This insightful collection of essays provides a nuanced and sophisticated look into the ways the family furthers academic achievement and other beneficial student behavior. The findings will help educators, policy makers and parents more clearly to understand how healthy family dynamics contribute to the school experiences of youth. The examples and thoughtful reflections will help them envision how schools can partner with families to improve these vital relationships. Perry L. Glanzer, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Baylor UniversityThis book successfully pulls together cutting-edge research from a variety of disciplines and types of inquiry and provides an important history and overview of the subject. It also draws attention to the role of religious belief in educational success. In this accountability-driven era, when people search for nearly any solution to increase the success of students, it is good to have the idea of parental involvement aired out for investigation. Educational researchers, school administrators and teachers, policymakers, and parents will benefit from reading this work and applying its principles to their own work with children.Joanne Marshall, Associate Professor of Education, Iowa State University