Examining Child and Parent Characteristics: The Multiple Influences on Black Parents' Involvement in Their Children's Schools

Background and Purpose: Research has found that parents’ involvement in their children’s school greatly increases their children’s chances for academic success (Jeynes, 2005). Additionally, parents’ school related beliefs impact parent beliefs about the ways they should be involved in their children’s school (Whitaker et al., 2013). Specifically, children with more involved parents tend to perform better academically (Blair, 2014; Froiland et al., 2012). Given the importance of academic achievement for life outcomes (Duncan, 2011) as well as growing concerns about the academic struggles that Black boys face, parental involvement provides an important avenue through which Black boys may begin to close the gap with their peers. However, in spite of the importance of parent involvement to children’s academic outcomes, little is known about the specific factors that lead Black parents to be involved in their children’s schooling. Therefore, guided by ecological systems theory (EST) (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006), this study examined micro-level influences on Black parent involvement in their children’s school. In particular, this study examined the impact of student, school, and parental factors on parent involvement in their children’s schooling. Parents who view their children’s school as supportive of their children and welcoming to them may be more likely to be involved in the school. it also examined whether the association between parent school related beliefs and their school involvement was different for parents of Black boys.

 Methods: This study used data from the Maryland Adolescent Development in Context study, a longitudinal study with methods within a sample of 1480 Black seventh graders and 878 eleventh graders from Prince Georges County, Maryland (53% female; mean age for 7^th graders = 12.28 years, SD = .55 and mean = 16.30, and SD = .58 for eleventh grade). We measured parent involvement (self-reported) and parent involvement (youth reported) in eleventh grade as well as parent school climate perceptions,  parent involvement attitudes, parent academic efficacy and 7^th grade GPA.

 Results: Preliminary analyzes revealed a number of significant influences on parent involvement. Parent school climate perceptions, parent involvement attitudes and parent academic efficacy in 7^th grade were all positively associated with parent reports of involvement in 11^th grade. On the other hand, children’s academic performance in 7^th grade was not associated with parent reports of involvement. With respect to youth reports of their parents’ involvement, parent school climate perceptions,  parent involvement attitudes, parent academic efficacy in 7^th grade were not associated with youth reports of their parents’ involvement in 11^th grade. Only academic performance in 7^th grade was negatively associated with youth reports of involvement in 11^th grade. The current results revealed no gender differences between Black boys and girls.

Conclusions and Implications: The current findings show that Black parents a number of factors contribute to Black parents’ decisions to become involved in their children’s schooling. Findings from the present study also have implications for social work practice, social policy and school interventions. In particular, these findings provide important insights regarding school-related risk, protective factors and school policy.