10.1177/0272431602239128 article JOURNAL OF EARLY ADOLESCENCE / February 2003 Wentzel / STATUS AND SCHOOL ADJUSTMENT Sociometric Status and Adjustment in Middle School: A Longitudinal Study Kathryn R. Wentzel University of Maryland, College Park Relations between sociometric status and school adjustment (classroom grades, pro- social behavior, and irresponsible behavior) were examined over time with a sample of 204 students. Perceived support, efforts to learn, and goals to be prosocial and to be responsible also were examined as mediators of these relations. Sixth-grade sociometric status predicted eighth-grade school adjustment when controlling for sixth-grade school adjustment. Compared to students of average sociometric status, controversial status students had lower classroom grades, rejected status students were rated as less prosocial, and members of rejected and popular status groups were rated as more irre- sponsible. In addition, neglected status group members perceived less peer support, con- troversial status group members reported less frequent efforts to learn, and rejected sta- tus group members reported less frequent pursuit of prosocial goals than did average status peers. Models, whereby perceived support and motivation explained significant links between sociometric status and school adjustment, were not supported. Keywords: sociometric status; achievement; classroom behavior; perceived support During early adolescence, children often exhibit increased psychological investment in the peer group and dependence on peers for support (Berndt, 1979; Furman, 1989; Youniss & Smollar, 1985). Therefore, the degree to which young adolescents enjoy positive relationships with their classmates might be important especially for understanding their adjustment to, and ulti- mate success in, school. In support of that notion, research on sociometric status and peer acceptance has documented significant relations between the quality of middle school students’ peer relationships and their social and aca- 5 The author would like to thank Thomas Evans and his faculty and staff for their cooperation and help in making this project a success. Journal of Early Adolescence, Vol. 23 No. 1, February 2003 5-28 DOI: 10.1177/0272431602239128 © 2003 Sage Publications at PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV on May 10, 2016 jea.sagepub.com Downloaded from