In 2007, some 89 percent of students had parents who reported attending a general school or PTO/PTA meeting. Other activities included attending parent-teacher conferences (78 percent), participating in school fundraising (65 percent), and volunteering/serving on a school committee (46 percent).

Parents and other family members can participate in a child's education in different ways, including participation in school-related activities, such as attending a general school meeting or volunteering on a school committee, or helping their child with homework. In 2007, some 89 percent of students in kindergarten (K) through 12th-grade had parents who reported attending a general school or PTO/PTA meeting. Other activities included attending regularly scheduled parent-teacher conferences (78 percent), attending a school or class event (74 percent), participating in school fundraising (65 percent), and volunteering/serving on a school committee (46 percent) (see table A-30-1).

Overall, parental participation in school-related activities was greater for K through 8th-grade students than for 9th- through 12th-grade students. For instance, 92 percent of K through 8th-grade students had parents who reported attending a general school or PTO/PTA meeting, compared with 83 percent of 9th- through 12th-grade students. In addition, 52 percent of K through 8th-grade students had parents who reported volunteering or serving on a school committee, compared with 34 percent of 9th- through 12th-grade students.

Participation in some school-related activities varied by race/ethnicity at both levels. For instance, at the K through 8th-grade level, a greater percentage of White students (83 percent) had parents who reported attending a school or class event than Black (69 percent), Hispanic (68 percent), and Asian (75 percent) students. Similarly, a greater percentage of White students (61 percent) had parents who reported volunteering or serving on a school committee than Black (41 percent), Hispanic (37 percent), and Asian students (49 percent). In addition, a greater percentage of White students (77 percent) had parents who reported participating in school fundraising than Black (62 percent), Hispanic (54 percent), and Asian (62 percent) students.

At both levels, parental participation in school-related activities was higher for students from nonpoor families than poor families. At the K through 8th-grade level, for example, 58 percent of students in nonpoor families had parents who reported volunteering or serving on a school committee, compared with 32 percent of students in poor families. Similarly, at the 9th- through 12th-grade level, 73 percent of students in nonpoor families had parents who reported attending a school or class event, compared with 43 percent of students in poor families.

Parental help with homework is one indicator of a family's involvement in education. In 2007, approximately 94 percent of K through 12th-grade students reportedly did homework outside of school, and 85 percent had homework reportedly checked by an adult in the household (see table A-30-2). However, a greater percentage of K through 8th-grade students (95 percent) had their homework checked by an adult than 9th- through 12th-grade students (65 percent).

Homework checking varied by race/ethnicity and poverty status according to parent reports. At the K through 8th-grade level, a greater percentage of Black students (98 percent) had homework checked by an adult than White (94 percent), Hispanic (96 percent), and Asian (88 percent) students. Similarly, at the 9th- through 12th-grade level, a greater percentage of Black students (83 percent) had homework checked by an adult than parents of White (57 percent) and Asian (59 percent) students. In addition, at the same level, a higher percentage of students in poor families (81 percent) had parents who reported checking homework than in nonpoor families (61 percent).

Technical Notes

Homework checking by an adult in the household refers to checking for homework completion. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. For more information on race/ethnicity and poverty status, see supplemental note 1. For more information on the National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES), see supplemental note 3.