WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL SUPPORT AND ACHIEVEMENT FOR STUDENTS WITH AND WITHOUTHOUT LEARNING DISABILITIES FROM BLACK AND LATINO BACKGROUNDS?

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between social support sources (i.e., Parents, Teachers, Classmates, and A Close Friend) and subtypes (i.e. Emotional, Instrumental, Appraisal, and Informational) on academic success. Specifically, social support perceptions and achievement outcomes of adolescents with and without learning disabilities were examined. Adolescents in 6th through 8th grade participated by completing a survey, the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (CASSS; Malecki, Demaray, & Elliott, 2000). Moreover, following survey administration student achievement was assessed through mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) scores on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS). The results from the investigation suggest that students with and without learning disabilities are similar in the area of support and achievement. Furthermore, negative and positive effects resulted in the areas of classmate and parent support. Based on these findings, implications and future directions for research are discussed.