ABSTRACT
Arguments for the benefits of parental involvement often enter into discussions of academically disadvantaged students. Children from economically or educationally disadvantaged families face a number of ill-defined obstacles in the learning process; consequently, they may depend more than usual on support from their parents. Parental involvement would seem to be especially critical for certain minority groups. This chapter discusses the various forms of parental participation in more detail, providing a description of the variables which were constructed as well as basic statistics about the prevalence of involvement among parents. It outlines the methodological techniques which are employed. The chapter addresses the issues of involvement from the perspective of the individual parent. It offers a two part explanation of the potential school effect which deals, first, with the racial composition of the schools and, second, with particular policies and school characteristics. The chapter summarizes preliminary policy implications.
