Sirin, Selcuk R.
Researchers: Selcuk R. Sirin
University Affiliation: NYU
Email: sirins@nyu.edu
Research Question:
Meta-analysis and review of literature on socioeconomic status and academic achievement.
Published: 1
Journal Name or Institutional Affiliation: Review of Educational Research
Journal Entry: Vol. 75, No. 3, pp. 417-453
Year: 2005
Findings:
- The primary research objective was to determine the magnitude of the relation between SES and academic achievement.
- The study found a medium level association between SES and achievement at the student level and a high level association at the school level.
- Family SES is one of the strongest correlates is very influential on academic achievement. The type of SES measure and achievement measure affect the strength of the correlations found.
- Researchers must consider four factors: unit of analysis for SES, type of SES measure, range of SES variable, and source of SES data.
- The findings suggest that relationship between SES and academic achievement increases across levels of schooling, except high school where gap tends to remain the same.
- SES is a strong predictor for Whites, and the more minority students in a sample, the weaker the association between SES and achievement.
- Limitations of the study: only includes studies from 1990 to 2000; no unpublished data included; limited to the US; searches may have missed some relevant work; and the analysis is limited by the quality of the studies included.