Longitudinal Study of Simultaneous Influence of Mothers' and Teachers' Educational Expectations on Low-Income Youth's Academic Achievement

• NCJ Number: 227400
• Journal: Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 38 Issue: 6 Dated: July 2009 Pages: 826-838
• Author(s): Rashmita S. Mistry; Elizabeth S. White; Aprile D. Benner; Virginia W. Huynh
• Date Published: July 2009
• Length: 13 pages
• Grant Number(s): HD36038
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
• Corporate Author: University of Texas
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This short-term longitudinal study examined the simultaneous influences of mothers and teachers educational expectations and youth's achievement, based on standardized test scones and teachers' ratings of academic performance, across a 3-year period.

Abstract

Findings show that adults' education-related expectations are dynamic and responsive to how youth are doing in school, as well as to changes in academic performance over time. The findings indicated that whereas both teachers' and mothers' educational expectations influenced how well youth performed in school, the pathways of influence varied across adults. Mothers' educational expectations were influenced through multiple pathways, including their own as well as teachers' prior expectations and changes in their child's level of academic achievements. Teachers' expectations, on the other hand, were primarily influenced by other teachers' educational expectations and ratings of students' academic achievement. Study data came from a larger evaluation of the New Hope Project, a 3-year antipoverty demonstration program in Milwaukee, WI. Eligible participants were randomly assigned to a control or program group. Data for the current study were obtained from evaluations conducted 5 (T1) and 8 years (T2) after the implementation of New Hope. The final sample consisted of 426 youth from 309 families. The average age of the youth was 12.2 years at the beginning of the study and 15.7 years at its conclusion. The sample included an approximately equal number of girls and boys. Mothers and teachers answered questions regarding expectations that the youth would attend college at T1 and T2. Mothers completed one item on how much education they expected their child to complete. Teachers completed an item that assessed their certainty that the youth would go to college. Students' prior and current achievement-related outcomes were assessed with two indicators of academic achievement. 4 tables, 1 figure, and 52 references