ED409125 PS025944
Title: Fathers' Involvement in Their Children's Schools.
Author(s): Nord, Christine Winquist; And Others
Author Affiliation: Westat Research, Inc., Rockville, MD.(LYR95205)
Pages: 223
Publication Date: 1997
Sponsoring Agency: National Center for Education Statistics (ED),
Washington, DC. (EDD00004)
Report No: NCES-98-091
Available from: EDRS Price MF01/PC09 Plus Postage.
Language: English
Document Type: Reports--Research (143)
Geographic Source: U.S.; District of Columbia
Journal Announcement: RIENOV1997
Government Level: Federal
Noting the
relatively few studies that have examined the individual contributions
that mothers and fathers make to their children's schooling, this
study examined the extent to which resident (excluding foster) and
nonresident fathers are involved in their children's schools, and
the influence their involvement has on how their children are doing
in school. Information on school involvement was obtained from the
parents of 16,910 kindergartners through 12th graders, as part of
the National Household Education Survey. Respondents were asked
which adults in the household had participated in four types of
school activities (general school meeting, scheduled parent-teacher
conference, school or class events, volunteer opportunities at the
school) and where appropriate, about the children's contact with
their nonresident parent and whether the nonresident parent had
participated in school activities. Among the findings are the following:
(1) in two-parent families the most common activity in which parents
participate is a general school meeting such as back-to-school night;
(2) fathers in two-parent families are substantially less likely
than mothers in either type of family or fathers in single-parent
families to participate in the four types of activities; (3) fathers
who head single-parent families have school involvement patterns
that are very similar to those of mothers who head single parent
families; (4) mothers and fathers in both types of families tended
to decrease their involvement as children move from elementary to
middle to high school; (5) parental involvement in schools is higher
for children in families living above the poverty threshold and
not receiving federal assistance than in families that experience
economic difficulties, and this is true in both two-parent and single-mother
families, though the differences are larger in two-parent families;
(6) fathers are more likely to be highly involved as mothers' involvement
increases, and vice versa; and (7) the involvement of nonresident
fathers appears to be particularly important for children in grades
6-12, reducing the likelihood that the children have been suspended
or expelled or repeated a grade. (Two appendices include detailed
tables on parental involvement by grade level, and adjusted odds
ratios for ll factors included in models of student outcomes. Contains
79 references.) (HTH)
Descriptors: *Academic Achievement; Educational Attainment; Elementary
Secondary Education; Family Environment; *Fathers; Nuclear Family;
One Parent Family; Parent Influence; *Parent Participation; *Parent
School Relationship; *Parent Student Relationship; Socioeconomic
Influences; Stepfamily; Tables (Data)
Identifiers: *Noncustodial Parents
