Maternal Cohabitation and Educational Success

Sociology of Education 2005, Vol. 78 (April): 144–164 144 Social scientists who have studied the family and those who have studied educational stratification have produced convincing evidence that parental divorce is negatively associated with educational success. Compared to children who live with both parents until adulthood, children from divorced families have lower educational expectations, poorer school attendance, and lower grades (Amato 2001; Astone and McLanahan 1991; Hanson, McLanahan, and Thomson 1998; Sun and Li 2001; Teachman et al. 1998). They are also less likely to graduate from high school or to attend college (Biblarz and Gottainer 2000; McLanahan and Sandefur 1994; Ploeg 2002; Pong and Ju 2000; Sandefur and Wells 1999). Research has suggested that mothers’ remarriage does not improve the chances of children’s high school graduation and that children from stepparent families are only marginally better off than are those from single-parent families on many educational outcomes (Astone and McLanahan 1991; McLanahan and Sandefur 1994). While the impact of parents’ divorce and remarriage on educational success has been 03. Raley 4/14/05 2:26 PM Page 144