In the American system, which consists of schools with generally undifferentiated charters, parents tend to manage the daily school activities of their children, and parents who perform such management raise the academic standing of their children. In the West German system, which consists of secondary schools with highly differentiated charters, parental management differs according to secondary school type. Parents engage in less management in secondary schools that prepare for university study than in secondary schools leading to a degree based on student grades and final examination performance. In the Japanese system, which has a competitive selection process and universities with different charters, parents tend to invest in schooling activities outside the formal school setting. By supporting adolescent use of exam preparation activities, Japanese parents influence adolescent educational and occupational opportunities. Differences in the ability and motivation of parents to undertake successful managerial strategies have implications for a general theory of educational stratification during adolescence. Stratification by social class may move through the educational system, in part because of a specific parent-school relationship that is shaped by the institutional character of the educational system. In many educational systems, adolescents from families of higher socioeconomic status obtain more or better education than adolescents from families of lower socioeconomic status, and males often have better educational opportunities than females. 25 references.