Date of Conferral

2017

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Victor V. Ferreros

Abstract

Cambodian Americans' (CAs) children still exhibit the second lowest rate of academic achievement in the United States, despite the tenets of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 that promote equality in American education. Furthermore, there is a gap in the literature on the relationship between the academic success of Cambodian American students (CASs) and the parents' and the children's factors. Using a structural strain theory of deviance of functionalism theory, this correlational study (a) explored whether education, income, birthplace, and gender of parents and age at immigration and gender of children the determinants of academic success of CASs and (b) examined the dimension of gender practices in CAs' households that might affect CASs' academic success. Survey data were collected from a purposive sample of 153 CASs' parents in Long Beach, CA, using a researcher-developed survey. Multiple linear regression was run for the correlation questions and frequency descriptive statistics were run for the gender practices. Findings indicated a significant relationship (p < .05) between academic success of CASs and the parents' education in Cambodia and the children's age at immigration to America. The descriptive statistics determined gender disparity in the participant households that might affect the academic achievement of female CASs. The positive social change implications stemming from this study include recommendations to school administrators, nonprofits, local government, and federal government to collect segregate data on CASs' academic outcomes, develop social policies and programs, and allocate appropriate fund to support programs and cultural humility and competency training enhancing CASs' success and parents' involvement in their children's education.

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