The Abider-Avoider Achievement Gap: The Association Between GPA and Religiosity in Public Schools

Abstract

Religion is a powerful social force that is typically ignored in sociological studies of educational attainment. Using nationally representative survey data (N = 2,569) and semi-structured interviews from the National Study of Youth and Religion (N = 30), I test for and explain differences in school grades of five common profiles of religiosity among adolescents in the U.S: Abiders, Adapters, Assenters, Avoiders and Atheists. My quantitative findings suggest that abiders report better grades than avoiders, and the difference is greatest among middle-class families. This pattern holds after controlling for race, religious denomination, sex, mother’s education level, and income. More importantly, the association between religiousness and grades remains after accounting for other factors associated with religiousness, such as increased parental supervision and reduced likelihood of drinking and having sex. My qualitative evidence suggests that this association is a function of greater conscientiousness and agreeableness among abiders. Therefore, I suggest that middle and high schools reward students who are obedient, respectful, and agreeable. Although it is well known that academic performance is associated with income, school grades are also driven by dispositions stemming from religious engagement. This study has implications for how we think about the academic achievement gap.