Gain a comprehensive understanding of the role that parents and families play in college students lives through their involvement starting with K 12, moving through the transition to college, and then focusing on the college experience itself.The authors broaden the conversation to reflect the actual and diverse array of parents and families that play vital roles in students collegiate experiences. Particular attention is paid to: diverse families, including students of color, first-generation college students, and low-income students, an agenda for more inclusive research, theories, and practices with the goal of broadening the conversation to reflect the diverse array of parent and family engagement, and standards, models, and best practices that might be applied more broadly and modified as needed. As a whole, this volume offers an expanded way of thinking about how higher education understands, engages, and serves the needs of parents and families. This is the 6th issue of the 41st volume of the Jossey-Bass series ASHE Higher Education Report. Each monograph is the definitive analysis of a tough higher education issue, based on thorough research of pertinent literature and institutional experiences. Topics are identified by a national survey. Noted practitioners and scholars are then commissioned to write the reports, with experts providing critical reviews of each manuscript before publication.

Gain a comprehensive understanding of the role that parents and families play in college students' lives through their involvement starting with K-12, moving through the transition to college, and then focusing on the college experience itself.The authors broaden the conversation to reflect the actual and diverse array of parents and families that play vital roles in students' collegiate experiences. Particular attention is paid to:* diverse families, including students of color, first-generation college students, and low-income students* an agenda for more inclusive research, theories, and practices with the goal of broadening the conversation to reflect the diverse array of parent and family engagement, and* standards, models, and best practices that might be applied more broadly and modified as needed.As a whole, this volume offers an expanded way of thinking about how higher education understands, engages, and serves the needs of parents and families.This is the 6th issue of the 41st volume of the Jossey-Bass series ASHE Higher Education Report. Each monograph is the definitive analysis of a tough higher education issue, based on thorough research of pertinent literature and institutional experiences. Topics are identified by a national survey. Noted practitioners and scholars are then commissioned to write the reports, with experts providing critical reviews of each manuscript before publication.

Executive Summary viForeword xAcknowledgments xiiiThe Relationship Between College Students and Their Families 1Plan for Monograph 2The Progression From Parents to Families 4The Importance of Shifting Away From Parent Terminology 6Changing Demographic Trends 7Connecting Students, Families, and Institutions 9Family Engagement in Early Childhood Education Through High School Years 18Familial Engagement Within Elementary and Secondary Schools 20Outcomes of Parental and Familial Support 22Taking Structural Barriers Into Account 24Familial Engagement in the Transition to College 25How Families Experience the College Transition 26College Outreach and Transition 27Institutional Expectations for Parent/Family Involvement in the College Experience 32Family Engagement and Involvement in College 34Exploring the Family-Student-Institution Relationship 35The Supportive Roles of Parents and Families in the College Experience of Their Children 36Outcomes of Family Engagement in College 38Parental Engagement and Involvement Differences in College 40Parents and Families as Active College Partners 42Shifting the Paradigm of Parent and Family Involvement: A Practitioner Perspective of Families as Partners in Student Success 45Development of Parent and Family Services 47Paradigm Shift: From FERPA to Parents as Partners 48Best Practices 53Outreach to Families of Students of Color, First-Generation Students, and International Students 57Challenges and Opportunities 62Implications and Recommendations: An Emerging Agenda to Better Understand the Role of Parents and Families 66Educating the Campus Community on Engaging Families 67Institutional Considerations 68Expanding Research 69Strength-Based Strategies 71Conclusion 72Appendix 73References 74Name Index 87Subject Index 92About the Authors 94