2

30

1

1

115

100

100

107

90

107

28

TOTAL

127

99
325

99

124

339

1

133

1

340

A= range for (S); B= "out of range"; C= range for both (R) and (RA) classes.
SOURCE: Achilles (1999).

31

1
1

5

140

4

337

1.8

BACKGROUND AND DATA COLLECTION

referenced achievement tests were administered during the spring term on testing dates
specified by the State.
Academic performance. The norm-referenced achievement tests were the
Stanford Achievement Tests (SATs) developed by the Psychological Corporation
(1983). The database contains reading, mathematics, and listening scores for grades
K—3, and additional topics in grade 3 (see Table 2). The scores are all in the form of
item-response-theory (IRT) scale scores, which can be compared across grades.
Beginning in first grade, the Basic Skills First (BSF) tests, criterion-referenced tests
developed by the Tennessee State Department of Education, were also administered to
each student. The tests covered the State’s learning objectives in reading and
mathematics, with four items per objective (“domain”). Students were considered to
Table 2. Assessment scores on the STAR student data file, grades K-3
Grade
Score

K

1

2

3

Total reading scale score SAT
Total math scale score SAT
Total listening scale score SAT
Total language scale score SAT
Science scale score SAT
Social science scale score SAT
Spelling scale score SAT
Vocabulary scale score SAT
Math computation scale score SAT
Concept of numbers scale score SAT
Math applications scale score SAT
Word study skills scale score SAT
Reading raw score BSF
Math raw score BSF
Reading number objectives mastered BSF
Math number objectives mastered BSF
Reading percent objectives mastered BSF
Math percent objectives mastered BSF
Motivation raw score SCAMIN
Self-concept raw score SCAMIN

X
X
X

X
X
X

X
X
X

X

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

SAT: Stanford Achievement Tests
BSF: Basic Skills First

X
X

BACKGROUND AND DATA COLLECTION 1.9
have mastered the objective if they answered 3 of the 4 items correctly. The database
contains total scores (total number of items answered correctly) and number of
objectives mastered in reading and mathematics8 for grades 1—3. Because the
number of objectives differed from grade to grade, as well as the actual content
domains, BSF scores cannot be meaningfully compared from one grade to another.
Self-concept/motivation. In grades K—3, students completed a self-concept
and motivation inventory, the SCAMIN (Milchus, Farrah, & Reitz, 1968). The SCAMIN
asks students to indicate pictorially their response to 24 situations. For example, what
‘face’ (happy, sad, indifferent) would the student wear if s/he “had to tell his/her parents
they lost their coat?” The SCAMIN is group administered, with one form for prekindergarten and kindergarten students, and another for students in grades 1—3. The
database contains total self-concept and motivation scores for each student in each
grade.

Additional Stages of Data Collection
The STAR experiment ended in the spring of 1989, when most students had completed
third grade. In fourth grade and beyond, all students returned to full-size classes. With
the continued cooperation of the Tennessee schools and the State Department of
Education,9 researchers continued to collect data on the STAR students as they
progressed through the grades. Thus, comparisons can be made between students in
later grades who had attended small classes in K—3 and those who had been in regular
or regular/aide classes.
The additional data are discussed in five parts (stages). Each stage of data collection
used different procedures.
•
•
•
•
•

Academic achievement scores in grades 4—8;
Classroom participation ratings in grades 4 and 8;
Identification with school in grade 8.
College-entrance examination participation and scores;
High-school transcripts, including courses taken, grades received, and
graduation/dropout.

Academic Achievement in Grades 4—8
The year that STAR students entered grade 4, Tennessee implemented a new student
assessment system, the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP).
The TCAP assessment battery included norm-referenced tests from the Comprehensive
Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS/McGraw Hill, 1989) and BSF criterion-referenced tests for
8

Each subject had a different number of objectives in each grade, ranging from 8 to 15. For each
subject-grade combination, the number of objectives is the maximum value of the number-of-objectivesmastered variable.
9
Financial support was provided by the Tennessee State Department of Education, the Smith-Richardson
Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, and the William T. Grant Foundation.

1.10 BACKGROUND AND DATA COLLECTION
each grade in reading and mathematics. Scores on these tests were made available by
the Tennessee State Department of Education, as students progressed from grade 4
(1989-1990) through grade 8 (1993-1994).10 Table 3 lists the specific subtests by
grade.
Some schools in Tennessee did not participate fully in the first year of TCAP. As a
result, fourth-grade data were not available for students in 17 Project STAR schools.
The reduction affected minority students in particular; in third grade, approximately 34%
of STAR students were minority, compared to approximately 20% of the fourth-grade
sample. In subsequent years, all schools in the State participated.
Scores on the CTBS are not directly comparable to those on the SATs. However, IRT
scale scores were available for each CTBS subtest so that comparisons can be made
meaningfully across grades 4—8.
Table 3. Assessment scores on the STAR student data file, grades 4-8

Score

4

5

Reading number objectives mastered BSF
Math number objectives mastered BSF
Total reading scale score CTBS
Total math scale score CTBS
Total language scale score CTBS
Total battery scale score CTBS
Science scale score CTBS
Social science scale score CTBS
Reading comprehension scale score CTBS
Spelling scale score CTBS
Vocabulary scale score CTBS
Math computation scale score CTBS
Math concepts and applications scale score CTBS
Language expression scale score CTBS
Language mechanics scale score CTBS
Study skills scale score CTBS

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

Grade
6
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

7

8

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

BSF: Basic Skills First
CTBS: Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills

10

The State records did not contain any class or teacher identifiers. Thus students in grades 4—8 are
identified only by student and school IDs.

BACKGROUND AND DATA COLLECTION 1.11

As in earlier grades, the BSF tests were customized for Tennessee to assess skill levels
learned from the State’s mathematics and language arts curriculum. Each test was
comprised of items assessing performance in a number of domains. Answering 75% of
the items correctly in a given domain was termed “mastery.” The database contains the
number of domains mastered in mathematics and reading by STAR students in each
grade (4—8). The BSF tests are not directly comparable across grade levels.
Classroom Participation
During the 1989-1990 school year, fourth-grade teachers rated students’ behavior on
the Student Participation Questionnaire (SPQ; Finn, Folger, & Cox, 1991). The
questionnaire is comprised of 31 items, 28 of which were combined into four scales:
Effort (e.g., “Pays attention in class”), Initiative-taking (e.g., “Does more than just the
assigned work”), Nonparticipatory behavior (e.g., “Annoys or interferes with peers’
work”), and Valuing school outcomes (e.g., “Is critical of peers who do well in school”).
Each item is rated in terms of the frequency of occurrence from “never” (1), to
“sometimes” (3), to “always” (5).
A random sample of students in each classroom was chosen who had participated in
STAR classes in the preceding years. To lessen the burden on teachers, no teacher
was asked to rate more than 10 students in her class. The form was completed in
November of the fourth-grade year. The ratings were used to compare the behavior of
students who had been in small classes with that of students in regular or teacher-aide
classes in K-3 (Finn, Fulton, Zaharias, & Nye, 1989). The form has subsequently been
used by these researchers and others in a variety of classroom studies (Finn,
Pannozzo, & Voelkl, 1995; Molnar, Smith, & Zahorik, 2000).
After initial success with the Student Participation Questionnaire, a shortened form was
developed to be completed by both the English and mathematics teachers of students
in higher grades. The form includes 13 questions from the fourth-grade form, plus one
question more germane to older students (“Is verbally or physically abusive to the
teacher). This form was completed by two teachers of each identified STAR student in
eighth grade (1993-1994).
Both forms of the Student Participation Questionnaire are contained in Appendix A. The
database contains ratings on the individual items as well as scale scores for
approximately 2,200 students in grade 4, and approximately 2,900 students in grade
8.11 Approximately 1,000 of these cases were the same students in both grades.12

11
12

Most grade-8 students were rated by two teachers; both ratings are contained in the data file.
See Tables 4 and 5.

1.12 BACKGROUND AND DATA COLLECTION
Identification With School
When STAR students were in eighth grade (1993-1994), a subsample completed a selfreport questionnaire measuring “identification with school” (Voelkl, 1996, 1997).
Identification was comprised of two dimensions: the student’s feeling of ‘belongingness’
in school (e.g., “I feel proud of being part of my school;” “School is one of my favorite
places to be”), and the student’s valuing of school and school-related outcomes (e.g.,
“School is more important than most people think;” “I can get a good job even if my
grades are bad”). Low identification with school has been shown to be related to school
problems such as cheating (Finn & Frone, 2004), substance use (Voelkl & Frone, 2000),
and dropping out (Pannozzo, Finn, & Boyd-Zaharias, 2004).
The Identification with School Questionnaire is contained in Appendix B. Nine items
assess feelings of belongingness, and 6 items assess valuing. Response categories for
all items are “strongly agree,” “agree,” “disagree,” and “strongly disagree.” Scale
analysis revealed that the two factors can be scored separately, or as a single total
score (Voelkl, 1996).
The data file contains item responses, belongingness and valuing scores, and a total
identification score for 3,648 students, of whom 2,975 were also rated by their teachers
on the Student Participation Questionnaire.
Peer effects: The file also includes responses to 7 items that assessed peers’
attitudes to school and potential influences on the respondent; these are also listed in
Appendix B. To date, these items have only been used in one research study
(Radziwon, 2003).
College Entrance Examinations
With the cooperation of ACT, Inc., and the College Board and Educational Testing
Service (ETS), economists Alan Krueger and Diane Whitmore linked STAR information
with ACT/SAT examination records (Krueger & Whitmore, 2001a). The two test
publishers organize their files by graduating class. Thus, students graduating in 1998,
regardless of where they resided, would be matched if they took the SAT or ACT at any
time in their junior or senior year. 13 STAR students who did not match the files by name,
birth date, and Social Security number were classified as not taking the test.
In all, 32.4% of the STAR sample took the ACT tests, and 4.6% took the SAT. The
database contains total test scores and subtest scores for the test the student took
(Quantitative and Verbal scores for the SATs, and subject-area test scores for the
ACTs). If a student took the test more than once, only the first administration is
included.

13

Krueger and Whitmore (2001b) re-examined the ACT records for students who took the exams in 1997,
1999, or 2000. This resulted in matches for approximately 10.7 percent of students who had not been
matched originally. The additional cases are not included in the current STAR-and-Beyond database.

BACKGROUND AND DATA COLLECTION 1.13
The file also contains two “converted scores.” Variable HSACTCON is the total ACT
score for those students who took the ACT, and the SAT total—converted to the ACT
metric—for those students who took the SAT (see Krueger and Whitmore, 2001a).
Variable HSSATCON is similar, but all scores are on the SAT scale. No conversions
were possible for subtests.

High School Transcripts
In 1998–2000, after most STAR students graduated from high school, the staff of
HEROS, Inc., gathered high school records on as many of the students as possible.
Using the latest test data on file, lists of students were created according to the high
schools they would most likely have attended if they remained in the same school
districts/schools for the ensuing years. Transcripts were requested from each district
office. Some districts provided the transcripts, and others referred the researchers
directly to the schools. In a number of instances, the researchers went directly to the
schools to copy or record the information. There was extensive follow-up to retrieve as
many records as possible.
With two years of work, transcript information was obtained for approximately 5,300
cases, of which 3,922 provided usable course-taking data,14 and 4,992 provided valid
graduation/dropout information. Because of the importance of the graduation/dropout
variable, cases that were missing or ambiguous in the school transcripts were verified
through records of the Tennessee State Department of Education.
The formats and completeness of the transcripts varied, creating a huge task of
classifying the courses and coding course grades.15 Two systematic irregularities in the
data are addressed in the STAR-and-Beyond files. First, some transcripts were
incomplete because students transferred schools or left without graduating. Variable
HSYRSCOR was created to indicate the number of years of course-taking data
available for the student. Course-taking information was included in the database for
students with 3 or 4 years of data, and for students with 2 years of data in grades 11
and 12.16 Approximately 73% of the transcripts provided 4 years of course information.
Second, only partial course taking information was provided by the schools of 411
students. The information was recorded on an “abbreviated form,” which did not give
enough detail to code semesters of mathematics taken or any science courses. The
highest level mathematics course was coded for these students, as well as all foreign
language course variables; these cases are flagged in the data file (variable HSCTSCR
= 1).

14

Those with one year of data were judged to be too incomplete to include in the course taking file.
Those with two years were included only if they pertained to grades 11 and 12.
15
Almost two years of work were dedicated to the task, to provide the best data possible.
16
Those with one year of data were judged to be too incomplete to be included in the course taking file.
Those with data in grades 11 and 12 provided information on the highest levels of course work taken.

1.14 BACKGROUND AND DATA COLLECTION
All course grades were placed on a 0—100 scale, the most common form used in the
transcripts. An overall high school grade average (HSGPAOVE) was computed for all
students with data on at least 8 courses; most transcripts, however, were complete or
nearly complete.

The data file contains information about courses and course grades:
•
•
•
•
•
•

The number of semesters of French, German, Latin, and Spanish taken
at each of 4 levels, and the highest level reached in any language;17
The total number of semesters of (any) foreign languages taken at each
level, and the total number of semesters of language taken;
The number of semesters of mathematics taken at each of five levels, the
highest level reached, and the total number of semesters of mathematics;
The number of semesters of science taken in high school;
Grade average for all foreign language courses taken, all mathematics
courses taken, and all science courses taken;
The overall high school grade average (variable HSGPAOVE).

High school graduation.18 Despite our best efforts, it was not possible to
classify every student definitively as a graduate or dropout. Variable HSGRDADD is a
5-part classification, in which “educated best guesses” about graduation/drop out
(“probably graduated” or “probably dropped out”) are indicated for 7.5% of the sample
whose status remained ambiguous after coding was complete; details are given in
Chapter 2.
A second variable, HSGRDCOL, was formed by combining students who graduated or
probably graduated into one classification (graduated), and all others into a second
classification (did not graduate). This variable was used in an analysis of early school
experiences and dropping out (Finn, Gerber, & Boyd-Zaharias, 2005).

Final Sample Sizes
Table 4 shows the number of STAR students who provided data in each grade (K-8 and
in high school); students in the comparison schools are not included in these counts.
During the experimental years (and in grade 4), the number of schools ranged from 75
to 79. The number increased in subsequent years, up to a maximum of 525 schools in
grade 6.
There are fewer students in grade 5, when matching STAR students with State records
did not work as well as in later grades. The number of schools in grade 6 and 8 are
17

Several advanced language courses were classified as level 5.
The transcript data, including graduation information, were collected in 1999 and 2000. The data file
includes approximately 150 students who were late graduates. Other students, who may have graduated
more than one year late, would be coded as dropouts.
18

BACKGROUND AND DATA COLLECTION 1.15
substantially larger, in part because different types of schools include these grades; for
example, grade 6 is housed in K-6 schools, middle schools, K-12 schools, and others.19
Table 4 also gives the number of schools from which any data were collected in a
particular grade. Subsets of the schools participated in each focused data collection
(e.g., participation and identification measures). The numbers of students in these
samples are smaller because students were not selected to participate, rather than
nonresponse.
Course taking and graduation data were obtained for students in 159 high schools. One
or more students in each of 145 schools took college entrance examinations
(ACTs/SATs), but all 11,601 students could be classified as having taken or not taken
the exams.
Table 5 shows the number of students in each pair of data stages. This may be helpful
for analyzing several components of the STAR data jointly.

19

The numbers of schools for these grades have been checked carefully and are correct.

1.16

Table 4. Number of students and schools providing data at each stage
Grade
K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Achievement test scores

5907

6684

6559

6464

6339

2593

6441

4942

6361

Motivation and self-concept scores

5038

5852

6118

6129

Participation study (grades 4 and 8)

2217

9 – 12

2978

Identification study (grade 8)

3648

High school course taking

3922

High school graduation status

4992

High school SAT/ACT scores

3880
161

Total number of schools

79

76

75

75

76

56

525

181

406

Table 5. Number of students providing data in each pair of stages
Grades 4-8
Grade 4
Grade 8
Grade 8 High school High school High school
Achievement Participation Participation Identification
course
graduation SAT/ACT
tests
study
study
study
taking data
status
score
Grades K-3 Achievement tests
Grades 4-8 Achievement tests
Grade 4 Participation study
Grade 8 Participation study
Grade 8 Identification study
High school course-taking
High school graduation status

8240

2217

2930

3587

3867

4911

3818

2203

2975

3645

3615

4501

3682

1015

1218

1276

1426

1229

2975

1791

2062

1705

2172

2518

2067

3831

2449
2710

BACKGROUND AND DATA COLLECTION

Data

DATA FILES AND VARIABLES

2.1

CHAPTER 2
THE DATA FILES AND THEIR CONTENTS
This chapter is comprised of two sections. The first section lists the four files in the
STAR-and-Beyond database and overviews the contents of each. The second section
gives details of variable sets and selected specific variables which, in our opinion, may
need additional clarification. This information is intended to help secondary analysts
choose variables for particular analyses. We recommend that secondary users review
this section in particular.

Four STAR-and-Beyond Data Files
STAR STUDENT FILE
SPSS file name: STAR Students.sav
Codebook: Chapter 3
Number of cases: 11,601
Grade span: K—12
Contents:
• Basic data collected during Project STAR, including student
demographics, type of class attended in each grade (K—3), achievement
test scores, attendance, self-concept and motivation scores. Derived
variables indicating the extent of participation in small classes;
• Teacher characteristics for each grade (K—3), school urbanicity;
• Achievement test scores for ensuing grades (4—8);
• Classroom participation ratings, grades 4 (one teacher per student) and 8
(two teachers per student);
• School engagement and peer effects, self-reported in grade 8;
• Courses taken and grade averages in mathematics, science, and foreign
languages in high school (9—12), overall high school grade average;
• High school graduation status;
• Participation and scores in college entrance examinations;
• “Flags” indicating the presence or absence of data at each stage.
COMPARISON STUDENT FILE
SPSS file name: Comparison Students.sav
Codebook: Chapter 3 – Variables marked with asterisks (*) only
Number of cases: 1,780
Grade span: 1—3
Contents:
• School and class identifiers for students 21 schools in the same grades as
the STAR cohort;
• Class enrollment;

2.2 DATA FILES AND VARIABLES
•

Achievement scores on the same tests/scales as administered to STAR
students in grades 1—3.

STAR K—3 SCHOOL FILE
SPSS file name: STAR K-3 Schools.sav
Codebook: Chapter 4, Part 1
Number of schools: 80
Grade span: 1—3
Contents:
• School demographic variables each year, attendance, grade range;
• “Flags” indicating school participation in STAR each year.
HIGH-SCHOOL DATA FILE
SPSS file name: STAR High Schools.sav
Codebook: Chapter 4, Part 2
Number of schools: 161
Grade span: Not applicable; data collected in 1998
Contents:
• School demographic variables, enrollment, grade range;
• School graduation rate;
• Credits required for graduation in mathematics, science, foreign language,
social studies, computers, English;
• Advanced course offerings in mathematics, foreign language.

DATA FILES AND VARIABLES

2.3

Information about Selected Variables
This section provides information about specific variables in the STAR-and-Beyond
database. The focus is on constructed variables, variables not described thoroughly in
other publications, and variables that have unusual distributions. The organization of
variables is the same as that used in the Codebook (Chapter 3).

IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS
School Identification Numbers: Each school was assigned a 6-digit identifying
number consisting of 3 digits identifying the district and 3 digits that identify the
school. The 3-digit school identifiers, and thus the full 6-digit IDs, are unique to
each school in the sample.
Teacher Identification Numbers: Each teacher was assigned an 8-digit identifying
number consisting of the 6-digit school identification number and 2 digits
identifying the teacher within the particular school.
Student Identification Numbers: Each STAR student was assigned a unique 5-digit
identification number, ranging from 10000 to 21600. Students in the comparison
schools had IDs in the range 30001 to 31780.

FLAG VARIABLES
In-STAR Flags: Four flags were created to indicate whether the student attended a
STAR school in each grade K—3. All classes at the respective grade level in
STAR schools participated in the Project; that is, all kindergarten classes in
1985-1986, all first-grade classes in 1986-1987, and so on.
Achievement-data Flags: Nine flags indicate whether the student has one or more
achievement test scores available in each grade, K-8.
High School Data Flags: Other flags indicate whether an ACT or SAT score is
available for the student,20 whether course taking information is available, and
whether graduation/dropout codes are available.
Summer Training Flag: A separate variable, included with second grade data,
indicates whether the teachers participated in the STAR summer training
program (variable G2TTRAIN).

20

All students are coded to indicate whether or not they had taken a college entrance examination by
1998.

2.4 DATA FILES AND VARIABLES
DEMOGRAPHICS
Demographic information for students, teachers, and some for schools, is
included in the data record of each student. Additional school demographic
information is included in the school-level data files. The demographic
characteristics of STAR classes can be obtained by aggregating student
characteristics.21

CLASS SIZE; CLASS TYPE COMPOSITE VARIABLES
Class enrollment during STAR is indicated in two ways. The STAR designation of
the class as small (13—17 students), regular (22—25 students), or regular with
a full time teacher aide is indicated for each student in each year. The
actual
number of students in the class is also provided (variables GKCLASSS,
G1CLASSS, etc.) in grades K—4.
In addition, four composite variables were constructed to help with data
analysis:
•
•
•

The total number of years the student participated in Project STAR
(YEARSSTA); range 1-4 years.
The total number of years the student attended small classes (YEARSSMA);
range 0-4 years, with 0 indicating the student was never in a small class (i.e.,
attended regular and/or regular-with-aide classes throughout).
A pair of variables (CMPSTYPE and CMPSDURA) indicated the pattern of
participation in different class types, given student mobility, during the four years
of Project STAR. These are useful for studying the cumulative effects of small
classes, especially on outcomes in grades 4 and beyond.
The variables were formed by considering every combination of settings
students had over the four-year period. First, each student was first coded as
“small class,” “regular class,” or “missing” for each year of the Project. In this
classification, regular classes included full-size classes with and without teacher
aides. “Missing” could arise for several reasons, for example, some students did
not enter school until first grade (and would be coded as missing in
kindergarten), and some students left STAR schools before third grade. A small
number of students left a STAR school after one or two years of participation,
only to return after a one- or two-year hiatus.
Second, the composite variables were formed as follows. Students who were in
a small class for one, two, three, or four years were coded as “small” on
CMPSTYPE, and 1, 2, 3, or 4, respectively, on CMPSDURA. These assignments
were made regardless of whether the student was missing or in regular classes

21

As part of the participation study, fourth-grade teachers completed a form with the racial/ethnic and
free-lunch composition of the class. This information is included on the file.

DATA FILES AND VARIABLES

2.5

in the other years. Students who were in a STAR regular class for one, two,
three, or four years, and missing otherwise, were coded as “regular” on
CMPSTYPE, and 1, 2, 3, or 4, respectively, on CMPSDURA. All combinations of
class types in K—3 and the resulting codes are given in Table 6.
Certain students (n = 613) were assigned missing values on CMPSTYPE and
CMPSDURA: students who entered STAR after first grade, and thus did not have
the opportunity to participate in small classes for 3 or 4 years, students who
moved from a regular to a small class after first grade, and students who
changed class types (from regular to small or from small to regular) two or more
times.

ATTENDANCE, SPECIAL EDUCATION, RETENTION
Attendance: The number of days students were present and absent from school were
recorded in grades K, 1, and 3. Since districts have different numbers of days in
the school year, the total (present + absent) varies across schools or districts.
Special Education: Special education participation is indicated for kindergarten and
grade 1. The distributions of these variables indicate that there may have been
problems in recording this information.
Retention: Variable GKREPEAT indicates whether a student in the first year of STAR
(1985-1986) had also attended kindergarten the previous year. A variable in
subsequent grades indicates whether the student was recommended for
promotion to the next grade at the end of the school year (G1PROMOT,
G2PROMOT, G3PROMOT); no comparable variable was recorded for
kindergarten. Actual promotions to the next grade were not recorded. An
analysis of the retention data is reported in Chapter VII of Word et al.
(1990).

ACHIEVEMENT TEST SCORES
The achievement test scores are described in Chapter I.
notes for secondary analysts:
•
•

The following are

The norm-referenced test battery was changed from the Stanford
Achievement Tests (SATs) to the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills
(CTBS) when students entered grade 4.
The criterion-referenced tests (BSFs) are based on a different number of
objectives in each grade. The number of objectives is equal to the
maximum value of the “number of objectives mastered” variable for that
grade/topic.

2.6 DATA FILES AND VARIABLES
•
•

The BSF test scores are negatively skewed for both topics (reading and
mathematics) in each grade. Some accommodation for skewness may be
needed when analyzing these scores.
We have no clear explanation for the smaller number of achievement test
scores in grade 5. The attempt to match STAR files with those of the
Tennessee State Department of Education did not yield as many cases at
the time. The issue has not been pursued since then.

ENGAGEMENT VARIABLES
Student Participation Questionnaire (SPQ): The SPQs for grades 4 and 8 are
included in Appendix A. The fourth-grade form indicates which items are in each
scale. Item responses are also given on the data file so analyses can be
conducted with individual items or by creating different scalings (see, for
example, Finn, Pannozzo, & Voelkl, 1995). The data file also includes several
items that were not part of any scale:
•
•

Grade 4 – student’s attendance at after-school events; the teacher’s rating
of the student’s academic performance; participation in special education.
Grade 8 – attendance (classes missed in math, English); teacher-parent
conversations.

Most teachers responded to every item on the SPQ. However, for occasional
items left blank, the item mode was inserted before computing scale scores. For
example, in fourth grade, 94 cases had one item response inserted, 15 had two
item responses inserted, 4 had three item responses inserted, and 2 cases had
four item responses inserted.
Identification with School Questionnaire: The Identification with School
Questionnaire is included in Appendix B. Item responses, Belonging and Valuing
subscale scores, and a total identification score are contained on the data file. In
addition to 16 identification items, 6 items assessing peers’ influence are
embedded in the questionnaire (see the end of Appendix B) and are also
contained on the data file.

HIGH SCHOOL COURSES AND GRADES
Course taking information is included in the data file for 3,922 cases whose
transcripts provided 3 or 4 years of data between grade 9 and grade 12, or else 2
years of data in grades 11 and 12. 22 Variable HSYRSCOR indicates the number
of years of data available for the particular student. Approximately 13% of the
22

Students with two years of data in other grades (e.g., 9 and 10) were coded ‘missing’ on the coursetaking indicators.

DATA FILES AND VARIABLES

2.7

students provided 2 years of data. Approximately 14% provided 3 years of data,
of which over 90% provided data for grades 9, 10, and 11.
In the data file, the number of courses taken varies systematically depending on
the number of years of data available. Secondary analysts should consider
whether to include all students in an analysis and use HSYRSCOR as a control
variable, or to exclude students with 2 years (and possibly 3 years) of data.
The highest level course taken in a discipline is not related directly to the
number of years of data, since all cases have grade-11 data, and most have
grade-12 data as well. Higher level courses are likely to be taken in these
grades.
Students sometimes repeat courses they fail. The counts and grade averages
on the data file include both occasions. Other students, doing well, may take
more than one math course, for example, in a given semester. Both factors may
result in the total number of semesters of course work exceeding 8, the typical
number of semesters in a high school program.
Foreign Language Courses: The numbers of semesters of French, German, Latin,
and Spanish taken at each of 4 levels are included on the data file.
Course levels were determined by the course names (e.g., French 1, French 2,
French 3, French 4). Advanced language courses were coded as level 5 for
three students who had taken many previous classes.
In addition, the total number of semesters of (any) foreign languages taken in
high school is included on the data file (variable HSFLANGT), as well as the
highest level of any foreign language taken (variable HSLVLFLA).
Science Courses: The total number of semesters of science taken is included on the
data file (variable HSCIENTO).
Mathematics Courses: Mathematics courses were classified into 5 levels, using an
updated version of the taxonomy developed by Rock and Pollack (1995).23
•
•
•
•
•

23

Level 1: Basic mathematics, pre-algebra courses, and introduction to
computers;
Level 2: Algebra 1 and other courses involving beginning algebra;
Level 3: Algebra 2, introductory geometry, and courses involving algebra
2 topics;
Level 4: Algebra 3, advanced geometry, and other advanced courses
exclusive of calculus;
Level 5: Calculus and analytic geometry.

A list of all course titles in each category is available from the authors.

2.8 DATA FILES AND VARIABLES
AP courses, with the exception of calculus, were classified as one level higher
than the level indicated by the course title.
The number of semesters of mathematics taken at each level is included on the
data file, as well as the total number of semesters of mathematics taken (variable
HSMATHTO). The highest level of mathematics reached is also included on the
file (variable HSLVLMTH).24
Grades: Grades were recorded by schools in several forms, most commonly 0—100 or
letter grades. Letter grades were converted to a numeric scale as follows:
A+
A
A-

97
95
92

B+
B
B-

87
85
82

C+
C
C-

77
75
72

D+
D
D-

67
65
62

F

59

P (passing) 80

Grade averages for science, mathematics, and languages were computed if any
course grades were available for the student. The “overall GPA” for all high
school courses was computed if the student provided data on 8 or more
courses (one semester each).

COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMS
Many more students took ACT exams than SATs. Variable HSACTON is
recommended for secondary analysis. Its value is equal to the original ACT total
score for students who took the ACT, and an SAT à ACT converted score for
those who took the SATs (see Krueger & Whitmore, 2001a).25
Flag variable FLAGSATA indicates correctly the number of cases on the data file
with ACT or SAT scores (3880). Variables HSSAT, HSACT, and HSTEST,
adjacent to the exam scores in the data file, indicate which test(s) the student
took. These were created by Krueger and Whitmore when looking for STAR
students in the examination files. They include some students who were found
in the SAT files, but who, for one reason or another, did not have accompanying
test scores. These variables may be used to identify students who took the SAT,
the ACT, both, or neither.

24

We discovered that the highest level of mathematics reached by students with 3 years of data was out
of the range of highest levels reached by students with 2 or 4 years of data. This suggests that cases
with 3 years of data should be excluded when analyzing this variable.
25
We have not looked in depth at the distribution of converted scores – a step that should be taken prior
to data analysis.

DATA FILES AND VARIABLES

2.9

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION
Graduation information for 4992 cases was coded in two variables. Variable
HSGRDADD has five values:
•
•
•
•

•

Dropped out (14.7%) – The student’s transcript was marked to indicate
that s/he had dropped out, and/or the records of the State Education
Department indicated drop out;
Graduated (74.3%) – The student’s transcript was marked to indicate that
s/he had graduated, and/or State Education Department records indicate
that s/he graduated;
GED (3.4%) – The student’s transcript and/or State records indicated that
s/he had received a GED diploma in lieu of a regular high school diploma;
Probably dropped out (4.3%) – A judgment made by the research team
based on multiple criteria. High school records indicated a history of low
or failing grades, which ended prior to the last semester of the senior
year; no formal indication that the student transferred to another school
and no record that the student received a high school diploma in
Tennessee.26 Most students in this classification had poor attendance
records and/or multiple disciplinary problems, coupled with one or more
in-grade retentions.
Probably graduated (3.2%) – A judgment made by the research team.
High school transcript indicated four years of passing grades, but was not
marked formally to indicate that the student graduated. Most students in
this classification had no record of attendance or disciplinary problems
and had met the school’s and State’s requirement for graduation.

Variable HSGRDCOL is a recoded version of HSGRDADD in which five
categories have been collapsed into two:
•
•

26

Graduated (77.6%) – Graduated or probably graduated;
Did not graduate (22.4%) – Dropped out or probably dropped out, or
received an alternative (GED) diploma.

The research team was very conservative in making this judgment, to avoid classifying students as
probable dropouts who gave any indication of high school completion.

STUDENT DATA

CHAPTER 3
STUDENT DATA FILE

Types of Variables in Student File

page 3.2

Sequence of Variables in Student File page 3.5
Codebook

page 3.6

3.1

3.2

STUDENT DATA

TYPES OF VARIABLES IN STUDENT FILE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

FLAG VARIABLES
DEMOGRAPHICS (STUDENT, CLASS, TEACHER, SCHOOL)
CLASS SIZE; CLASS TYPE COMPOSITE VARIABLES
ATTENDANCE, SPECIAL EDUCATION, RETENTION
ACHIEVEMENT TEST SCORES
ENGAGEMENT VARIABLES
HIGH SCHOOL COURSE TAKING AND GRADES
COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMS
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION

Beginning Page
1.

FLAG VARIABLES
Grade K-3 participant flags...................... 3.7
Achievement data flags........................... 3.8
Participation study flags....................... 3.10
Identification study flag....................... 3.10
High school flags............................... 3.10

2.

DEMOGRAPHICS
Student Demographic Variables
General.................................... 3.6
Kindergarten.............................. 3.16
Grade 1................................... 3.21
Grade 2................................... 3.28
Grade 3................................... 3.33
School Demographic Variables
Kindergarten.............................. 3.13
Grade 1................................... 3.18
Grade 2................................... 3.24
Grade 3................................... 3.29
Grade 4................................... 3.36
Grade 8................................... 3.54
Teacher Demographic Variables
Kindergarten.............................. 3.13
Grade 1................................... 3.18
Grade 2................................... 3.24
Grade 3................................... 3.30
Grade 4................................... 3.37
Class Demographic Variables
Grade 4................................... 3.37

STUDENT DATA

3.3

Beginning Page

3.

CLASS SIZE; CLASS TYPE COMPOSITE VARIABLES
Class Type Variables
Kindergarten..............................
Grade 1...................................
Grade 2...................................
Grade 3...................................
Class Type Composite Variables..................
Class Size Variables
Kindergarten..............................
Grade 1...................................
Grade 2...................................
Grade 3...................................
Grade 4...................................

4.

3.16
3.21
3.27
3.33
3.37

ATTENDANCE, SPECIAL EDUCATION, RETENTION
Attendance Variables
Kindergarten..............................
Grade 1...................................
Grade 3...................................
Special Education/Instruction Variables
Kindergarten..............................
Grade 1...................................
Retention
Kindergarten..............................
Grade 1...................................
Grade 2...................................
Grade 3...................................

5.

3.11
3.11
3.11
3.12
3.12

3.17
3.22
3.34
3.17
3.22
3.16
3.22
3.28
3.33

ACHIEVEMENT TEST SCORES
Kindergarten....................................
Grade 1.........................................
Grade 2.........................................
Grade 3.........................................
Grade 4.........................................
Grade 5.........................................
Grade 6.........................................
Grade 7.........................................
Grade 8.........................................

3.17
3.22
3.28
3.34
3.38
3.49
3.51
3.52
3.54

3.4

STUDENT DATA
Beginning Page

6.

ENGAGEMENT VARIABLES
Motivation Assessment Scores
Kindergarten..............................
Grade 1...................................
Grade 2...................................
Grade 3...................................
Self-concept Assessment Scores
Kindergarten..............................
Grade 1...................................
Grade 2...................................
Grade 3...................................
Student Participation Questionnaire
Grade 4...................................
Grade 8...................................
Identification with School Questionnaire
Grade 8...................................

3.18
3.23
3.29
3.36
3.18
3.24
3.29
3.36
3.40
3.63
3.56

7. HIGH SCHOOL COURSE TAKING AND GRADES
Foreign Language................................
Mathematics.....................................
Science.........................................
GPAs............................................

3.73
3.76
3.77
3.77

8. COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMS
ACT............................................. 3.79
SAT............................................. 3.78
9. HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION................................ 3.80

STUDENT DATA

3.5

SEQUENCE OF VARIABLES IN STUDENT FILE
Student Demographic Variables............................. 3.6
Flag Variables............................................ 3.7
Class Type Variables..................................... 3.11
Kindergarten Variables................................... 3.13
Grade 1 Variables........................................ 3.18
Grade 2 Variables........................................ 3.24
Grade 3 Variables........................................ 3.29
Grade 4 Variables........................................ 3.36
Grade 5 Variables........................................ 3.49
Grade 6 Variables........................................ 3.51
Grade 7 Variables........................................ 3.52
Grade 8 Variables........................................ 3.54
High School Variables.................................... 3.73

3.6

STUDENT DATA

CODEBOOK

Student Demographic Variables
STDNTID

Student ID*
Format: F5.0
Range: 10000 to 21600

GENDER

Student gender*
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Male
2
Female
Total of valid cases
System missing
RACE

N
6124
5457
11581
20

Percent
52.8
47.0
99.8
0.2

Valid
Percent
52.9
47.1
100.0

Student race/ethnicity*
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
White
2
Black
3
Asian
4
Hispanic
5
Native American
6
Other
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
7200
4180
32
21
14
20
11467
134

BIRTHMON

Student month of birth*
Format: F2.0
Range: 1 to 12
System missing: N = 68

BIRTHDAY

Student day of birth*
Format: F2.0
Range: 1 to 31
System missing: N = 68

*Variable also in comparison student data file

Percent
62.1
36.0
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.2
98.8
1.2

Valid
Percent
62.8
36.5
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.2
100.0

STUDENT DATA
BIRTHYEA

Student year of birth*
Format: F4.0

Value
Label
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
58
645
3917
6889
24
11533
68

Percent
0.5
5.6
33.8
59.4
0.2
99.4
0.6

Valid
Percent
0.5
5.6
34.0
59.7
0.2
100.0

Flag Variables
FLAGSGK

In STAR in kindergarten
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
FLAGSG1

5276
6325
11601
0

Percent
45.5
54.5
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
45.5
54.5

In STAR in grade 1
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
FLAGSG2

N

N
4772
6829
11601
0

Percent
41.1
58.9
100.0
0.0

N
4761
6840
11601
0

Percent
41.0
59.0
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
41.1
58.9

In STAR in grade 2
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing

*Variable also in comparison student data file

Valid
Percent
41.0
59.0

3.7

3.8

STUDENT DATA

FLAGSG3

In STAR in grade 3
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
FLAGGK

N
5694
5907
11601
0

Percent
49.1
50.9
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
49.1
50.9

N
4917
6684
11601
0

Percent
42.4
57.6
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
42.4
57.6

Achievement data available grade 2
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
FLAGG3

Valid
Percent
41.4
58.6

Achievement data available grade 1
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
FLAGG2

Percent
41.4
58.6
100.0
0.0

Achievement data available kindergarten
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
FLAGG1

N
4799
6802
11601
0

N
5042
6559
11601
0

Percent
43.5
56.5
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
43.5
56.5

Achievement data available grade 3
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
5137
6464
11601
0

Percent
44.3
55.7
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
44.3
55.7

STUDENT DATA
FLAGG4

Achievement data available grade 4
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
FLAGG5

N
9008
2593
11601
0

Percent
77.6
22.4
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
77.6
22.4

N
5160
6441
11601
0

Percent
44.5
55.5
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
44.5
55.5

Achievement data available grade 7
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
FLAGG8

Valid
Percent
45.4
54.6

Achievement data available grade 6
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
FLAGG7

Percent
45.4
54.6
100.0
0.0

Achievement data available grade 5
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
FLAGG6

N
5262
6339
11601
0

N
6659
4942
11601
0

Percent
57.4
42.6
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
57.4
42.6

Achievement data available grade 8
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
5240
6361
11601
0

Percent
45.2
54.8
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
45.2
54.8

3.9

3.10

STUDENT DATA

FLAGPRT4

In participation study grade 4
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
FLAGIDN8

N
7953
3648
11601
0

Percent
68.6
31.4
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
68.6
31.4

N
8623
2978
11601
0

Percent
74.3
25.7
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
74.3
25.7

Valid SAT/ACT score available
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
FLAGHSCO

Valid
Percent
80.9
19.1

In participation study grade 8
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
FLAGSATA

Percent
80.9
19.1
100.0
0.0

In identification study grade 8
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
FLAGPRT8

N
9384
2217
11601
0

N
7721
3880
11601
0

Percent
66.6
33.4
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
66.6
33.4

At least two years of high school course data
available
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
0
No
7679
66.2
66.2
1
Yes
3922
33.8
33.8
Total of valid cases
11601
100.0
System missing
0
0.0

STUDENT DATA
FLAGHSGR

Data on high school graduation status available
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
0
No
6609
57.0
57.0
1
Yes
4992
43.0
43.0
Total of valid cases
11601
100.0
System missing
0
0.0

Class Type Variables
GKCLASST

Class type kindergarten
Format: F1.0

Value
1
2
3

Label
Small class
Regular class
Regular + aide
class
Total of valid cases
System missing
G1CLASST

Label
Small class
Regular class
Regular + aide
class
Total of valid cases
System missing

Value
1
2
3

Percent
16.4
18.9
19.2

6325
5276

54.5
45.5

N
1925
2584
2320

Percent
16.6
22.3
20.0

6829
4772

58.9
41.1

Valid
Percent
30.0
34.7
35.3
100.0

Class type grade 1
Format: F1.0

Value
1
2
3

G2CLASST

N
1900
2194
2231

Valid
Percent
28.2
37.8
34.0
100.0

Class type grade 2
Format: F1.0

Label
Small class
Regular class
Regular + aide
class
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
2016
2329
2495

Percent
17.4
20.1
21.5

6840
4761

59.0
41.0

Valid
Percent
29.5
34.0
36.5
100.0

3.11

3.12

STUDENT DATA

G3CLASST

Class type grade 3
Format: F1.0

Value
1
2
3

Label
Small class
Regular class
Regular + aide
class
Total of valid cases
System missing
CMPSTYPE

6802
4799

58.6
41.4

Valid
Percent
32.0
30.7
37.4
100.0

N
3202
3045
4741
10988
613

Percent
27.6
26.2
40.9
94.7
5.3

Valid
Percent
29.1
27.7
43.1
100.0

Duration composite
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
2
3
4
Total of valid cases
System missing
YEARSSTA

Percent
18.7
18.0
21.9

Class type composite
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Small
2
Regular
3
Aide
Total of valid cases
System missing
CMPSDURA

N
2174
2085
2543

N
5562
2061
1699
1666
10988
613

Percent
47.9
17.8
14.6
14.4
94.7
5.3

Valid
Percent
50.6
18.8
15.5
15.2
100.0

Number of years in STAR
Format: F5.0

Value
Label
1
2
3
4
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
4318
2454
1746
3083
11601
0

Percent
37.2
21.2
15.1
26.6
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
37.2
21.2
15.1
26.6
100.0

STUDENT DATA
YEARSSMA

Number of years in small classes
Format: F5.0

Value
Label
0
1
2
3
4
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
7920
1585
715
524
857
11601
0

Percent
68.3
13.7
6.2
4.5
7.4
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
68.3
13.7
6.2
4.5
7.4
100.0

Kindergarten School Variables
GKSCHID

Kindergarten School ID
Format: F6.0
Range: 112038 to 264945
System missing: N = 5276

GKSURBAN

School urbanicity kindergarten
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Inner city
2
Suburban
3
Rural
4
Urban
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
1428
1412
2917
568
6325
5276

Percent
12.3
12.2
25.1
4.9
54.5
45.5

Valid
Percent
22.6
22.3
46.1
9.0
100.0

Kindergarten Teacher Variables
GKTCHID

Kindergarten teacher ID
Format: F8.0
Range: 11203801 to 26494505
System missing: N = 5276

GKTGEN

Teacher gender kindergarten
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Male
2
Female
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
0
6325
6325
5276

Percent
0.0
54.5
54.5
45.5

Valid
Percent
0.0
100.0
100.0

3.13

3.14

STUDENT DATA

GKTRACE

Teacher race/ethnicity kindergarten
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
White
2
Black
3
Asian
4
Hispanic
5
Native American
6
Other
Total of valid cases
System missing
GKTHIGHD

Value
1

Percent
45.2
8.9
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
54.2
45.8

Valid
Percent
83.5
16.5
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
100.0

Teacher highest degree kindergarten
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Associates
2
Bachelors
3
Masters
4
Masters +
5
Specialist
6
Doctoral
Total of valid cases
System missing
GKTCAREE

N
5246
1036
0
0
0
0
6282
5319

N
0
4119
1981
161
43
0
6304
5297

Percent
0.0
35.5
17.1
1.4
0.4
0.0
54.3
45.7

Valid
Percent
0.0
65.3
31.4
2.6
0.7
0.0
100.0

Teacher career ladder level kindergarten
Format: F1.0

Label
Chose not to be on
career ladder
2
Apprentice
3
Probation
4
Ladder level 1
5
Ladder level 2
6
Ladder level 3
7
Pending
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
0
514
334
4671
119
54
37
5729
5872

Percent
0.0
4.4
2.9
40.3
1.0
0.5
0.3
49.4
50.6

Valid
Percent
0.0
9.0
5.8
81.5
2.1
0.9
0.6
100.0

STUDENT DATA
GKTYEARS

Years of total teaching experience kindergarten
Format: F2.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
0
302
2.6
4.8
1
312
2.7
4.9
2
268
2.3
4.3
3
374
3.2
5.9
4
209
1.8
3.3
5
399
3.4
6.3
6
445
3.8
7.1
7
187
1.6
3.0
8
512
4.4
8.1
9
236
2.0
3.7
10
351
3.0
5.6
11
414
3.6
6.6
12
523
4.5
8.3
13
495
4.3
7.9
14
229
2.0
3.6
15
224
1.9
3.6
16
143
1.2
2.3
17
154
1.3
2.4
18
58
0.5
0.9
19
55
0.5
0.9
20
144
1.2
2.3
21
103
0.9
1.6
22
64
0.6
1.0
24
68
0.6
1.1
27
35
0.3
0.6
Total of valid cases
6304
54.3
100.0
System missing
5297
45.7

3.15

3.16

STUDENT DATA

GKCLASSS

Class size kindergarten
Format: F5.0

Value
Label
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
96
247
308
360
512
493
54
247
240
546
880
851
792
300
182
189
28
6325
5276

Percent
0.8
2.1
2.7
3.1
4.4
4.2
0.5
2.1
2.1
4.7
7.6
7.3
6.8
2.6
1.6
1.6
0.2
54.5
45.5

Valid
Percent
1.5
3.9
4.9
5.7
8.1
7.8
0.9
3.9
3.8
8.6
13.9
13.5
12.5
4.7
2.9
3.0
0.4
100.0

Kindergarten Student Variables
GKFREELU

Free/reduced lunch status kindergarten
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Free lunch
2
Non-free lunch
Total of valid cases
System missing
GKREPEAT

N
3052
3248
6300
5301

Percent
26.3
28.0
54.3
45.7

Valid
Percent
48.4
51.6
100.0

Repeating kindergarten in 1985-1986 school year
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Yes
6044
52.1
96.0
2
No
253
2.2
4.0
Total of valid cases
6297
54.3
100.0
System missing
5304
45.7

STUDENT DATA
GKSPECED

Special education status kindergarten
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Yes
2
No
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
202
6122
6324
5277

Percent
1.7
52.8
54.5
45.5

Valid
Percent
3.2
96.8
100.0

GKSPECIN

Pulled out for special instruction kindergarten
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Yes
290
2.5
4.6
2
No
6034
52.0
95.4
Total of valid cases
6324
54.5
100.0
System missing
5277
45.5
GKPRESEN

Days present at school kindergarten
Format: F5.0
Range: 6 to 180
System missing: N = 5350

GKABSENT

Days absent from school kindergarten
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 99
System missing: N = 5350

GKTREADS

Total reading scaled score SAT kindergarten
Format: F5.0
Range: 315 to 627
System missing: N = 5812

GKTMATHS

Total math scaled score SAT kindergarten
Format: F5.0
Range: 288 to 626
System missing: N = 5730

GKTLISTS

Total listening scale score SAT kindergarten
Format: F5.0
Range: 397 to 671
System missing: N = 5764

GKWORDSK

Word study skills scale score SAT kindergarten
Format: F5.0
Range: 315 to 593
System missing: N = 5750

3.17

3.18

STUDENT DATA

GKMOTIVR

Motivation raw score SCAMIN kindergarten
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 36
System missing: N = 6563

GKSELFCO

Self-concept raw score SCAMIN kindergarten
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 72
System missing: N = 6563

Grade 1 School Variables
G1SCHID

Grade 1 School ID*
Format: F6.0
Range: 112038 to 264945
System missing: N = 4772

G1SURBAN

School urbanicity grade 1
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Inner city
2
Suburban
3
Rural
4
Urban
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
1380
1586
3237
626
6829
4772

Percent
11.9
13.7
27.9
5.4
58.9
41.1

Valid
Percent
20.2
23.2
47.4
9.2
100.0

Grade 1 Teacher Variables
G1TCHID

Grade 1 teacher ID*
Format: F8.0
Range: 11203804 to 26494510
System missing: N = 4772

G1TGEN

Teacher gender grade 1
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Male
2
Female
Total of valid cases
System missing

*Variable also in comparison student data file

N
29
6781
6810
4791

Percent
0.2
58.5
58.7
41.3

Valid
Percent
0.4
99.6
100.0

STUDENT DATA
G1TRACE

Teacher race/ethnicity grade 1
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
White
2
Black
3
Asian
4
Hispanic
5
Native American
6
Other
Total of valid cases
System missing
G1THIGHD

Value
1

Percent
48.5
10.2
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
58.7
41.3

Valid
Percent
82.6
17.4
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
100.0

Teacher highest degree grade 1
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Associates
2
Bachelors
3
Masters
4
Masters +
5
Specialist
6
Doctoral
Total of valid cases
System missing
G1TCAREE

N
5623
1187
0
0
0
0
6810
4791

N
0
4456
2294
0
38
22
6810
4791

Percent
0.0
38.4
19.8
0.0
0.3
0.2
58.7
41.3

Valid
Percent
0.0
65.4
33.7
0.0
0.6
0.3
100.0

Teacher career ladder level grade 1
Format: F1.0

Label
Chose not to be on
career ladder
2
Apprentice
3
Probation
4
Ladder level 1
5
Ladder level 2
6
Ladder level 3
7
Pending
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
506
718
666
4492
114
291
0
6787
4814

Percent
4.4
6.2
5.7
38.7
1.0
2.5
0.0
58.5
41.5

Valid
Percent
7.5
10.6
9.8
66.2
1.7
4.3
0.0
100.0

3.19

3.20

STUDENT DATA

G1TYEARS

Years of total teaching experience grade 1
Format: F2.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
0
287
2.5
4.2
1
362
3.1
5.3
2
443
3.8
6.5
3
307
2.6
4.5
4
329
2.8
4.8
5
286
2.5
4.2
6
282
2.4
4.1
7
331
2.9
4.9
8
334
2.9
4.9
9
309
2.7
4.5
10
168
1.4
2.5
11
371
3.2
5.4
12
324
2.8
4.8
13
330
2.8
4.8
14
164
1.4
2.4
15
205
1.8
3.0
16
229
2.0
3.4
17
166
1.4
2.4
18
228
2.0
3.3
19
154
1.3
2.3
20
211
1.8
3.1
21
119
1.0
1.7
22
39
0.3
0.6
23
138
1.2
2.0
24
44
0.4
0.6
25
63
0.5
0.9
26
33
0.3
0.5
27
125
1.1
1.8
28
24
0.2
0.4
29
44
0.4
0.6
30
13
0.1
0.2
31
67
0.6
1.0
32
74
0.6
1.1
33
44
0.4
0.6
35
25
0.2
0.4
36
34
0.3
0.5
37
22
0.2
0.3
38
15
0.1
0.2
39
42
0.4
0.6
42
25
0.2
0.4
Total of valid cases
6810
58.7
100.0
System missing
4791
41.3

STUDENT DATA
Grade 1 Class Variables
G1CLASSS

Class size grade 1*
Format: F5.0

Value
Label
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
24
182
252
465
272
578
144
190
340
756
924
897
648
400
364
162
84
87
60
6829
4772

Percent
0.2
1.6
2.2
4.0
2.3
5.0
1.2
1.6
2.9
6.5
8.0
7.7
5.6
3.4
3.1
1.4
0.7
0.7
0.5
58.9
41.1

Valid
Percent
0.4
2.7
3.7
6.8
4.0
8.5
2.1
2.8
5.0
11.1
13.5
13.1
9.5
5.9
5.3
2.4
1.2
1.3
0.9
100.0

Grade 1 Student Variables
G1FREELU

Free/reduced lunch status grade 1
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Free lunch
2
Non-free lunch
Total of valid cases
System missing

*Variable also in comparison student data file

N
3429
3221
6650
4951

Percent
29.6
27.8
57.3
42.7

Valid
Percent
51.6
48.4
100.0

3.21

3.22

STUDENT DATA

G1PROMOT

Recommended for promotion from grade 1 to grade 2
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Yes, recommended
5945
51.2
89.4
2
No, not recommended 708
6.1
10.6
Total of valid cases
6653
57.3
100.0
System missing
4948
42.7
G1SPECED

Special education status grade 1
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Yes
2
No
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
84
6742
6826
4775

Percent
0.7
58.1
58.8
41.2

G1SPECIN

Valid
Percent
1.2
98.8
100.0

Pulled out for special instruction grade 1
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Yes
1164
10.0
17.1
2
No
5662
48.8
82.9
Total of valid cases
6826
58.8
100.0
System missing
4775
41.2
G1PRESEN

Days present at school grade 1
Format: F5.0
Range: 1 to 180
System missing: N = 4942

G1ABSENT

Days absent from school grade 1
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 84
System missing: N = 4939

G1TREADS

Total reading scale scores SAT Grade 1*
Format: F5.0
Range: 404 to 651
System missing: N = 5206

G1TMATHS

Total math scale score SAT grade 1*
Format: F5.0
Range: 404 to 676
System missing: N = 5003

* Variable also in comparison student data file

STUDENT DATA
G1TLISTS

Total listening scale score SAT grade 1*
Format: F5.0
Range: 477 to 708
System missing: N = 5045

G1WORDSK

Word study skills scale score SAT grade 1*
Format: F5.0
Range: 317 to 601
System missing: N = 5629

G1READBS

Reading raw score BSF grade 1*
Format: F5.0
Range: 2 to 32
System missing: N = 5065

G1MATHBS

Math raw score BSF grade 1*
Format: F5.0
Range: 3 to 44
System missing: N = 5088

G1READ_B

Reading number objectives mastered BSF grade 1*
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 8
System missing: N = 5888

G1MATH_B

Math number objectives mastered BSF grade 1*
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 11
System missing: N = 5916

G1READ_C

Reading percent objectives mastered BSF grade 1*
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 100
System missing: N = 5888

G1MATH_C

Math percent objectives mastered BSF grade 1*
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 100
System missing: N = 5916

G1MOTIVR

Motivation raw score SCAMIN grade 1
Format: F5.0
Range: 27 to 60
System missing: N = 5749

*Variable also in comparison student data file

3.23

3.24

STUDENT DATA

G1SELFCO

Self-concept raw score SCAMIN grade 1
Format: 5.0
Range: 14 to 60
System missing: N = 5749

Grade 2 School Variables
G2SCHID

Grade 2 School ID*
Format: F6.0
Range: 112038 to 264945
System missing: N = 4761

G2SURBAN

School urbanicity grade 2
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Inner city
2
Suburban
3
Rural
4
Urban
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
1481
1710
3167
482
6840
4761

Percent
12.8
14.7
27.3
4.2
59.0
41.0

Valid
Percent
21.6
25.0
46.3
7.0
100.0

Grade 2 Teacher Variables
G2TCHID

Grade 2 teacher ID*
Format: F8.0
Range: 112030807 to 26494516
System missing: N = 4761

G2TGEN

Teacher gender grade 2
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Male
2
Female
Total of valid cases
System missing

* Variable also in comparison student data file

N
71
6709
6780
4821

Percent
0.6
57.8
58.4
41.6

Valid
Percent
1.0
99.0
100.0

STUDENT DATA
G2TRACE

Teacher race/ethnicity grade 2
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
White
2
Black
3
Asian
4
Hispanic
5
Native American
6
Other
Total of valid cases
System missing
G2THIGHD

Value
1

Percent
46.5
11.9
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
58.4
41.6

Valid
Percent
79.6
20.4
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
100.0

Teacher highest degree grade 2
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Associates
2
Bachelors
3
Masters
4
Masters +
5
Specialist
6
Doctoral
Total of valid cases
System missing
G2TCAREE

N
5398
1382
0
0
0
0
6780
4821

N
0
4250
2427
0
67
36
6780
4821

Percent
0.0
36.6
20.9
0.0
0.6
0.3
58.4
41.6

Valid
Percent
0.0
62.7
35.8
0.0
1.0
0.5
100.0

Teacher career ladder level grade 2
Format: F1.0

Label
Chose not to be on
career ladder
2
Apprentice
3
Probation
4
Ladder level 1
5
Ladder level 2
6
Ladder level 3
7
Pending
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
755
482
411
4703
123
247
0
6721
4880

Percent
6.5
4.2
3.5
40.5
1.1
2.1
0.0
57.9
42.1

Valid
Percent
11.2
7.2
6.1
70.0
1.8
3.7
0.0
100.0

3.25

3.26

STUDENT DATA

G2TYEARS

Years of total teaching experience grade 2
Format: F2.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
0
156
1.3
2.3
1
333
2.9
4.9
2
340
2.9
5.0
3
113
1.0
1.7
4
340
2.9
5.0
5
175
1.5
2.6
6
188
1.6
2.8
7
161
1.4
2.4
8
343
3.0
5.1
9
343
3.0
5.1
10
309
2.7
4.6
11
242
2.1
3.6
12
449
3.9
6.7
13
329
2.8
4.9
14
311
2.7
4.6
15
405
3.5
6.0
16
140
1.2
2.1
17
161
1.4
2.4
18
288
2.5
4.3
19
279
2.4
4.1
20
142
1.2
2.1
21
77
0.7
1.1
22
148
1.3
2.2
23
144
1.2
2.1
24
26
0.2
0.4
25
95
0.8
1.4
26
60
0.5
0.9
27
41
0.4
0.6
28
105
0.9
1.6
29
42
0.4
0.6
30
85
0.7
1.3
31
123
1.1
1.8
32
65
0.6
1.0
33
86
0.7
1.3
34
24
0.2
0.4
35
34
0.3
0.5
39
16
0.1
0.2
40
21
0.2
0.3
Total of valid cases
6739
58.1
100.0
System missing
4862
41.9

STUDENT DATA
G2TTRAIN

Attend STAR teacher training grade 2
Format: F2.0

Value
1

Label
Yes, attended STAR
training
2
No, did not attend
STAR training
Total of valid cases
System missing

Valid
Percent
16.2

N
1108

Percent
9.6

5732

49.4

83.8

6840
4761

59.0
41.0

100.0

Grade 2 Class Variables
G2CLASSS

Class size grade 2*
Format: F5.0

Value
Label
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
Total of valid cases
System missing

*Variable also in comparison student data file

N
36
208
378
480
480
323
108
133
60
378
968
943
1128
600
338
135
28
116
6840
4761

Percent
0.3
1.8
3.3
4.1
4.1
2.8
0.9
1.1
0.5
3.3
8.3
8.1
9.7
5.2
2.9
1.2
0.2
1.0
59.0
41.0

Valid
Percent
0.5
3.0
5.5
7.0
7.0
4.7
1.6
1.9
0.9
5.5
14.2
13.8
16.5
8.8
4.9
2.0
0.4
1.7
100.0

3.27

3.28

STUDENT DATA
Grade 2 Student Variables

G2FREELU

Free/reduced lunch status grade 2
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Free lunch
2
Non-free lunch
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
3336
3160
6496
5105

Percent
28.8
27.2
56.0
44.0

Valid
Percent
51.4
48.6
100.0

G2PROMOT

Recommended for promotion from grade 2 to grade 3
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Yes, recommended
6022
51.9
95.3
2
No, not recommended 299
2.6
4.7
Total of valid cases
6321
54.5
100.0
System missing
5280
45.5
G2TREADS

Total reading scale scores SAT Grade 2*
Format: F5.0
Range: 468 to 732
System missing: N = 5524

G2TMATHS

Total math scale score SAT grade 2*
Format: F5.0
Range: 441 to 721
System missing: N = 5536

G2TLISTS

Total listening scale score SAT grade 2*
Format: F5.0
Range: 510 to 740
System missing: N = 5558

G2WORDSK

Word study skills scale score SAT grade 2*
Format: F5.0
Range: 420 to 672
System missing: N = 5254

G2READBS

Reading raw score BSF grade 2*
Format: F5.0
Range: 7 to 48
System missing: N = 5232

*Variable also in comparison student data file

STUDENT DATA
G2MATHBS

Math raw score BSF grade 2*
Format: F5.0
Range: 11 to 60
System missing: N = 5138

G2READ_B

Reading number objectives mastered BSF grade 2*
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 12
System missing: N = 5148

G2MATH_B

Math number objectives mastered BSF grade 2*
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 15
System missing: N = 5130

G2READ_C

Reading percent objectives mastered BSF grade 2*
Format: F5.0
Range: 18 to 100
System missing: N = 5130

G2MATH_C

Math percent objectives mastered BSF grade 2
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 100
System missing: N = 5130

G2MOTIVR

Motivation raw score SCAMIN grade 2
Format: F5.0
Range: 16 to 60
System missing: N = 5483

G2SELFCO

Self-concept raw score SCAMIN grade 2
Format: F5.0
Range: 15 to 60
System missing: N = 5483

Grade 3 School Variables
G3SCHID

Grade 3 School ID*
Format: F6.0
Range: 112038 to 264945
System missing: N = 4799

*Variable also in comparison student data file

3.29

3.30

STUDENT DATA

G3SURBAN

School urbanicity grade 3
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Inner city
2
Suburban
3
Rural
4
Urban
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
1335
1720
3240
507
6802
4799

Percent
11.5
14.8
27.9
4.4
58.6
41.4

Valid
Percent
19.6
25.3
47.6
7.5
100.0

Grade 3 Teacher Variables
G3TCHID

Grade 3 teacher ID*
Format: F8.0
Range: 11203810 to 26494522
System missing: N = 4800

G3TGEN

Teacher gender grade 3
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Male
2
Female
Total of valid cases
System missing
G3TRACE

N
228
6523
6751
4850

Percent
2.0
56.2
58.2
41.8

Valid
Percent
3.4
96.6
100.0

Teacher race/ethnicity grade 3
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
White
2
Black
3
Asian
4
Hispanic
5
Native American
6
Other
Total of valid cases
System missing

*Variable also in comparison student data file

N
5328
1409
14
0
0
0
6751
4850

Percent
45.9
12.1
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
58.2
41.8

Valid
Percent
78.9
20.9
0.2
0.0
0.0
0.0
100.0

STUDENT DATA
G3THIGHD

Teacher highest degree grade 3
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Associates
2
Bachelors
3
Masters
4
Masters +
5
Specialist
6
Doctoral
Total of valid cases
System missing
G3TCAREE

Value
1

Value
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

0
3762
2885
0
89
0
6736
4865

Percent
0.0
32.4
24.9
0.0
0.8
0.0
58.1
41.9

Valid
Percent
0.0
55.8
42.8
0.0
1.3
0.0
100.0

Teacher career ladder level grade 3
Format: F1.0

Label
Chose not to be on
career ladder
2
Apprentice
3
Probation
4
Ladder level 1
5
Ladder level 2
6
Ladder level 3
7
Pending
Total of valid cases
System missing
G3TYEARS

N

N
497
316
550
4437
484
467
0
6751
4850

Percent
4.3
2.7
4.7
38.2
4.2
4.0
0.0
58.2
41.8

Valid
Percent
7.4
4.7
8.1
65.7
7.2
6.9
0.0
100.0

Years of total teaching experience grade 3
Format: F2.0
Valid
Label
N
Percent
Percent
215
1.9
3.2
154
1.3
2.3
216
1.9
3.2
234
2.0
3.5
210
1.8
3.1
292
2.5
4.3
155
1.3
2.3
285
2.5
4.2
304
2.6
4.5
308
2.7
4.6
188
1.6
2.8
229
2.0
3.4
246
2.1
3.6
284
2.4
4.2
357
3.1
5.3

3.31

3.32

STUDENT DATA

15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
36
37
38
Total of valid cases
System missing
G3TTRAIN

Value
1

390
234
266
263
369
130
155
215
118
117
95
156
15
70
70
100
94
25
52
15
77
23
25
6751
4850

3.4
2.0
2.3
2.3
3.2
1.1
1.3
1.9
1.0
1.0
0.8
1.3
0.1
0.6
0.6
0.9
0.8
0.2
0.4
0.1
0.7
0.2
0.2
58.2
41.8

5.8
3.5
3.9
3.9
5.5
1.9
2.3
3.2
1.7
1.7
1.4
2.3
0.2
1.0
1.0
1.5
1.4
0.4
0.8
0.2
1.1
0.3
0.4
100.0

Attend STAR teacher training grade 3
Format: F2.0

Label
Yes, attended STAR
training
2
No, did not attend
STAR training
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
1161

Percent
10.0

Valid
Percent
17.1

5641

48.6

82.9

6802
4799

58.6
41.4

100.0

STUDENT DATA
Grade 3 Class Variables
G3CLASSS

Class size grade 3*
Format: F5.0

Value
Label
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
22
24
195
238
465
512
459
198
171
240
483
638
552
696
775
442
351
224
116
6801
4800

Percent
0.2
0.2
1.7
2.1
4.0
4.4
4.0
1.7
1.5
2.1
4.2
5.5
4.8
6.0
6.7
3.8
3.0
1.9
1.0
58.6
41.4

Valid
Percent
0.3
0.4
2.9
3.5
6.8
7.5
6.7
2.9
2.5
3.5
7.1
9.4
8.1
10.2
11.4
6.5
5.2
3.3
1.7
100.0

Grade 3 Student Variables
G3FREELU

Free/reduced lunch status grade 3
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Free lunch
2
Non-free lunch
Total of valid cases
System missing
G3PROMOT

N
3293
3227
6520
5081

Percent
28.4
27.8
56.2
43.8

Valid
Percent
50.5
49.5
100.0

Recommended for promotion from grade 3 to grade 4
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Yes, recommended
6142
52.9
95.9
2
No, not recommended 260
2.2
4.1
Total of valid cases
6402
55.2
100.0
System missing
5199
44.8

*Variable also in comparison student data file

3.33

3.34

STUDENT DATA

G3PRESEN

Days present at school grade 3
Format: F5.0
Range: 1 to 180
System missing: N = 5021

G3ABSENT

Days absent from school grade 3
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 77
System missing: N = 5014

G3TREADS

Total reading scale scores SAT Grade 3*
Format: F5.0
Range: 499 to 775
System missing: N = 5601

G3TMATHS

Total math scale score SAT grade 3*
Format: F5.0
Range: 487 to 774
System missing: N = 5524

G3TLANGS

Total language scale score SAT grade 3*
Format: F5.0
Range: 512 to 785
System missing: N = 5511

G3TLISTS

Total listening scale score SAT grade 3*
Format: F5.0
Range: 524 to 779
System missing: N = 5527

G3SCIENC

Science scale score SAT grade 3
Format: F5.0
Range: 464 to 757
System missing: N = 5280

G3SOCIAL

Social science scale score SAT grade 3*
Format: F5.0
Range: 486 to 744
System missing: N = 5275

G3SPELLS

Spelling scale score SAT grade 3*
Format: F5.0
Range: 463 to 746
System missing: N = 5264

*Variable also in comparison student data file

STUDENT DATA
G3VOCABS

Vocabulary scale score SAT grade 3*
Format: F5.0
Range: 487 to 754
System missing: N = 5279

G3MATHCO

Math computation scale score SAT grade 3*
Format: F5.0
Range: 451 to 739
System missing: N = 5254

G3MATHNU

Concept of numbers scale score SAT grade 3*
Format: F5.0
Range: 452 to 739
System missing: N = 5255

G3MATHAP

Math applications scale score SAT grade 3*
Format: F5.0
Range: 427 to 726
System missing: N = 5254

G3WORDSK

Word study skills scale score SAT grade 3*
Format: F5.0
Range: 477 to 740
System missing: N = 5252

G3READBS

Reading raw score BSF grade 3*
Format: F5.0
Range: 6 to 40
System missing: N = 5695

G3MATHBS

Math raw score BSF grade 3*
Format: F5.0
Range: 8 to 60
System missing: N = 5599

G3READ_B

Reading number objectives mastered BSF grade 3*
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 10
System missing: N = 5327

G3MATH_B

Math number objectives mastered BSF grade 3*
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 15
System missing: N = 5361

*Variable also in comparison student data file

3.35

3.36

STUDENT DATA

G3READ_C

Reading percent objectives mastered BSF grade 3*
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 100
System missing: N = 5695

G3MATH_C

Math percent objectives mastered BSF grade 3*
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 100
System missing: N = 5599

G3MOTIVR

Motivation raw score SCAMIN grade 3
Format: F5.0
Range: 17 to 60
System missing: N = 5472

G3SELFCO

Self-concept raw score SCAMIN grade 3
Format: 5.0
Range: 12 to 60
System missing: N = 5472

Grade 4 School Variables
G4SCHID

Grade 4 School ID
Format: F6.0
Range: 112038 to 264945
System missing: N = 6895

G4SURBAN

School urbanicity grade 4
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Inner city
2
Suburban
3
Rural
4
Urban
Total of valid cases
System missing

*Variable also in comparison student data file

N
326
1069
2596
363
4354
7247

Percent
2.8
9.2
22.4
3.1
37.5
62.5

Valid
Percent
7.5
24.5
59.6
8.3
100.0

STUDENT DATA
Grade 4 Teacher Variables
G4TCHID

Grade 4 teacher ID
Format: F8.0
Range: 11203813 to 26494528
System missing: N = 9384

G4TGEN

Teacher gender grade 4
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Male
2
Female
Total of valid cases
System missing
G4TRACE

N
125
2092
2217
9384

Percent
1.1
18.0
19.1
80.9

Valid
Percent
5.6
94.4
100.0

Teacher race/ethnicity grade 4
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
White
2
Black
3
Asian
4
Hispanic
5
Native American
6
Other
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
1840
353
0
0
0
0
2193
9408

Percent
15.9
3.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
18.9
81.1

Valid
Percent
83.9
16.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
100.0

Grade 4 Class Variables
G4NCLASS
Value
11
13
14
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25

Number students class roster grade 4
Format: F5.0
Label
N
Percent
3
0.0
1
0.0
1
0.0
12
0.1
14
0.1
19
0.2
16
0.1
37
0.3
105
0.9
167
1.4
251
2.2
247
2.1

Percent
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.5
0.6
0.9
0.7
1.7
4.7
7.5
11.3
11.1

3.37

3.38

STUDENT DATA

26
27
28
29
30
31
32
Total of valid cases
System missing

343
341
287
167
146
50
10
2217
9384

3.0
2.9
2.5
1.4
1.3
0.4
0.1
19.1
80.9

15.5
15.4
12.9
7.5
6.6
2.3
0.5
100.0

G4NWHITE

Number white students class roster grade 4
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 31
System missing: N = 9384

G4NBLACK

Number black students class roster grade 4
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 30
System missing: N = 9384

G4NOTHER

Number other race/ethnicity students class roster
grade 4
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 5
System missing: N = 9384

G4PERNWH

Percent non-white students in classroom
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 100
System missing: N = 9384

G4NFREEL

Number students on free-reduced lunch class roster
grade 4
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 28
System missing: N = 9523

Grade 4 Student Variables
G4TREADS

Total reading scale score CTBS grade 4
Format: F5.0
Range: 499 to 775
System missing: N = 5596

STUDENT DATA
G4TMATHS

Total math scale score CTBS grade 4
Format: F5.0
Range: 492 to 840
System missing: N = 7270

G4TLANGS

Total language scale score CTBS grade 4
Format: F5.0
Range: 558 to 841
System missing: N = 7359

G4TBATTS

Total battery scale score CTBS grade 4
Format: F5.0
Range: 526 to 829
System missing: N = 7288

G4SCIENC

Science scale score CTBS grade 4
Format: F5.0
Range: 564 to 859
System missing: N = 7277

G4SOCIAL

Social science scale score CTBS grade 4
Format: F5.0
Range: 560 to 866
System missing: N = 7276

G4READCO

Reading comprehension scale score CTBS grade 4
Format: F5.0
Range: 528 to 836
System missing: N = 7346

G4SPELLS

Spelling scale score CTBS grade 4
Format: F5.0
Range: 496 to 826
System missing: N = 7266

G4VOCABS

Vocabulary scale score CTBS grade 4
Format: F5.0
Range: 526 to 830
System missing: N = 7347

G4MATHCO

Math computation scale score CTBS grade 4
Format: F5.0
Range: 487 to 821
System missing: N = 7263

3.39

3.40

STUDENT DATA

G4MATH_A

Math concepts and applications scale score CTBS
grade 4
Format: F5.0
Range: 496 to 858
System missing: N = 7268

G4LANGEX

Language expression scale score CTBS grade 4
Format: F5.0
Range: 567 to 839
System missing: N = 7351

G4LANGME

Language mechanics scale score CTBS grade 4
Format: F5.0
Range: 549 to 843
System missing: N = 7351

G4STUDYS

Study skills scale score CTBS grade 4
Format: F5.0
Range: 503 to 859
System missing: N = 7276

G4READBS

Reading number objectives mastered BSF grade 4
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 7
System missing: N = 7339

G4MATHBS

Math number objectives mastered BSF grade
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 8
System missing: N = 7261

Grade 4 Student Participation Questionnaire
G4PTATTN

Grade 4 Participation: Pays attention in class
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
40
0.3
1.8
2
181
1.6
8.2
3
Sometimes
537
4.6
24.3
4
854
7.4
38.6
5
Always
600
5.2
27.1
Total of valid cases
2217
19.1
100.0
System missing
9384
80.9

STUDENT DATA
G4PTHWRK

Grade 4 Participation: Completes homework on time
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
61
0.5
2.8
2
170
1.5
7.7
3
Sometimes
416
3.6
18.8
4
638
5.5
28.9
5
Always
926
8.0
41.9
Total of valid cases
2217
19.1
100.0
System missing
9384
80.9
G4PTOTH

Grade 4 Participation: Works well with others
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
40
0.3
1.8
2
170
1.5
7.7
3
Sometimes
405
3.5
18.3
4
761
6.6
34.4
5
Always
841
7.2
37.9
Total of valid cases
2217
19.1
100.0
System missing
9384
80.9
G4PTMTRL

Grade 4 Participation: Loses materials
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Never
2
3
Sometimes
4
5
Always
Total of valid cases
System missing
G4PTLATE

N
675
511
628
309
93
2216
9385

Percent
5.8
4.4
5.4
2.7
0.8
19.1
80.9

Valid
Percent
30.1
23.2
28.5
14.0
4.2
100.0

Grade 4 Participation: Comes late to class
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
1629
14.0
73.5
2
259
2.2
11.7
3
Sometimes
204
1.8
9.2
4
90
0.8
4.1
5
Always
35
0.3
1.6
Total of valid cases
2217
19.1
100.0
System missing
9384
80.9

3.41

3.42

STUDENT DATA

G4PTRIES

Grade 4 Participation: Tries to do work well
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
109
0.9
4.9
2
233
2.0
10.5
3
Sometimes
497
4.3
22.4
4
616
5.3
27.8
5
Always
762
6.6
34.4
Total of valid cases
2217
19.1
100.0
System missing
9384
80.9
G4PTRSTL

Grade 4 Participation: Acts restless
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Never
2
3
Sometimes
4
5
Always
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
878
522
487
225
105
2217
9384

Percent
7.6
4.5
4.2
1.9
0.9
19.1
80.9

Valid
Percent
39.6
23.5
22.0
10.1
4.7
100.0

G4PTDISC

Grade 4 Participation: Participates in discussions
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
116
1.0
5.2
2
260
2.2
11.7
3
Sometimes
650
5.6
29.3
4
569
4.9
25.7
5
Always
622
5.4
28.1
Total of valid cases
2217
19.1
100.0
System missing
9384
80.9
G4PTWORK

Grade 4 Participation: Completes seat work
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
50
0.4
2.3
2
141
1.2
6.4
3
Sometimes
334
2.9
15.1
4
657
5.7
29.6
5
Always
1035
8.9
46.7
Total of valid cases
2217
19.1
100.0
System missing
9384
80.9

STUDENT DATA
G4PTIMPT

Grade 4 Participation: Thinks school is important
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
68
0.6
3.1
2
190
1.6
8.6
3
Sometimes
360
3.1
16.2
4
644
5.6
29.0
5
Always
955
8.2
43.1
Total of valid cases
2217
19.1
100.0
System missing
9384
80.9
G4PTREPR Grade 4 Participation: Needs reprimanding
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
707
6.1
31.9
2
553
4.8
24.9
3
Sometimes
640
5.5
28.9
4
235
2.0
10.6
5
Always
82
0.7
3.7
Total of valid cases
2217
19.1
100.0
System missing
9384
80.9
G4PTANOY

Grade 4 Participation: Annoys others
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Never
2
3
Sometimes
4
5
Always
Total of valid cases
System missing
G4PTPERS

N
978
489
475
195
80
2214
9387

Percent
8.4
4.2
4.1
1.7
0.7
19.1
80.9

Valid
Percent
44.1
22.1
21.4
8.8
3.6
100.0

Grade 4 Participation: Is persistent
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Never
2
3
Sometimes
4
5
Always
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
210
338
652
584
432
2216
9385

Percent
1.8
2.9
5.6
5.0
3.7
19.1
80.9

Valid
Percent
9.5
15.3
29.4
26.4
19.5
100.0

3.43

3.44

STUDENT DATA

G4PTKNOW

Grade 4 Participation: Doesn't know what's going on
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
990
8.5
44.7
2
514
4.4
23.2
3
Sometimes
491
4.2
22.2
4
167
1.4
7.5
5
Always
54
0.5
2.4
Total of valid cases
2216
19.0
100.0
System missing
9385
80.9
G4PTEXTR

Grade 4 Participation: Does extra work
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Never
2
3
Sometimes
4
5
Always
Total of valid cases
System missing
G4PTWTHD

Percent
4.7
3.8
5.7
3.0
1.8
19.1
80.9

Valid
Percent
24.5
20.0
30.1
15.8
9.6
100.0

Grade 4 Participation: Is withdrawn
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Never
2
3
Sometimes
4
5
Always
Total of valid cases
System missing
G4PTEFRT

N
543
444
667
350
212
2216
9385

N
1390
385
290
115
36
2216
9385

Percent
12.0
3.3
2.5
1.0
0.3
19.1
80.9

Valid
Percent
62.7
17.4
13.1
5.2
1.6
100.0

Grade 4 Participation: Makes effort
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Never
2
3
Sometimes
4
5
Always
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
92
207
526
669
722
2216
9385

Percent
0.8
1.8
4.5
5.8
6.2
19.1
80.9

Valid
Percent
4.2
9.3
23.7
30.2
32.6
100.0

STUDENT DATA
G4PTCRIT

Grade 4 Participation: Is critical of achievers
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
1667
14.4
75.2
2
306
2.6
13.8
3
Sometimes
183
1.6
8.3
4
48
0.4
2.2
5
Always
12
0.1
0.5
Total of valid cases
2216
19.1
100.0
System missing
9385
80.9
G4PTASKS

Grade 4 Participation: Asks questions
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Never
2
3
Sometimes
4
5
Always
Total of valid cases
System missing
G4PTALKS

Percent
1.3
1.8
7.4
5.2
3.5
19.1
80.9

Valid
Percent
6.6
9.3
38.6
27.1
18.3
100.0

Grade 4 Participation: Talks too much
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Never
2
3
Sometimes
4
5
Always
Total of valid cases
System missing
G4PTINTV

N
147
206
855
600
406
2214
9387

N
402
568
724
299
221
2214
9387

Percent
3.5
4.9
6.2
2.6
1.9
19.1
80.9

Valid
Percent
18.2
25.7
32.7
13.5
10.0
100.0

Grade 4 Participation: Lacks initiative
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Never
2
3
Sometimes
4
5
Always
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
811
506
507
252
137
2213
9388

Percent
7.0
4.4
4.4
2.2
1.2
19.1
80.9

Valid
Percent
36.6
22.9
22.9
11.4
6.2
100.0

3.45

3.46

STUDENT DATA

G4PTEASY

Grade 4 Participation: Prefers easy problems
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
382
3.3
17.3
2
481
4.1
21.7
3
Sometimes
754
6.5
34.1
4
388
3.3
17.5
5
Always
208
1.8
9.4
Total of valid cases
2213
19.1
100.0
System missing
9388
80.9
G4PTCRTS

Grade 4 Participation: Criticizes subject matter
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
1490
12.8
67.3
2
448
3.9
20.2
3
Sometimes
193
1.7
8.7
4
65
0.6
2.9
5
Always
17
0.1
0.8
Total of valid cases
2213
19.1
100.0
System missing
9388
80.9
G4PTFNSH

Grade 4 Participation: Tries to finish difficult
work
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
117
1.0
5.3
2
218
1.9
9.9
3
Sometimes
413
3.6
18.7
4
625
5.4
28.2
5
Always
840
7.2
38.0
Total of valid cases
2213
19.1
100.0
System missing
9388
80.9

STUDENT DATA
G4PTRAIS

Grade 4 Participation: Raises hand to talk
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
90
0.8
4.1
2
180
1.6
8.1
3
Sometimes
610
5.3
27.6
4
570
4.9
25.8
5
Always
763
6.6
34.5
Total of valid cases
2213
19.1
100.0
System missing
9388
80.9
G4PTSEEK

Grade 4 Participation: Seeks reference material
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
345
3.0
15.6
2
385
3.3
17.4
3
Sometimes
739
6.4
33.4
4
432
3.7
19.5
5
Always
312
2.7
14.1
Total of valid cases
2213
19.1
100.0
System missing
9388
80.9
G4PTDSRG

Grade 4 Participation: Is easily discouraged
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
761
6.6
34.4
2
626
5.4
28.3
3
Sometimes
519
4.5
23.5
4
222
1.9
10.0
5
Always
85
0.7
3.8
Total of valid cases
2213
19.1
100.0
System missing
9389
80.9

3.47

3.48

STUDENT DATA

G4PTDISS

Grade 4 Participation: Discusses subject matter
outside of class
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
427
3.7
19.3
2
370
3.2
16.7
3
Sometimes
776
6.7
35.1
4
398
3.4
18.0
5
Always
242
2.1
10.9
Total of valid cases
2213
19.1
100.0
System missing
9388
80.9
G4PTEXTC

Grade 4 Participation: Attends school events
Format F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
105
0.9
4.8
2
215
1.9
9.8
3
Sometimes
937
8.1
42.7
4
528
4.6
24.1
5
Always
409
3.5
18.6
Total of valid cases
2194
18.9
100.0
System missing
9407
81.1
G4PTPERF

Grade 4 Participation: Overall academic performance
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Above average
851
7.3
38.7
2
Average
928
8.0
42.2
3
Below average
421
3.6
19.1
Total of valid cases
2200
19.0
100.0
System missing
9401
81.0
G4PTSPED

Grade 4 Participation: Attends special education
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
No
1909
16.5
87.9
2
Yes
264
2.3
12.1
Total of valid cases
2173
18.7
100.0
System missing
9428
81.3

STUDENT DATA
G4PTEFFR

Grade 4 Participation subscore: Effort
Format: F5.0
Range: 15 to 65
System missing: N = 9389

G4PTINIT

Grade 4 Participation subscore: Initiative
Format: F5.0
Range: 8 to 40
System missing: N = 9389

G4PTNONP

Grade 4 Participation subscore: Nonparticipatory
behavior
Format: F5.0
Range: 4 to 20
System missing: N = 9389
Grade 4 Participation subscore: Value
Format: F5.0
Range: 3 to 15
System missing: N = 9389

G4PTVALU

Grade 5 School Variables
G5SCHID

Grade 5 School ID
Format: F6.0
Range: 112038 to 264945
System missing: N = 9008

Grade 5 Student Variables
G5TREADS

Total reading scale score CTBS grade 5
Format: F5.0
Range: 545 to 851
System missing: N = 9010

G5TMATHS

Total math scale score CTBS grade 5
Format: F5.0
Range: 532 to 857
System missing: N = 9012

G5TLANGS

Total language scale score CTBS grade 5
Format: F5.0
Range: 576 to 859
System missing: N = 9010

3.49

3.50

STUDENT DATA

G5TBATTS

Total battery scale score CTBS grade 5
Format: F5.0
Range: 551 to 837
System missing: N = 9014

G5SCIENC

Science scale score CTBS grade 5
Format: F5.0
Range: 586 to 888
System missing: N = 9016

G5SOCIAL

Social science scale score CTBS grade 5
Format: F5.0
Range: 587 to 871
System missing: N = 9017

G5READCO

Reading comprehension scale score CTBS grade 5
Format: F5.0
Range: 553 to 860
System missing: N = 9010

G5SPELLS

Spelling scale score CTBS grade 5
Format: F5.0
Range: 536 to 847
System missing: N = 9010

G5VOCABS

Vocabulary scale score CTBS grade 5
Format: F5.0
Range: 537 to 841
System missing: N = 9009

G5MATHCO

Math computation scale score CTBS grade 5
Format: F5.0
Range: 530 to 832
System missing: N = 9011

G5MATH_A

Math concepts and applications scale score CTBS
grade 5
Format: F5.0
Range: 533 to 881
System missing: N = 9012

G5LANGEX

Language expression scale score CTBS grade 5
Format: F5.0
Range: 578 to 860
System missing: N = 9010

STUDENT DATA
G5LANGME

Language mechanics scale score CTBS grade 5
Format: F5.0
Range: 574 to 858
System missing: N = 9009

G5STUDYS

Study skills scale score CTBS grade 5
Format: F5.0
Range: 558 to 873
System missing: N = 9014

G5READBS

Reading number objectives mastered BSF grade 5
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 7
System missing: N = 9012

G5MATHBS

Math number objectives mastered BSF grade 5
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 9
System missing: N = 9029

Grade 6 School Variables
G6SCHID

Grade 6 School ID
Format: F6.0
Range: 105012 to 265956
System missing: N = 5160

Grade 6 Student Variables
G6TREADS

Total reading scale score CTBS grade 6
Format: F5.0
Range: 571 to 878
System missing: N = 5173

G6TMATHS

Total math scale score CTBS grade 6
Format: F5.0
Range: 553 to 874
System missing: N = 5179

G6TLANGS

Total language scale score CTBS grade 6
Format: F5.0
Range: 595 to 872
System missing: N = 5183

3.51

3.52

STUDENT DATA

G6SCIENC

Science scale score CTBS grade 6
Format: F5.0
Range: 595 to 899
System missing: N = 5181

G6SOCIAL

Social science scale score CTBS grade 6
Format: F5.0
Range: 601 to 880
System missing: N = 5176

G6READBS

Reading number objectives mastered BSF grade 6
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 7
System missing: N = 8848

G6MATHBS

Math number objectives mastered BSF grade 6
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 9
System missing: N = 8859

Grade 7 School Variables
G7SCHID

Grade 7 School ID
Format: F6.0
Range: 112032 to 264950
System missing: N = 6659

Grade 7 Student Variables
G7TREADS

Total reading scale score CTBS grade 7
Format: F5.0
Range: 588 to 892
System missing: N = 6695

G7TMATHS

Total math scale score CTBS grade 7
Format: F5.0
Range: 602 to 920
System missing: N = 6713

G7TLANGS

Total language scale score CTBS grade 7
Format: F5.0
Range: 605 to 895
System missing: N = 6715

STUDENT DATA
G7TBATTS

Total battery scale score CTBS grade 7
Format: F5.0
Range: 612 to 902
System missing: N = 6751

G7SCIENC

Science scale score CTBS grade 7
Format: F5.0
Range: 627 to 912
System missing: N = 6724

G7SOCIAL

Social science scale score CTBS grade 7
Format: F5.0
Range: 625 to 898
System missing: N = 6726

G7READCO

Reading comprehension scale score CTBS grade 7
Format: F5.0
Range: 581 to 875
System missing: N = 6692

G7SPELLS

Spelling scale score CTBS grade 7
Format: F5.0
Range: 571 to 898
System missing: N = 6686

G7VOCABS

Vocabulary scale score CTBS grade 7
Format: F5.0
Range: 595 to 908
System missing: N = 6691

G7MATHCO

Math computation scale score CTBS grade 7
Format: F5.0
Range: 561 to 940
System missing: N = 6695

G7MATH_A

Math concepts and applications scale score CTBS
grade 7
Format: F5.0
Range: 638 to 900
System missing: N = 6700

G7LANGEX

Language expression scale score CTBS grade 7
Format: F5.0
Range: 605 to 905
System missing: N = 6699

3.53

3.54

STUDENT DATA

G7LANGME

Language mechanics scale score CTBS grade 7
Format: F5.0
Range: 605 to 884
System missing: N = 6690

G7STUDYS

Study skills scale score CTBS grade 7
Format: F5.0
Range: 627 to 899
System missing: N = 6722

G7READBS

Reading number objectives mastered BSF grade 7
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 7
System missing: N = 6709

G7MATHBS

Math number objectives mastered BSF grade 7
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 10
System missing: N = 6728

Grade 8 School Variables
G8SCHID

Grade 8 School ID
Format: F6.0
Range: 104010 to 265956
System missing: N = 5087

G8SURBAN

School urbanicity grade 8
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Inner city
2
Suburban
3
Rural
4
Urban
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
1266
1779
2925
544
6514
5087

Percent
10.9
15.3
25.2
4.7
56.2
43.8

Grade 8 Student Variables
G8TREADS

Total reading scale score CTBS grade 8
Format: F5.0
Range: 588 to 892
System missing: N = 5377

Valid
Percent
19.4
27.3
44.9
8.4
100.0

STUDENT DATA
G8TMATHS

Total math scale score CTBS grade 8
Format: F5.0
Range: 572 to 920
System missing: N = 5388

G8TLANGS

Total language scale score CTBS grade 8
Format: F5.0
Range: 605 to 895
System missing: N = 5404

G8TBATTS

Total battery scale score CTBS grade 8
Format: F5.0
Range: 599 to 902
System missing: N = 6042

G8SCIENC

Science scale score CTBS grade 8
Format: F5.0
Range: 627 to 912
System missing: N = 5389

G8SOCIAL

Social science scale score CTBS grade 8
Format: F5.0
Range: 625 to 898
System missing: N = 5392

G8READCO

Reading comprehension scale SCORE CTBS grade 8
Format: F5.0
Range: 581 to 875
System missing: N = 5981

G8SPELLS

Spelling scale score CTBS grade 8
Format: F5.0
Range: 571 to 898
System missing: N = 5980

G8VOCABS

Vocabulary scale score CTBS grade 8
Format: F5.0
Range: 595 to 908
System missing: N = 5991

G8MATHCO

Math computation scale score CTBS grade 8
Format: F5.0
Range: 561 to 940
System missing: N = 5986

3.55

3.56

STUDENT DATA

G8MATH_A

Math concepts and applications scale score CTBS
grade 8
Format: F5.0
Range: 583 to 900
System missing: N = 5981

G8LANGEX

Language expression scale score CTBS grade 8
Format: F5.0
Range: 605 to 905
System missing: N = 5990

G8LANGME

Language mechanics scale score CTBS grade 8
Format: F5.0
Range: 605 to 884
System missing: N = 5984

G8STUDYS

Study skills scale score CTBS grade 8
Format: F5.0
Range: 627 to 899
System missing: N = 6001

G8READBS

Reading number objectives mastered BSF grade 8
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 7
System missing: N = 6333

G8MATHBS

Math number objectives mastered BSF grade 8
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 10
System missing: N = 6344

Grade 8 Identification with School Questionnaire
G8IDPROU

Grade 8 Identification: I feel proud being part of
school
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Strongly agree
998
8.6
27.4
2
Agree
2350
20.3
64.4
3
Disagree
243
2.1
6.7
4
Strongly disagree
57
.5
1.6
Total of valid cases
3648
31.4
100.0
System missing
7953
68.6

STUDENT DATA

3.57

G8IDRSPT

Grade 8 Identification: I am treated with respect
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Strongly agree
755
6.5
20.7
2
Agree
2184
18.8
59.9
3
Disagree
605
5.2
16.6
4
Strongly disagree
104
0.9
2.9
Total of valid cases
3648
31.4
100.0
System missing
7953
68.6
G8IDGDJB

Grade 8 Identification: I can get a good job even if
grades bad
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Strongly agree
138
1.2
3.8
2
Agree
704
6.1
19.3
3
Disagree
1900
16.4
52.1
4
Strongly disagree
906
7.8
24.8
Total of valid cases
3648
31.4
100.0
System missing
7953
68.6
G8IDATTN

Grade 8 Identification: I only get attention when I
cause trouble
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Strongly agree
87
0.7
2.4
2
Agree
233
2.0
6.4
3
Disagree
1793
15.5
49.2
4
Strongly disagree
1535
13.2
42.1
Total of valid cases
3648
31.4
100.0
System missing
7953
68.6
G8IDACTV

Grade 8 Identification: I participate in a lot of
activities at school
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Strongly agree
1330
11.5
36.5
2
Agree
1567
13.5
43.0
3
Disagree
620
5.3
17.0
4
Strongly disagree
131
1.1
3.6
Total of valid cases
3648
31.4
100.0
System missing
7953
68.6

3.58

STUDENT DATA

G8IDIMPT

Grade 8 Identification: School is important in my
life
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Strongly agree
1362
11.7
37.3
2
Agree
1759
15.2
48.2
3
Disagree
391
3.4
10.7
4
Strongly disagree
136
1.2
3.7
Total of valid cases
3648
31.4
100.0
System missing
7953
68.6
G8IDPOPU

Grade 8 Identification: I am less popular when I get
better grades
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Strongly agree
95
0.8
2.6
2
Agree
261
2.2
7.2
3
Disagree
1978
17.1
54.3
4
Strongly disagree
1306
11.3
35.9
Total of valid cases
3640
31.4
100.0
System missing
7961
68.6
G8IDUSLS

Grade 8 Identification: What we learn in class is
useless
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Strongly agree
122
1.1
3.3
2
Agree
513
4.4
14.1
3
Disagree
1723
14.9
47.2
4
Strongly disagree
1290
11.1
35.4
Total of valid cases
3648
31.4
100.0
System missing
7953
68.6
G8IDFRNL

Grade 8 Identification: My friends like school a lot
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Strongly agree
199
1.7
5.5
2
Agree
1462
12.6
40.1
3
Disagree
1526
13.2
41.9
4
Strongly disagree
459
4.0
12.6
Total of valid cases
3646
31.4
100.0
System missing
7955
68.6

STUDENT DATA

3.59

G8IDCARE

Grade 8 Identification: My teachers don’t care about
me
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Strongly agree
86
0.7
2.4
2
Agree
315
2.7
8.6
3
Disagree
1799
15.5
49.3
4
Strongly disagree
1448
12.5
39.7
Total of valid cases
3648
31.4
100.0
System missing
7953
68.6
G8IDPLAC

Grade 8 Identification: I like being any place other
than school
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Strongly agree
426
3.7
11.8
2
Agree
1259
10.9
34.8
3
Disagree
1616
13.9
44.6
4
Strongly disagree
321
2.8
8.9
Total of valid cases
3622
31.2
100.0
System missing
7979
68.8
G8IDPROB

Grade 8 Identification: I can talk to teachers about
problems
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Strongly agree
1145
9.9
31.6
2
Agree
1975
17.0
54.5
3
Disagree
359
3.1
9.9
4
Strongly disagree
143
1.2
3.9
Total of valid cases
3622
31.2
100.0
System missing
7979
68.8
G8IDUSEF

Grade 8 Identification: What we learn in school will
be useful on job
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Strongly agree
1712
14.8
47.3
2
Agree
1583
13.6
43.7
3
Disagree
258
2.2
7.1
4
Strongly disagree
68
0.6
1.9
Total of valid cases
3621
31.2
100.0
System missing
7980
68.8

3.60

STUDENT DATA

G8IDFRNC

Grade 8 Identification: My friends don’t care about
bad grades
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Strongly agree
309
2.7
8.5
2
Agree
1147
9.9
31.7
3
Disagree
1610
13.9
44.5
4
Strongly disagree
550
4.7
15.2
Total of valid cases
3616
31.2
100.0
System missing
7985
68.8
G8IDTRYG

Grade 8 Identification: Trying hard makes others
dislike me
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Strongly agree
42
0.4
1.2
2
Agree
164
1.4
4.5
3
Disagree
1962
16.9
54.3
4
Strongly disagree
1447
12.5
40.0
Total of valid cases
3615
31.2
100.0
System missing
7986
68.8
G8IDFAVR

Grade 8 Identification: School is favorite place to
be
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Strongly agree
214
1.8
5.9
2
Agree
1273
11.0
35.2
3
Disagree
1590
13.7
43.9
4
Strongly disagree
544
4.7
15.0
Total of valid cases
3621
31.2
100.0
System missing
7980
68.8
G8IDINTR

Grade 8 Identification: People are interested in
what I say
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Strongly agree
235
2.0
6.5
2
Agree
2215
19.1
61.2
3
Disagree
982
8.5
27.1
4
Strongly disagree
189
1.6
5.2
Total of valid cases
3621
31.2
100.0
System missing
7980
68.8

STUDENT DATA

3.61

G8IDWAST

Grade 8 Identification: School is waste of time
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Strongly agree
92
0.8
2.5
2
Agree
311
2.7
8.6
3
Disagree
1864
16.1
51.5
4
Strongly disagree
1354
11.7
37.4
Total of valid cases
3621
31.2
100.0
System missing
7980
68.8
G8IDDROP

Grade 8 Identification: Dropping out is a huge
mistake
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Strongly agree
2808
24.2
77.5
2
Agree
570
4.9
15.7
3
Disagree
72
0.6
2.0
4
Strongly disagree
171
1.5
4.7
Total of valid cases
3621
31.2
100.0
System missing
7980
68.8
G8IDFRNU

Grade 8 Identification: My friends upset when I do
schoolwork
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Strongly agree
74
0.6
2.0
2
Agree
289
2.5
8.0
3
Disagree
2075
17.9
57.4
4
Strongly disagree
1176
10.1
32.5
Total of valid cases
3614
31.2
100.0
System missing
7987
68.8
G8IDMIMP

Grade 8 Identification: School is more important
than people think
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Strongly agree
1807
15.6
49.9
2
Agree
1619
14.0
44.7
3
Disagree
156
1.3
4.3
4
Strongly disagree
39
0.3
1.1
Total of valid cases
3621
31.2
100.0
System missing
7980
68.8

3.62

STUDENT DATA

G8IDFRNW

Grade 8 Identification: My friends think school is
waste of time
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Strongly agree
317
2.7
8.8
2
Agree
1004
8.7
27.8
3
Disagree
1747
15.1
48.3
4
Strongly disagree
549
4.7
15.2
Total of valid cases
3617
31.2
100.0
System missing
7984
68.8
G8IDFRNS

Grade 8 Identification: Most of my friends go to
school
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Strongly agree
1881
16.2
52.0
2
Agree
1367
11.8
37.8
3
Disagree
255
2.2
7.1
4
Strongly disagree
113
1.0
3.1
Total of valid cases
3616
31.2
100.0
System missing
7985
68.8
G8IDBLNG

Grade 8 Identification subscore: Belonging
Format: F5.0
Range: 8 to 39
System missing: N = 7953

G8IDVALU

Grade 8 Identification subscore: Valuing
Format: F5.0
Range: 5 to 31
System missing: N = 7953

G8IDTOTL

Grade 8 Identification total score
Format: F5.0
Range: 13 to 67
System missing: N = 7953

STUDENT DATA

Grade 8 Student Participation Questionnaire
G8PEABSN

Grade 8 Participation, English: Absenteeism
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
1-2 absences
660
5.7
27.4
2
3-6 absences
969
8.4
40.3
3
7 or more absences
776
6.7
32.3
Total of valid cases
2405
20.7
100.0
System missing
9196
79.3
G8PEPRNT

Grade 8 Participation, English: Spoken to parents
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
0
No contacts
2030
17.5
77.1
1
1-2 contacts
465
4.0
17.7
2
3 or more contacts
138
1.2
5.2
Total of valid cases
2633
22.7
100.0
System missing
8968
77.3
G8PEATTN

Grade 8 Participation, English: Pays attention in
class
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
37
0.3
1.2
2
176
1.5
5.9
3
Sometimes
757
6.5
25.4
4
1272
11.0
42.7
5
Always
736
6.3
24.7
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3
G8PEMTRL

Grade 8 Participation, English: Loses materials
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
860
7.4
28.9
2
875
7.5
29.4
3
Sometimes
818
7.1
27.5
4
349
3.0
11.7
5
Always
76
0.7
2.6
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3

3.63

3.64

STUDENT DATA

G8PEASGN

Grade 8 Participation, English: Completes
assignments
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
40
0.3
1.3
2
197
1.7
6.6
3
Sometimes
601
5.2
20.2
4
1130
9.7
37.9
5
Always
1010
8.7
33.9
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3
G8PELATE

Grade 8 Participation, English: Comes late to class
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
1974
17.0
66.3
2
497
4.3
16.7
3
Sometimes
369
3.2
12.4
4
111
1.0
3.7
5
Always
27
0.2
0.9
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3
G8PEPERS

Grade 8 Participation, English: Is persistent
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
227
2.0
7.6
2
401
3.5
13.5
3
Sometimes
960
8.3
32.2
4
943
8.1
31.7
5
Always
447
3.9
15.0
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3

STUDENT DATA

G8PECRTS

3.65

Grade 8 Participation, English: Criticizes subject
matter
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
1705
14.7
57.3
2
628
5.4
21.1
3
Sometimes
445
3.8
14.9
4
174
1.5
5.8
5
Always
26
0.2
0.9
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3
G8PEMORE

Grade 8 Participation, English: Does more than
assigned work
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
1130
9.7
37.9
2
675
5.8
22.7
3
Sometimes
610
5.3
20.5
4
404
3.5
13.6
5
Always
159
1.4
5.3
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3
G8PEANOY

Grade 8 Participation, English: Annoys others
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
1530
13.2
51.4
2
609
5.2
20.4
3
Sometimes
534
4.6
17.9
4
229
2.0
7.7
5
Always
76
0.7
2.6
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3

3.66

STUDENT DATA

G8PEVALU

Grade 8 Participation, English: Thinks course is
valuable
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
168
1.4
5.6
2
345
3.0
11.6
3
Sometimes
796
6.9
26.7
4
933
8.0
31.3
5
Always
736
6.3
24.7
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3
G8PECRIT

Grade 8 Participation, English: Is critical of
achievers
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
2104
18.1
70.7
2
512
4.4
17.2
3
Sometimes
265
2.3
8.9
4
74
0.6
2.5
5
Always
23
0.2
0.8
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3
G8PEDISC

Grade 8 Participation, English: Participates in
discussions
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
217
1.9
7.3
2
418
3.6
14.0
3
Sometimes
1034
8.9
34.7
4
787
6.8
26.4
5
Always
522
4.5
17.5
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3

STUDENT DATA

3.67

G8PEREPR

Grade 8 Participation, English: Needs reprimanding
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
2011
17.3
67.5
2
478
4.1
16.1
3
Sometimes
323
2.8
10.8
4
134
1.2
4.5
5
Always
32
0.3
1.1
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3
G8PEABUS

Grade 8 Participation, English: Abusive to teacher
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
2622
22.6
88.0
2
202
1.7
6.8
3
Sometimes
101
0.9
3.4
4
45
0.4
1.5
5
Always
8
0.1
0.3
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3
G8PEDISS

Grade 8 Participation, English: Discusses subject
matter outside of class
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
1036
8.9
34.8
2
633
5.5
21.3
3
Sometimes
861
7.4
28.9
4
332
2.9
11.1
5
Always
116
1.0
3.9
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3
G8PEEFFR

Grade 8 Participation, English subscore: Effort
Format: F5.0
Range: 5 to 25
System missing: N = 8623

G8PEINIT

Grade 8 Participation, English subscore: Initiative
Format: F5.0
Range: 3 to 15
System missing: N = 8623

3.68

STUDENT DATA

G8PENONP

Grade 8 Participation, English subscore:
Nonparticipatory behavior
Format: F5.0
Range: 3 to 15
System missing: N = 8623

G8PMABSN

Grade 8 Participation, Mathematics: Absenteeism
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
1-2 absences
639
5.5
24.4
2
3-6 absences
1007
8.7
38.4
3
7 or more absences
974
8.4
37.2
Total of valid cases
2620
22.6
100.0
System missing
8981
77.4
G8PMPRNT

Grade 8 Participation, Mathematics: Spoken to
parents
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
0
No contacts
2235
19.3
79.0
1
1-2 contacts
457
3.9
16.1
2
3 or more contacts
138
1.2
4.9
Total of valid cases
2830
24.4
100.0
System missing
8771
75.6
G8PMATTN

Grade 8 Participation, Mathematics: Pays attention
in class
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
33
0.3
1.1
2
192
1.7
6.4
3
Sometimes
805
6.9
27.0
4
1078
9.3
36.2
5
Always
870
7.5
29.2
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3

STUDENT DATA

G8PMMTRL

3.69

Grade 8 Participation, Mathematics: Loses materials
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
888
7.7
29.8
2
889
7.7
29.9
3
Sometimes
814
7.0
27.3
4
333
2.9
11.2
5
Always
54
.5
1.8
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3
G8PMASGN

Grade 8 Participation, Mathematics: Completes
assignments
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
36
0.3
1.2
2
235
2.0
7.9
3
Sometimes
696
6.0
23.4
4
1078
9.3
36.2
5
Always
933
8.0
31.3
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3
G8PMLATE

Grade 8 Participation, Mathematics: Comes late to
class
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
1995
17.2
67.0
2
510
4.4
17.1
3
Sometimes
336
2.9
11.3
4
106
0.9
3.6
5
Always
31
0.3
1.0
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3

3.70

STUDENT DATA

G8PMPERS

Grade 8 Participation, Mathematics: Is persistent
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
305
2.6
10.2
2
503
4.3
16.9
3
Sometimes
925
8.0
31.1
4
748
6.4
25.1
5
Always
497
4.3
16.7
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3
G8PMCRTS

Grade 8 Participation, Mathematics: Criticizes
subject matter
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
1761
15.2
59.1
2
669
5.8
22.5
3
Sometimes
360
3.1
12.1
4
154
1.3
5.2
5
Always
34
0.3
1.1
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3
G8PMMORE

Grade 8 Participation, Mathematics: Does more than
assigned work
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
1078
9.3
36.2
2
622
5.4
20.9
3
Sometimes
694
6.0
23.3
4
376
3.2
12.6
5
Always
208
1.8
7.0
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3

STUDENT DATA

3.71

G8PMANOY

Grade 8 Participation, Mathematics: Annoys others
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
1628
14.0
54.7
2
632
5.4
21.2
3
Sometimes
465
4.0
15.6
4
183
1.6
6.1
5
Always
71
0.6
2.4
Total of valid cases
2979
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3
G8PMVALU

Grade 8 Participation, Mathematics: Thinks course is
valuable
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
133
1.1
4.5
2
316
2.7
10.6
3
Sometimes
849
7.3
28.5
4
910
7.8
30.6
5
Always
770
6.6
25.9
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3
G8PMCRIT

Grade 8 Participation, Mathematics: Is critical of
achievers
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
2200
19.0
73.9
2
458
3.9
15.4
3
Sometimes
231
2.0
7.8
4
75
0.6
2.5
5
Always
14
0.1
0.5
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3

3.72

STUDENT DATA

G8PMDISC

Grade 8 Participation, Mathematics: Participates in
discussions
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
241
2.1
8.1
2
420
3.6
14.1
3
Sometimes
1012
8.7
34.0
4
745
6.4
25.0
5
Always
560
4.8
18.8
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3
G8PMREPR

Grade 8 Participation, Mathematics: Needs
reprimanding
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
2154
18.6
72.3
2
442
3.8
14.8
3
Sometimes
266
2.3
8.9
4
87
0.7
2.9
5
Always
29
0.2
1.0
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3
G8PMABUS

Grade 8 Participation, Mathematics: Abusive to
teacher
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
2689
23.2
90.3
2
178
1.5
6.0
3
Sometimes
74
0.6
2.5
4
27
0.2
0.9
5
Always
10
0.1
0.3
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3

STUDENT DATA

3.73

G8PMDISS

Grade 8 Participation, Mathematics: Discusses
subject matter outside of class
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
1
Never
978
8.4
32.8
2
652
5.6
21.9
3
Sometimes
829
7.1
27.8
4
416
3.6
14.0
5
Always
103
0.9
3.5
Total of valid cases
2978
25.7
100.0
System missing
8623
74.3
G8PMEFFR

Grade 8 Participation, Mathematics subscore: Effort
Format: F5.0
Range: 5 to 25
System missing: N = 8623

G8PMINIT

Grade 8 Participation, Mathematics subscore:
Initiative
Format: F5.0
Range: 3 to 15
System missing: N = 8623

G8PMNONP

Grade 8 Participation, Mathematics subscore:
Nonparticipatory behavior
Format: F5.0
Range: 3 to 15
System missing: N = 8623
High School Variables

HSID

High School ID
Format: F6.0
Range: 106017 to 267958
System missing: N = 6280

High School Student Variables
HSFRNCH1

Number of semesters French 1 high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 5
System missing: N = 7679

3.74

STUDENT DATA

HSFRNCH2

Number of semesters French 2 high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 6
System missing: N = 7679

HSFRNCH3

Number of semesters French 3 high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 2
System missing: N = 7679

HSFRNCH4

Number of semesters
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 2
System missing: N =
Number of semesters
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 4
System missing: N =

HSGRMN1

French 4 high school

7679
German 1 high school

7679

HSGRMN2

Number of semesters German 2 high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 3
System missing: N = 7679

HSGRMN3

Number of semesters German 3 high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 2
System missing: N = 7679

HSGRMN4

Number of semesters German 4 high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 1
System missing: N = 7679

HSLATIN1

Number of semesters Latin 1 high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 4
System missing: N = 7679

HSLATIN2

Number of semesters Latin 2 high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 3
System missing: N = 7679

STUDENT DATA

HSLATIN3

Number of semesters Latin 3 high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 2
System missing: N = 7679

HSLATIN4

Number of semesters Latin 4 high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 2
System missing: N = 7679

HSSPANI1

Number of semesters Spanish 1 high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 6
System missing: N = 7679

HSSPANI2

Number of semesters Spanish 2 high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 4
System missing: N = 7679

HSSPANI3

Number of semesters Spanish 3 high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 2
System missing: N = 7679

HSSPANI4

Number of semesters Spanish 4 high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 2
System missing: N = 7679

HSSPANI5

Number of semesters Spanish 5 high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 1
System missing: N = 7679

HSFLANG1

Number of semesters foreign language level 1 high
school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 4
System missing: N = 7679

HSFLANG2

Number of semesters foreign language level 2 high
school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 4
System missing: N = 7679

3.75

3.76

STUDENT DATA

HSFLANG3

Number of semesters foreign language level 3 high
school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 2
System missing: N = 7679

HSFLANG4

Number of semesters foreign language level 4 high
school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 2
System missing: N = 7679

HSFLANGT

Total number of semesters foreign language high
school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 10
System missing: N = 7679

HSMATH1

Number of semesters math 1 high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 14
System missing: N = 8087

HSMATH2

Number of semesters math 2 high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 8
System missing: N = 7679

HSMATH3

Number of semesters math 3 high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 10
System missing: N = 7679

HSMATH4

Number of semesters math 4 high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 6
System missing: N = 7679

HSMATH5

Number of semesters math 5 high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 4
System missing: N = 7679

STUDENT DATA
HSMATHTO

Total number of semesters math high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 14
System missing: N = 8090

HSCIENTO

Total number of semesters science high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 0 to 13
System missing: N = 8090

HSGPAFLA

GPA foreign language high school
Format: F5.2
Range: 24.00 to 100.00
System missing: N = 8881

HSGPAMAT

GPA math high school
Format: F5.2
Range: 34.00 to 100.00
System missing: N = 7830

HSGPASCI

GPA science high school
Format: F5.2
Range: 40.00 to 100.00
System missing: N = 8245

HSGPAOVE

GPA overall high school
Format: F5.2
Range: 58.52 to 99.78
System missing: N = 7947

HSLVLFLA

Highest foreign language level high school
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
0
589
5.1
20.5
1
360
3.1
12.5
2
1789
15.4
62.3
3
114
1.0
4.0
4
17
0.1
0.6
5
3
0.0
0.1
Total of valid cases
2872
24.8
100.0
System missing
8729
75.2

3.77

3.78

STUDENT DATA

HSLVLMTH

Highest math level high school
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
2
3
4
5
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
235
785
2005
647
230
3902
7699

Percent
2.0
6.8
17.3
5.6
2.0
33.6
66.4

Valid
Percent
6.0
20.1
51.4
16.6
5.9
100.0

HSYRSCOR

Number of years of high school course taking data
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
2
512
4.4
13.1
3
538
4.6
13.7
4
2872
24.8
73.2
Total of valid cases
3922
33.8
100.0
System missing
7679
66.2
HSCTSRC

Source of high school course taking data
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Transcript
2
Abbreviated form
Total of valid cases
System missing
HSSAT

N
3511
411
3922
7679

Percent
30.3
3.5
33.8
66.2

Valid
Percent
89.5
10.5
100.0

Took SAT test high school
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
11071
528
11599
2

Percent
95.4
4.6
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
95.4
4.6
100.0

STUDENT DATA
HSACT

Took ACT test high school
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
HSTEST

3.79

N
7844
3755
11599
2

Percent
67.6
32.4
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
67.6
32.4
100.0

Took either SAT or ACT test high school
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
7706
3893
11599
2

Percent
66.4
33.6
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
66.4
33.6
100.0

HSSATMAT

SAT math score high school
Format: F5.2
Range: 200 to 800
System missing: N = 11112

HSSATVER

SAT verbal score high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 200 to 800
System missing: N = 11112

HSSATTOT

SAT total verbal and math score high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 400 to 1560
System missing: N = 11112

HSACTCOM

ACT composite score high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 9 to 34
System missing: N = 7847

HSACTTOT

ACT total of English, reading, mathematics, science
scores high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 35 to 136
System missing: N = 7847

3.80

STUDENT DATA

HSACTENG

ACT English score high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 5 to 36
System missing: N = 7846

HSACTMAT

ACT math score high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 8 to 36
System missing: N = 7846

HSACTREA

ACT reading score high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 3 to 36
System missing: N = 7847

HSACTSCI

ACT science score high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 7 to 36
System missing: N = 7847

HSSATCON

ACT --> SAT (test score reported in SAT sum metric)
high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 400 to 1560
System missing: N = 7722

HSACTCON

SAT --> ACT (test score reported in ACT composite
metric) high school
Format: F5.0
Range: 9 to 34
System missing: N = 7722

HSGRDADD

High school graduation status (with additional
codes)
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
0
Dropped out
733
6.3
14.7
1
Graduated
3711
32.0
74.3
2
GED
170
1.5
3.4
3
Probably dropped out 217
1.9
4.3
4
Probably graduated
161
1.4
3.2
Total of valid cases
4992
43.0
100.0
System missing
6609
57.0

STUDENT DATA
HSGRDCOL

3.81

High school graduation status (collapsed additional
codes)
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
0
No
1120
9.7
22.4
1
Yes
3872
33.4
77.6
Total of valid cases
4992
43.0
100.0
System missing
6609
57.0

SCHOOL DATA

4.1

CHAPTER 4
SCHOOL DATA FILES

Types of Variables in K-3 School File

page 4.2

Types of Variables in High School File

page 4.2

K-3 School Codebook

page 4.3

High School Codebook

page 4.11

4.2 SCHOOL DATA

TYPES OF VARIABLES IN K-3 SCHOOL FILE
Beginning Page
FLAG VARIABLES
Grade K-3 participating school flags................. 4.3

SCHOOL DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES
Urbanicity........................................... 4.3
Grade range.......................................... 4.3
School enrollment.................................... 4.4
Average daily attendance............................. 4.6
Average daily membership............................. 4.6
Chapter 1 status..................................... 4.4
Percent of students receiving free/reduced
price lunch.........................................4.5
Percent of students bused............................ 4.5
Percent of students by race/ethnicity................ 4.5

TYPES OF VARIABLES IN HIGH SCHOOL FILE
Beginning Page
SCHOOL DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES
Urbanicity..........................................
Enrollment..........................................
Grade levels........................................
Percent of minority students........................
Percent of students receiving free/reduced
price lunch.......................................
Percent of student who did not graduate with cohort.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
Mathematics.........................................
Science.............................................
Foreign language....................................
Social studies......................................
Computer science....................................
English.............................................

4.11
4.11
4.11
4.12
4.12
4.12

4.13
4.13
4.13
4.14
4.14
4.14

COURSE OFFERINGS
Mathematics......................................... 4.14
Foreign language.................................... 4.16

SCHOOL DATA

4.3

K-3 SCHOOL CODEBOOK
School Demographic Variables
SCHID

School ID
Format: F6.0
Range: 112038 to 264945

SCHLURBN

School urbanicity
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Inner city
2
Suburban
3
Rural
4
Urban
Total of valid cases
System missing
GRDRANGE

N
16
18
39
7
80
0

Percent
20.0
22.5
48.8
8.8
100.0
0.0

N
4
5
15
39
1
12
1
77
3

Percent
5.0
6.3
18.8
48.8
1.3
15.0
1.3
96.3
3.8

Valid
Percent
20.0
22.5
48.8
8.8
100.0

School grade range
Format: F2.0

Value
Label
3
K-3
4
K-4
5
K-5
6
K-6
7
K-7
8
K-8
9
K-9
Total of valid cases
System missing

Valid
Percent
5.2
6.5
19.5
50.6
1.3
15.6
1.3
100.0

Flag Variables
FLAGGK

School in STAR in kindergarten
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
1
79
80
0

Percent
1.3
98.9
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
1.3
98.8

4.4 SCHOOL DATA
FLAGG1

School in STAR in grade 1
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
FLAGG2

4
76
80
0

Percent
5.0
95.0
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
5.0
95.0

School in STAR in grade 2
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
FLAGG3

N

N
5
75
80
0

Percent
6.3
93.8
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
6.3
93.8

School in STAR in grade 3
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
5
75
80
0

Percent
6.3
93.8
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
6.3
93.8

Kindergarten School Variables
GKENRMNT

School enrollment kindergarten
Format: F4.0
Range: 106 to 1400
System missing: N = 1

GKCHAPT1

Chapter 1 school kindergarten
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Yes
2
No
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
64
15
79
1

Percent
80.0
18.8
98.8
1.3

Valid
Percent
81.0
19.0
100.0

SCHOOL DATA

4.5

GKFRLNCH

Percent students receiving free/reduced price lunch
kindergarten
Format: F3.0
Range: 1 to 99
System missing: N = 1

GKBUSED

Percent students bused kindergarten
Format: F3.0
Range: 0 to 100
System missing: N = 1

GKNATVAM

Percent students Native American kindergarten
Format: F4.0
Range: 1 to 1
System missing: N = 79

GKASIAN

Percent students Asian kindergarten
Format: F4.0
Range: 0 to 2
System missing: N = 70

GKBLACK

Percent students Black kindergarten
Format: F4.0
Range: 1 to 100
System missing: N = 16

GKHSPANC

Percent students Hispanic kindergarten
Format: F4.0
Range: 0 to 10
System missing: N = 77

GKWHITE

Percent students White kindergarten
Format: F4.0
Range: 1 to 100
System missing: N = 12

GKOTHRAC

Percent students other race/ethnicity kindergarten
Format: F4.0
Range: 0 to 0
System missing: N = 1
Grade 1 School Variables

G1ENRMNT

School enrollment grade 1
Format: F4.0
Range: 154 to 1131
System missing: N = 4

4.6 SCHOOL DATA
G1AVGDAT

Average daily attendance grade 1
Format: F4.0
Range: 134 to 968
System missing: N = 4

G1AVGDMB

Average daily membership grade 1
Format: F4.0
Range: 140 to 999
System missing: N = 4

G1CHAPT1

Chapter 1 school grade 1
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Yes
2
No
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
63
13
76
4

Percent
78.8
16.3
95.0
5.0

Valid
Percent
82.9
17.1
100.0

G1FRLNCH

Percent students receiving free/reduced price lunch
grade 1
Format: F3.0
Range: 2 to 99
System missing: N = 4

G1BUSED

Percent students bused grade 1
Format: F3.0
Range: 0 to 99
System missing: N = 4

G1NATVAM

Percent students Native American grade 1
Format: F4.0
Range: 0 to 0
System missing: N = 4

G1ASIAN

Percent students Asian grade 1
Format: F4.0
Range: 0 to 3
System missing: N = 4

G1BLACK

Percent students Black grade 1
Format: F4.0
Range: 0 to 99
System missing: N = 4

SCHOOL DATA
G1HSPANC

Percent students Hispanic grade 1
Format: F4.0
Range: 0 to 1
System missing: N = 4

G1WHITE

Percent students White grade 1
Format: F4.0
Range: 0 to 99
System missing: N = 4

G1OTHRAC

Percent students other race/ethnicity grade 1
Format: F4.0
Range: 0 to 1
System missing: N = 4

4.7

Grade 2 School Variables
G2ENRMNT

School enrollment grade 2
Format: F4.0
Range: 293 to 1793
System missing: N = 5

G2AVGDAT

Average daily attendance grade 2
Format: F4.0
Range: 95 to 999
System missing: N = 6

G2AVGDMB

Average daily membership grade 2
Format: F4.0
Range: 293 to 999
System missing: N = 5

G2CHAPT1

Chapter 1 school grade 2
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Yes
2
No
Total of valid cases
System missing
G2FRLNCH

N
66
9
75
5

Percent
82.5
11.3
93.8
6.3

Valid
Percent
88.0
12.0
100.0

Percent students receiving free/reduced price lunch
grade 2
Format: F3.0
Range: 0 to 97
System missing: N = 5

4.8 SCHOOL DATA

G2BUSED

Percent students bused grade 2
Format: F3.0
Range: 0 to 99
System missing: N = 5

G2NATVAM

Percent students Native American grade 2
Format: F4.0
Range: 0 to 1
System missing: N = 5

G2ASIAN

Percent students Asian grade 2
Format: F4.0
Range: 0 to 2
System missing: N = 5

G2BLACK

Percent students Black grade 2
Format: F4.0
Range: 0 to 99
System missing: N = 5

G2HSPANC

Percent students Hispanic grade 2
Format: F4.0
Range: 0 to 6
System missing: N = 5

G2WHITE

Percent students White grade 2
Format: F4.0
Range: 0 to 99
System missing: N = 5

G2OTHRAC

Percent students other race/ethnicity grade 2
Format: F4.0
Range: 0 to 3
System missing: N = 5

Grade 3 School Variables
G3ENRMNT

School enrollment grade 3
Format: F4.0
Range: 323 to 1009
System missing: N = 5

SCHOOL DATA
G3AVGDAT

Average daily attendance grade 3
Format: F4.0
Range: 290 to 953
System missing: N = 6

G3AVGDMB

Average daily membership grade 3
Format: F4.0
Range: 300 to 978
System missing: N = 5

G3CHAPT1

Chapter 1 school grade 3
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Yes
2
No
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
62
13
75
5

Percent
77.5
16.3
93.8
6.3

4.9

Valid
Percent
82.7
17.3
100.0

G3FRLNCH

Percent students receiving free/reduced price lunch
grade 3
Format: F3.0
Range: 1 to 98
System missing: N = 5

G3BUSED

Percent students bused grade 3
Format: F3.0
Range: 0 to 99
System missing: N = 5

G3NATVAM

Percent students Native American grade 3
Format: F4.0
Range: 0 to 2
System missing: N = 5

G3ASIAN

Percent students Asian grade 3
Format: F4.0
Range: 0 to 3
System missing: N = 5

G3BLACK

Percent students Black grade 3
Format: F4.0
Range: 0 to 99
System missing: N = 5

4.10 SCHOOL DATA

G3HSPANC

Percent students Hispanic grade 3
Format: F4.0
Range: 0 to 5
System missing: N = 5

G3WHITE

Percent students White grade 3
Format: F4.0
Range: 0 to 99
System missing: N = 5

G3OTHRAC

Percent students other race/ethnicity grade 3
Format: F4.0
Range: 0 to 1
System missing: N = 5

SCHOOL DATA

4.11

HIGH SCHOOL CODEBOOK
School Demographic Variables
HSID

High School ID
Format: F6.0
Range: 106017 to 267958

SCHLURBN

School urbanicity
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
1
Inner city
2
Urban
3
Suburban
4
Rural
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
54
16
35
56
161
0

Percent
33.5
9.9
21.7
34.8
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
33.5
9.9
21.7
34.8
100.0

ENRLMENT

Student enrollment
Format: F4.0
Range: 100 to 2425
System missing: N = 0

SENIORS

Estimated number of students in senior year
Format: F4.0
Range: 21 to 606
System missing: N = 3

LOWGRADE

Lowest academic grade level of school
Format: F2.0

Value
Label
1
5
6
7
9
10
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
4
2
5
21
121
5
158
3

Percent
2.5
1.2
3.1
13.0
75.2
3.1
98.1
1.9

Valid
Percent
2.5
1.3
3.2
13.3
76.6
3.2
100.0

4.12 SCHOOL DATA
HGHGRADE

Highest academic grade level of school
Format: F2.0

Value
Label
12
Total of valid cases
System missing
NUMGRADE

N
158
158
3

Percent
98.1
98.1
1.9

Valid
Percent
100.0
100.0

Number of grades in school
Format: F2.0

Value
Label
3
4
6
7
8
12
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
5
121
21
5
2
4
158
3

Percent
3.1
75.2
13.0
3.1
1.2
2.5
98.1
1.9

Valid
Percent
3.2
76.6
13.3
3.2
1.3
2.5
100.0

MNRTYPCT

Percent of students minority
Format: F4.0
Range: 0.00 to 100.00
System missing: N = 0

FRLCHPCT

Percent of students receiving free/reduced lunch
Format: F4.0
Range: 0.00 to 100.00
System missing: N = 1

NOGRDPCT

Percent of 9th grade students in 94-95 who did not
graduate
Format: F4.0
Range: 1 to 57
System missing: N = 18

SCHOOL DATA

4.13

Graduation Requirements
MINRQMNT

Were minimum graduation requirements the same as
state core requirements?
Format: F1.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
0
No
3
1.9
2.0
1
Yes
147
91.3
98.0
Total of valid cases
150
93.2
100.0
System missing
11
6.8
MINMATH

Minimum math credits for graduation
Format: F2.0

Value
Label
3
4
6
Total of valid cases
System missing
MINSCIEN

Percent
87.6
2.5
1.9
91.9
8.1

Valid
Percent
95.3
2.7
2.0
100.0

Minimum science credits for graduation
Format: F2.0

Value
Label
3
4
6
Total of valid cases
System missing
MINFORLG

N
141
4
3
148
13

N
143
2
3
148
13

Percent
88.8
1.2
1.9
91.9
8.1

Valid
Percent
96.6
1.4
2.0
100.0

Minimum foreign language credits for graduation
Format: F2.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
0
1
0.6
0.7
2
142
88.2
95.9
3
1
0.6
0.7
4
4
2.5
2.7
Total of valid cases
148
91.9
100.0
System missing
13
8.1

4.14 SCHOOL DATA
MINSOCST

Minimum social studies credits for graduation
Format: F2.0
Valid
Value
Label
N
Percent
Percent
3
138
85.7
93.2
4
7
4.3
4.7
6
3
1.9
2.0
Total of valid cases
148
91.9
100.0
System missing
13
8.1
MINCOMP

Minimum computers credits for graduation
Format: F2.1

Value
Label
0.0
0.5
1.0
2.0
Total of valid cases
System missing
MINENGLS

N
95
9
42
2
148
13

Percent
59.0
5.6
26.1
1.2
91.9
8.1

Valid
Percent
64.2
6.1
28.4
1.4
100.0

Minimum English credits for graduation
Format: F2.0

Value
Label
4
5
8
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
143
1
3
147
14

Percent
88.8
0.6
1.9
91.3
8.7

Valid
Percent
97.3
0.7
2.0
100.0

Course Offerings
ALGEBRA3

Algebra III offered
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
142
19
161
0

Percent
88.2
11.8
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
88.2
11.8
100.0

SCHOOL DATA
MATH4

Math IV offered
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
PRECALCU

N
113
48
161
0

N
21
140
161
0

Percent
13.0
87.0
100.0
0.0

N
40
121
161
0

Percent
24.8
75.2
100.0
0.0

N
120
41
161
0

Percent
74.5
25.5
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
13.0
87.0
100.0

Valid
Percent
24.8
75.2
100.0

Probability offered
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
TRIGONOM

Valid
Percent
70.2
29.8
100.0

Calculus offered
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
PROBABIL

Percent
70.2
29.8
100.0
0.0

Precalculus offered
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
CALCULUS

4.15

Valid
Percent
74.5
25.5
100.0

Trigonometry offered
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
97
64
161
0

Percent
60.2
39.8
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
60.2
39.8
100.0

4.16 SCHOOL DATA
ANALYTIC

Analytical offered
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
SOLIDGEO

N
139
22
161
0

Percent
86.3
13.7
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
86.3
13.7
100.0

N
136
25
161
0

Percent
84.5
15.5
100.0
0.0

N
45
116
161
0

Percent
28.0
72.0
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
84.5
15.5
100.0

French offered
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
FREHILVL

Valid
Percent
87.6
12.4
100.0

Linear algebra offered
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
FRENCH

Percent
87.6
12.4
100.0
0.0

Solid geometry offered
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
LINALGBR

N
141
20
161
0

Valid
Percent
28.0
72.0
100.0

Highest level of French
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
2
3
4
5
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
61
12
34
8
115
46

Percent
37.9
7.5
21.1
5.0
71.4
28.6

Valid
Percent
53.0
10.4
29.6
7.0
100.0

SCHOOL DATA
SPANISH

Spanish offered
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
SPNHILVL

Percent
6.8
93.2
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
6.8
93.2
100.0

N
79
20
41
9
149
12

Percent
49.1
12.4
25.5
5.6
92.5
7.5

N
98
63
161
0

Percent
60.9
39.1
100.0
0.0

Valid
Percent
53.0
13.4
27.5
6.0
100.0

Latin offered
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
0
No
1
Yes
Total of valid cases
System missing
LTNHILVL

N
11
150
161
0

Highest level of Spanish
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
2
3
4
5
Total of valid cases
System missing
LATIN

4.17

Valid
Percent
60.9
39.1
100.0

Highest level of Latin
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
2
3
4
5
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
24
9
24
5
62
99

Percent
14.9
5.6
14.9
3.1
38.5
61.5

Valid
Percent
38.7
14.5
38.7
8.1
100.0

4.18 SCHOOL DATA
LNGHILVL

Highest level foreign language
Format: F1.0

Value
Label
2
3
4
5
Total of valid cases
System missing

N
77
21
44
9
151
10

Percent
47.8
13.0
27.3
5.6
93.8
6.2

Valid
Percent
51.0
13.9
29.1
6.0
100.0

REFERENCES 5.1

SELECTED REFERENCES
Articles and Books about Class Size for All Audiences
Books:
Achilles, C. M. (1999). Let’s put kids first finally: Getting class size right.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Egelson, P., Harman, P., Hood, A., & Achilles, C. M. (2002).How class size makes
a difference. Greensboro, NC: South East Regional Vision for Education
(SERVE).
Finn, J. D. & Wang, M. C. (Eds.). (2002). Taking small classes one step further.
Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Center for Research in Human
Development and Education. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.
Wang, M. C. & Finn, J. D. (Eds.). (2000). How small classes help teachers do
their best. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Center for Research in
Human Development and Education.
Articles:
Biddle, B. J., & Berliner, D. C. (2002). Small class size and its effects. Educational
Leadership, 59(5), 12-23.
Finn, J. D. (2002). Small classes in American schools: Research, practice and
politics. Phi Delta Kappan, 83, 551-560.
Mosteller, F. (1995). The Tennessee study of class size in the early school
grades. The Future of Children, 5, 113-127.
Policy Brief:
American Educational Research Association. (2003, Fall). Class Size: Counting
Students Can Count. Research Points, 1(2). Retrieved March 16, 2004
from: http://www.aera.net/pubs/rp/RPFall03ClassSize-PDF2.pdf
Theory and Research about the Mechanisms:
Finn, J. D., Pannozzo, G. M. & Achilles, C. M. (2003). The “whys” of class size:
Student behavior in small classes. Review of Educational Research, 73,
321-368.

5.2 REFERENCES

Design of Project STAR
Boyd-Zaharias, J., Achilles, C. M., Nye, B. A., Bain, H. P., & Fulton, B. D. (1995).
Quality schools build on a quality start. In E. W. Chance (Ed.), Creating
the quality school (pp. 116-123).
Madison, WI: Magna (Atwood)
Publications.
Boyd-Zaharias, J., Achilles, C. M. & Cain, V. A. (1995). The effect of Random
class assignment on elementary students’ reading and mathematics
achievement. Research in the Schools, 2(2), 7-14.
CTBS/McGraw Hill (1989).
Monterey, CA: Author.

CTBS: Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills.

Milchus, N., Farrah, G., & Reitz, W. (1968). The self-concept and motivation
inventory: What face do we wear? Dearborn Heights, MI: Person-OMetrics.
Psychological Corporation, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
Achievement Test (7th ed.). Sandiego, CA: Author.

(1983).

Stanford

Ritter, G. W., & Boruch, R. F. (1999). The political and institutional origins of a
randomized controlled trial on elementary school class size: Tennessee's
Project STAR. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 21, 111-126.
Rock, D. A., & Pollack, J. M. (1995). Mathematics course taking and gains in
mathematics achievement. (NCES 95-714). Washington, DC: National
Center for Education Statistics.
Tennessee Department of Education. (1987). STAR criterion referenced test.
Manual for test administration. Grade 1. Nashville, TN: Author.
Word, E., Johnston, J., Bain, H., Fulton, B., Zaharias, J., Lintz, N., Achilles, C.
M., Folger, J., & Breda, C. (1990). Final report. Student/teacher
achievement ratio (STAR): Tennessee’s K-3 class size study. Nashville,
TN: Tennessee State Department of Education. [Available at www.herosinc.org]

Statistical Analyses of Project STAR Achievement Data (K—3)
Finn, J. D., & Achilles, C. M. (1990). Answers and questions about class size: A
statewide experiment. American Educational Research Journal, 27, 557577.

REFERENCES 5.3
Goldstein, H., & Blatchford, P. (1998). Class size and educational achievement:
A review of methodology with particular reference to study design. British
Educational Research Journal, 24, 255-268.
Hedges, L.V., Nye, B., & Konstantopoulos, S. (2000). The effects of small
classes on academic achievement: The results of the Tennessee class
size experiment. American Educational Research Journal, 37, 123-151.
Krueger, A. B. (1999). Experimental estimates of education production functions.
Quarterly Journal of Economics, 114, 497-532.
Other Outcomes:
Dee, T. S., & Keys, B. J. (2004). Does merit pay reward good teachers?
Evidence from a randomized experiment. Journal of Policy Analysis and
Management, 23, 471-488.
Statistical Analyses of Continuing Effects (Grade 4+)
Finn, J. D., Fox, J. D., McClellan, M., Achilles, C. M., & Boyd-Zaharias, J. (2006).
Small class in the early grades and course taking in high school.
International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership, 1(1), 1-13.
Retrieved [DATE] from http://www.ijepl.org/
Finn, J. D., Fulton, B. D., Zaharias, J., & Nye, B. (1989). Carryover effects of
small classes. Peabody Journal of Education, 67(1), 75-84.
Finn, J. D., Gerber, S. B., & Achilles, C. M., Boyd-Zaharias, J. (2001). The
enduring effects of small classes. Teachers College Record, 103, 145183.
Finn, J. D., Gerber, S. B., & Boyd-Zaharias, J. (2005). Small classes in the early
grades, academic achievement, and graduating from high school. Journal
of Educational Psychology, 97, 214-223.
Hedges, L. V., Nye, B., & Konstantopoulos, S. (1999). The long-term effects of
small classes: A five-year follow-up of the Tennessee class size
experiment. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 21, 127-142.
Krueger, A. B., & Whitmore, D. M. (2001a). The effect of attending a small class
in the early grades on college-test taking and middle school tests results:
Evidence from Project STAR. The Economic Journal, 11, 1-28.

5.4 REFERENCES
Krueger, A. B., & Whitmore, D. M. (2001b). Would smaller classes help close the
Black-White achievement gap? Working paper No. 451. Princeton, NJ:
Princeton
University.
Retrieved
March
16,
2004
from:
http://www.irs.princeton.edu/pubs/pdfs/451.pdf.
Effects of Teacher Aides
Boyd-Zaharias, J., & Pate-Bain, H. (1998). Teacher aides and student learning:
Lessons from Project STAR. Arlington, VA: Educational Research Service.
Finn, J. D., Gerber, S. B., & Achilles, C. M. (2000). Teacher aides: An alternative
to small classes? In M. C. Wang & J. D. Finn (Eds.) How small classes
help teachers do their best. (pp. 131-173). Philadelphia, PA: Temple
University Center for Research in Human Development and Education.
Gerber, S. B., Finn, J. D., Achilles, C. M., & Boyd-Zaharias, J. (2001). Teacher
aides and students’ academic achievement. Educational Evaluation and
Policy Analysis, 23, 123-143.
Other Large-scale Class Size Initiatives
Achilles, C. M., Harman, P., & Egelson, P. (1995). Using research results on
class size to improve pupil achievement outcomes. Research in the
Schools, 2, 23-30.
Bohrnstedt, G. W. & Stecher, B. M. (Eds.). (2002). Capstone report: What we have
learned about class size reduction in California. Palo Alto, CA: CSR
Research Consortium. American Institutes for Research.
Molnar, A., Smith, P. & Zahorik, J. (2000). 1999-2000 evaluation results of the
Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE) program.
Milwaukee, WI: University of Wisconsin, School of Education.
Participation in School/Identification With School
Studies Using STAR Data:
Finn, J. D., Folger, J., & Cox, D. (1991). Measuring participation among
elementary grade students. Educational and Psychological Measurement,
51, 393-402.
Finn, J. D., Pannozzo, G. M., & Voelkl, K. E. (1995). Disruptive and inattentivewithdrawn behavior and achievement among fourth graders. The
Elementary School Journal , 95, 421 434.

REFERENCES 5.5
Pannozzo, G. M., Finn, J. D., & Boyd-Zaharias, J. (April 2004). Behavioral and
affective engagement in school and dropping out. Presented at the
annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San
Diego.
Radziwon, C. D. (2003). The effects of peers’ beliefs on 8th-grade students’
identification with school. Journal of Research in Childhood Education,
17, 236-249.
Voelkl, K. E. (1996). Measuring students’ identification with school. Educational
and Psychological Measurement, 56, 760-770.
Voelkl, K. E. (1997). Identification with school. American Journal of Education,
105, 294-317.
Background and Related Studies:
Finn, J. D. (1993). School engagement and students at risk. Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.
(NCES 93 470).
Finn, K. V., & Frone, M. R. (2004). Academic performance and cheating:
Moderating role of school identification and self-efficacy. The Journal of
Educational Research, 97, 115-122.
Goodenow, C. (1993). Classroom belonging among early adolescent students:
Relationships to motivation and achievement.
Journal of Early
Adolescence, 13, 21-43.
Hawkins, J. D., Guo, J., Hill, K. G., Battin-Pearson, S., & Abbott, R. D. (2001).
Long-term effects of the Seattle Social Development Intervention on
school bonding trajectories. Applied Developmental Science, 5, 225-236.
Resnick, M., et al. (1997). Protecting adolescents from harm: Findings from the
national longitudinal study on adolescent health. Journal of the American
Medical Association, 278, 823-832.
Rumberger, R. W. & Larson, K. A. (1998). Student mobility and the increased risk
of high school dropout. American Journal of Education, 107, 1-35.
Voelkl, K E., & Frone, M. R. (2000). Predictors of substance use at school
among high school students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92, 583592.

APPENDICES

A1

APPENDICES

Appendix A

Fourth-Grade Student Participation Questionnaire
Eighth-Grade Student Participation Questionnaire

A1
A5

Appendix B

Identification With School Questionnaire

B1

Appendix C

Coding of Duration Composite Variables

C1

A2 APPENDICES

APPENDIX A
FOURTH GRADE
STUDENT PARTICIPATION QUESTIONNAIRE

Jeremy D. Finn
Graduate School of Education
State University of New York at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY 14260

The codes in parentheses indicate the subscale to which the item belongs:

Subscale Reliability
E = Effort
I = Initiative
N = Nonparticipatory Behavior
V = Value

.94
.89
.89
.68

The sign (+, -) indicates the direction of scoring. Items marked “-“ should be reverse-scored
before summing the items in the subscale.
(Items 29-31 are not part of these subscales).

APPENDICES A3
FOURTH GRADE
STUDENT PARTICIPATION QUESTIONNAIRE
Student’s Name:
Below are items that describe children’s behavior in school. Please consider the behavior of the
student named above over the last 2-3 months. Circle the number that indicates how often the
child exhibits the behavior. Please answer every item.

This Student --

Sometimes

Never

Always

(E+)

1. pays attention in class.

1

2

3

4

5

(E+)

2. completes homework on time.

1

2

3

4

5

(E+)

3. works well with other children.

1

2

3

4

5

(E-)

4. loses, forgets, or misplaces materials.

1

2

3

4

5

(E-)

5. comes late to class.

1

2

3

4

5

(I+)

6. attempts to do his/her work thoroughly
and well, rather than just trying to get by. 1

2

3

4

5

(N+)

7. acts restless, is often unable to sit still.

1

2

3

4

5

(I+)

8. participates actively in discussions.

1

2

3

4

5

(E+)

9. completes assigned seat work.

1

2

3

4

5

(V+)

10. thinks that school is important.

1

2

3

4

5

(N+)

11. needs to be reprimanded.

1

2

3

4

5

(N+)

12. annoys or interferes with peers’ work.

1

2

3

4

5

(E+)

13. is persistent when confronted with
difficult problems.

1

2

3

4

5

14. doesn’t seem to know what is going on
in class.

1

2

3

4

5

(E-)

[CONTINUED]

A4 APPENDICES

This Student --

Sometimes

Never

Always

(I+)

15. does more than just the assigned work.

1

2

3

4

5

(I-)

16. is withdrawn, uncommunicative.

1

2

3

4

5

(E+)

17. approaches new assignments with
sincere effort.

1

2

3

4

5

18. is critical of peers who do well in
school.

1

2

3

4

5

(I+)

19. asks questions to get more information.

1

2

3

4

5

(N+)

20. talks with classmates too much.

1

2

3

4

5

(E-)

21. doesn’t take independent initiative,
must be helped to get started and kept
going on work.

1

2

3

4

5

22. prefers to do easy problems rather
than hard ones.

1

2

3

4

5

23. criticizes the importance of the subject
matter.

1

2

3

4

5

24. tries to finish assignments even when
they are difficult.

1

2

3

4

5

25. raises his/her hand to answer a question
or volunteer information.

1

2

3

4

5

26. goes to dictionary, encyclopedia, or
other reference on his/her own to
seek information.

1

2

3

4

5

27. gets discouraged and stops trying when
encounters an obstacle in schoolwork,
is easily frustrated.

1

2

3

4

5

2

3

4

5

(V-)

(E-)

(V-)

(E+)

(I+)

(I+)

(E-)

(I+)

28. engages teacher in conversation about
subject matter before or after school, or
outside of class.
1
[CONTINUED]

APPENDICES A5

29. attends other school activities such as
athletic contests, carnivals, and fundraising events.

30. The student’s overall academic performance is

31. Does this student attend special education
classes outside of your classroom?

1

2

3

4

5

Above
Average

Average

Below
Average

1

2

3

No

Yes

1

2

Thank you for your time. Please enclose the teacher/class information sheet and all the
questionnaires - - those completed and not complete - - in the envelope provided and return it to
your principal.

A6 APPENDICES
Eighth-Grade Student Participation Questionnaire
School ID:
Student ID:
Sex:
Race:

Birthday:

This questionnaire describes the student’s behavior in my
(Please circle the appropriate response)

ENGLISH

MATHEMATICS class

Since the beginning of the school year, approximately how many times has this student been absent from this class
(for any reason)?
NONE
1-2 TIMES
3-6 TIMES
MORE THAN 6 TIMES
(Please circle the appropriate response)
Since the beginning of the school year, how many times have you spoken with this student’s parent(s) about
behavior problems?
NONE
1-2 TIMES
3-6 TIMES
MORE THAN 2 TIMES
(Please circle the appropriate response)
Below are items that describe students’ behavior in your class. Please consider the behavior of the student named
above over the last 2-3 months. Circle the number that indicates how often the student exhibits the behavior in your
class. Please answer every item.
This Student –
Never

Sometimes

Always

1. pays attention in class.

1

2

3

4

5

2. loses, forgets, or misplaces materials.

1

2

3

4

5

3. completes assignments and seatwork.

1

2

3

4

5

4. comes late to class.

1

2

3

4

5

5. is persistent when confronted with difficult problems.

1

2

3

4

5

6. criticizes the importance of the subject matter.

1

2

3

4

5

7. does more than just the assigned work.

1

2

3

4

5

8. annoys or interferes with peers’ work.

1

2

3

4

5

9. seems to think that this course if valuable.

1

2

3

4

5

10. is critical of peers who do well in school.

1

2

3

4

5

11. participates actively in class discussions.

1

2

3

4

5

12. needs to be reprimanded/sent to the office.

1

2

3

4

5

13. is verbally or physically abusive to the teacher.

1

2

3

4

5

14. engages teacher in conversation about subject matter before or after school, or outside of class.
1
2
3
4

5

Thank you for your time. Please enclose the teacher/class information sheet and all the
questionnaires - - those completed and uncompleted - - in the envelope provided and return it to
your principal.

APPENDICES B1

APPENDIX B
IDENTIFICATION WITH SCHOOL QUESTIONNAIRE
(Scale development information can be found in: Voelkl, K.E. (1996). Measuring students=
identification with school. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 56, 760-770.)

(1)

I feel proud of being part of my school.

______ Strongly Agree
(2)

______ Disagree

______ Strongly Disagree

______ Agree

______ Disagree

______ Strongly Disagree

______ Agree

______ Disagree

______ Strongly Disagree

______ Agree

______ Disagree

______ Strongly Disagree

______ Agree

______ Disagree

______ Strongly Disagree

Most of my teachers don’t really care about me.

______ Strongly Agree
(9)

______ Agree

Many of the things we learn in class are useless.

______ Strongly Agree
(8)

______ Strongly Disagree

School is one of the most important things in my life.

______ Strongly Agree
(7)

______ Disagree

I like to participate in a lot of school activities (for example, sports, clubs, plays).

______ Strongly Agree
(6)

______ Agree

The only time I get attention in school is when I cause trouble.

______ Strongly Agree
(5)

______ Strongly Disagree

I can get a good job even if my grades are bad.

______ Strongly Agree
(4)

______ Disagree

I am treated with as much respect as other students in my class.

______ Strongly Agree
(3)

______ Agree

______ Agree

______ Disagree

______ Strongly Disagree

Most of the time I would like to be any place other than in school.

______ Strongly Agree

______ Agree

______ Disagree

______ Strongly Disagree

B2 APPENDICES
(10)

There are teachers or other adults in my school that I can talk to if I have a problem.

______ Strongly Agree
(11)

______ Strongly Disagree

______ Agree

______ Disagree

______ Strongly Disagree

______ Agree

______ Disagree

______ Strongly Disagree

______ Agree

______ Disagree

______ Strongly Disagree

Dropping out of school would be a huge mistake for me.

______ Strongly Agree
(16)

______ Disagree

School is often a waste of time.

______ Strongly Agree
(15)

______ Agree

People at school are interested in what I have to say.

______ Strongly Agree
(14)

______ Strongly Disagree

School is one of my favorite places to be.

______ Strongly Agree
(13)

______ Disagree

Most of what I learn in school will be useful when I get a job.

______ Strongly Agree
(12)

______ Agree

______ Agree

______ Disagree

______ Strongly Disagree

School is more important than most people think.

______ Strongly Agree

______ Agree

______ Disagree

______ Strongly Disagree

APPENDICES C1

Appendix C
Coding of Duration Composite Variables
Grade
Duration
K
G1
G2
G3 CMPSTYPE
CMPSDURA
m
r
m
s
missing
missing
m
r
r
s
missing
missing
m
r
s
m
missing
missing
m
r
s
r
missing
missing
m
r
s
s
missing
missing
m
s
m
s
missing
missing
r
m
m
s
missing
missing
r
m
s
m
missing
missing
r
m
s
s
missing
missing
r
r
m
s
missing
missing
r
r
r
s
missing
missing
r
r
s
s
missing
missing
r
r
s
r
missing
missing
r
r
s
m
missing
missing
r
s
m
s
missing
missing
s
m
m
s
missing
missing
s
m
r
s
missing
missing
s
m
s
m
missing
missing
s
m
s
s
missing
missing
s
r
r
s
missing
missing
s
r
s
s
missing
missing
s
r
s
m
missing
missing
s
s
r
s
missing
missing
s
s
m
s
missing
missing
m
r
m
m
r
1
r
m
m
m
r
1
m
r
r
m
r
2
r
m
r
m
r
2
r
r
m
m
r
2
r
m
m
r
r
2
m
r
m
r
r
2
m
r
r
r
r
3
r
m
r
r
r
3
r
r
r
m
r
3
r
r
m
r
r
3
r
r
r
r
r
4

Explanation
not eligible; small after G1
not eligible; small after G1
not eligible; small after G1
not eligible; small after G1
not eligible; small after G1
moves in and out of S
not eligible; small after G1
not eligible; small after G1
not eligible; small after G1
not eligible; small after G1
not eligible; small after G1
not eligible; small after G1
not eligible; small after G1
not eligible; small after G1
moves in and out of S
moves in and out of S
moves in and out of S
moves in and out of S
moves in and out of S
moves in and out of S
moves in and out of S
moves in and out of S
moves in and out of S
moves in and out of S

C2 APPENDICES

Coding of Duration Composite Variables (continued)
Grade
Duration
K
G1
G2
G3 CMPSTYPE
CMPSDURA
m
s
m
m
s
1
m
s
r
m
s
1
m
s
r
r
s
1
r
s
m
m
s
1
r
s
r
r
s
1
r
s
r
m
s
1
s
m
m
m
s
1
s
m
r
r
s
1
s
m
r
m
s
1
s
r
m
m
s
1
s
r
r
r
s
1
s
r
r
m
s
1
s
m
m
r
s
1
m
s
m
r
s
1
m
s
s
m
s
2
m
s
s
r
s
2
r
s
s
r
s
2
r
s
s
m
s
2
s
s
m
r
s
2
s
s
m
m
s
2
s
s
r
r
s
2
s
s
r
m
s
2
m
s
s
s
s
3
r
s
s
s
s
3
s
s
s
r
s
3
s
s
s
m
s
3
s
s
s
s
s
4
m = missing
r = regular
s = small

Explanation



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