SCHOOL ADJUSTMENT IN 6TH-GRADERS - PARENTING TRANSITIONS, FAMILY CLIMATE, AND PEER NORM EFFECTS

This study examined whether sixth graders' (mean age = 11.86 years) ad justment to the school context (assessed by grades, achievement scores , and disruptive behavior) was affected by factors from both the famil y context (represented by students' reports of the number of parenting transitions experienced as well as current levels of supervision, acc eptance, autonomy granting, and conflict in the family) and the peer c ontext (represented by students' perceptions of peer norms supporting academic excellence). School adjustment was related to the number of p arenting transitions experienced, family climate, and peer norms as we ll as to higher-order relations involving family climate and peer norm s such that (a) high grade point averages occurred at only moderate le vels of family supervision, (b) achievement scores were positively rel ated to supervision at only low levels of family autonomy granting, an d (c) grade point average was positively related to peer norms at only high levels of family acceptance.