Effects of Parent Academic Socialization on the Academic Achievement of African American Middle School Students

Closing the achievement gap between Black students and their White counterparts has been a daunting challenge facing educators. Researchers identified various factors that contribute to the persistent underachievement of Black students. Socioeconomic status, environmental factors, and the lack of parent involvement appear to be the main factors perpetuating the gap. The literature review supported the view that parent involvement is associated with high academic achievement and higher standardized test scores. Nevertheless, a decline in parent involvement has been observed when students transition from elementary to middle school, particularly among African American parents. However, limited research has been conducted on which specific types of parent involvement could improve middle school African American student achievement.;The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine if a relationship exists between parental academic socialization and the academic achievement of middle school students. The theoretical framework that guided this study was the academic socialization theory. The data collection included African American, eighth-grade students' test scores on the New York State exams in mathematics and ELA and the parents' survey data. Analysis of the data indicated that no statistical significant relationship exists between academic socialization and the academic achievement of African American middle school students ELA and math scores.;Keywords: academic achievement, academic socialization, parent involvement, African American.