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 1Statement of the Problem 2Review of Related Literature 3Statement of the Hypotheses 8

Method 9ParticipantsInstrumentsExperimental DesignProcedure

Results

Discussion

Implications

References 17Appendices 19

Parent Release Form (A)Parent Questionnaire (B)Student Questionnaire (C)

I n t r o d u c t i o n

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.

S t a t e m e n t o f t h e P r o b l e m

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.

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R e v i e w o f L i t e r a t u r e

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.

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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

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.

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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.

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

S t a t e m e n t o f t h e H y p o t h e s e s

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.

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METHOD

9

P A R T I C I P A N T S

Two six grade classes of 69 students totalParents of studentsPrincipalTeachers

10

I N S T R U M E N T S

Parent surveys will be used to collect the dataStudent surveyParent / Student contractReading LogReport Cards

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E X P E R I M E N T A L D E S I G N

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P R O C E D U R E

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R E S U L T S

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D I S C U S S I O N

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I M P L I C A T I O N S

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R E F E R E N C E S

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. Retrieved September 30, 2009, from http://heldref.metapress.com/openurl.asp?genre=article&id=doi:10.3200/JOER.100.6.361-368

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. Retrieved October 20, 2009, from Elementary School Journal, Vol. 106 Issue 2, p 151-170.

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

http://informaworld.co,/openurl?genre=article&id=doi:10.1080/15700760600805865

Griffith, J., (1996). Relation of Parental Involvement, Empowerment, and School Traits to Student Academic Performance. The Journal of Educational Research, Vol. 90, No. 1 pp. 33-41. Retrieved October 8, 2009, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27542066

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Hawes, Carmen A., (March 2005) Parental Involvement and its Influence on Reading Achievement of 6th Grade students. Retrieved from http://www.questia.com/journals

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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R E F E R E N C E S c o n t ’ 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.

Patrikakou, E., The Power of Parent Involvement: Evidence, Ideas and Tools for Student Success

Pena, D., (2000) Parent Involvement: Influencing Factors and Implications. Retrieved October 20, 2009, from The Journal of Educational Research, Vol. 94, No. pp. 42-54 http://ww.jstor.org/stable/27542302

Tali Tal, Revital (2004, November). Community-Based Environmental Education—A Case Study of Teacher-Parent Collaboration. Retrieved September 17, 2009, from http://taylorandfrancis.metapress.com/link.asp?target=contribution&id=JRVJ0EX48E8HDKW6

Wearmouth, J. (2004). Issues in Addressing Children’s Difficulties in Literacy Development through Family-School Partnerships.

Yap, 0. K. & Enoki, D. (1995). In Search of the Elusive Magic Bullet: Parental Involvement and Student Outcomes, Perceptions of Parent Involvement in Academic Achievement.

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Zellman, G., & Waterman, J. (1998). Understanding the Impact of Parent School Involvement on Children's Educational Outcomes. Journal of Educational Research, 91(6), 370-80.

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A P P E N D I C E S

Appendix A – Parent ReleaseAppendix B – Parent QuestionnaireAppendix C – Student Questionnaire

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