How Adverse Childhood Experiences Affect Student Achievement And Overall School Experience In Schools In Watauga County, North Carolina

This thesis contains an assessment of the prevalence Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in the lives of students in Watauga County, North Carolina and their effects on student achievement. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) defines Adverse Childhood Experiences as “potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood” such as “experiencing violence or abuse, witnessing violence in the home or community, having a family member attempt or die by suicide,” or “growing up in a household with substance misuse, mental health problems, instability due to parental separation or household members being in jail or prison.” The following research analyzes the relationship between the existence of adverse childhood experiences and student achievement trends in Watauga County classrooms. Research was conducted virtually using Google Forms to survey the superintendent, principals, counselors, and teachers within Watauga County schools. Findings from this study indicate a positive correlation between the existence adverse childhood experiences and poor achievement in Watauga County students. The implications of this study indicate that education professionals have a responsibility to provide support to students with these life experiences in order to help them succeed, and thus reach a high level of academic achievement, in their academic endeavors.