There are many things that affect the quality of a child's education. Everything from the pedagogical quality of the curriculum to the physical quality of the ceilings. But the research tells us that there's one thing more important than any other. Virtually anything a parent can do to communicate to a young student that mom and dad think education is important shows up in that child's academic performance. It may be the child's association of reading with having been cuddled and read to as a toddler.
Some researchers say there's even a benefit from reading to a child before it is born.
It may be a meaningful discussion about what's going on in school, and supporting the curriculum with a family trip to the library, museum, state park, the backyard garden, encyclopedia or Internet. Children notice if their parents attend teacher conferences, PTO and other school events, or volunteer in school. For most of human history parents were the sole source of children's education. Some parents still prefer home schooling. It's teacher involvement that's the new innovation.