ACHIEVEMENT OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN FATHER ABSENT HOMES (BLACK FAMILIES, ACADEMIC, MOTHER BEHAVIOR)

The purpose of this study was to compare the achievement test scores of black father absent and father present children in an urban elementary school. The problem was to determine if there was a significant relationship between father absence and academic achievement test scores. The extent of the effect of mother behavior on academic achievement test scores of the students was also determined.;The population of the study was divided into two groups: father absent and father present. Comparisons of the reading and mathematics achievement test scores for the two related groups and the significance of the difference between the average GES were determined by t-tests. As the age of the child and the grade decreased the impact of father absence on the reading and mathematics achievement test scores of the females increased.;Intercorrelations determined the relationships between mother behavior, sex, FA-FP, employment of mother, education of mother and income (the independent variables) and reading and math (the dependent variables) test scores. There were significant relationships among the variables. The effect of mother behavior, income and education increased as the age of the child increased.;Multiple regressions were computed to determine the predictability of the independent variables for the students' performance in academic achievement. Results of the regressions supported results of the t-test and the intercorrelations.;The data were recorded on family code sheets and included the following information: student I.D. number, sex, family status, grade, math GES, reading GES, date of birth, mother's education, mother's employment status, child perception questionnaire responses, and income of family. The test data collected were results of the California Achievement Test in Reading, Levels 14-19 (Form C-CAT/C) and Mathematics, Levels 14-19 (Forms D-CAT/D) administered to the third, fourth, fifth and sixth grade children during Spring, 1983.;The analysis of the data of this study did not confirm that father absence relates negatively to all grades and/or both genders. It did confirm that mother behavior and other family characteristics have an effect on the academic achievement of the older children. The results indicate a need for more research.