| Citation: | Sheldon, S. B., & Epstein, J. L. (2005). Involvement counts: Family and community partnerships and mathematics achievement. Journal of Educational Research, 98(4), 196-206. |
Annotation:
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between student achievement in mathematics and specific family and community involvement activities. Understanding which family and community involvement practices are most likely to improve students' mathematics achievement can assist schools' efforts to provide the most effective mathematics education for all students. The researchers examined levels of mathematics achievement, school outreach to involve families and communities in mathematics education, and the influence of these targeted involvement activities on student mathematics achievement. The results indicated a trend: employing methods that encourage family support in children's mathematics learning at home was positively related to the percentage of students who scored at or above proficiency on standardized mathematics achievement tests. Analyses were performed on longitudinal data obtained from elementary and secondary school students attending 18 schools with diverse demographics. The schools, which varied in size, were located in several states in urban, rural, and suburban areas. Participant schools completed survey reports and were members of the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS). The results did not reach statistical significance; however, the pattern of results suggests that effectively involving families in children's mathematics education may contribute to increased mathematics achievement. Future studies, including randomized controlled trials, are needed to determine true causal relationships.
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