@EdWorkingPaper{ai26-1479, title = "Teacher-student relationships and adult outcomes: Developmental cascades via childhood executive function and behavioral dysregulation", author = "Sammy F. Ahmed, Andrew Koepp, Deborah Lowe Vandell", institution = "Annenberg Institute at Brown University", number = "1479", year = "2026", month = "May", URL = "http://www.edworkingpapers.com/ai26-1479", abstract = {Longitudinal data were examined to test associations between teacher-student relationships and adult outcomes, as well as mechanisms underlying these associations. Results from the NICHD-SECCYD (N=1364; 52% male; 76% White; 13% Black; 6% Hispanic; 5% other; data collection took place in the U.S. beginning in 1991) revealed a complex set of findings. First, teacher-student conflict and closeness during early elementary school were associated with educational attainment, occupational prestige, arrest record, and risky behavior at age 26 (r=-.21-.17, ps<.01). Next, behavioral dysregulation during middle elementary school, but not executive function, mediated associations between teacher-student conflict and age 26 outcomes. Finally, behavioral dysregulation and end of high school functioning serially mediated associations between teacher-student conflict and adult outcomes. These findings showcase the relevance of teacher-student relationships for outcomes spanning two decades of development.}, }