Longitudinal Study of the External Pressure Effects on Children's Mathematics and Science Achievements Using Nonparametric Quantile Regression

Many of the previous studies have emphasized the effects of students' economic background and psychological factors on their achievements. Less attention has been paid, however, to the external pressure factors, such as parent's push and peer's push on achievements. This article attempts to address the interesting and important research topic and to give an in-depth longitudinal study of American youth using a so called ``double-kernel'' nonparametric quantile regression approach. Several interesting findings are useful for parents, especially for educational policy makers and consultants.