Table 7.
Estimated Effect of Marriage on Math and Reading Achievement Scores by Selected Child and Family Characteristics
| Child Characteristics Models | Characteristics Before Marriage Models | Characteristics After Marriage Models | Full Models | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Math | Reading | Math | Reading | Math | Reading | Math | Reading | |
| Intercept, β30 | 4.44*** | 6.67*** | 0.25 | −2.73 | 0.13 | 0.17 | 3.46* | 0.08 |
| (1.18) | (1.83) | (1.07) | (1.54) | (0.83) | (1.30) | (1.76) | (2.98) | |
| Child Variables | ||||||||
| Female, β31 | −0.97 | 1.84 | -- | -- | -- | -- | −1.27 | 1.61 |
| (0.80) | (1.19) | (0.79) | (1.17) | |||||
| Race | ||||||||
| African-American, β32 | −2.82** | −4.84*** | -- | -- | -- | -- | −2.19* | −3.51* |
| (1.07) | (1.46) | (1.06) | (1.51) | |||||
| Hispanic, β33 | −4.00*** | −4.94** | -- | -- | -- | -- | −2.73* | −2.10 |
| (0.97) | (1.58) | (1.10) | (1.72) | |||||
| Other race, β34 | −3.32* | −5.86** | -- | -- | -- | -- | −2.60* | −4.40* |
| (1.29) | (2.18) | (1.29) | (2.14) | |||||
| Child Behavior | ||||||||
| Internalizing | ||||||||
| Medium, β35 | −0.77 | −2.17 | -- | -- | -- | -- | −0.53 | −1.50 |
| (1.06) | (1.50) | (1.05) | (1.50) | |||||
| High, β36 | −1.79 | −3.92** | -- | -- | -- | -- | −1.73 | −3.48* |
| (0.99) | (1.45) | (0.99) | (1.41) | |||||
| Externalizing | ||||||||
| Medium, β37 | 0.73 | −0.96 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0.52 | −1.48 |
| (1.05) | (1.63) | (1.03) | (1.59) | |||||
| High, β38 | −0.81 | −0.42 | -- | -- | -- | -- | −1.12 | −0.84 |
| (1.13) | (1.68) | (1.13) | (1.66) | |||||
| Disability, β39 | 0.05 | −1.87 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0.08 | −1.82 |
| (1.27) | (1.47) | (1.22) | (1.43) | |||||
| Family Variables (prior to marriage) | ||||||||
| Mother previously married, β31 | -- | -- | 0.02 | 0.09 | −0.53 | −0.52 | ||
| (0.82) | (1.24) | (0.88) | (1.32) | |||||
| Mother’s education | ||||||||
| High school graduate, β32 | -- | -- | −0.48 | 3.92* | −1.17 | 3.17 | ||
| (1.13) | (1.65) | (1.15) | (1.72) | |||||
| Some college, β33 | -- | -- | 2.27 | 5.71** | -- | -- | 1.42 | 4.58* |
| (1.28) | (1.83) | (1.35) | (2.03) | |||||
| College graduate, β34 | -- | -- | 3.77* | 9.79*** | -- | -- | 2.34 | 7.27** |
| (1.74) | (2.50) | (1.74) | (2.64) | |||||
| Income, β35 | -- | -- | 0.01 | 0.03* | -- | -- | 0.01 | 0.03 |
| (0.01) | (0.01) | (0.01) | (0.02) | |||||
| Parental investment in the child | ||||||||
| Learning support, β36 | -- | -- | 0.55 | −0.21 | -- | -- | 0.88 | −0.24 |
| (0.73) | (1.07) | (1.12) | (1.68) | |||||
| Enriching activities with the child, β37 | -- | -- | −0.26 | 0.42 | -- | -- | 0.13 | 1.52* |
| (0.33) | (0.49) | (0.53) | (0.79) | |||||
| Family Variables (after marriage) | ||||||||
| Biological father, β31 | -- | -- | -- | -- | −2.43** | −2.94* | −1.67 | −1.70 |
| (0.90) | (1.25) | (0.98) | (1.26) | |||||
| New father’s education | ||||||||
| High school graduate, β32 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1.59 | 1.97 | 1.40 | 1.18 |
| (1.00) | (1.50) | (1.02) | (1.54) | |||||
| Some college, β33 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1.61 | 4.15* | 0.37 | 1.56 |
| (1.27) | (1.76) | (1.27) | (1.81) | |||||
| College graduate, β34 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 4.23** | 7.50*** | 2.02 | 2.35 |
| (1.32) | (2.06) | (1.53) | (2.14) | |||||
| Change in income after marriage, β35 | -- | -- | -- | -- | −0.01 | −0.01 | −0.00 | −0.00 |
| (0.01) | (0.02) | (0.01) | (0.02) | |||||
| Change in parental investment in the child | ||||||||
| Change in learning support after marriage, β36 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0.18 | 0.84 | 0.58 | 0.48 |
| (0.65) | (1.01) | (0.95) | (1.45) | |||||
| Change in enriching activities with the child after marriage, β37 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0.19 | 0.06 | 0.32 | 1.18 |
| (0.27) | (0.42) | (0.43) | (0.65) | |||||
*
p < 0.05
**
p < 0.01
***
p < 0.001