Until recently, fathers were the hidden parents in research on children's well-being. Research stimulated by the new interest in fathers suggests that fathers' involvement in their children's schools does make a difference in their children's education. Using data from the 1996 National Household Education Survey (NHES:96), this Digest looks at the extent of father involvement in two-parent and in single-parent families, explores the types of involvement, and discusses the link between fathers' involvement and kindergartners' through 12th-graders' school performance. Findings noted include the following: (1) fathers in two-parent families are less likely than mothers in two-parent families to be highly involved in their children's schools; (2) fathers and mothers who head single-parent families are virtually identical in their level of involvement, and it is quite similar to that of mothers in two-parent families; (3) fathers in two-parent families are more likely to attend school or class events or general school meetings than they are to attend parent-teacher conferences or to volunteer at their children's schools. Findings also indicated that in two-parent households, children are more likely to do well academically, to participate in extracurricular activities, and to enjoy school. Children are less likely to have ever repeated a grade or to have been suspended or expelled if their fathers have high involvement in their schools. This finding was also true in father-only households, allowing that children living in single-parent households are, on average, less successful in school and experience more behavior problems than children living in two-parent households. The Digest concludes by noting that the low participation of fathers in two-parent families offers schools an opportunity to increase overall parental involvement by targeting fathers, and that fathers can be a positive force in their children's education. (LPP)