Beyond Free Lunch: Which Family Background Measures Matter?

Autor/inn/en	Lubienski, Sarah Theule; Crane, Corinna Crawford
Titel	Beyond Free Lunch: Which Family Background Measures Matter?
Quelle	In: Education Policy Analysis Archives, 18 (2010) 11, (43 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1068-2341
Schlagwörter	Family Characteristics; Socioeconomic Status; Social Class; Predictor Variables; Reading Achievement; Mathematics Achievement; Elementary School Students; Student Characteristics; Child Care; Parent Participation; Child Health; Expectation; Achievement Gains; African Americans; Asian Americans; Hispanic Americans; Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey; National Assessment of Educational Progress + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Socio-economic status; Sozioökonomischer Status; Social classes; Soziale Klasse; Prädiktor; Leseleistung; Mathmatics sikills; Mathmatics achievement; Mathematical ability; Mathematische Kompetenz; Kinderfürsorge; Kinderbetreuung; Elternmitwirkung; Expectancy; Erwartung; Achievement gain; Leistungssteigerung; Afroamerikaner; Asian immigrant; United States; Asiatischer Einwanderer; USA; Hispanic; Hispanoamerikaner
Abstract	Most studies of school achievement use free-lunch eligibility or other basic indicators to adjust for differences in students' socioeconomic backgrounds. This study determines whether these variables are enough to separate the confounding effects of students' backgrounds from the main variables of interest in education studies. The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study dataset from the kindergarten class cohort of 1998-99 (ECLS-K) provides an unusually vast array of information regarding children's home resources and experiences. This plethora of parent-reported data raises questions about which variables researchers should include in their analyses, and it provides an extraordinary opportunity to examine this question. Using a split-sample design, stepwise regression, and multi-level modeling, this study systematically examines over 200 ECLS-K student background variables to determine which factors predict reading and mathematics achievement after typical SES controls are employed. The study identifies several variables that are important supplements to traditional SES measures, including the number of children in the household, mother's age at first birth, and children's books at home. Results indicate the extent to which "value added" studies can be flawed when using only basic demographic variables. The findings hold implications for data collection and accountability efforts, including NCLB, teacher evaluation plans, and the design of state longitudinal data systems. (Contains 17 footnotes and 12 tables.) (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Colleges of Education at Arizona State University and the University of South Florida. c/o Editor, USF EDU162, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620-5650. Tel: 813-974-3400; Fax: 813-974-3826; Web site: http://epaa.asu.edu
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10