Parent involvement and children's academic achievement: Evidence from a census of public school students in Brazil.

Abstract

In order to broaden findings beyond high-income countries, this study used path models to test associations between parent involvement and student achievement in Brazil using a 2017 census of public school students in fifth grade (N=2,167,729, Mage =11, 49% female, 44% Parda, 29% White, 11% Black, 3% Asian, 3% Indigenous) and ninth grade (N=1,782,899, Mage =15, 51% female, 46% Parda, 29% White, 12% Black, 4% Asian, 3% Indigenous). Parent involvement showed positive associations with student reading and math achievement for fifth graders (βs=.11 & .09) but essentially null associations for ninth graders (βs=-.01). Students' homework completion mediated associations in both grades (βs=.03). Parent education was not a strong moderator of associations.