The Effects of Religious Commitment on the Academic Achievement of Black and Hispanic Children

Abstract

Using the National Education Longitudinal Survey (NELS) data set from the 1988 to 1992 period, this study assessed the effects of student religious commitment on the academic achievement of Black and Hispanic children. The results indicate that religiously committed Black and Hispanic children performed better on most academic measures than their less religious counterparts, even when controlling for socioeconomic status, gender, and whether the student attended a private religious school. These results suggest that when researchers study the effects of religion on the academic achievement of children, the nature of the school should be considered but also the religious nature of many of the Black and Hispanic students. The significance of these results is discussed.