Assets, parental expectations and involvement, and children’s educational performance

This study examines the relationships between parental assets with their expectations and involvement of children’s education, and children’s educational performance measured 2 years later. Through the analysis of the mother–child data set of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79), results indicate that after controlling for family income and other parent characteristics, parental assets were positively related to children’s math and reading scores. Parental assets were also positively associated with their expectations and involvement of school activities. Furthermore, parent expectations partially mediated the relationship between assets and children’s educational performance. These findings imply that in order to improve children’s education, how to enhance parental assets warrants the consideration of public policy. D 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.