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EDLD 5315

Review

of the Literature

Review the impact of the difference of parental involvement in single-parent homes vs

two-parent homes for academic success

for highschool freshmen

by

Kendrick L. Lusk

June 27, 2021

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Review of the Literature

The literature review will focus on peer-reviewed journal articles, dissertations that provide

guidance, research that will inform teachers and parents about the importance of bringing schools

and homes together to help children succeed in their learning.

Professional books about parental involvement and engagement strategies will also be a viable

source. Federal law stresses shared accountability between schools and parents for high student

achievement. Yet, there is minimal regulation regarding what parental engagement programs
must

actually, look like. As a result, many school districts fail to consider nontraditional constructs of

parental engagement that honor the available cultural capital, human capital, and social capital of

families with divergent structures. Marginalized parents are often described as apathetic,

unresponsive, and uncaring about their children’s education. Female-headed households, in

particular, have been linked with poverty, limited English proficiency, decreased supervision,
and

low educational attainment. While research has established the benefits of parental engagement

fewer studies have focused on how single-parent families perceive their role in shaping their

children’s education. (Ferrel R.T. (2009). The research consisted of both

qualitative and quantitative. There was a series of surveys given to students,

staff members, parents, and all stakeholders will be my primary methods of obtaining data.

Data from interviews and journals will also be used.

Single mother households

Single mother households. An image that was once only associated with poor women
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and minorities, is slowly beginning to become normalcy in society. Single motherhood is, in part,

attributed to the trend of children that are being conceived out of wedlock- or born outside of

marriage- a trend that was nearly nonexistent decades ago. Now, one in four children under the

age of 18, a staggering total nearing 17.2 million, are being raised without a father.

According to the 2016 United States Census Bureau, out of 12 million single-parent

families with 9 children under the age of 18, more than 80 percent were headed by single

mothers. In general, single mothers seem to face more of a challenge with raising children, than

single fathers do. Families that are headed by single mothers are among the poorest households.

The poverty rate for single-mother households in 2016 was 35.6 percent, which is nearly five

times more than the 6.6 percent rate for married-couple families. More than a third of the

families live in poverty and are more susceptible to homelessness. When identifying the number

of homeless families nationwide, about 60 percent were headed by single women and

represented 21 percent of the total homeless population. Overall income levels, single mothers

are the group that is more likely to lack health insurance. According to the latest available data,

14.6 percent of single mothers had no health coverage, in comparison to only a bit more than

seven percent of women in two parent households. They endure more of a struggle when it

comes to accessing an education of their own, spending over half of their income on housing

expenses and a third on child care, leaving them with less money for educational expenses.

Without financial aid assistance, single mothers have little or no means to contribute financially

to their own educational expenses. Only one third of the population of single mothers graduate

with a college degree, while one sixth fail to complete high school (Lee, 2017).

Socioeconomic Status of Single Parent and Dual Parent Households

Status of Single Parent and Dual Parent Households the years, there have been sweeping
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statements that single-parent households are placed at greater disadvantages in comparison to

more

traditional, two-parent households. The prevalence of poverty in single-parent families has been

estimated to be as high as 50 percent compared to around 5 percent in two-parent intact families

(Lee, Kushner & Cho, 2007). These are alarming numbers, considering the additional

complications that can be of result. Being part of socioeconomic disadvantage can lead to
increase

in emotional and behavioral disturbances in children.

Two-Parent Families Children from two-parent families seem to have an advantage

over children from single-parent families.

The researcher defined a two-parent family as a household headed by two-biological parents, two

grandparents, a mother with a stepfather, a father with a stepmother, an aunt with a spouse, an

uncle with a spouse, an older sibling with a spouse, foster parents, or extended relatives with

spouses acting as the primary caregiver and guardian of the child. Children living with both

biological parents remain in school longer and attain higher educational qualifications than
children

in one-parent families. In particular, children with absent fathers are more likely to drop out of

school than children who live with their fathers (Astone & McLanahan, 1991; McLanahan &

Sandefur, 1994). DeLeire and Kalil (2001) found that in a sample of children who completed the

eighth-grade, high school graduation rates were 90% for those in two-parent families, 75% for

those in divorce-mother families, and 69% for those in never-married-mother families.

Importance of Parental Involvement.

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Consistent parental involvement plays a critical role in the academic careers of children,
regardless

of their age (Sheldon, 2000). Involvement in both the home and school setting, refers to a
spectrum

of actions that include; ensuring the child has necessary nourishment prior to attending school,

assisting as a volunteer when possible on things like school trips, helping students with
homework,

and serving on school executive boards. When looking at involvement displayed by parents, it
can

be broken up into multiple categories. However, for the purpose of this study, it has been
separated

into two categories: parental involvement at home and parental involvement at school.
Involvement

of parents can be displayed in each setting, and both play an equal part in ensuring the success of

the student. Parental involvement at home is defined as parent-child interactions on school

related

or other learning activities and represents the direct investment of a parent’s resources in his or
her

child’s education (Sheldon, 2002). Parental involvement at school can be interpreted as parent

school personnel, attending school activities, and teaching behavior that is essential to academic

success (Jenkins, 1997).

Father involvement

The involvement of fathers in their children’s schools seems to be important in regards to their

academic achievement and social behavior. Nord, Brimhall, and West (1997) found that in two-
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parent households, “Fathers’ involvement in their children’s schools has a distinct and

independent influence on children’s achievement over and above that of mothers” (p. 1). The

authors also argued that fathers can be a positive force in their children’s education, and when

fathers get involved, their children are likely to do better academically. Unfortunately, many

fathers seem to be relatively uninvolved in their children’s schools.

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References

Astone, N., & McLanahan, S. (1991). Family structure, parental practices, and high school

completion. American Sociological Review, 56, 309-320.

DeLeire, T., & Kalil, A. (2001). Good things come in threes: Single-parent multigenerational

family structure and adolescent adjustment. Working Paper. Harris Graduate School of
Public

Policy Studies, University of Chicago.

Ferrel R.T. (2009)The effects of single-parent households versus two-parent households on

student

academic success, attendance, and suspensions,3354734.[Doctoral dissertation,

Lindenwood

University].

Jones, T.L. (2016) Rethinking Parental Engagement: Perceptions of Single African American

Mothers, ED570765[Doctoral dissertation, Michigan State University]. ProQuest

Dissertations

and Theses database.

Lang, K., & Zagorsky, J. L. (2001). Does growing up with a parent absent really hurt? The
Journal
of Human Resources 36(2), 253-273

Lee, D. (2017). Single mother statistics. Retrieved from:

https://singlemotherguide.com/singlemother-statistics/50

Lee, S. M., Kushner, J., & Cho, S. H. (2007). Effects of parent’s gender, child’s gender, and

parental involvement on the academic achievement of adolescents in single parent

families. Sex Roles, 56(3-4), 149-157

Paez, T Sylvestre, R (2015) The Effects of Single-Parenting on Children’s Educational Success

Brainwaves Volume 6: Spring 2015

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McLanahan, S., & Sandefur, G. (1994). Growing up with a single-parent. Cambridge, MA:

Harvard University Press.

Mulhere, K (2015) Family Influence on Education, Inside Higher Ed, February 25, 2015

Nord, C. W., Brimhall, D., & West, J. (1997). Fathers’ involvement in their children’s

schools (Report No. NCES 98-091). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of

Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (ERIC Document

Reproduction Service No. ED409125).

Nieuwenhuis, R Maldonado, L (2018)The triple bind of single-parent families: Resources,

employment and policies to improve wellbeing, (124-144) Bristol University Press

Sheldon, S. B. (2002). Parents' social networks and beliefs as predictors of parent involvement.
The elementary school journal, 102(4), 301-316.