This study examined the relationship between parental childrearing behaviors and adolescent academic competence in 393 seventh-graders from rural two-parent families with similar educational and economic backgrounds. Data was collected from school academic records, adolescent and parent questionnaires, and observer ratings. Results indicate that academic competence was negatively related to indicators of hostile or inconsistent parenting and positively related to nurturing and involvement indicators. Parent educational level was not significantly related to hostile or inconsistent parenting, but were related to all four of fathers' nurturing and involvement behaviors and to one of the mothers' nurturing and involvement behaviors. Demographic variables were not related to mothers' parental behaviors, but were related to many father parental behaviors. Consistent with previous findings, results support the importance of the relationship between parental behaviors and adolescent academic competence. Two figures and one table are attached. (MDM)