Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Families, neighborhoods and schools influence a variety of outcomes for adolescents, including academic achievement and various at-risk behaviors (such as, dropping out of school, alcohol use, drug use, use of violence). We use data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study, a large longitudinal survey of eighth graders continuing from 1988 through 2000, combined with US census data at the level of students’ residential zip codes. We simultaneously analyze all aspects of student lives: their families, neighborhoods, and schools.
Our findings suggest that “bringing neighborhood in” makes sense for this line of research. Disadvantages at the neighborhood and school level may place students at risk of educational failure, by influencing their behaviors and academic achievement directly and indirectly. Disadvantaged neighborhoods and schools may directly and indirectly lead to higher levels of at-risk student behaviors, even after controlling for individual and family background variables. Some of these may be mitigated by family practices.