Thefindingschallengeakeyprincipleofmodernparenting(养育子女)whereschoolsexceptthemtoactaspartnersintheirchildren'seducation.Previousgenerationsconcentratedongettingchildrentoschoolontime,fed,dressedandreadytolearn.

KaithRobinson,theauthorofthestudy,said,"Ireallydon'tknowifthepublicisreadyforthisbuttherearesomewaysparentscanbeinvolvedintheirkids'educationthatleadstodeclinesintheiracademicperformance.Oneofthethingsthatwasconsistentlynegativewasparents'helpwithhomework."Robinsonsuggestedthatmaybebecauseparentsthemselvesstruggletounderstandthetask."Theymayeithernotrememberthematerialtheirkidsarestudyingnow,orinsomecasesneverlearntitthemselves,butthey'restillofferingadvice."

Robinsonassessedparentalinvolvementperformanceandfoundoneofthemostdamagingthingsaparentcoulddowastopunishtheirchildrenforpoormarks.Ingeneral,about20%ofparentalinvolvementwaspositive,about45%negativeandthereststatisticallyinsignificant.

Commonsensesuggestsitwasagoodthingforparentstogetinvolvedbecause"childrenwithgoodacademicsuccessdohaveinvolvedparents",admittedRobinson.Buthearguedthatthisdidnotproveparentalinvolvementwastherootcauseofthatsuccess."AbigsurprisewasthatAsian-Americanparentswhosekidsaredoingsowellinschoolhardlyinvolved.Theytookamorereasonableapproach,conveyingtotheirchildrenhowsuccessatschoolcouldimprovetheirlives."