Correlates of the Academic Achievement of Adolescents with Behavioral Disorders

The purpose of this study was to identify the correlates and predictors of the academic achievement of adolescents with behavioral disorders. A series of standardized assessment instruments designed to measure locus of control, study skills, and academic achievement were individually administered to 86 11- to 15-year-old behaviorally disordered students. Special education teachers completed a rating scale assessing each student's academic school survival skills. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients were calculated between measures of survival skills, locus of control, and study skills and students’ achievement test scores and academic grade point average. Overall, student achievement test performance was significantly correlated with organizational skills and an internal locus of control orientation. IQ and organizational skills were identified as significant predictors of writing, arithmetic, reading, general facts, and overall academic achievement. Organizational skills was the only significant predictor of students’ special education grade point average. Two variables, organizational skills and age, were significant predictors of overall grade point average. No predictors were identified for mainstream grade point average.