| The study utilized an individual growth model (Byrk & Raudenbush, 1987 and 1992) to investigated the impact of the child rearing patterns, as reported by parents, on the Ohio Proficiency Test performance of fifth grade African-American children between the second and fourth grade levels. The study attempted to establish the relationship between child rearing styles i.e. authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive (Baumrind, 1966) and the initial achievement status (second grade) as well as the rate of growth during the time period of second through fourth grade. The sample consisted of 92 parents/guardians of 92 African-American fifth grade students who attended six elementary schools in the Cleveland Municipal School District.; The child rearing patterns exhibited were assessed by having the parent participants complete a modified version of the Dornbusch, Ritter, Leiderman, Roberts, & Franleigh (1987) parenting style inventory. The fifth grade student's Ohio proficiency test scores for the second, third, and fourth grade were used to analyze the relationship between a student's performance on the math, reading, citizenship, and science proficiency subtests and the following child rearing predictor variables: authoritarian, authoritative, permissive home direct, permissive indirect, and permissive home direct. The individual characteristics such as gender and frequency of involvement in religious activity were also used as predictor variables.; The study found that children whose parents were more authoritative started higher in initial status math and reading performance than children whose parents exhibited other child rearing patterns. This same relationship occurred between permissive home direct parenting (behaviors that directly influence children) and second grade math proficiency performance, as well as permissive indirect parenting (behaviors that indirectly influence children) and second grade citizenship proficiency performance. Permissive home direct child rearing was found to be significant in predicting the rate of growth in reading and math, thus positively accelerating a child's yearly rate of growth between the second and fourth grade levels. In citizenship and science, authoritative child rearing was a positive predictor of the rate of growth between the second and fourth grade levels however, the rate of growth in science proficiency performance was decreased by permissive home direct parenting. Authoritarian child rearing, gender, and frequency of involvement in religious activity were not significant predictors of the initial status or rate of growth in Ohio Proficiency Test performance. |
