Family Involvement and Student Achievement: How Parental Involvement Impacts Student Academic Success in Secondary Schools (2016)

Undergraduate: Nathan Cole

Faculty Advisor: Patrick Akos
Department: History

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The majority of those involved in the education system, from legislators down to parents, are actively looking for a way to improve student performance in schools. One of the factors that many consider to affect student performance is parental involvement with the student. When studying how much American parents involve themselves in their children¿¿¿s academic environments, direct involvement with their child¿¿¿s education tends to be the norm. Some research suggests that parental involvement positively impacts the academic success of the child. Therefore, this project proposes a policy of encouraging effective parental involvement that does not merely suggest homework assistance. The policy implemented by administrators should encourage parents to set expectations for their children and be active in their academic career, thus prompting higher student performance. To support this policy proposal, studies that measure correlations between parental involvement and student performance in the classroom are included. These studies show significant impact on student performance, supporting a call for policy that encourages more parental involvement.