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

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.