This study examined potential links among parents' role beliefs for involvement and social-contextual variables contributing to its development. A sample of parents from two Title I middle schools responded to surveys assessing their perceptions of student and teacher invitations to involvement, school expectations of involvement, school climate, childhood schooling experiences, and their role beliefs. Parents' perceptions of student invitations to involvement, school expectations of involvement, and school climate had the largest effects on parents' role beliefs in one school, while school climate was the sole predictor of parents' role beliefs in the other. Teachers' invitations to involvement were not directly related to role beliefs in either school. Differences between schools are discussed in relation to social and cultural capital. (Contains 3 figures and 5 tables.)