Involvement Counts: Family and Community Partnerships and Mathematics Achievement

• Published in: The Journal of educational research (Washington, D.C.) Vol. 98; no. 4; pp. 196 - 207
• Main Authors: Sheldon, Steven B., Epstein, Joyce L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC Heldref 01.03.2005; Heldref Publications; Heldref Publications, Helen Dwight Reid Educational Foundation; Taylor & Francis Inc
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Achievement Tests; Addition & subtraction; Biological and medical sciences; Children; Children & youth; Collaboration; Community action; Community Involvement; Core curriculum; Education reform; Educational Change; Educational psychology; Effectiveness studies; Elementary schools; Families & family life; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; High school students; Homes; Homework; International Studies; Learning; Mathematics; Mathematics Achievement; Mathematics Education; Mathematics Skills; Mathematics tests; Outcomes of Education; parent involvement; Parent Participation; Parent School Relationship; Parents; Parents & parenting; partnerships; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Pupil and student. Academic achievement and failure; Reading Achievement; Secondary school mathematics; Secondary Schools; student achievement; Student Attitudes; Students; Teachers; Urban Schools; United States > US; Baltimore Maryland; Social environment; Human; Academic achievement; community involvement; partnerships; Secondary education; Parent; student achievement; Mathematics; parent involvement; Elementary education
• ISSN: 0022-0671; 1940-0675
• DOI: 10.3200/JOER.98.4.196-207

National and international studies have made student performance in mathematics a high priority in schools. Using longitudinal data from elementary and secondary schools, the authors examined the connections between specific family and community involvement activities and student achievement in mathematics at the school level. After the authors controlled for prior levels of mathematics achievement, analyses indicated that effective implementation of practices that encouraged families to support their children's mathematics learning at home was associated with higher percentages of students who scored at or above proficiency on standardized mathematics achievement tests. Findings suggest that subject-specific practices of school, family, and community partnerships may help educators improve students' mathematics skills and achievement.