This investigation examined associations between early adolescents’ relationships
with parents and teachers and indicators of school-adjustment.
Participants were primarily students of color (91% Latino) in a low-income
urban environment, and analyses were conducted to examine the relative contributions
of parent-child and teacher-student relationships to school adjustment
among these youth. Findings indicated that parent-child relationship
quality accounted for a significant portion of the variance in student-rated
school engagement, school competence, and standardized achievement in reading.
Teacher-student relationship quality accounted for a significant amount of
variance in student-reported engagement, grades in language arts, grades in
mathematics, and mathematical achievement. Unclear expectations in relationships
with parents, and closeness-trust with teachers made particularly strong
contributions to school adjustment. Interaction analyses between parent and
teacher relationship factors were significant for only one of the six school
adjustment variables (i.e., student-rated school competence). The implications
of these findings for teachers and other school personnel are discussed