Study Links Longer-Distance Moves to Lower Student Performance
January 22, 2019
By: Linda Jacobson
Source: Education Dive
Dive Brief:
- Students who move at least a mile away to a new home experience a greater and longer-lasting drop in math and English language arts performance than those who move a shorter distance — especially if that move involves changing schools. A short-distance move, however, often has a positive impact on school achievement, according to a new studyexamining student mobility in New York City.
Dive Insight:
- Research has long shown that changing schools, in general, is not good for a student’s academic career. But in schools with high student turnover, it can be difficult for school leaders, counselors and teachers to identify which students are more likely to struggle following a move. As researchers build on previous studies of student mobility by looking at how it affects different groups of students, their findings can better inform districts’ policies related to issues such as pupil transportation, identifying students for tutoring services, and working with those in the housing sector to help stabilize communities.