A Matter of Class - Educational Achievement Reflects Family Background More Than Ethnicity or Immigration
This report from RAND examines student reading and math scores in light of race, ethnicity, immigrant status and socioeconomic factors, such as parent education levels, neighborhood poverty, parental occupational status and family income. The report's findings are followed by policy recommendations.
SELECTED FINDINGS
* "Ethnicity and immigrant status themselves are not important predictors of school readiness."
* "The key factors associated with narrowing the gaps in math scores for black and Latino students were (1) improved socioeconomic conditions among their families and (2) expanded placement in academic tracks."
* "Less discipline and greater parental warmth are associated with fewer behavior problems for children regardless of ethnicity, immigrant status, or neighborhood."
The Full Report:
http://www.rand.org/publications/randreview/issues/fall2004/class.html
