An examination of parent and teacher expectation congruence and student outcomes

A significant amount of research has investigated the importance of school-family partnerships in facilitating positive academic outcomes for students. Existing literature suggests that students are more likely to achieve positive outcomes if home and school communicate and provide children with congruent messages about learning; however, few studies have provided empirical evidence of these effects. The present study aims to increase understanding about the relationship between parent and teacher expectations and academic achievement, using data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002), including test scores and reports from students, parents, and teachers. Results indicated that, while congruent parent and teacher expectations contributed to positive student outcomes, the contribution was less significant than that of parent and teacher expectations alone. In addition, within an at risk population, significant differences in achievement were found between congruence groups. Conclusions and implications for educators and families are discussed.