The Parent Factor:

What It Means and How to Enhance It

By Daniel Ordorica

When the last day of school rolled around, I asked John what had happened. His mother had told me John was an intelligent student, but lacked self-discipline academically. In fact, he seemed to have self-identified as the teacher’s worst “class clown.”

To my question, John replied: “I don’t know. My mom used to ask me every day how school had gone. But she doesn’t ask anymore; she doesn’t seem to care. It’s hard for me to care when she doesn’t.”

I was tempted at first to dismiss his statement as a refusal to take responsibility. But remembering a recent study by Andrew J. Houtenville and Karen Smith Conway on the role of parent involvement in student...