THE IMPACT OF SCHOOL TRANSITIONS IN EARLY ADOLESCENCE ON THE SELF-SYSTEM AND PERCEIVED SOCIAL-CONTEXT OF POOR URBAN YOUTH

This study examined the effects of the normative school transition (n = 580) during early adolescence on the self-system and perceived schoo l and peer social contexts of poor, black (n = 161), white (n = 146), and Latino (n = 273) youth in the public school systems of 3 eastern u rban cities. The results revealed negative effects of the school trans ition on the affective and behavioral domains of the self-system. Thes e declines in self-esteem, class preparation, and grade-point average (GPA) were common across race/ethnicity and gender. Concurrently, the school transition was perceived to be associated with changes in the s chool and peer contexts. Daily hassles with the school increased, whil e social support and extracurricular involvement decreased over the tr ansition. Daily hassles with peers decreased, and peer values were per ceived as more antisocial. These changes in the school and peer micros ystems were also common across race/ethnicity and gender. In addition, transition-associated school and peer changes and, in particular, cha nges in daily hassles with the school were associated with changes in the academic dimensions of the self-system, that is, academic efficacy expectations, class preparation, and GPA. The results are discussed w ithin a developmental mismatch framework.