Educational Expectations Among African American Suburban Low to Moderate Income Public High School Students

Abstract

This study examined the educational expectations and value of education among St. Louis, suburban, low to moderate income, African American male and female adolescents. The following factors: perceptions of parents’ expectations, teachers’ expectations, and neighborhood quality were examined to explore the academic gender disparity among African American high school students. Quantitative analyses showed that perceptions of teachers’ and parents’ expectations were associated with students’ educational expectations and value of education. The analyses also showed that some demographic variables were associated with teachers’ and parents’ expectations and value of education. No significant gender differences emerged between African American males and females for educational expectations.