IMPACT OF PARENT
INVOLVEMENT ON STUDENT
ACHIEVEMENT
by
Susan Campbell and Sharon Glasgow
Seminar in Applied Theory and Research I
702.22
Brooklyn College
Professor Sharon O’Connor-Petruso
Department of Childhood Education
2009-2010
BROOKLYN COLLEGE
ABSTRACT
IMPACT OF PARENT
INVOLVEMENT ON STUDENT
ACHIEVEMENT
By: Susan Campbell and Sharon Glasgow
Chairperson of the Supervisory Committee:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract
Introduction
Statement of the Problem
Review of Related Literature
Statement of the Hypotheses
1
2
3
8
Method
Participants
Instruments
Experimental Design
Procedure
9
Results
Discussion
Implications
References
Appendices
Parent Release Form (A)
Parent Questionnaire (B)
Student Questionnaire (C)
17
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Introduction
IMPACT OF PARENT INVOLVEMENT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Parent involvement is absolutely essential to student achievement in school and in life.
The
overwhelming studies and research indicate that there are positive academic outcomes stemming from
parental involvement with benefits beginning in early childhood throughout adolescence and beyond
(Henderson & Mapp, 2002; Patrikakou, Weisberg, Redding, & Walberg, 2005).
The impact that parents can have on their child’s learning and achievement transcends income levels
and social status. According to a study done by Anne T. Henderson and Nancy Berla, “In fact, the most
accurate predictor of a student’s achievement in school is not income or social status, but the extent to which
that student’s family is able to: 1. Create a home environment that encourages learning; 2. Express high (but
not unrealistic) expectations for their children’s achievement and future careers; 3. Become involved in their
children’s education at school and in the community.” If two of these three criteria are accomplished,
children of low income families will achieve at or above the levels expected of middle class children.
A child’s learning is enhanced when schools encourage parents to stimulate their children’s
intellectual development. Numerous studies have shown that the home environment has a powerful effect on
what children and youth learn, not only in school but outside of school as well. This environment is
considerably more powerful than the parents’ income and education in influencing what children learn in the
first six years of life and during the twelve years of primary and secondary education. One major reason that
parental influence is so strong, is because the children spend more than ninety percent of their time from
infancy throughout their childhood outside school under the influence of their parents. Therefore, ultimately
the parents are their first and most important teacher. (Weinstein & Walberg, 1983, Peng & Wright, 1994,
Walberg & Paik, 1997)
When children achieve, everyone benefit. As children excel, the school is recognized, the teachers are
recognized and the parents and other family members of those children are encouraged to extend their
knowledge by going back to school.
Statement of the Problem
Parents are their children’s first and most important teachers. If children are to be successful in school,
parents must participate actively in their children’s academic lives. A Lack of parental involvement impacts
negatively on children’s academic performance. Therefore, by increasing parental involvement their child’s
academic life, we will attempt to prove that their child’s grades and overall academic achievement will be
improved.
2
Review of Literature
Parent involvement is a valuable component of any student’s education. It is a well-established fact
that parental involvement is linked to children’s success at school. When parents are involved in their
children’s education at home, they do better in school. (Henderson and Berla, 1994). The level of parent–
school involvement is a better predictor of grades than are standardized test scores. (Desimone, 1999). The
12 years of 180 six-hour days spent in school add up to only 13 % of a student’s waking, learning time
during the first 18 years of life. The rest, 87% is spent out of school, primarily at home. (Walberg). What is
important is not the type of school, or who goes there, but the quality of its relationship with the families.
(Henderson, Anne T.and Berla, Nancy, 1994).
Research indicates that there are positive academic outcomes stemming from parental involvement
with benefits beginning in early childhood, throughout adolescence and beyond. (Henderson and Mapp,
2002; Patrikakou, Weisberg, Redding, and Walberg, 2005).
Henderson and Berla (1994) in an article A New generation of Evidence, state that the family is
critical to student achievement. When parents are involved in school, children go farther in school and the
schools they go to are better. There is a strong correlation between parental involvement and increased
academic achievement.
According to Adams and Christenson in 1999, “…the alliance between home and school has
dramatically changed throughout the history of formal education, as have the roles and functions that
parents and teachers are expected to fulfill” (p. 477). Throughout time, parents have been “portrayed as both
friend and foe in the course of educational reform” (Peressini, 1998, p.571). Historically, parental
involvement wasn’t always a welcomed addition to the school community, and even today some view
parent-school relations as a power struggle (Peressini, 1998). Shaver and Walls, (1998) reported that some
research found little to no effect of parental involvement on school achievement for middle age students. For
the most part however, teachers and administrators welcome a helping hand in the overcrowded classrooms
of the public schools and agree that parental involvement is one way to bridge reading comprehension gaps.
Today, it is widely recognized that parents play an essential role in their children’s school life. Numerous
types of parental involvement have been shown to develop cognitive growth and success in school (Shaver
and Walls, 1998). Schools are working hand in hand with parents, Alldred and Edwards (2000), describe
parents and schools as policy makers with similar functions when it comes to children.
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Research indicates that there are positive academic outcomes stemming from parental involvement
with benefits beginning in early childhood, throughout adolescence and beyond (Henderson and Mapp,
2002; Patrikakou, Weisberg, Redding, and Walberg, 2005). Shaver and Walls, (1998), are also in support,
they point out that the connection between parents and school achievement is real.
The Epstein case studies is another research that supports parent involvement. Epstein (2002), used
the Comprehensive School Reform Model (CSR) demonstrates how collaborative work produces positive
outcomes. These studies were conducted in certain states, in selected school within the school districts.
Educators, parents and community partners worked collaboratively on action teams to plan the curriculum.
The programs are evaluated before being implemented in order to assess how well the plans connected
family and school-community involvement.
Henderson and Berla (1994) in an article “A New generation of Evidence”, state that the family is
critical to student achievement. When parents are involved in school, children go farther in school and the
schools they go to are better. “Regardless of socioeconomic status or race, studies show a direct correlation
between parental involvement and a child’s academic achievement (Baumrind, 1991; Walberg, 1984;
Wentzel 1994; Williams 1994).
Parent involvement in learning activity is a strategy that was found by Becker and Epstein (1982) to
increase the educational effectiveness of the time that parents and children spend together at home.
Teachers and parents agree on the involvement of parents, seventy one percent of principals and fifty nine
percent of teachers called it a priority based on research conducted by. Those schools whose parental
involvement is strong provide a lot of benefit to the students. “ How Strong Communication Contributes to
Student and School Success: Parent and Family Involvement” shows that improved parental involvement not
only leads to higher academic achievement, but to better attendance and improved behavior at home and school
as well. When school and home work together collaboratively, and using a competent approach to education, it
can make a huge difference in student achievement (Padgett 2006). The National School Public Relations
Association (NSPRA) suggests that a formal policy be created. Lack of planning was seen as one of the most
challenging aspects to more involvement.
Walberg on “Families in Educational Productivity” states that there is no question that parent
involvement represents an exceptionally powerful way of making schools more effective, and of
dramatically enriching children’s experiences. Some research indicates that achievement among students in
elementary and secondary schools have identified theories and policies which play significant roles in parent
4
involvement in education (Fan and Chen, 2001; Hill and Chao; Seginer, 2006). These theories and policies
not only closed the education gap in terms of demographics they also maximize student potential. Parent
involvement is so important that The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB; 2002) is a Federal Policy that puts
a mandate on parental involvement in education and family-school relations across elementary and
secondary school levels. However, despite the consensus about how important it is for family and school to
work together across developmental stages, theories of parent involvement in education have been based on
the elementary school students in their context and do not focus on the changes that occur with middle
school and early adolescent development (Hill and Taylor, 2004; Hill, Tyson, and Bromell, 2009). The Title
1 program (aka Chapter 1) is also a government mandated program developed to increase parent
involvement and educational services for disadvantaged children. This program placed the emphasis on
parental involvement as the primary means of improving the quality of education of low income children
(Kim O. Yap and Donald Y. Enoki 1995).
One may ask the question why should parents become involved in their children’s literacy activities?
The evidence about the benefits of parents being involved in their children’s education in general and
literacy activities in particular is overwhelming. (Fan and Chen 2001) in their meta-analysis found that
parental involvement positively affects academic performance. Feinstein & Symons, 1999 point out in their
research that parental involvement leads to higher academic achievement.
Epstein’s framework of six types of involvement are as follows: parenting which help all families
establish home environments to support children as students; Communicating from home to school and
school to home about school programs and student progress; Volunteering by organizing parent help and
support. Learning at home by providing information and ideas from families about how to help students at
home with homework and other curriculum-related activities; decisions and planning; Parents should be
included in decision making; involve parent leaders and representatives; Collaborating with the community
by identifying and integrating resources and services from the community to strengthen school programs,
family practices, and student learning and development.
Students value their education when they see the interest shown by their parents. Domina, and
Knipprath, (2005), highlight the fact that government supports parental involvement.
5
Epstein (1987) found that schools also affect parent involvement levels and evidence shows that
parents want to become involved but are not allowed to have open communication with the school.
Conventional avenues for involving parents in school can be closed to parents due to specific cultural
knowledge. Parents have a lot of difficulty adapting to the school culture especially in non English
speaking communities, but cultural knowledge is power and it can prevent parents from participating
fully.
Sheldon (2002) highlighted minimal resources parents acquire through social networks as one
reason parents are less involved in their children’s education. Another is the educational level of the
parents can present a barrier to the school involvement, Stevenson and Baker (1987). The parents with
more education are actively involved in Parent Teacher Association meetings and conferences. The
involvement decreases as the students move from elementary to middle school because parents are
less knowledgeable in some of the academic subjects. Eccles and Harold (1993) found that less
educated parents shift their attention away from school because they feel inadequate to help their
children with homework.
The quality of parental involvement makes all the difference according to Gail A. Zellman, 1998.
We need to understand the underlying relationship between parent and child that supports children’s
achievement and positive educational outcomes overall. A parent’s enthusiasm about education is, in
most instances the underlying factor that contributes the child’s academic success.
“Parent
involvement programs might be more effective if they focus on such underlying constructs.”
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7
Statement of the Hypotheses
HR-1
Parent / caregivers reading a minimum of 30 minutes, 5 days a week over a 6 week
period will increase the reading scores of 69 six grade students I P.S. X in
Brooklyn.
HR-2
Parent / caregivers helping with homework 30 minutes, 5 days a week over a 6
week period will improve report card grades in Math and Reading.
8
METHOD
9
PARTICIPANTS
Two six grade classes of 69 students total
Parents of students
Principal
Teachers
10
INSTRUMENTS
Parent surveys will be used to collect the data
Student survey
Parent / Student contract
Reading Log
Report Cards
11
EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
12
PROCEDURE
13
RESULTS
14
DISCUSSION
15
IMPLICATIONS
16
REFERENCES
Battle-Bailey, L., (2004) Interactive Homework for Increasing Parent Involvement and Student Reading
Achievement. Retrieved October 28, 2009 from http://search.ebscohost.com
Carey, N., Lewis, L., Farris, E., & Westat, I. (1998). Parent Involvement in Children's Education: Efforts by
Public Elementary Schools. National Center for Education Statistics Statistical Analysis Report.
http://search.ebscohost.com
Cheung, C., (2009). Evaluating the benefit from the Help of the Parent-Teacher Association to Child
Performance. Retrieved October 1, 2009 from
http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu.2048/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2008.12.004
Delgado-Gaitan, C.(1991, November) Involving parents in the schools: A Process of Empowerment.
Retrieved September 30, 2009 from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1085651
DePlanty, J., Coulter-Kern, R., Duchane, K., (2007), Perceptions of Parent Involvement in Academic Achievement.
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Desimone, L. (1999). Linking Parent Involvement with Student Achievement: Do Race and Income Matter?
Eldridge, D. (2001). Parent Involvement: It's Worth the Effort. Young Children, 56(4), 65-69.
http://search.ebscohost.com
Epstein, J., (2005) A Case Study of the Partnership Schools Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) Model.
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Fang,W., & Sen Q. (2006). Longitudinal Effects of Parenting on Children's Academic Achievement in African
American Families
Giles, C., (2006).Transformational Leadership in Challenging Urban Elementary
Schools: A Role for Parent Involvement? Retrieved September 25, 2009, from
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Griffith, J., (1996). Relation of Parental Involvement, Empowerment, and School Traits to Student Academic
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Hawes, Carmen A., (March 2005) Parental Involvement and its Influence on Reading Achievement of 6th Grade
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Henderson, A. T. & Berla, N. (1994). A new generation of evidence: The family is critical to student
achievement. St Louis, MO: Danforth Foundation and Flint.
Henderson, A. T. & Mapp, K. L. (2002). A new wave of evidence. Austin, TX: National Center for Family and
Community Connections with Schools.
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REFERENCES cont’d:
Hill, N., and Tyson, D., (2009) Parental Involvement in Middle School: A Meta-Analytic Assessment of the
Strategies That Promote Achievement
Hoover-Dempsey, K. & Walker, J. (2005). Why Do Parents Become Involved? Research Findings and
Implications.
Houtenville, A. and Conway, K., (2008). Parental Effort, School Resources and Student
Achievement. Journal of human resources Spring 2008, Vol. 43 Issue 2 p 347-453, 17p. Retrieved October
13, 2009, from http://searchebsco.com.login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=31727769
Jung-Sook, Lee, and Bowen, Natasha, (2006) Parent Involvement, Cultural Capital and Achievement Gap
Among Elementary School Children, American Education Research Journal, Vol. 43. NO. 2, 193-218
Padgett, R., Best Ways to Involve Parents. Education Digest: Essential Readings Condensed for Quick Review,
Vol. 72 n3 p44-45. Retrieved October 24, 2009, from http://www.eddigest.com/html/contentsnov.html
Patrikakou, E. N., Weissberg, R. P., Redding, S., & Walberg, H. J. (Eds.). (2005). School-family partnerships:
Fostering children’s school success. New York: Teachers College Press.
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Tali Tal, Revital (2004, November). Community-Based Environmental Education—A Case Study of TeacherParent Collaboration. Retrieved September 17, 2009, from
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Wearmouth, J. (2004). Issues in Addressing Children’s Difficulties in Literacy Development through FamilySchool Partnerships.
Yap, 0. K. & Enoki, D. (1995). In Search of the Elusive Magic Bullet: Parental Involvement and Student
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Zellman, G., & Waterman, J. (1998). Understanding the Impact of Parent School Involvement on Children's
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APPENDICES
Appendix A – Parent Release
Appendix B – Parent Questionnaire
Appendix C – Student Questionnaire
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