Social relations and academic achievement in inner-city early elementary classrooms

There is a great deal of research documenting the relationship of peers to academic achievement in late childhood and adolescence, but little work documenting the extent to which this holds for younger children. The current research examined the classroom social structure and academic achievement of inner-city African-American early elementary schoolchildren. Ninety-two (53 boys, 39 girls) first-graders from two inner-city schools were followed for 2 years. Teacher ratings of popularity and academic ability were positively related, and distinct peer groups marked by similar levels of achievement of constituent members were identified. Longitudinal analyses found support for selective affiliation based on academic achievement.