| Paul Schvaneveldt
University of North Carolina, Greensboro
The role of parents, peers, and academic achievement, and involvement in substance use in determining pathways to success in early adulthood
FINAL REPORT:
The purpose of this study was to test a conceptual model of young adult educational attainment, two-years post-high school. Specifically, the model posited that experiencing greater connection with parents, greater parental involvement in academic activities, and greater parental regulation of behaviors in the 8th grade would result in higher levels of academic achievement and affiliation with peer groups that held education-oriented values in the 10th grade. In turn, it was posited that higher academic achievement and affiliating with peer groups holding education-oriented values would result in greater post-secondary educational attainment two years post-high school. Finally, higher academic achievement and peer academic values in the lOth grade would result in less substance use in the 12th grade, which, in tum, would result in higher post-secondary educational attainment two years later. Participants in the study were drawn from those who participated in all four waves of the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS:88). A sample of 13,116 were analyzed. The full model was examined using structural equation modeling procedures for the strength of standardized regression weights and goodness-of-fit indicators. Stacked models for comparisons by sex, race, and socioeconomic status also were assessed. Finally, revised models for the full sample and each group were tested.
The current study provides strong evidence that post-secondary educational attainment can be facilitated among all sexes, racial, and socioeconomic groups by greater parental discussion of academic activities with their child during early adolescence. This greater discussion of academic activities is associated with greater academic achievement during middle adolescence that, in tum is associated with greater post-secondary educational attainment. This relationship was significant and positive for all groups, but was significantly stronger from youth from a higher SES background and those who are Asian or Caucasian.
Parenting behaviors had a modest impact on peer group values for Caucasian youth only. Peer group values, in turn, significantly influenced alcohol and substance use for all groups except Asian youth. Substance use was negatively associated with post-secondary educational attainment for all youth except Asian youth. Alcohol use was not associated with educational attainment except for Caucasian youth who were identified as having a positive relationship between alcohol use and post-secondary educational attainment. A similar positive relationship between alcohol use and post-secondary educational attainment was identified for higher SES youth.
The current study overcomes many ofthe limitations of previous research in that a longitudinal design and large nationally representative sample were used. Group comparisons by sex, race, and socioeconomic status illustrated important variations in later educational development.
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