Parenting practices among low-income parents of achieving high school students

This study employed both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to investigate the parenting practices of low income parents of achieving high school students. The study researched a sample of parents from low socioeconomic backgrounds who had high school students with 80% or above averages. Low socioeconomic background was determined by their achieving students who qualified for free or reduced lunch. These students were in grades 9-11, and attended a U.S. city public high school. The researcher surveyed the parents by mail using Moos' (1986) Family Environment Scale (FES). The results of the FES revealed that the parents surveyed in this study created home environments supportive of academic achievement. The FES contains three dimensions (Relationship, Personal Growth, and System Maintenance) and within each dimension are subscale measurements. Parents completed the survey, and the sample of parents was compared in relative terms with Moos' norm sample (1986) to determine differences. The subscales, cohesion, expressiveness and conflict within the Relationship dimension were not statistically significant. Under the Personal Growth dimension, this survey group's scores for the subscales of independence, intellectual cultural orientation and active recreational orientation were not significantly different relative to the norm sample. In terms of achievement orientation, the parents in this study had significantly higher scores relative to the norm sample. The parents in this study also possess a significantly stronger moral religious emphasis in their homes relative to the norm sample. The System Maintenance dimension proved that parents in this study had significantly different home environments relative to the norm sample. The parents in this study maintained homes which were organized and had control over their children. For the qualitative aspect of this study, the researcher interviewed five students' parents over the telephone. The interviews revealed the following parenting practices: established homework habits for their children during their primary grades, kept in contact with teachers, attended school events, planned family activities, set curfews, maintained an open line of communication, discussed the importance of academic success and career goals, and set rewards for academic achievement. All parents interviewed reflected democratic parenting and authoritative parenting as described by Baumrind (1971).