Key Findings

1. Students have higher grades and test scores, better attendance, and higher graduation rates when their parents are involved; the more extensive the involvement, the higher the achievement.
2. When parents are involved, students achieve more, regardless of factors like economic status, background or parents’ education levels.
3. Students with involved parents exhibit more positive attitudes and behaviors and negative behavior, like alcohol use, violence and antisocial behavior, decreases.
4. Educators have better morale and job satisfaction when parents are involved.
5. When parents participate, the students who are farthest behind make the greatest gains.
6. Parent involvement produces significant gains at all ages and grade levels.
   • When parents are involved, students develop more realistic goals and are more likely to meet these goals.
   • Students whose parents are not involved are more likely to drop out of school.
7. Schools with involved parents have better reputations within the community and more support from families.
8. School programs that involve parents outperform identical programs without parent involvement components.
9. Parents are more likely to participate when they receive frequent and effective communication from the school.
10. Parents put the involvement strategies to work more effectively when they are treated as school partners.