UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF PARENT SCHOOL INVOLVEMENT ON CHILDRENS EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES

Parent school involvement in children's education is associated with p ositive educational outcomes. This association has prompted efforts to increase such involvement through formal programs. However, among the few programs that have been rigorously evaluated, most do not appear to improve child outcomes, Using data from a study of 193 Los Angeles area 2nd- and 5th-grade children and their mothers, the authors attemp ted to confirm the relationship between parent involvement and child o utcomes and understand what underlies it. The findings indicate that p arent school involvement contributes to positive child outcomes. Howev er, such involvement appears to be a manifestation of parental enthusi asm and positive parenting style. Parent-involvement programs might be more effective if they focused on such underlying constructs.