Predicting Verbal Ability and GPA: Effects of Family Structure, Immigrant Status, and School Composition

Mary H. Benin, Arizona State University

Using the AddHealth we study in-home data we examine student’s GPA and Verbal Ability score. We examine differences in academic achievement by family structure, with special attention to how family structure interactions with race and immigrant status. We show immigrant status affects students’ achievement differently depending on group and generation. For example, students born outside the U.S. score significantly lower on Verbal ability, but significantly higher on GPA. Second generation immigrants also score significantly higher on GPA while not differing on Verbal Ability. There is an implication that teen immigrants, and children of immigrants are encouraged to achieve in school by obtaining a good GPA. We also include school characteristics to see how much of the achievement variation can be attributable to aggregate-level characteristics. In particular, we focus on how family structure, race, and immigration status and their interactions have responded to variations in achievement by school characteristics.