What the Research Says

Parent Involvement Helps Students Succeed in School and in Life

Research shows that the most accurate predictor of a student's achievement in school is not income or social status, but the extent to which that student's family is able to:

• Create a home environment that encourages learning
• Express high (but not unrealistic) expectations for their children's achievement and future careers
• Become involved in their children's education at school and in the community.

Family-School-Community Connections Work

"When schools, families, and communities work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more." That's one finding of a January 2003 report from the National Center for Family & Community Connections with Schools at the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.

A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement also found that students with involved parents, "no matter what their income or background," were more likely to succeed in school—attending school regularly, earning higher grades, passing their classes, and graduating and going on to postsecondary education.