Highly Qualified Teachers, Passionate Learners, and Parental Involvement: A Formula for Student Success Mrs. Heather Dawn Luna EDCI Dr. A. Herrera Spring 2012

Problem Statement The problem is that lack of parental involvement has a negative effect on student achievement based on the 6th grade state TAKS Mathematics test.

Purpose & Need The purpose of this review of literature was to examine the effects of parental involvement on student achievement on the 6th grade state TAKS Mathematics test. The need is evident in the statistical relationship linking the level of parental involvement to students academic scores.

Types of Research Most of the studies included in this synthesis are nonexperimental, including surveys, polls, casual-comparative research, case studies, and, correlational studies.

Reviewing the Literature Epstein (1994) ascertains that parental involvement has many positive implications, including increased levels of achievement.

Reviewing the Literature Colombo (2006) states that parental involvement may be the missing link in educational equity.

Reviewing the Literature Hill and Taylor (2004) suggest that low student achievement or engagement is often a result of parental involvement.

Results A frequent finding amongst the studies included in this synthesis, is the correlation between parental involvement and student achievement.

Gaps in the Literature There are a limited number of studies on the effects of parental involvement on student academic success for children in middle or high school. There are numerous types of parental involvement activities. Types of parental involvement are interrelated and therefore, researchers have been unable to clearly identify which type of parental involvement makes the greatest impact on student achievement. There is a lack of consistency in the definition of parental involvement.

Conclusion Based on the literature, parental involvement can result in an increase in academic performance, leading to early social capabilities, and provide students with access to additional support and resources, eventually lessening the achievement gap.

Herrera (2012), “Parents are the key to success in the classroom”.

Sources Herrera, A. J. (2012, April 27). Personal interview. Hill, N., & Craft, L. (2004) Parental school involvement and children's academic achievement. American Psychological Society, 13(4), doi: /j Epstein, J. L, & Dauber, S. L (1991 ). School programs and teacher practices of parent involvement in inner-city elementary and middle schools. The Elementary School Journal, 9(1), doi: / Sirvani, H. (2007). The effects of teacher communication with parents on students' mathematics achievement. American Secondary Education, 36(1), Retrieved from 43c2-8e10-736af2e28588%40sessionmgr12&vid=6&hid=21 Google images. Microsoft PowerPoint.