Their inability to such access limits their abilities. Bouffard and Stephen (2007) argue, "To be successful in school and in life, adolescents need trusting and caring relationships with supportive adults" (p. 3). Bouffard and Stephens (2007) reported that research connects the involvement of family in middle school result in not only positive academic outcome but social ones as well. It is necessary to conduct research to evaluate the tools that will help with increasing parental involvement. An evaluation of how data is collected, utilized and what belief system is in place in addition to the consistency among the stakeholders, is a valuable piece in identifying the best practice strategies currently available for increasing minority student achievement (Christian, 2006). .
Problem Statement.
The full extent of the effect of parental involvement on minority student's achievement is not known. Hill and Tyson (2009) state, "It is imperative to identify the extent to which parental involvement in education is positively related to achievement for middle school students and which types of involvement are most effective" (p.741). Brannon (2007) reported that many of the middle school principals she spoke to express a dramatic decline in parental involvement from elementary to middle school. Although the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) (2002) has mandated districts implement programs or initiatives to increase the involvement of parents, efforts have not been completely successful in some areas. .
Two variables in this study are the perceived differences in relationships between the teachers' perception and the parents' perception of the benefit of student-led conferences and what makes a student successful. It is important to include both teachers and parents to identify perceived barriers and perceptions. The studies focusing on parental involvement for students typically investigate the issue from an urban, community perspective.