The Relationship Between Parental Involvement and the Academic Success of Fifth Grade Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a statistically significant relationship between the level of parental involvement of fifth grade students and the scores that these students achieved on their fourth grade New York State Math and ELA Tests. Surveys were returned from the parents of fifty-eight students. The students were divided into two groups—high and low achievers based on their scores on the NYS Math and ELA tests. High achievement was defined as a score of 3 or 4 and low achievement was defined as a score of 1 or 2. Surveys were sent home to parents of these students to collect information about the level of active parental involvement in their lives. Comparisons were then made to determine the relationship between the achievement level of the student on the state tests and the amount of parental involvement in the life of that student. Fifty-eight surveys were returned. Results revealed that there was no significant correlation between what the researcher described as active parental involvement and student success in school.