Teacher-Student Discordance

Abstract

While most school systems engage in some type of kindergarten screening in order to identify students at risk ofearly school and learning problems, the predictive accuracy ofsuch screening programs has been inadequate. Many young students designated at risk of encountering school difficulties, for example, actually go on to realize satisfactory school achievement. The variables that interact with risk status to result in satisfactory versus unsatisfactory student achievement, consequently, require exploration. A sample of at-risk kindergarten students was identified and profiled in terms of a wide range of descriptive characteristics. The following September, the receiving first-grade teachers of these at-risk students were identified and profiled in terms of their interpretation ofthe educational relevance of the same descriptive items. Arithmetic comparison ofteacher-student profile dyads resulted in measures ofTeacher-Student (T-S) Discordance, conceptualized as the incompatibility between teacher and student. It was found that at-risk students who received negative teacher recommendations were characterized by more T-S Discordance than at-risk students who received neutral or positive teacher recommendations.