1. Natasha Wittenberg A great amount of research has gone into investigating and recognizing factors that contribute to and/or hinder student achievement. The research I have done focuses on influences within the student’s macrosystem, specifically parental involvement, in relation to student achievement. In order to understand the results of studies done on this topic we must first understand the terms parental involvement and student achievement. For the clarity of my research, parental involvement “describes the extent to which a parent is dedicated to, takes an interest in, is knowledgeable about, and is actively participating in the child’s life” (Hoang, 2007). Parental involvement is multidimensional and includes behavioral, intellectual/cognitive, communicative and personal involvement. Family characteristics were also considered as a part of parental involvement. To better understand the term student achievement we need to know what outcomes are being measured to gauge success. Student achievement is being measured through attendance in classes, better grades, enrollment in more challenging classes, improved behaviour and attitude towards school and better social skills (Jordan & Rodriguez, 2004). The research for this project was administered and collected using a Google Form. This form was sent to various parents of students in the Red Deer Public school system. The recipients were asked to answer the following questions. Each question was answered on a scale. 1.How would you rate your at home involvement in your child’s academics? 2.How would you rate your at school involvement in your child’s academics? 3.What parenting style do you feel best describes you? 4.How would you rate your child's academic achievement on a grade point scale? 5.How would you rate your child's presence at school? Results from the first question confirmed that of all the parents interviewed 2/5 talked to their children every week day about school related topics. The other 3/5 talked to their children most week days about school related topics. The second question revealed that 3/5 parents go to as many school events and activities as their schedule allows. Interestingly, the third and fourth questions had unanimous answers among all parents. In question three all parents stated they practiced an authoritative parenting style and that all of their children were in the A range on their grades. The final question revealed that of the parents surveyed, 4/5 stated their child occasionally misses school. The purpose of this research was to look at the correlation between parental involvement and student achievement. The information was gathered through various scholarly and peer reviewed articles as well as participant surveys. This topic is very broad so I chose to stick to two main parts of parental involvement for my research, at home encouragement and at school presence. I also looked at two main parts of student achievement, letter grade average and school attendance. Out of the people surveyed and the research previously done, the results revealed a positive relationship between parental involvement and student achievement. - http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/parents-helping-their-daughter-doing-homework- 9704318.jpg -Jordan, C. F., & Rodriguez, V. (2004, Family and community connections with schools...why bother? Orbit, 34, 3-6. Retrieved from http://login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/2137417 98?accountid=14474 -Hoang, T. N. (2007). The Relations between Parenting and Adolescent Motivation. International Journal Of Whole Schooling, 3(2), 1-21 -http://education.alberta.ca/media/6591254/spotlight_on_parent_engagement_sept_2011.pdf -http://discipline.about.com/od/typesofdiscipline/a/Types-Of-Discipline-Strategies-And- Parenting-Styles.htm -Rygus, E. (2009). PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN OUR SCHOOLS. ATA Magazine, 90(1), 10-13. Retrieved from http://login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/2314853 64?accountid=14474 As teachers this issue is very important because relationships with parents are just as important as the relationships with our students. By understanding the ways parental involvement influences children teachers can encourage parents to be involved and participate actively in their child’s education not only at school but also at home. Epstein suggests six types of involvement: parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and collaboration with the community. By helping parents understand why their involvement is so important we are not only creating a relationship with them but also helping their child’s academic success. It is important for teachers to understand the significance of parental involvement so they can create a warm environment where parents feel welcomed rather than confronted. Parental involvement has benefits for students, parents and for teachers. nwittenb@ualberta.ca University of Alberta Education Undergrad http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/parents-helping-their-daughter-doing-homework-9704318.jpg