Impact of Latino Parent Engagement on Student Academic Achievement: A Pilot Study

The current pilot study examines the impact of the Ten Education Commandments for Parents program on (1) new immigrant Latino parents’ knowledge of the U.S. public education system, (2) parent engagement, and (3) their children’s academic achievement. Utilizing a preexperimental, pre- and posttest research design, four schools with similar demographic compositions were chosen for the study. Parents in the experimental group (n = 68) participated in the Ten Education Commandments for Parents workshop sessions and completed pre- and posttests to assess differences in their perceptions and knowledge of parent engagement before and after attending the program. Additionally, two consecutive years of student data from these parents’ children (n = 164) were compared with students attending similar schools (n = 1,628) whose parents did not participate in the workshop sessions. Results from both parent survey questionnaires and student report cards strongly suggest positive outcomes in three areas: increase in parents’ understanding and knowledge of the U.S. education system, greater parent engagement in their children’s education, and improvement in student achievement. Findings also support the implementation of the Ten Education Commandments for Parents program in other schools, suggesting it has the potential to positively influence both parent engagement and the academic achievement of Latino students.