Supplemental Materials
“Is Early Ability Grouping Good for High-Achieving Students’ Psychosocial Development?
Effects of the Transition Into Academically Selective Schools”
by Michael Becker et al.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0035425.supp
Table S1
Comparison of Background Characteristics Between Our Sample of 155 Early-Entry Students
Tested in Elementary School at the End of Fourth Grade and 1,602 Students Tested in
Gymnasium Schools at the Beginning of Fifth Grade
EE155
GY1,602
Construct
M SE(M) SD
M SE(M) SD
t
p
a
HISEI
0.22
0.09 0.57
0.40
0.05 0.59 1.67
.10
Educational resources at
home
0.34
0.07 0.24
0.12
0.05 0.24 −2.60 <.01
Highest vocational
qualification (parents)
4.85
0.17 0.43
5.04
0.1 0.53 0.93
.35
Highest school
qualification (parents)
6.05
0.18 0.59
6.03
0.16 0.61 −0.10
.92
Books at home (parents) 4.11
0.09
0.6
4.17
0.05 0.59 0.65
.52
Parents’ birth countryb
1.34
0.06
0.6
1.35
0.04 0.44 0.11
.91
Grades
German
1.55
0.05 0.57
1.58
0.03 0.59 0.57
.57
Math
1.70
0.06 0.24
1.76
0.03 0.24 0.94
.35
Science
1.44
0.05 0.43
1.55
0.03 0.53 1.82
.07
Physical education
1.84
0.06 0.59
1.84
0.02 0.61 0.03
.98
Music
1.40
0.05
0.6
1.50
0.03 0.59 1.81
.07
Note. Parental HISEI and educational resources were z standardized; all grades were taken from
fourth-grade midyear school reports. EE = our sample of early-entry students; GY = comparative
sample of other Gymnasium students.
a
HISEI = highest International Social-Economic Index in the family. bParents’ birth country: 1 =
both in Germany, 2 = one parent abroad, 3 = both abroad.
Table S2
Intercorrelations of the Dependent Variables (Academic Self-Concept, Peer Relations, School
Satisfaction, and School Anxiety) Between T1 and T2
Construct
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
T1 1. Academic selfconcept
—
2. Peer relations
−.09**
—
3. School satisfaction
−.13** .29**
—
4. School anxiety
.50** −.06**
.02
—
8
T2 5. Academic selfconcept
.48** −.21** −.16** .30**
—
6. Peer relations
−.15** .50**
.17** −.08** −.24**
—
7. School satisfaction
−.12** .23**
.43**
−.02 −.22** .32**
—
8. School anxiety
.39** −.11** −.04* .46** .47** −.14** −0.03 —
Note. T1 = end of fourth grade; T2 = end of fifth grade.
**Correlation at α level of 0.01 (two-sided) statistically significant.
*Correlation at α level of 0.05 (two-sided) statistically significant.
Table S3
Differences Between Regular and Early-Entry Students After Matching (Nearest Neighbor
Matching Without Replacement, Caliper c = 0.05 and Ratio 1:1; All Variables Assessed
Pretreatment = End of Fourth Grade)
RE (N = 135)
EE (N = 135)
Construct
M
SE
SD
M
SE
SD
da
t
p
VRb
Propensity score
−1.29 0.14 1.39
−1.25 0.15 1.41
0.01 0.16
.87 1.03
Outcome variables
Academic self-concept
3.23 0.08 0.60
3.24 0.06 0.57
0.01 0.09
.93 0.91
c
Peer relations
2.95 0.07 0.61
2.95 0.06 0.61
0.00 0.00 1.00 0.98
c
School satisfaction
3.25 0.08 0.68
3.26 0.05 0.60
0.01 0.04
.97 0.79
c
School anxiety
1.71 0.09 0.68
1.71 0.06 0.71
0.01 0.05
.96 1.10
Control variables
Reading
0.55 0.08 0.71
0.53 0.07 0.68 −0.02 −0.18
.86 0.93
comprehension test
Math test
0.53 0.09 0.84
0.55 0.09 0.81
0.02 0.17
.86 0.94
Basic cognitive ability
0.51 0.07 0.67
0.53 0.07 0.74
0.03 0.26
.80 1.19
German grade
−1.02 0.06 0.57
−1.04 0.05 0.55 −0.03 −0.30
.77 0.93
Math grade
−0.97 0.07 0.63
−0.98 0.07 0.64 −0.02 −0.20
.84 1.02
Science grade
−0.97 0.07 0.57
−0.98 0.05 0.56 −0.01 −0.12
.91 0.97
Physical ed. grade
−0.31 0.10 0.69
−0.32 0.06 0.62 −0.01 −0.09
.93 0.79
Music grade
−0.68 0.07 0.60
−0.72 0.06 0.59 −0.05 −0.46
.65 0.96
HISEId
0.19 0.13 0.93
0.23 0.08 0.92
0.04 0.24
.81 0.97
Educational resources
0.29 0.09 0.83
0.28 0.08 0.84 −0.01 −0.07
.95 1.03
at home
Highest vocational
4.85 0.24 1.64
4.80 0.19 1.72 −0.03 −0.16
.87 1.10
qualification (parents)
Highest school
6.02 0.18 1.46
5.98 0.19 1.48 −0.02 −0.15
.88 1.03
qualification (parents)
Books at home
4.07 0.14 1.06
4.08 0.11 1.08
0.01 0.09
.93 1.04
Language at homee
1.35 0.09 0.72
1.34 0.07 0.70 −0.01 −0.10
.92 0.93
f
Parents’ birth country
1.22 0.07 0.56
1.22 0.05 0.56
0.00 −0.01
.99 0.99
Girl
0.60 0.04 0.49
0.60 0.05 0.49
0.00 0.00 1.00 1.00
Effort attributions
1.12 0.03 0.24
1.14 0.02 0.25
0.04 0.48
.63 1.07
Ability attributions
1.36 0.05 0.45
1.38 0.04 0.44
0.04 0.38
.70 0.95
Reading motivation
3.28 0.09 0.61
3.28 0.05 0.61
0.00 0.02
.99 0.98
Number of
0.53 0.20 1.24
0.53 0.14 0.88 −0.01 −0.04
.97 0.51
Gymnasium schools in
district
M(d)
0.00
Note. Performance measures, grades, and parental HISEI and educational resources were z
standardized; all grades were taken from fourth-grade midyear school reports. RE = regular
students; EE = early-entry students.
a
Standardized mean difference, relative to SD in elementary school sample (prior to matching).
VR = variance ratio Var (EE)/Var (RE). cResponses were recoded where necessary, so that high
values (maximum = 4) represent a higher level of the construct. dHISEI = highest International
Social-Economic Index in the family. eLanguage at home: 1= German only, 2 = mostly German,
3 = mostly another language, 4 = another language only. fParents’ birth country: 1 = both in
Germany, 2 = one parent abroad, 3 = both abroad.
b
Table S4
Differences Between Regular and Early-Entry Students After Matching (Full Matching
Excluding Individuals Outside the Area of Common Support; All Variables Assessed
Pretreatment = End of Fourth Grade)
RE (N = 1,993)
EE (N = 148)
Construct
M
SE
SD
M
SE
SD
da
t
Propensity score
−1.08
0.15
1.46
−1.08
0.15
1.47
0.00
0.00
Outcome variables
Academic self3.27
0.05
0.59
3.27
0.05
0.57
0.01
0.07
concept
Peer relationsc
2.93
0.06
0.62
2.96
0.05
0.60
0.05
0.36
School
3.26
0.07
0.66
3.27
0.05
0.60
0.02
0.16
c
satisfaction
School anxietyc
1.70
0.05
0.67
1.68
0.06
0.70 −0.01 −0.16
Control variables
Reading
0.56
0.07
0.71
0.56
0.06
0.69
0.01
0.10
comprehension test
Math test
0.57
0.09
0.85
0.62
0.09
0.85
0.05
0.35
Basic cognitive
0.54
0.05
0.65
0.57
0.07
0.72
0.03
0.30
ability
German grade
−1.06
0.06
0.57
−1.08
0.05
0.55 −0.02 −0.28
Math grade
−1.02
0.07
0.63
−1.01
0.06
0.64
0.01
0.05
Science grade
−1.01
0.07
0.56
−1.01
0.05
0.56
0.00 −0.04
Physical ed. grade −0.33
0.07
0.69
−0.31
0.05
0.62
0.02
0.17
Music grade
−0.73
0.06
0.57
−0.74
0.05
0.58 −0.01 −0.14
d
HISEI
0.25
0.12
0.97
0.22
0.08
0.91 −0.03 −0.18
Educational
0.31
0.08
0.82
0.32
0.07
0.82
0.01
0.09
resources at home
Highest vocational
4.91
0.19
1.68
4.81
0.17
1.70 −0.05 −0.37
qualification
(parents)
Highest school
6.07
0.19
1.43
6.03
0.18
1.45 −0.02 −0.14
qualification
(parents)
Books at home
4.09
0.12
1.02
4.09
0.10
1.06
0.01
0.04
Language at home
1.37
0.09
0.73
1.34
0.07
0.70 −0.03 −0.23
Parents’ birth
1.21
0.05
0.54
1.22
0.05
0.55
0.00
0.01
country
Girl
0.59
0.05
0.49
0.60
0.04
0.49
0.02
0.16
Effort attributions
1.13
0.02
0.26
1.14
0.02
0.24
0.02
0.30
Ability
1.38
0.05
0.47
1.38
0.04
0.43 −0.01 −0.07
attributions
Reading
3.28
0.07
0.61
3.30
0.05
0.60
0.03
0.32
motivation
Number of
0.62
0.23
1.29
0.55
0.13
0.89 −0.06 −0.26
p
1.00
VRb
1.00
.95
0.93
.72
.87
0.95
0.83
.87
1.08
.92
0.97
.73
.76
1.00
1.25
.78
.96
.97
.86
.89
.85
.93
0.95
1.00
0.98
0.81
1.01
0.89
1.01
.71
1.03
.89
1.02
.96
.81
.99
1.07
0.91
1.03
.87
.76
.95
1.00
0.90
0.86
.75
0.95
.80
0.48
Gymnasium
schools in district
M(d)
0.00
Note. Performance measures, grades, and parental HISEI and educational resources were z
standardized; all grades were taken from fourth-grade midyear school reports. RE = regular
students; EE = early-entry students.
a
Standardized mean difference, relative to SD in elementary school sample (prior to matching).
b
VR = variance ratio Var (EE)/Var (RE). cResponses were recoded where necessary, so that high
values (maximum = 4) represent a higher level of the construct. dHISEI: highest International
Social-Economic Index in the family. eLanguage at home: 1= German only, 2 = mostly German,
3 = mostly another language, 4 = another language only. fParents’ birth country: 1 = both in
Germany, 2 = one parent abroad, 3 = both abroad.
Table S5
Change in Mean Values From T1 to T2 for Matched Samples (Nearest Neighbor Matching
Without Replacement, With Caliper c = 0.05 and Ratio 1:1)
T1
T2
Group
Construct
M
SE
M
SE
ta
p
db
RE (N = Academic self135)
concept
3.23 0.08
3.15 0.07 −0.59
.55
−0.12
c
Peer relations
2.95 0.07
3.12 0.07 1.28
.20
0.26
School satisfactionc
3.25 0.08
3.23 0.07 −0.14
.89
−0.03
School anxietyc
1.71 0.09
1.92 0.08 1.23
.22
0.24
EE (N =
135)
Academic selfconcept
3.24 0.06
3.04 0.07 −1.63
.05 a −0.28
c
Peer relations
2.95 0.06
2.99 0.05 0.34
.37 a
0.06
School satisfactionc
3.26 0.05
3.32 0.06 0.57
.29 a
0.10
c
a
School anxiety
1.71 0.06
2.19 0.06 3.75 <.01
0.53
Note. RE = regular students; EE = early-entry students.
a
t value for dependent samples. bStandardized mean difference, relative to SD in regular sample
(prior to matching). cResponses were recoded where necessary, so that high values (maximum =
4) represent a higher level of the construct. dp value for one-sided t test.
Table S6
Change in Mean Values From T1 to T2 for Matched Samples (Full Matching Excluding
Individuals Outside the Area of Common Support)
T1
T2
Group
RE (N = 1993)
EE (N = 148)
Construct
Academic selfconcept
Peer relationsc
School
satisfactionc
School anxietyc
M
SE
M
SE
tb
p
d
3.27 0.05
2.07 0.06
3.20 0.06
1.90 0.06
−0.65
1.44
.52
.15
−0.10
0.26
1.75 0.07
3.30 0.05
1.75 0.07
3.11 0.08
−0.06
1.46
.95
.14
−0.01
0.21
Academic selfconcept
3.27 0.05
3.07 0.06 −1.76
.04 a
−0.28
c
a
Peer relations
2.04 0.05
2.01 0.05
0.34
.37
0.05
School
satisfactionc
1.73 0.05
1.67 0.05
0.56
.29 a
0.10
c
a
School anxiety 3.32 0.06
2.84 0.06
3.97 <.01
0.53
Note. RE = regular students; EE = early-entry students.
a
t value for dependent samples. bStandardized mean difference, relative to SD in regular sample
(prior to matching). cResponses were recoded where necessary, so that high values (maximum =
4) represent a higher level of the construct. dp value for one-sided t test.