Parent Involvement in Education From Kindergarten to High School

Data about parent involvement in education and school choice from kindergarten to high school are currently collected in the Parent and Family Involvement in Education (PFI). The PFI survey collects data about students who are enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12 and asks questions about school choice and various aspects of parent involvement in education, such as help with homework, family activities, and parent engagement in schools. Parents are the respondents.

View NHES Sample and Methods
(PFI Infographic PDF)

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Most Recent Findings

Parent and Family Involvement in Education: 2023

This First Look report introduces new National Household Education Survey (NHES) survey data that presents findings from the Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey of the National Household Education Surveys Program of 2023 (PFI-NHES:2023).

Families’ Participation in School Choice and Importance of Factors in School Choice Decisions in 2019

Cover for the Participation in School Choice and Importance of Factors in School Choice Decisions in 2019 data point

This data point explores the types of schools that children attend, whether parents consider more than one school for their child, and the reasons parents report as being important when they consider schools for their children.

Parent and Family Involvement in Education: 2019

This report presents data about various aspects of parent involvement in education and reasons for choosing the child’s school. These data represent circumstances before the implementation of coronavirus pandemic restrictions.

School Choice in the United States: 2019

This report uses data from multiple surveys to describe the landscape of school choice. The report discusses the changes over time in enrollment in traditional public, public charter, and private schools, as well as changes in the number of students who were homeschooled. It includes information on the characteristics of students enrolled in public and private schools, as well as characteristics of students who were homeschooled.

Other Resources Related to Parent Involvement and Choice

NCES Annual Reports

The NCES Annual Reports and Information program produces several reports each year that draw from over 25 surveys by NCES and other government agencies. Many of these reports include information on enrollment in public charter schools and private schools. The Digest of Education Statistics includes additional information on school choice and parent involvement.

Longitudinal Studies

NCES has a series of High School, Middle Grades, and Early Childhood longitudinal studies that track students’ development, achievement, and learning over time.

State Education Practices (School Choice)

This website provides an overview of state policies and practices across many areas of education, including policies on charter schools, which operate with varying degrees of independence from state education agencies in exchange for increased accountability for student performance.

Parent Involvement Toolkit

The Institute of Education Sciences Toolkit of Resources for Engaging Families and the Community as Partners in Education is a four-part resource that brings together research, promising practices, and useful tools and resources to guide educators in strengthening partnerships with families and community members to support student learning.