ABSTRACT

I argued in the last chapter that test-based evaluation of parental involvement is not as straightforward a method of finding out 'what works' as it may first appear. There are difficulties in finding appropriate reading tests and difficulties in devising valid experimental designs. These difficulties are not insuperable; if we find a good test, recognize the nature of the reading test performance it requires, and devise an appropriate comparison for children's test scores, we can certainly draw some conclusions about the effects of parental involvement in a given setting. This may still not be the best way of evaluating practice, however.