Does Parental Involvement Affect Eighth-Grade Student Achievement? Structural Analysis of National Data

Abstract

Educators and policy makers recently have touted increased parental involvement as one method of improving U.S. student achievement. Despite claims for achievement effects for parental involvement, its effects are inconsistent and open to question. The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of parental involvement on the achievement of eighth-grade students. Data from a nationally representative sample of 21,814 students and their parents participating in the National Education Longitudinal Study were analyzed using latent variable structural equations analyses. The results suggest that parental involvement in students' academic lives is indeed a powerful influence on eighth-grade students' achievement. This effect holds for all academic areas, and appears to result in part from the increased homework completed by students with more involved parents. This research suggests that parental involvement is indeed an important influence on achievement, and that psychologists, educators, and policy makers should work to nurture and increase such involvement.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Timothy Z. Keith

Timothy Z. Keith, PhD, is Professor of Psychology, Division of School Psychology, Alfred University, Alfred, NY. His research interests include the influences on school learning and the nature and measurement of intelligence. He also has a continuing interest in structural equations analysis and the analysis of large data sets.

Gretchen C. Troutman

Gretchen C. Troutman, PhD, earned her doctorate in Educational Research and Evaluation/School Psychology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1993. She is currently Research Scientist with the Technical Assistance Center for Individuals with Disabilities, Virginia Tech. Her research interests include program evaluation, collaborative teaching/consultation, and self-esteem in children.

Paul S. Trivette

Paul Trivette, PhD, is Assistant Professor, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio. Paul earned his doctorate from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1993 in School Psychology. His research interests include parental involvement, occupational stress, achievement motivation, and psychoeducational interventions.

Patricia B. Keith

Patricia B. Keith, PhD, earned her doctorate in 1992 and currently is Assistant Professor of Psychology, Division of School Psychology, Alfred University, Alfred, NY. Her specialties are program evaluation and measurement; her research interests include general and special education outcomes, Mexican-American achievement, and international education indicators.

Patricia G. Bickley

Patricia Bickley, PhD, is Research Associate at the Technical Assistance Center for Individuals with Disabilities at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University. Her research interests include intelligence theory, academic achievement, and structural equation modeling. Patricia earned her doctorate in Educational Research/School Psychology from Virginia Tech in 1993.

Kusum Singh

Kusum Singh, PhD, earned her doctorate from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1988. She is currently Assistant Professor of Educational Research and Evaluation at Virginia Tech. Her research interests include models of school achievement, educational aspirations, and the manipulable influences on learning.