Family policy, family structure, and children’s educational achievement

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This study explored the interface between policy, the family, and educational outcomes. More specifically, this research examined how the association between single motherhood and children’s literacy achievement is affected by a country’s family policy environment. Using data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) and national level comparative policy data, the results from the 2-level hierarchical linear models indicate that in those countries that have policies that favor low-income single-parent families, the literacy gap decreases in size between students who reside in single-mother households and their counterparts who reside in two-parent families.