FAMILY-STRUCTURE, SCHOOL CONTEXT, AND 8TH-GRADE MATH AND READING-ACHIEVEMENT

Schools include growing proportions of students from single-parent fam ilies and stepfamilies, and this trend prompts the investigation of wh ether these families affect all students' achievement. Analysis of eig hth-grade math and reading achievement scores shows that schools that are predominated by students from single-parent families and stepfamil ies negatively affect their students' achievement, even after individu al demographic characteristics and family background are controlled. T his negative effect of single-parent families and stepfamilies is part ly explained by the relatively low socioeconomic status of children in these schools. However, the negative effect of single-parent families and stepfamilies on school achievement can be countervailed when soci al relations among parents are strong.