• School Practices Encouraging Parents' Involvement
• Parents' Involvement in Their Children's School
• Parents' Involvement in Their Children's Homework
• Parents' Involvement With Their Children in Nonschool Activities
• Student Experiences With Their Schools
• Parents' Expectations and Planned Financial Support for Their Children's Postsecondary Education
• Student Activities in and out of School
• Parents' Satisfaction With School
• School Choice
• Services Provided for Students With Disabilities
• Reference

The NHES:2003 sample was selected using random digit dial (RDD) methods, and the data were collected using computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) technology. The sample for the 2003 survey is nationally representative of all children in kindergarten through grade 12 enrolled in regular school or homeschooled in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. A screener was used to collect information on household composition and interview eligibility. Screener interviews had a weighted screener unit response rate of 65 percent. In households with one eligible child, the child was selected for PFI with certainty. In households with two eligible children, both were selected for PFI with certainty. If there were more than two eligible children or youth, then two were sampled with equal probability. The parent interview had a weighted unit response rate of 83 percent using base weights. The overall unit response rate for the Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey in 2003 was 54 percent. A unit nonresponse bias analysis was undertaken for NHES:2003 (see Montaquila, Brick, and Brock forthcoming). The analysis of unit nonresponse bias showed no evidence of bias in estimates computed with nonresponse adjusted weights from PFI-NHES:2003.

The results presented below were chosen to highlight some of the findings in the tables. To test the differences between estimates, Student's t statistics were calculated. All differences reported were significant at the .05 level. (More information about the statistical test used is in the Technical Notes section of the full report, along with a discussion of sampling methodology.)

Many of the tables include estimates for students in kindergarten through grade 12. However, some tables are divided into estimates for students in kindergarten through grade 5 or in grades 6 through 12. This is because for some topic areas (e.g., home activities), different questions were asked of parents of younger children than of parents of older children. Similarly, while a common set of selected school, household, and student characteristics is repeated across most tables, there are occasional variations in either the characteristics, the population, or both that are designed to fit particular data items. Students who were homeschooled were excluded from all of the tables.

Parents were asked about school communication with families, such as sending the family personal notes or e-mails specifically about their child; sending newsletters, memos, or notices; and calling the family on the telephone. Parents were also asked about school practices to provide information to parents, such as information about their child's performance and their opportunities to volunteer at the school.

• As the student's grade level increased, relatively fewer parents reported that schools sent home notes or e-mails. Relatively more parents of fourth- and fifth-graders reported that schools sent home notes or e-mails specifically about their children (55 percent) than parents of students in sixth to eighth grade (49 percent). Similarly, more parents of students in 6th to 8th grade reported that schools sent home notes or e-mails specifically about their children (49 percent) than parents of students in 9th and 10th grade (42 percent).

Parents were asked if they had attended a general school meeting, a regularly scheduled parent-teacher conference, or a school or class event. They were also asked if they had acted as a volunteer or served on a school committee and if they had participated in fundraising for the school.

• The percentage of students in kindergarten through grade 12 whose parents reported (in a single-item question) that they had acted as a volunteer at their children's schools or served on a school committee was higher for students in private schools that were either church related or not church related (70 and 63 percent) than for students in public schools that were either assigned or selected by parents^* (38 and 40 percent) (table A).
• The percentage of students whose parents had attended a general school meeting was higher in households where parents had completed higher levels of education. Specifically, the percentage of students whose parents reported that they had attended a general school meeting was higher for children whose parents had attended graduate or professional school (93 percent) or completed college (93 percent) than for children whose parents had completed only a high school education or the equivalent (84 percent), and children whose parents had completed less than a high school education (70 percent) (table A).

Parents were asked about the frequency with which the student did homework at home and the number of hours the student spent doing homework. They were also asked if there is a place in their home set aside for the student to do homework, if an adult in the household checks that homework is done, and the number of days per week that persons inside or outside the household help with homework.

• In kindergarten through grade 12, 95 percent of children had parents who reported they assisted with homework. In addition, 85 percent of children in kindergarten through grade 12 had parents who reported that an adult in the household checked that homework was done.
• Overall, 90 percent of students in kindergarten through grade 12 had a place in their homes set aside for doing homework. Relatively fewer children of parents with less than a high school diploma had a place in their homes set aside for homework (80 percent), compared to children whose parents had completed a high school education or more—90 percent for high school education or the equivalent, 91 percent for vocational/technical education after high school or some college, 89 percent for completed college, and 92 percent for attended graduate or professional school.

Parents of students in kindergarten through grade 3 were asked how often someone in the family had read to the student in the past week. Parents of students in kindergarten through grade 12 were asked about home activities with the student in the past week and outings with the student in the past month.

• In kindergarten through grade 5, the percentage of students whose parents reported they had played sports, active games, or exercised with them increased as parents' education level increased. Specifically, the percentage of students in kindergarten through grade 5 whose parents reported that they had played sports, active games, or exercised with their children was lower for children whose parents had completed less than a high school education (68 percent) than for children whose parents' highest educational attainment was a high school education or the equivalent (77 percent), children whose parents had completed vocational or technical education after high school or some college (80 percent), children whose parents had completed college (84 percent), and children whose parents had attended graduate or professional school (87 percent).
• The percentage of students in kindergarten through grade 12 whose parents reported taking them to a public library in the past month was higher for Asian students (65 percent) than for White, non-Hispanic (41 percent), Black, non-Hispanic (49 percent), or Hispanic students (44 percent).

Table A. Percentage of students in grades K through 12 whose parents reported participation in school-related activities, by activity type and selected characteristics: 2002–03

²Parents were asked whether overall, across all subjects, the student got mostly A’s, mostly B’s, mostly C’s, mostly D’s or lower, or whether the student’s school did not give those grades. If the student’s school did not give letter grades (e.g., A, B, C), parents were asked whether they would describe the student’s work at school as excellent, above average, average, below average, or failing. The two questions about grades or marks were combined for the table.

NOTE: Students who were homeschooled were excluded from the table. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey of the 2003 National Household Education Surveys Program (PFI-NHES:2003). (Originally published as table 3 on pp. 11–12 of the complete report from which this article is excerpted.)

Parents were asked about the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with statements about whether the student finds his or her schoolwork challenging, whether the student enjoys school, whether most students and teachers in the student's school respect each other, and whether the school makes it easy for the family to be involved.

• The percentage of students in kindergarten through grade 12 whose parents reported that they "strongly agreed" that the student's school makes it easy for the family to be involved was higher for students in households above the poverty level (45 percent) than for students in households at or below the poverty level (35 percent).

Parents were asked about the highest education level they expected their children to attain. Those who expected their children to continue education after high school were also asked questions about their plans to help pay for their children's education after high school.

• The percentage of students in kindergarten through grade 12 whose parents expected their children to earn a graduate or professional degree was higher among students in private schools that were not church related (48 percent) than in other types of private and public schools (28 to 41 percent) (table B).
• Among students in kindergarten through grade 12 whose parents expected them to continue their education after high school, the percentage whose parents planned to help pay for their children's postsecondary education was higher in households where parents had completed higher levels of education. Specifically, the percentage of students whose parents reported that they planned to help their children pay for education after high school was higher for children whose parents had attended graduate or professional school (93 percent) or completed college (91 percent) than for children whose parents' highest educational attainment was vocational or technical education after high school or some college (81 percent), children whose parents had completed only a high school education or the equivalent (75 percent), and children whose parents had completed less than a high school education (59 percent) (table B).

Parents were asked whether the student participated in school activities. They were also asked about student participation in a variety of out-of-school activities, such as music lessons, sports, and educational programs.

• In kindergarten through grade 12, the percentage of students who reportedly participated in school activities increased as parents' education level increased. Specifically, the percentage of students in kindergarten through grade 12 whose parents reported that their children participated in school activities was higher for students whose parents had attended or completed graduate or professional school (70 percent) than for students whose parents' highest level of education completed was a vocational or technical education after high school or some college (58 percent), only a high school education or the equivalent (49 percent), and less than a high school education (35 percent).

Parents were asked how well the school did at providing information in various areas related to the child and the school (e.g., their child's performance, opportunities to volunteer at the school). Parents were also asked about their satisfaction with the school, their children's teachers in 2002–03, the academic standards of the school, and order and discipline at the school. In addition, parents were asked about the amount of homework assigned and the amount of standardized testing at the school.

• The percentage of students in kindergarten through grade 12 whose parents reported their children's school did "very well" at providing information about the student's performance was lower among students in public, assigned schools (58 percent) than in public schools selected by parents and private schools (64 to 76 percent).
• The percentage of students in kindergarten through grade 12 whose parents reported being "very satisfied" with their school was higher for students whose parents had graduated from college (64 percent) or attended graduate or professional school (64 percent) than for students whose parents' highest education was a high school education or the equivalent (59 percent) or less than a high school education (56 percent).

Table B. Percentage of students in grades K through 12 whose parents reported educational expectations and plans to help pay for education after high school, by educational attainment expectation and selected characteristics: 2002–03

# Rounds to zero.

! Interpret data with caution.

¹This question was only asked of parents of children in grades 6 through 12 who expected their children to continue education after high school.

²Students whose parents reported that their classes were “ungraded” were excluded from the analyses of grade level.

³Parents were asked whether overall, across all subjects, the student got mostly A’s, mostly B’s, mostly C’s, mostly D’s or lower, or whether the student’s school did not give those grades. If the student’s school did not give letter grades (e.g., A, B, C), parents were asked whether they would describe the student’s work at school as excellent, above average, average, below average, or failing. The two questions about grades or marks were combined for the table.

NOTE: Students who were homeschooled were excluded from the table. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey of the 2003 National Household Education Surveys Program (PFI-NHES:2003). (Originally published as table 10 on pp. 33–34 of the complete report from which this article is excerpted.)

Parents of public school students were asked if their children were in a regularly assigned school or a school that they chose. They were also asked whether the family had moved to the neighborhood so that the student would be eligible for the school.

• The percentage of public school students in kindergarten through grade 12 whose parents reported that their children attended a public school of choice was higher for Black, non-Hispanic students (25 percent) and Asian or Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic students (22 percent) than for White, non-Hispanic students (13 percent) (table C). The percentage of public school students in kindergarten through grade 12 whose parents reported their children attended a public school of choice was also higher for Black, non-Hispanic students (25 percent) than for Hispanic students (14 percent).
• The percentage of public school students in kindergarten through grade 12 whose parents reported they moved to the neighborhood so that their child would be eligible for the school was higher for students whose parents had graduated from college (29 percent) or attended graduate or professional school (35 percent) than for children whose parents had completed vocational or technical education after high school or some college (24 percent), children whose parents' highest education was a high school education or the equivalent (24 percent), or children whose parents had less than a high school education (22 percent) (table C).

Parents of students with disabilities were asked about the sources of services received for their children's special health needs (e.g., the local school district, a doctor, a clinic, or other health care provider), Individualized Education Program (IEP) services, and their children's participation in special education.

• The percentage of students with disabilities in kindergarten through grade 12 whose parents reported that their children received services through an IEP and that the family worked with the school to develop or change the student's IEP was lowest for students whose parents did not have a high school diploma (71 percent) and highest for students whose parents had attended graduate or professional school (96 percent).
• The percentage of students with disabilities in kindergarten through grade 12 whose parents reported that their children received services through an IEP and that the family worked with the school to develop or change the student's IEP was higher for White, non-Hispanic students (92 percent) than for Black, non-Hispanic students (81 percent), and higher for both White, non-Hispanic (92 percent) and Asian or Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic students (93 percent) than for Hispanic students (75 percent).

Table C. Percentage distribution of public school students in grades K through 12 by school choice and percent of students whose families moved to neighborhood for students to attend school, by household and student characteristics: 2002–03

! Interpret data with caution.

¹Students whose parents reported that their classes were “ungraded” were excluded from the analyses of grade level.

NOTE: Students who were homeschooled were excluded from the table. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey of the 2003 National Household Education Surveys Program (PFI-NHES:2003). (Originally published as table 14 on p. 49 of the complete report from which article is excerpted.)

Montaquila, J.M., Brick, J.M., and Brock, S.P. (forthcoming). Potential Nonresponse Bias in Estimates From the National Household Education Surveys Program of 2003. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.

^*The analysis in this report divides private school students into those attending private, church-related and private, not church-related schools. Public school students are divided into those attending public assigned and public chosen schools.