Because of disruptive home environments, schools have turned into behavioral management camps, rather than centers of learning. Teachers spend more time disciplining children than educating them (Ryan and Stiller, 1991, p. 133). Therefore, enlisting the support of parents in a partnership with the school and their child has become necessary. The ultimate aim of parent involvement is to nurture the child's ability to become a well-functioning, positively-contributing member of society. The first model of parent involvement began in the 1960s with a program known as Headstart. The program was based on the concept that parents are the child's first and primary teachers. Headstart educated parents in all areas related to being a good parent (Flaxman and Inger, 1992, p. 4). Many schools followed suit. The success of parent involvement has been documented in higher academic test scores, healthy parent-child relations, better school programs, and improved personal qualities necessary for a child's optimal learning. The purpose of this paper is to elaborate on what success means according to the standards of parent involvement models. The paper will be divided into the three domains that influence the child's life: the home environment; parental skills; and parent partnership with the school.
A child's education begins in the home. The child assimilates and responds to both the psychological environment and the structure or rules that are implemented in the home. The child first learns what her or his value is (i.e. self-worth) through the direct and indirect actions of the parents (or primary care-givers). S/he also learns cultural values--which include the parents' attitudes about education, concepts about social relationships and responsibilities, and adaptive behaviors to life circumstances (i.e., life skills). Hence, learning is a process by which cognitive growth is either fostered or inhibited according to the social ...