Parental involvement seems like the least controversial concept in education reform -- just try and find someone who admits to being against it. But parental involvement is also a vague concept, covering a range of ideas from bake sales to school-based management. So is parental involvement really noncontroversial, or just unexamined?

In Playing Their Parts, Public Agenda surveyed parents and public school teachers to find out what they think parents should be doing in the public schools. It seems like a simple question, yet public opinion on this issue turned out to be as complex and subtle as any area we've examined.

On the surface, we found, the two groups have few disagreements. The pushy parent whose child is never in the wrong and the teacher too rushed to talk with parents are comparatively rare. Probe beneath the surface, however, and disagreements begin to emerge.

Both groups say raising a well-behaved child who wants to learn is the most important role a parent can fulfill; even more important than any volunteer help a parent does. But teachers say inattentive, lazy students are the most serious problem they face, and they hold parents responsible. Parents say they're more involved with their children than their parents ever were, and yet still feel guilty that they can't do more.

Many reform efforts focus on giving parents real power over hiring, curriculum and budgets in public schools. We found few parents eager to take on that responsibility. Most parents felt they were ill-prepared to make policy decisions, and most teachers agreed. However, the few teachers in the survey who had participated in experiments giving parents more authority favored the idea.

The disagreements between parents and teachers coalesce around a mundane issue: homework. Most teachers believe parents should check their children's work; only a tenth believe they actually do it. Half of parents say they have pushed their child to do homework to the point to screaming. In focus groups, however, many parents question whether the work is actually necessary and wonder whether it cuts into "quality time" that's in short supply in a two-income household. And parents view the ability to handle homework without supervision as the mark of an independent child, particularly with teens.

Key findings include:

	A Veneer of Cordiality Parents say their child's teachers are accessible and caring, and teachers are more likely to be complimented, rather than criticized, by parents. At the same time, most teachers say that parental involvement at their school overall is either fair or poor. Parents agree that most parents need to be more involved in their child's education.
	Power to the Parents? Most parents say they are not comfortable making management, academic, or hiring decisions about their child's school, and few teachers approve of parents taking on these roles.
	Bake Sales and Chaperones Parents say they would be comfortable acting as chaperones or mentors for school activities, and most say that they volunteer at their child's school from time-to-time. Teachers say this kind of parental involvement is very helpful, but volunteering at school is not the top priority for either teachers or parents.
	The Well-Behaved Child Who Wants to Learn Both parents and teachers say that raising a well-behaved and motivated child is the most important aspect of parental involvement. In fact, parents say schools should be able to succeed with a child who has been taught strong values at home even if the parents haven't had much education and can't help with school work.
	From Behind the Teacher's Desk Teachers say that parents who fail to set limits and students who do as little work as possible are serious problems where they teach. Urban teachers are more likely to report encountering parents who are overwhelmed by personal problems. For suburban teachers, the more common problem is parents who lay on the pressure for good grades.
	The Parent Trap Parents say they are more involved in their child's education than their own parents were, but still wish they could do more. Almost half say their child's work habits could be better. Parents also want their children to be happy and confident, and most say it's natural for parents to be less involved when kids reach high school.
	Homework, Complete With Yelling and Crying Homework is the vortex where teacher complaints and parental pressures seem to converge. In many households, it is the tinder that ignites continuous family battles and a spawning ground for mixed signals and even some resentment between teachers and parents. In the end teachers don't feel supported; parents feel obligated and harassed.
	A Little Push What teens want from their parents.

This Web presentation is just a summary of Playing Their Parts, which was funded by Kraft Foods, an operating company of the Philip Morris Companies, Inc. You may order print copies of the full report for $12.50. We welcome comments about our work on our message board. We also have a press release on this study.

For more information on related topics, visit:

• Our Education issue guide for more public opinion data and background on school issues;

• Our reporters' guide to covering education, Learning Curve;

• Or our Family issue guide for information on issues affecting parents and teens.

• Public Agenda has been working with communities across the country on parental involvement issues through our public engagement program.