Table 1.
Descriptive information for fourth-grade children.
| Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test scores a mean (standard deviation) |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | Combined score for all four academic subjects |
English | Math | Social studies |
Science | ||
| Girls | |||||||
| BMI percentile quartile b | |||||||
| First (range 0–56th percentiles) | 199 | 1600 (47) | 403 (12) | 406 (14) | 397 (12) | 394 (14) | |
| Second (range 57th–84th percentiles) | 176 | 1596 (47) | 403 (12) | 403 (15) | 397 (12) | 393 (14) | |
| Third (range 85th–96th percentiles) | 218 | 1605 (46) | 404 (13) | 407 (13) | 398 (12) | 396 (14) | |
| Fourth (range 97th–100th percentiles) | 215 | 1600 (46) | 403 (13) | 405 (15) | 397 (12) | 395 (14) | |
| SES c | |||||||
| Low | 630 | 1593 (43) | 402 (11) | 403 (14) | 395 (12) | 393 (13) | |
| Medium | 49 | 1616 (38) | 408 (11) | 409 (12) | 402 (11) | 397 (12) | |
| High | 129 | 1632 (52) | 411 (14) | 414 (15) | 404 (13) | 404 (16) | |
| Race | |||||||
| African American | 728 | 1596 (44) | 403 (12) | 404 (14) | 396 (12) | 393 (13) | |
| All other races | 80 | 1639 (51) | 412 (14) | 416 (14) | 404 (14) | 407 (16) | |
| School year | |||||||
| 2004–2005 | 305 | 1605 (46) | 403 (11) | 406 (14) | 400 (12) | 396 (14) | |
| 2005–2006 | 337 | 1600 (47) | 405 (13) | 405 (15) | 396 (12) | 394 (14) | |
| 2006–2007 | 166 | 1594 (44) | 402 (12) | 404 (14) | 395 (11) | 393 (13) | |
| Boys | |||||||
| BMI percentile quartile | |||||||
| First (range 0–56th percentiles) | 177 | 1597 (48) | 400 (12) | 405 (15) | 397 (14) | 395 (15) | |
| Second (range 57th–84th percentiles) | 200 | 1594 (47) | 400 (12) | 405 (14) | 396 (12) | 394 (15) | |
| Third (range 85th–96th percentiles) | 158 | 1590 (46) | 399 (12) | 402 (15) | 396 (11) | 393 (14) | |
| Fourth (range 97th–100th percentiles) | 161 | 1596 (51) | 400 (13) | 405 (15) | 398 (14) | 394 (16) | |
| SES | |||||||
| Low | 537 | 1587 (44) | 398 (12) | 402 (14) | 396 (12) | 392 (13) | |
| Medium | 40 | 1609 (53) | 404 (13) | 410 (15) | 399 (14) | 397 (17) | |
| High | 119 | 1622 (51) | 405 (12) | 411 (15) | 403 (14) | 402 (17) | |
| Race | |||||||
| African American | 633 | 1590 (45) | 399 (12) | 403 (14) | 396 (12) | 393 (14) | |
| All other races | 63 | 1636 (54) | 406 (13) | 417 (16) | 406 (13) | 407 (18) | |
| School year | |||||||
| 2004–2005 | 271 | 1596 (49) | 399 (13) | 405 (15) | 398 (12) | 394 (15) | |
| 2005–2006 | 284 | 1592 (49) | 400 (12) | 404 (15) | 395 (13) | 393 (15) | |
| 2006–2007 | 141 | 1594 (45) | 399 (11) | 403 (12) | 397 (14) | 395 (14) | |
School staff administered the Palmetto Achievement Challenge Tests (PACT) according to state guidelines in May of each school year.35 The PACT, a set of standardized exams, covered four academic subjects (English, math, social studies, science). This table shows PACT scores; for fourth-grade children, respective ranges of PACT scores corresponding to four overall performance levels (below basic, basic, proficient, advanced) were as follows: English (345–394, 395–409, 410–429, 430–445), math (351–398, 399–415, 416–426, 427–451), social studies (336–393, 394–412, 413–424, 425–464), and science (336–396, 397–411, 412–423, 424–464).35
Research staff measured weight and height in the spring of children's fourth-grade school year. For analyses, BMI percentile38 was treated as a continuous variable. For ease of presentation in this table, BMI percentile quartiles were used to divide the girls into four groups of approximately equal numbers and to divide the boys into four groups of approximately equal numbers.
Eligibility for free/reduced-price school meals was used as a proxy measure for SES according to three categories: low-SES (eligible for free school meals), medium-SES (eligible for reduced-price school meals), and high-SES (not eligible for free or reduced-price school meals).40