Parenting styles (PS) and parental involvement (PI) are established influencers of students' academic achievement. However, research examining their simultaneous and reciprocal impact remains sparse. The current study scrutinized these reciprocal relationships. A two-wave longitudinal research design involving 3,768 Chinese middle school students was conducted in the study. Participants completed an online questionnaire regarding their PS and PI, in addition to standardized subject tests. Results of the cross-lagged paths across two-time points revealed nuanced evocative effects, indicating that authoritative PS and PI in daily life positively predicted students’ academic achievement, whereas permissive PS and PI in study negatively predicted it. Students’ academic achievement positively predicted their authoritative PS and PI in daily life but negatively predicted their authoritarian and permissive PS. These insights offer valuable guidance for educators in devising effective educational interventions and help parents refine their parenting practices to bolster adolescents’ academic achievement.