The role of parental involvement in the amelioration of the effects of low socioeconomic status on academic achievement

Previous studies in the area of parental involvement in the education system were based on inconsistent parameters or definitions of the construct (Baker and Soden, 1997). The present study seeks to more clearly define and quantify parental involvement and examine the reduction of academic risk factors for economically disadvantaged students through a program of parental involvement in the educational setting. This study compares the academic achievement (ITBS scores) of 70 students enrolled in 1st thru 5th grades at an elementary public charter school in relation to the level of documented parental involvement (PI). Data indicate that in comparison to students enrolled at two neighborhood traditional public elementary schools, students at the charter school are 1.2 to 1.7 times more likely to pass the state mandated TAKS test in grades three through five. However, statistical analyses did not support the hypothesis that level of parental involvement was associated with academic achievement.