This study compares parent participation in a suburban New York school district with parent participation in five Chicago city schools. Section one provides an overview of the study, which was based on an examination of external innovations (such as laws, court orders, and new programs) that created new bases for parents to become involved in educational decision making at the local school level. Section two reviews characteristics of the suburban school district studied and characteristics of the school system which appeared to influence parent participation in major issues (budget controversies, school board elections, facilities, school community relations). In sections three through five, the history, personnel networks, and social characteristics of several suburban parent groups are then reconstructed and interaction settings and resources mobilized by these groups are described. The remainder of the study focuses on the urban research, with section six detailing methodological criteria. Sections seven and eight compare variations in parent participation levels in the five urban sites, and provide researchers' and community organizers' comments regarding the parent participation data. Implications of the study's findings for policymakers, administrators, and parents are discussed in section nine. Appended to the study are conceptual and theoretical background, as well as research instruments utilized. (GC)