Findings of a study that explored parents' views of education and their evaluations of their school's success are presented in this paper. The parents represented families involved in a Follow Through program, a federally sponsored education program that serves low-income children in kindergarten and the primary grades who had been enrolled in Head Start or similar preschool programs. The sample included three communities--one urban, multicultural Southwest (46% Hispanic, 47% Yaqui, Native American); one rural, Native American (a reservation in the southwest--the Tohono O'odham); and one rural, Appalachian (98% white). A 1990 survey of 812 parents yielded 195 responses (a 24 percent response rate) and a 1991 survey of 635 parents produced 226 usable returns (a 42 percent response rate). Interviews were also conducted with a total of 21 parents, most of whom were mothers. Reading received a unanimous and pervasive high ranking at all sites among all survey groups. Findings indicate that longterm parent participation in the program produced a sense of community cohesion and that the quality of school experiences may be improving for these families. The primary significance of these findings is the "voice" they have given each community's parent participants for input into educational decision-making. Sentiment in the non-English speaking community was very strong that interviews should be concluded in the families' home languages. Ten tables are included. (Contains 21 references.) (LMI)