228702 Evaluating the school performance of elementary and middle school children of incarcerated parents

Monday, November 8, 2010

Melissa Neal, MPH, DrPH , College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN
Children of incarcerated parents are at significantly increased risk of negative long-term outcomes. With about 1% of the adult population incarcerated, the United States has millions of children at risk for these negative effects. Although research on children of incarcerated parents is increasing, it is still unclear whether they are at an additional risk for poor school performance as a specific result of parental incarceration above that associated with their social and economic status. This study examined whether a link exists between parental incarceration and the educational performance of offspring in an urban, southeastern location. Analyses revealed a trend in lower annual test scores for children with incarcerated parents when compared with children in single-parent households of similar socioeconomic status. Children with incarcerated parents were also 3.8 times more likely to be raised by a caregiver with less than a high school education. The findings of this study will be useful in helping schools, communities, and service organizations more accurately identify high-risk students and formulate effective intervention programs for these children. This study also demonstrated a successful cooperation with an established mentoring organization in order to access a traditionally “invisible” study population. Studying children of the incarcerated is difficult due to confidentiality and stigmatization concerns, however, working with a trusted, successful community organization provided a means to overcoming these barriers.

Learning Areas:
Other professions or practice related to public health

Learning Objectives:
Discuss means through which children of incarcerated parents may be accessed for future study. Name two issues regarding caregivers and children with incarcerated parents that may impact the school performance of these children. Describe a potential intervention for improving the educational performance of children with incarcerated parents.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: This 3-year study was deemed an acceptable, rigorous study by my dissertation committee and the East Tennessee State University College of Graduate Studies and was a successful final step in obtaining my DrPH.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.