The Effect of Age at School Entry on Reading Achievement Scores Among South Carolina Students

Abstract

To determine the degree of association of age at school entry with reading failure, the Basic Skills Assessment Program (BSAP) reading test scores for all South Carolina students in Grades 1, 2, 3, and 6 were analyzed. The study found that the proportions of students failing to meet the standards on BSAP reading tests were higher for younger, male, black, and lunch-assisted students than for older, female, non-black, and full-paying students. Adjusted odds ratios from logistic regression indicated that risk of failure for younger students was greater than for older students in all grades when controlled for race, sex, and lunch-payment status (α = .05). However, the odds ratios as well as estimates of attributable risk showed that the effect of age at school entry, though significant through Grade 6, was minor compared to the risk associated with race, sex, or lunch-payment status.

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