Parental Involvement and Student Achievement

Historical Demands for Parental Involvement in School

Desimone (2002) reviewed and synthesized existing relevant literature and reported on school improvement efforts and their demand for parental involvement in school. Desimone stated that the United States has attempted to reform schools and increase education quality and academic performance for the past two decades. Early efforts for reforms in the 1980s led to literature which identified characteristics that are linked to successful schools which included parental involvement. The Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) program was enacted by Congress in 1997. As a result of this program $120 million was provided for Title I schools, which are subject to accountability. The law mandates that schools meet CSRD program criteria for parent and community involvement (Desimone, 2002).

Mintrop and MacLellan (2002) conducted an empirical study with a content analysis of 46 school

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tutor, attending field trips, or assisting with fundraising activities. Other parents define parent involvement as providing their child with a place to study, helping them with homework, monitoring other activities such as television watching, and setting curfews. Parents also have different levels of skills and different degrees of comfort with regard to school involvement. It was concluded that these findings indicate the need for educators to consider the perceptions of parents regarding participation as well as the barriers when attempting to increase involvement. Empirical evidence to support conclusions was not provided, however the notion that parents differ in their definition of participation is important to consider. Sheldon (2002) supported the view that parent involvement is a product of cultural influence. Parents exist in a network that affects the role they play in their child's schooling. Sheldon investigated 195 mothers of students in elementary schools (parents of fifth-graders). Parent beliefs, social network, and parent involvement were assessed. Regression analyses showed that parental social network predicted the degree of parent involvement in their child's schooling at home and at school. Numbe
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Approximate Word count = 6830
Approximate Pages = 27 (250 words per page)