Family Structure and Elementary Students’ English Language Arts (ELA) Achievement: A Quantitative Case Study
Abstract
There are many factors that affect a child’s literacy abilities, especially their family structure. Research shows that children in two-parent homes, particularly ones where parents are married and are the biological parents, have greater academic success. However, little research has examined how the number of caregivers, rather than household structure, relates to literacy achievement. This undergraduate honors thesis study seeks to address this gap by examining patterns in English Language Arts (ELA) standardized test scores of students in third grade and the number of adult caregivers in the home. Understanding these patterns may contribute to the ability of educators to support students in a variety of home environments. The study hypothesizes that one of the patterns present in the data will be that higher ELA scores are associated with students who have two caregivers due to the increased academic and emotional support. This quantitative descriptive case study used secondary data from one rural elementary school in East Tennessee. After obtaining parental permission, the researcher analyzed existing student education records for the 2025-2026 school year that were provided by school administration. Data included student age, grade level, birthday, Benchmark ELA scores, and parental or custodial information indicating the number of caregivers in each home. Descriptive statistical methods were used to analyze the data, and students were grouped by caregiver count for analysis. There was no direct interaction with students, and data was de-identified prior to analysis to protect confidentiality. Preliminary examinations of the dataset suggest that relationships between caregiver presence and ELA achievement are more complex than initially hypothesized, but final statistical results have yet to be confirmed. Findings from this study are expected to help educators begin to better understand how household structures affect literacy development in young children, and may inform instructional strategies that promote equitable literacy outcomes. Future research should be conducted to examine the relationship between ELA scores and the number of caregivers within different grade levels and populations to expand on the patterns identified in this study.
Start Time
15-4-2026 9:00 AM
End Time
15-4-2026 12:00 PM
Room Number
Culp Ballroom 316
Poster Number
58
Presentation Type
Poster
Presentation Subtype
Posters - Competitive
Presentation Category
Education
Student Type
Undergraduate Student
Faculty Mentor
Jody Wood
Family Structure and Elementary Students’ English Language Arts (ELA) Achievement: A Quantitative Case Study
Culp Ballroom 316
There are many factors that affect a child’s literacy abilities, especially their family structure. Research shows that children in two-parent homes, particularly ones where parents are married and are the biological parents, have greater academic success. However, little research has examined how the number of caregivers, rather than household structure, relates to literacy achievement. This undergraduate honors thesis study seeks to address this gap by examining patterns in English Language Arts (ELA) standardized test scores of students in third grade and the number of adult caregivers in the home. Understanding these patterns may contribute to the ability of educators to support students in a variety of home environments. The study hypothesizes that one of the patterns present in the data will be that higher ELA scores are associated with students who have two caregivers due to the increased academic and emotional support. This quantitative descriptive case study used secondary data from one rural elementary school in East Tennessee. After obtaining parental permission, the researcher analyzed existing student education records for the 2025-2026 school year that were provided by school administration. Data included student age, grade level, birthday, Benchmark ELA scores, and parental or custodial information indicating the number of caregivers in each home. Descriptive statistical methods were used to analyze the data, and students were grouped by caregiver count for analysis. There was no direct interaction with students, and data was de-identified prior to analysis to protect confidentiality. Preliminary examinations of the dataset suggest that relationships between caregiver presence and ELA achievement are more complex than initially hypothesized, but final statistical results have yet to be confirmed. Findings from this study are expected to help educators begin to better understand how household structures affect literacy development in young children, and may inform instructional strategies that promote equitable literacy outcomes. Future research should be conducted to examine the relationship between ELA scores and the number of caregivers within different grade levels and populations to expand on the patterns identified in this study.
