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Using a nationally representative sample of American households, we examine the relation between parental involvement in schooling and the child's school performance. With a sample of 179 children, parents, and teachers, we investigate 3 hypotheses: (1) the higher the educational status of the mother the greater the degree of parental involvement in school activities; (2) the younger the age of the child the greater the degree of parental involvement; and (3) children of parents who are more involved in school activities do better in school than children with parents who are less involved. In an analysis of cross-sectional data, we discover support for the 3 hypotheses. The educational status of the mother is related to the degree of parental involvement in schooling, so that parents with more education are more involved. Parental involvement is related to the child's school performance. Also, parents are more involved in school activities if the child is younger. The mother's educational level and the age of the child are stronger predictors of parental involvement in schooling for boys than for girls. We do not, however, find a direct effect of maternal educational status on school performance independent of parental involvement in school activities. We discuss these findings in light of the relation between families and schools.

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The movement for higher standards in American education has attracted considerable public and scholarly attention during the past decade. Largely due to significant methodological challenges, however, there has been limited empirical investigation of the structure and operation of this movement on a nationwide scale. This paper develops an empirical strategy for studying broad-based educational change employing quantitative methods and an extensive database consisting of state policy indicators and data on schools and classrooms from a large number of states participating in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) State Assessments in Mathematics. Two main elements of standards-based reform are examined: (a) correspondence between the structure of the national standards movement and patterns of state-level policy activism, and (b) linkages between state policy and classroom instructional practices. The results of a Rasch measurement analysis indicate that patterns of state policy activity closely resemble standards-based reform, as it is known as a national movement. Multilevel statistical modeling using data from a large longitudinal panel of schools further shows that state activism has a significant independent effect on teachers’ use of classroom practices consistent with a standards-based model of mathematics education. While of a modest size, this state policy effect remains robust after taking into consideration other conditions at the classroom, school, and state levels, including the prior use of standards-based instruction for schools and states. Evidence also suggests that these policy effects on instruction may operate by promoting greater teacher receptivity to reform, particularly through relevant professional development experiences.