This study focused on parents’ relationships and involvement in their children’s lives and the effects on the students’ school engagement and school performance. The study used the Wave I data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). The data on seventh and eighth grade students’ school and family experiences were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The study examined the effect of parents’ relationships and involvement on students’ cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement in school and subsequently on school performance. The results confirmed the importance and significance of parents’ involvement in middle school students’ school engagement and performance. The study has implications for practice and provides empirical support for creating school structures that would foster parents’ continued interest and engagement in their children’s education.
Published in Research in Middle Level Education Online, 2008