Academic performance is the result of a complex and multidimensional interaction: sociocultural, economic, and biological factors influence the family, school and community context. Among the sociocultural factors, the family is the determinant. In particular, the family function, parenting patterns and parent models have been shown to influence the academic performance of school children. Colombia lacks local studies that account for this association from a systemic and comprehensive health perspective. A case study was carried out using a qualitative methodology: six families from a low-income public school in Bogotá (Colombia) were studied. Interviews, familiogram, family APGAR, FACES IV and academic qualifications were applied. The information was codified into four categories (characterization of the child and the family, parental styles, family function and school history, and academic performance) and a triangulation of the findings was carried out. Our study found that parental styles influence academic performance and can be associated with family function, but this performance is independent of family typology. Various factors influence parental styles, which may vary over time and during the development of school children. In particular, the democratic parental style is associated with good academic performance and good family function, while permissive and negligent parental styles are associated with family dysfunction and poor academic performance. Given the current situation of the Colombian educational system, it is urgently necessary to establish public policies that favor and protect the time and role of caregivers. Likewise, encouragement of educational programs that promote affection, support, responsibility, and adequate patterns of communication and upbringing with schoolchildren is crucial, given that the participation of caregivers in educational processes is key to academic success, from early childhood to adolescence.