Parental Involvement in Learning: Statistics

The National Household Education Survey found the following for 3-5 year olds not yet enrolled in kindergarten in 1999:

• 61% whose mother's highest education was less than high school were read to three or more times in the past week by a family member, compared with
• 76% whose mother had a high school diploma or equivalent,
• 85% whose mother had completed vocational education or some college,
• 91% whose mother had a college degree, and
• 93% whose mother had a graduate/professional degree or training.
• 36% visited a library at least once in the last month with a family member,
• 39% did arts and crafts three or more times in the past week with a family member,
• 64% were taught letters, words, or numbers three or more times in the past week by a family member,
• 81% were read to three or more times in the past week by a family member,
• 50% were told a story three or more times in the past week by a family member, and
• 49% were taught songs and music three or more times in the past week by a family member.

The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study found the following for kindergartners in the fall of 1998:

• 46% of parents read to their children every day.
• 62% of parents with a high socioeconomic status read to their children every day, compared to
• 36% of parents with a low socioeconomic status.

The 1997 National Survey of America's Families found the following children were read to or told stories fewer than 3 days a week:

• 24% of children living below 200% of the poverty level, compared to 10% of children living above 200% of the poverty level, and
• 24% of children in one-parent families, compared to 15% of children living in two-parent families.

The National Household Education Survey found the following for parents with children in grades K-12 in 1999:

• 92.0% reported attending a general meeting, a scheduled meeting with a teacher, a school event, acting as a volunteer, or serving on a committee,
• 79.0% reported attending a general meeting in their child's school,
• 73.0% reported attending a scheduled meeting with a teacher; and
• 66.2% reported attending a school event.

Parents who reported acting as a volunteer or serving on a committee in 1999:

• 13.5% had less than a high school education,
• 26.7% had a high school diploma/GED,
• 38.1% had some college/vocational/technical education,
• 50.4% had a bachelor's degree, and
• 54.6% had a graduate/professional school education.

Percentage of parents who reported attending a school event in 1999:

• 39.2% had less than a high school education,
• 59.0% had a high school diploma/GED,
• 67.2% had some college/vocational/technical education,
• 76.2% had a bachelor's degree, and
• 79.0% had a graduate/professional school education.

Percentage of parents who reported attending a scheduled meeting with a teacher in 1999:

• 61.6% had less than a high school education,
• 69.6% had a high school diploma/GED,
• 74.4% had some college/vocational/technical education,
• 79.1% had a bachelor's degree, and
• 75.3% had a graduate/professional school education.

Outcomes of Parent Involvement

The National Household Education Survey found the following for 3-5 year olds not yet enrolled in kindergarten in 1999: