Previous findings have shown that socioeconomic status and parental education has been associated with the behaviors children display in classroom settings. Further research explores the relationship between the behaviors African-American students display in the classroom and their socioeconomic status. The aim of the current research was to examine the relationships among parental education, socioeconomic status of African-American students, and the behaviors displayed and observed by teachers in a classroom setting. Measures included parent report of education and total family income, and teacher report of student behaviors using the Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaption-Checklist (TOCA). It was hypothesized that African-American students whose parents report a low level of education and have a lower socioeconomic status, will exhibit less engagement and more distractive behaviors in the classroom than students whose parents have higher levels of education and a higher socioeconomic status. It was also predicted that socioeconomic status will be the strongest predictor of student’s behavior. Findings will support the ongoing discussion of how socioeconomic status and parental education hinder or support the specific behaviors displayed in African American students.
