Parental Volunteering

Abstract

The No Child Left Behind legislation stipulates that schools offer volunteer opportunities to parents. This study examines the growth patterns of parent volunteerism after implementation of this legislation by national region, metropolitan status, gender, ethnicity, and immigrant status. Using the Bureau of Labor Statistics survey data on volunteers between 2002 and 2008 in a 2-year increment, we find the rate of parental volunteering for education actually decreased since 2002. Even after controlling for parents’ social-demographic characteristics, the likelihood of parents’ engaging in educational volunteering is still lower in 2008 than in prior years. Those who live in the Midwest region and nonmetropolitan areas are more likely to volunteer for education. Mothers, non-Hispanic Whites and citizens also have a higher chance of being involved in educational volunteering. In addition, Hispanic parents in the West are more likely to volunteer for education than their counterparts in the Northeast and South region.