Skip to main content

Father Involvement, African Americans, and Reducing the Achievement Gap

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Father Involvement in Young Children’s Lives

Part of the book series: Educating the Young Child ((EDYC,volume 6))

Abstract

This chapter addresses the reality of the achievement gap between African American and white students. Then, it examines how fostering higher levels of father involvement might be a way of significantly bridging that gap. This chapter traces how various groups embraced father involvement as a means to closing the gap and the extent to which the research supports this approach. The chapter then examines what are some of the means of enhancing father engagement, the programs in place with that aim, and how these facts can serve as a guide for further advancement in African American father involvement.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Allen, W. D., & Conner, M. (1997). An African American perspective on generative fathering. In A. J. Hawkins and D. C. Dollahite (Eds.), Generative fathering (pp. 52–70). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bailyn, B. (1960). Education in the forming of American society. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baskerville, S. (2002). The politics of fatherhood. Political Science & Politics, 35(4), 695–699.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berger, L. M., Carlson, M. J., Bzoteck, S. H., & Osborne, C. (2008). Parenting practices of resident fathers: The role of marital and biological ties. Journal of Marriage & the Family, 70(3), 625–639.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bergman, P. M., & Bergman, M. N. (1969). The chronological history of the Negro in America. New York: Harper & Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blankenhorn, D., & Clayton, O. (2003). Introduction. In O. Clayton, R. B. Mincy, and D. Blankenhorn (Eds.), Black fathers in contemporary American society: Strengths, weaknesses, and strategies (pp. 1–8). New York: Russell Age Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bobbe, D. (1933). DeWitt Clinton. New York: Minton, Balch & Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, B. B., Bakken, J. P., Nguyen, J., & Von Bank, H. G. (2007). Sharing information about peer relations: Parents and adolescent opinions and behaviors in Hmong and African American families. In B. B. Brown and N. S. Mounts (Eds.), Linking parents and family to adolescent peer relations: Ethnic and cultural considerations (pp. 67–82). San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borman, G., & Hewes, G. (2003). Long-term cost effectiveness of Success For All. Educational Evaluation & Policy Analysis, 24(4), 243–266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bullock, H. A. (1970). A history of Negro education in the South: From 1619 to the present. New York: Praeger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2009). Correctional populations in the United States and prisoners in 2008. Washington: Bureau of Justice Statistics.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carleton, D. (2002). Landmark congressional laws on education. Westport: Greenwood Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, M. J. (2006). Family structure, father involvement, and adolescent behavioral outcomes. Journal of Marriage & the Family, 68(1), 137–154.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cherlin, A. J. (1978). Remarriage as an incomplete institution. American Journal of Sociology, 84(3), 634–650.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coles, R. L. (2009). The best kept secret: Single black fathers. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.

    Google Scholar 

  • Copeland, D. A. (2000). Debating the issues in colonial newspapers. Westport, CT: Greenwood.

    Google Scholar 

  • Conner, M. E., & White, J. L. (2006). Fatherhood in contemporary black America: Invisible, but present. In M. E. Conner and J. L. White (Eds.), Black fathers: An invisible presence in America (pp. 3–16). Mahwah: Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cornelius, J. D. (1991). When I can read my title clear: Illiteracy, slavery, and religion in the antebellum South. Columbus: University of South Carolina Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Cornog, E. (1998). The birth of empire: DeWitt Clinton and the American experience, 1769–1828. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cubberley, E. (1920). The history of education. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

    Google Scholar 

  • D’Agostino, J. A. (2002). National fatherhood initiative. Human Events, 38(17), 12–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Downer, J. T., & Mendez, J. L. (2005). African American father involvement and preschool children’s readiness. Early Education & Development, 16(3), 317–340.

    Google Scholar 

  • Downer, J., Campos, R., McWayne, C., & Gartner, T. (2008). Father involvement and children’s early learning: A critical review of published empirical work. Marriage & Family Review, 43(1/2), 67–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eavey, C. B. (1964). History of Christian education. Chicago: Moody Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, J. (2001). School, family, and community partnerships. Boulder: Westview Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fagan, J. (1998). The influence of father involvement on African American elementary school children. Journal of Negro Education, 68(3), 234–251.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fagan, J. (1999). Predictors of father and father figure involvement in pre-kindergarten. Philadelphia: National Centers on Fathers and Families.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fagan, J., & Stevenson, H. (2002). An experimental study of an empowered intervention for African American Head Start fathers. Family Relations, 51, 191–198.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flouri, E., & Buchanan, A. (2004). Early father’s and mother’s involvement and child’s later educational outcomes. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 74, 141–153.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harrison, W. P. (1893). The gospel among the slaves. Nashville: M. E. Church.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horn, W. F. (2001). Turning the hearts of fathers: Faith-based approaches to promoting responsible fatherhood. In J. Fagan and A J. Hawkins (Eds.), Clinical and educational interventions with fathers (pp. 191–214). Binghamton: Haworth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hossain, Z., & Roopnarine, J. L. (1993). Division of household labor and child care in dual-earner African American families with infants. Sex Roles, 29, 571–583.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henry, C., Plunkett, S., & Sands, T. (2011). Family structure, parental involvement, and academic motivation in Latino adolescents. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 57(6), 370–390.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jay, J. (1801). In H. P. Johnson (Ed.), The correspondence and public papers of John Jay, 1782–1793 (p. 58). New York: Columbia University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeynes, W. (1999). The effects of religious commitment on the academic achievement of black and Hispanic children. Urban Education, 34(4), 458–479.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeynes, W. (2000). The effects of several of the most common family structures on the academic achievement of eighth graders. Marriage and Family Review, 30(1, 2), 73–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeynes, W. (2002a). Divorce, family structure, and the academic success of children. Binghamton: Haworth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeynes, W. (2002b). Educational policy and the effects of attending a religious school on the academic achievement of children. Educational Policy, 16(3), 406–424.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeynes, W. (2003a). A meta-analysis: The effects of parental involvement on minority children’s academic achievement. Education & Urban Society, 35(2), 202–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeynes, W. (2003b). The effects of black and Hispanic twelfth graders living in intact families and being religious on their academic achievement. Urban Education, 38(1), 35–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeynes, W. (2005a). A meta-analysis of the relation of parental involvement to urban elementary school student academic achievement. Urban Education, 40(3), 237–269.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeynes, W. (2005b). The effects of parental involvement on the academic achievement of African American youth. Journal of Negro Education, 74(3), 260–274.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeynes, W. (2006a). Standardized tests and the true meaning of kindergarten and preschool. Teachers College Record, 108(10), 1937–1959.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeynes, W. (2006b). The impact of parental remarriage on children: A meta-analysis. Marriage and Family Review, 40(4), 75–102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeynes, W. (2007a). American educational history: School, society, and the common good. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeynes, W. (2007b). The relationship between parental involvement and urban secondary school student academic achievement: A meta-analysis. Urban Education, 42(1), 82–110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeynes, W. (2008a, Feb.). Factors that reduce or eliminate the achievement gap. Speech given at Harvard University Conference on the Achievement Gap, Cambridge, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeynes, W. (2008b, April). The academic contributions of faith-based schools. Speech given at the White House Conference on inner city children and faith based schools, Washington DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeynes, W. (2008c). Preserving a critical national asset (pp. 78–79, 109). Washington: White House.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeynes, W. (2010a). Parental involvement and children’s academic achievement. New York: Taylor & Francis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeynes, W. (2010b). The salience of the subtle aspects of parental involvement and encouraging that involvement: Implications for school-based programs. Teachers College Record, 112(3), 747–774.

    Google Scholar 

  • Joe, S., & Niedemeier, M. (2008). Social work research of African Americans and suicidal behavior: A systematic 25-year review. Health & Social Work, 33(4), 249–257.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, C. W., & Unger, D. (2001). Diverse adaptations of single-parent, low income families with young children. In J. F. Gillespie (Ed.), Diverse families, competent families (pp. 5–23). New York: Haworth.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jordan-Zachery, J. S. (2009). Making fathers: Black men’s response to fatherhood initiatives. Journal of African American Studies, 13(3), 199–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, M. B. M. (2010). Fathering in low-income black families. In R. L. Coles and C. Green (Eds.), The myth of the missing black father (pp. 147–169). New York: Columbia University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lamb, M., & Lewis, C. (2010). The development and significance of father-child relationships in two parent families. In M. Lamb (Ed.), The role of father in child development (5th ed., pp. 94–153). Hoboken: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laws, D. M. (2009). The fatherhood initiative: Implications for social welfare family policy. (Doctoral Dissertation, Walden University, 2009). Dissertation Abstracts International, 70(1-A), 369.

    Google Scholar 

  • Litieco, B. L. (2010). African American men rearing children in violent neighborhoods. In R. L. Coles and C. Green (Eds.), The myth of the missing black father (pp. 192–211). New York: Columbia University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lightfoot, S. L. (1978). Worlds apart: Relationships between families and schools. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Logsdon, J. M., & Launius, R. D. (2000). Reconsidering Sputnik: Forty years since the Soviet Satellite. Sydney: Harward Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mapp, K. L., Johnson, V. R., Strickland, C. S., & Meza, C. (2008). High school family centers: Transformative spaces linking schools and family in support of student learning. Marriage & Family Review, 43(1/2), 338–368.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marks, L., Hopkins-Williams, K., Chaney, C., Nesteruk, O., & Sasser, D. (2010). My kids and my wife have been my life: Married African American fathers staying the course. In R. L. Coles and C. Green (Eds.), The myth of the missing black father (pp. 19–46). New York: Columbia University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marsden, G. M. (1994). The soul of the American university. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • McClellan, E. B., & Reese, W. J. (1988). The social history of American education. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • McLanahan, S., & Sandefur, G. (1994). Growing up with a single parent: What hurts, what helps. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Middleton, R. (2004). Religion and education. In M. C. Ryan (Ed.), Living in colonial America (pp. 65–74). San Diego: Greenhaven Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moynihan, P. (1965). The Moynihan Report. Washington: U.S. Department of Labor.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Commission on Excellence in Education. (1983). A nation at risk. Washington:National Commission on Excellence in Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ogbu, J. U. (1992). Adaptation to minority status and impact on school success. Theory into Practice, 31, 287–295.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ogbu, J. U. (1993). Differences in cultural frame of reference. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 16, 483–506.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pasley, K., & Minton, C. (1997). Generative fathering after divorce and remarriage. In A. J. Hawkins and D. C. Dollahite (Eds.), Generative fathering. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patrikakou, K., & Weissburg, R. P. (2001). Parents’ perceptions of teacher outreach and parental involvement in children’s education. In J. F. Gillespie and J. Primavera (Eds.), Diverse families, competent families (pp. 103–119). New York: Haworth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pinkney, W. (1788). Speech before the Maryland House of Delegates. Baltimore.

    Google Scholar 

  • Potter, C., & Carpenter, J. (2008). Something in it for dads. Getting fathers involved in Sure Start. Early Child Development & Care, 18(7/8), 761–772.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reglin, G. L. (1993). At risk “parent and family” school involvement strategies for low income families and African American families of unmotivated and underachieving students. Springfield: Charles Thomas.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roach, R. (2001). In the academic and think-tank world, pondering achievement-gap remedies take center stage. Black Issues in Higher Education, 18(1), 26–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rowe, M. L., Cocker, D., & Pan, B. A. (2004). A comparison of fathers’ and mothers’ talk to toddlers in low-income families. Social Development, 13, 278–291.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rush, B. (1773). An address to the inhabitants of the British settlements in America on slave keeping. Philadelphia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, M. J. (2000). Born in bondage: Growing up enslaved in the antebellum South. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, G. L. (2007). Improving the schooling experience of African American students. In S. J. Paik and H. L. Walberg (Eds.), Narrowing the achievement gap (pp. 153–170). New York: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Troen, S. K. (1988). Popular education in nineteenth century St. Louis. In E. McClellan and W. J. Reese (1988). The social history of American education (pp. 119–136). Urbana: University of Illinois.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Center for Education Statistics. (1966). Equality of educational opportunity. Washington: U.S. Center for Education Statistics.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Census Bureau. (1998). Statistical abstracts of the United States. Washington: U.S. Census Bureau.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Census Bureau. (2009). Statistical abstracts of the United States. Washington: U.S. Census Bureau.

    Google Scholar 

  • Urban, W., & Wagoner, J. (2000). American education: A history. Boston: McGraw Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vahey, M. F. (1998). A hidden history: Slavery, abolition, and the underground railroad in Cow Neck on Long Island. Port Washington: Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wadley, J. (2010). Family support helps African American boys with depression. Retrieved from http://michigantoday.umich.edu/2010/02/story.php?id=7619.

  • Wallerstein, J. S., & Lewis, J. (1998). The long-term impact of divorce on children: A first report from a 25-year study. Family and Conciliation Courts Review, 36(3), 368–383.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Washington, B. T. (1969). A new Negro for a new century. Miami: Mnemosyne.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weir, T. (2008). Addressing the father gap. USA Today, 4th June.

    Google Scholar 

  • Willison, G. F. (1966). Saints and strangers. London: Longmans.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, P. E. (1977). Discrimination against Blacks: A historical perspective. In W. T. Blackstone and R. D. Heslep (Eds.), Social justice and preferential treatment (pp. 161–175). Athens: University of Georgia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, W. J. (2003). The woes of the inner-city African American father. In O. Clayton, R. B. Mincy, and D. Blankenhorn (Eds.), Black fathers in contemporary American society: Strengths, weaknesses, and strategies (pp. 9–29). New York: Russell Age Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wirtz, W. (1977). On further examination. New York: College Entrance Examination Board.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woodson, C. G. (1915). The education of the Negro prior to 1861. New York: Knickerbocker Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to William H. Jeynes .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Jeynes, W. (2013). Father Involvement, African Americans, and Reducing the Achievement Gap. In: Pattnaik, J. (eds) Father Involvement in Young Children’s Lives. Educating the Young Child, vol 6. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5155-2_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics