A foundation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is critical for students' college and career advancement, but many U.S. students fail to take advanced mathematics and science classes in high school. Research has neglected the potential role of parents in enhancing students' motivation for pursuing STEM courses.…

This report presents the 4th Edition of Scholastic's biannual study of children's and parents' attitudes and behaviors about reading. Much has changed since the first "Kids & Family Reading Report" was issued in 2006, but literacy remains the critical skill needed for school success. Today's children are growing up in a world full of…

This report is based on research conducted by the Urban Institute's Justice Policy Center on the violence prevention activities taking place at the Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School during the 2008-2009 school year. Based on an assessment of the school's violence prevention approach using qualitative and quantitative data from…

Adolescents are influenced by a variety of social factors and institutions. Prior research confirms what many of us know instinctively: that parents can be one of the strongest influences in adolescents' lives. For example, higher levels of parental involvement in their adolescents' lives are linked with lower levels of delinquency, violent…

This report examines statistical data on fathers caring for their children during mothers' working hours and which types of fathers are the most likely to take care of their children. Data are taken from the Survey of Income and Program Participation, a longitudinal survey conducted at four-month intervals by the Census Bureau. Care by fathers is…

This report uses the 1979-1996 National Household Surveys on Drug Abuse to investigate the role of parents, especially members of the baby boom generation, on the marijuana use of children. The association of marijuana use between parents and children, the differences among parental birth cohorts, and the determinants of child marijuana use are…

This report provides findings of an in-person survey of single parents in Ramsey County, Minnesota. The report is organized into seven chapters. Chapter 1 provides a current demographic, educational, and economic profile of single parents and examines whether the backgrounds of single parents relate to their present conditions. Chapter 2 describes…

This study examined the relationship between parental childrearing behaviors and adolescent academic competence in 393 seventh-graders from rural two-parent families with similar educational and economic backgrounds. Data was collected from school academic records, adolescent and parent questionnaires, and observer ratings. Results indicate that…

This report details current state efforts to promote responsible fatherhood, identifies and profiles specific strategies to encourage fathers to be responsible, and summarizes state father-related data. Chapter 1, "Setting the Context," provides a rationale for the policy interest in fathers and presents the methodology for the study.…

This document presents the hearings on work and welfare before the Senate Subcommittee on Social Security and Family Policy of the Committee on Finance. Testimony is presented by expert witnesses, and by individuals and groups with an interest in the welfare of children and families. The following are among the issues addressed: (1) the basic…