Parental Involvement and Academic Success

238 Pages·2010·0.9 MB·English

by  William Jeynes

“Dr. Jeynes’ family and achievement gap research is in great demand among federal government
policy makers and it is easy to see why. Both Republicans and Democrats enjoy making him a fea-
tured speaker and consultant, and take specific actions based on his research. The numbers he pres-
ents and the recommendations he makes are compelling and immensely practical. His research will
invariably influence government public policy makers for decades to come.”
Shayam Menon, Former Public Policy Government Official, U.S. Department of Education and
Private Attorney in Washington, D.C.
“Dr. Jeynes presents the most comprehensive work to date on parent involvement. With many
insights, he examines the history of the field and how modern research shows the best ways for par-
ents to stimulate their children’s school achievement and character development. Teachers, parents,
and policy makers will find this book of great interest and practical importance.”
Herb Walberg, Hoover Institute, Stanford University
“As a bilingual teacher, this book is exceptionally valuable in helping me to draw parents into the
educational process and empower parents with the most vital ways in which they can become
involved in the lives of their children. Most important of all, these ways are very different from what
I would have expected, and I am amazed by the great results I’ve seen in my classroom.”
Sinnie Chen, Bilingual Education Teacher, San Francisco, California

Parental Involvement and
Academic Success
Providing an objective assessment of the influence of parental involvement and what aspects of paren-
tal participation can best maximize the educational outcomes of students, this volume is structured
to guide readers to a thorough understanding of the history, practice, theories, and impact of parental
involvement. Unique among books on the topic, Parental Involvement and Academic Success:
(cid:129) uses meta-analysis to enable readers to understand what the overall body of research on a given
topic indicates at both the elementary- and secondary-school levels
(cid:129) examines research results in terms of their practical implications
(cid:129) focuses significantly on the influence of parental involvement on minority students’ academic
success
(cid:129) addresses salient topics including parental involvement and issues of diversity; the influence of fam-
ily structure on educational outcomes, whether parental involvement compensates for the effects of
divorce (or single parenthood), and what can be done to enhance parental involvement
Offering vital insight into how different types of students benefit from parental engagement and
what types of parental involvement help the most, this book is highly relevant for courses devoted to
or which include treatment of the topic, as well as for teachers, parents, and academics who want to
inspire students to achieve higher levels and fulfill their greatest potential and believe that parental
engagement plays a vital role in reaching that goal.
William H. Jeynes is professor of education at California State University, Long Beach. He gradu-
ated first in his class at Harvard University and also graduated from the University of Chicago.
He has spoken for the White House and various U.S. Government Departments. He has spoken
for both the G. W. Bush and Obama administrations. He has spoken for foreign and UN leaders,
Harvard University, Cambridge University, and the Harvard Family Research Project. His 4 point
proposal given to the Acting President of Korea was passed and became the foundation for their
economic and family policy to arise from the Asian Economic Crisis of 1997–1998. His work has
appeared in most of the nation’s finest newspapers and in Ivy League journals. He has approxi-
mately 100 publications.

Parental Involvement and
Academic Success
William H. Jeynes
First published 2011
by Routledge
270 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Simultaneously published in the UK
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2010.
To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s
collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.
© 2011 Taylor & Francis
The right of William H. Jeynes to be identified as author of this work has
been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be
trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for
identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Jeynes, William H., 1957-
Parental involvement and academic success / William H. Jeynes.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
1. Education—Parent participation. 2. Academic achievement.
3. Motivation in education. I. Title.
LB1048.5.J49 2010
371.19'2—dc22
2010010219
ISBN13: 978–0–415–99053–0 (hbk)
ISBN13: 978–0–415–99054–7 (pbk)
Contents
Foreword ix
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xiii
1 The History of Parents’ Involvement as a Concept 1
2 The Development of Parental Involvement Research 19
3 Parental Involvement and Elementary School Achievement:
A Meta-analysis 37
4 Parental Involvement and Secondary School Achievement:
A Meta-analysis 57
5 Parental Involvement and Minority Student Achievement:
A Meta-analysis 73
6 Parental Involvement and Issues of Diversity 98
7 Parental Involvement Programs: Do They Work? 112
8 Parental Involvement and Family Structure’s Influence on
Educational Outcomes 121
9 Does Parental Involvement Compensate for the Effects of
Divorce (or Single Parenthood)? 143
10 Success and Parental Involvement and What Can Be Done to
Enhance Parental Involvement 153
11 What Do We Know and What Do We Still Need To Know? 164
References 177
Index 220

Foreword
This is a momentous time in the field of parent and family involvement. On the
federal front, President Obama has called for a “new era of mutual responsibil-
ity in education—one where we all come together for the sake of our children’s
success; an era where each of us does our part to make that success a reality—
parents and teachers, leaders in Washington, and citizens all across America”
(campaign speech, 2008). The current Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan,
has repeatedly discussed the importance of families’ involvement in their chil-
dren’s education. Parent advocacy groups such as the National PTA and Parents
for Public Schools have joined forces with researchers and practitioners to lobby
Congress to insert more robust language on family and community engage-
ment into the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act,
commonly referred to as No Child Left Behind. Several states across the nation
have enacted laws directing school districts, boards of education or schools to
implement family engagement policies. Many urban school districts, notably
New York City, Boston, Denver, Hartford, Baltimore and Philadelphia, have
created senior level positions responsible for the coordination of district family
and community engagement initiatives.
As the level of interest in parental involvement policy and practice has risen,
so has the level of questioning about the effectiveness and real value of fami-
lies’ engagement in their children’s education. The most common questions
that pervade the discourse include: What do we really know about the impact of
parental involvement? Is there any research that summarizes the impact of their
engagement on children’s learning and development? Which types of involve-
ment make the most difference when it comes to supporting children’s educa-
tional success? How does parental involvement differ in type, level and scope as
children grow and develop?
Parental Involvement and Academic Success is a comprehensive, detailed,
and user-friendly resource for anyone interested in exploring the answers to
the aforementioned questions and in acquiring a deep understanding of the
research and its implications for practice. Jeynes provides a straightforward
analysis of what we now know about the relationship between family engage-
ment and children’s academic success as well as the new opportunities for