Perceived Parental Investment in School as a Mediator of the Relationship Between Socio-Economic Indicators and Educational Outcomes in Rural America

Abstract

Each year, 1.3 million students fail to graduate, dropping the United States' high school graduation rate to 69%. One of the most salient predictors of high school dropout is socio-economic status (SES), which makes important an improved understanding of the reasons why SES affects educational outcomes. In this study, multilevel mediation models were utilized to examine parental investment in school as a mediator of the relationship between SES and educational outcomes among an ethnically diverse sample of 64,350 7th to 9th grade students from 199 rural communities and towns in the U.S. (50% male, 63% non-Hispanic White). These relationships were assessed at the individual and school district level. Results indicate that parental investment is an important mediator at both levels. Within school districts, 28% of the effect of SES on the expectation to graduate from high school is mediated by perceived parental investment. Between school districts, 60% of the effect of concentrated disadvantage on the district's high school graduation rate and nearly all (87%) of the effect of concentrated disadvantage on the average expectation to graduate from high school among students in the district is mediated by perceived parental investment. Implications for prevention are discussed.

Effect of Trajectories of Friends' and Parents' School Involvement on Adolescents' Engagement and Achievement

“…Ethnic minority and low SES students report lower levels of parent involvement in school (Henry, Cavanagh, & Oetting, ; Hill et al., ). However, results have been inconsistent regarding ethnic group moderation of parent involvement on students' engagement and achievement (Hill & Tyson, ; Witkow & Fuligni, ).…”

Students' engagement in school and family variables: A literature review

“…Cultural capital encompasses particular family knowledge and skills valued by schools, for example, using a computer, fostering extracurricular activities, encouraging trips to libraries and museums, attending current cultural events, and stimulating intellectual discussions. According to Henry, Cavanagh, and Oetting (2011), more educated parents are more likely to invest in practices related to better academic achievement, such as providing supplementary learning experiences, assisting with homework, steering the path towards graduation and postsecondary education. They may also feel more comfortable communicating or intervening at school.…”

The Role of Social-Emotional and Social Network Factors in the Relationship Between Academic Achievement and Risky Behaviors

“…Prior studies linking higher academic achievement with lower rates of risky behaviors have not controlled for a comprehensive set of factors such as parenting, social network characteristics and social-emotional traits, all of which are known predictors of both academic achievement and health behaviors. 17 Specifically, parenting, social networks and social-emotional skills influence both academic achievement and health behaviors, 4,11,12,15,16,18–23 and may therefore link education and health behaviors not by cause and effect but by circumstance. Alternatively, these factors may be mediators that causally link academic achievement with health behaviors.…”