RELIGION, INTACT FAMILIES, AND THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP

1. RELIGION, INTACT FAMILIES, AND THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP By William Jeynes, Ph.D.

2. “Common Sense is not so common.” -Voltaire

3. African American & Latino Students Reading +8.2% Math +8.3% Social Studies +8.3% Science +6.0% Test Composite +8.3% Left Back +5.1% Basic Core +8.3% White Students +6.0% +6.0% +5.8% +4.2% +6.0% +3.7% +6.5% Effects for Attending Religious Schools versus Public Schools (in percentage score advantages) on the Academic Achievement of Twelfth Grade Youth by Race using the NELS Data Set

4. African American & Latino Students Reading +4.6% Math +4.2% Social Studies +5.2% Science +2.0% Test Composite +4.8% Left Back +3.0% Basic Core +3.4% White Students +3.4% +3.0% +3.4% +1.2% +3.8% +2.0% +3.0% Effects for Attending Religious Schools versus Public Schools (in percentage score advantages) on the Academic Achievement of Twelfth Grade Youth by Race using the NELS Data Set Controlling for Socioeconomic Status and Gender

5. Lowest SES Quartile 2nd Lowest Reading +7.6% +6.8% Math +7.0% +6.2% Social Studies +6.8% +5.8% Science +5.4% +4.0% Test Composite +7.8% +6.6% Left Back +5.8% +5.0% Basic Core +8.2% +6.6% 2nd Highest Highest Quartile Quartile +5.8% +5.2% +5.6% +5.0% +5.2% +4.6% +3.4% +3.2% +5.4% +4.8% +4.4% +3.8% +5.8% +5.2% Effects for Attending Religious Schools versus Public Schools (in percentage score advantages) on the Academic Achievement of Twelfth Grade Youth by Socioeconomic (SES) Quartile using the NELS Data Set

6. RESULTS OF META-ANALYSIS • TO WHAT EXTENT DO RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS REDUCE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP? 1) BETWEEN AFRICAN AMERICAN & WHITE STUDENTS .06** (.03, .09) OF A STANDARD DEVIATION UNIT 2) BETWEEN HIGH-SES AND LOW-SES STUDENTS .06** (.03, .09) OF A STANDARD DEVIATION UNIT *p<.05, **p<.01

7. WHY DO RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS PRODUCE MORE POSITIVE RESULTS? • POSSIBLE ANSWERS: • 1) SCHOOL CULTURE • 2) ENCOURAGE PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT • 3) ENCOURAGE RELIGIOUS COMMITMENT

8. “My strength is as the strength of ten, because my heart is pure.” -Lord Tennyson from Sir Galahad

9. A BETTER SCHOOL CULTURE • FINDINGS FROM NELS 1992 STUDY, Controlling for Socioeconomic Status, Gender & Race (in standard deviation units) N= 18,726 • Religious schools are more likely to have racial harmony (fewer racial fights, .57****, more racially friendly, .13****) • Religious schools are less likely have have gang problems (.66****) • Religious schools are more likely to have teachers interested in the students (.18****) • Religious school students are less likely to be offered illegal drugs (.20****) ****p<.0001

10. “In the faces of men and women I see God.” -Walt Whitman

11. Of 9 Learning Habits, which do Religious Schools Have Greatest Advantage 1) Taking Harder Courses 2) Diligence 3) Work Habits 4) Paying Attention Of 9 Learning Habits, which are Most Highly Correlated with Math Achievement 1) Taking Harder Courses 2) Diligence 3) Paying Attention 4) Work Habits SCHOOL CULTURE AS DEFINED BY LEARNING HABITS:FINDINGS FROM NELS 1992 STUDY (in standard deviation units) N= 20,706

12. “Truth stood on the one side and Ease on the other; it has often been so.” -Theodore Parker

13. “It takes two to speak the truth-one to speak and another to hear.” -Henry David Thoreau

14. Elementary School Level Expectations .58* Communication .24**** Parental Style .35** Attendance/Participation .21* Reading .42**** PROGRAMS .31* *p<.05, **p<.01, ***p<.001, ****p<.0001 Secondary School Level .88**** 32* 40* .14 NA .36* A Meta Analysis on the Effects of Various Components of Parental Involvement (excluding Sophisticated Controls, e.g., for SES)

15. “Character is much easier kept than recovered.” -Thomas Paine

16. Differences in Achievement When Highly Religious African American & Latino Students from Intact Families are Compared with White Students (without controlling for SES) Math -0.8% Reading -1.5% Science -3.6% Social Studies -1.5% Test Composite -1.3% Left Back +1.1% Basic Core +5.6% Differences in Achievement When Highly Religious African American & Latino Students from Intact Families are Compared with White Students (controlling for SES) Math +0.4% Reading -0.4% Science -2.4% Social Studies .00 Test Composite .00 Left Back +2.0% Basic Core +6.2% RELIGIOUS COMMITMENT & FAMILY STRUCTURE: THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP VANISHESFINDINGS FROM NELS 1992 STUDY (in standard deviation units) N =20,706

17. “Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.” -Horace Mann

18. “Love all of God’s creation. The whole and every grain of sand in it. Love every leaf, every ray of God’s light…love everything. If you love everything, you will perceive the divine mystery in things. Once you perceive it, you will begin to comprehend it better every day. And you will come at last to obey the whole world with an all-embracing love.” -Fyodor Dostoeovsky

19. FOR EDUCATORS *Recognize that Education Begins Not with Methodology, but Loving the Child *We Must Raise Our Expectations of Children, Emphasizing Effort More than Ability *Encourage Parental Involvement & Go the Extra Mile to Establish Strong Relationships with Parents *Encourage People to Draw from Sources of Personal Strength, e.g., religious belief FOR WIDER SOCIETY *Initiate Widespread Programs of School Choice *Encourage Marriage and Strong Families across a Variety of Disciplines, e.g., legally, psychologically, in the nation’s tax laws, and so forth *Esteem rather than belittle those with a high level of religious commitment *Present ourselves as a nation that values love, family, and religion rather than one that propounds values that subvert these vital expressions and institutions Recommendations Based on Research Findings

20. Institute for Studies of Religion WWW.ISReligion.org