What is the Relationship Between Parental Involvement and a Child’s Success in School?

Parents’ involvement in their children’s education unequivocally has been proven as the determining factor for children’s success in school.

The most well-known research on this connection is The Coleman Report (1966). James Coleman concluded that “family background has great importance for school achievement” and “accounts for a substantial amount of the school-to-school variation in achievements, and therefore, variations in school facilities, curriculum, and staff can only have a small, independent effect.” Virtually every study since has substantiated these findings.

Though anecdotal in its support of parental involvement, Cheri Fuller’s Helping Your Child Succeed in Public School is full of great examples of the difference a parent makes when he or she attends classes and school functions, communicates regularly with the teaching staff, and participates in the community work of leading local public schools.

A compelling study done by the Department of Education, entitled “Fathers’ Involvement in Their Children’s Schools,” (October 1997) makes this bold conclusion about the specific role of fathers in the education process: “The involvement of fathers, as well as mothers, in their children’s schools is important for achievement and behavior.” The study goes on to say that “in two-parent families, the involvement of fathers exerts a distinct and independent influence on whether children have ever repeated a grade, get mostly A’s, enjoy school, and participate in extracurricular activities.” Certainly, your intuitive belief that involved parents help their children become successful is right on the mark.

If you are looking for a resource that your local public school administrator or educator might read to help create a climate for greater parental involvement, you might consider Schools and Families: Creating Essential Connections for Learning (Christenson and Sheridan). Although written from a strictly public education point of view, Schools and Families (2001) is a practical guide written for educators who want to create a “parent-friendly” environment for partnership.