The International Observatory on Academic Achievement - Documentary search

File number :
CS-CEFC-34e

Bibliographic reference :
Dearing, E., Kreider, H., Simpkins, S., & Weiss, H.B. (2006). Family Involvement in School and Low-Income Children's Literacy: Longitudinal Associations Between and Within Families. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98(4) 653-664.

Abstract :

Among the large number of studies that looked into the relationship between parental involvement in school and student academic achievement, very few were longitudinal studies conducted with low-income populations. In fact, this American study was conducted to mitigate this shortcoming.

Study Goal
The authors of this article first strived to determine whether there was a corrrelation between the level of parental involvement and the level of student literacy performance. They also tried to determine whether the level of parental involvement was influenced by changes in the level of literacy performance or, conversely, whether the level of literacy performance was influenced by changes in the level of parental involvement. The authors studied this correlation: (1) within the family itself and (2) between families. The influence of the maternal education level on this correlation was also considered.

Methodology
Data were drawn from the Comprehensive Child Development Program (CCDP) and the School Transition Study (STS). Overall, 281 children made up the sample.

Demographic data were analyzed: (1) Child characteristics (e.g., ethnicity, gender, birth weight); (2) maternal characteristics (e.g. education level, employment, primary language, partner status); and (3) family characteristics (e.g., family income).

Mothers were surveyed on three occasions regarding family involvement in school when their children were in kindergarten, third grade and fifth grade. Student level of literacy performance was assessed with the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho Educational Battery – Revised during the same school years.

Main Results
Results revealed that between-family differences in the level of parental involvement in school were associated with differences in the level of student literacy performance.

In addition, within-family changes in the level of parental involvement in school between kindergarten and fifth grade were associated with changes in the level of student literacy performance. In other words, families whose level of involvement increased yearly saw their children’s level of literacy performance improve, compared with families whose level of involvement stayed the same from one year to the next.

But what about the influence of maternal education level? In the case where the level was above average, there was no significant correlation between the levels of involvement and literacy performance. However, in the case where the maternal education level was below average, a higher level of parental involvement was associated with better student literacy performance. The achievement gap generally observed between students whose mothers had more schooling and students whose mothers had less schooling tended to narrow if less-educated mothers became more involved in school.

Results confirmed the importance of parental involvement in school as a means of choice to foster the academic achievement of at-risk students. Therefore, creating settings that encourage the involvement of parents, particularly those living in low-income and low-educated areas, must become a priority.

Links :
This journal is also available in electronic format. Publisher’s Website Address: http://www.apa.org/journals/edu/"

Key Words :
Parental Involvement, Literacy, Educational Inequalities, Maternal Education Level, Low-income Areas, Longitudinal Study, Primary, Elementary, Newsletter10

Monitored Countries :
United States