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PERCEPTIONS OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS AND PARENTS IN
THE GARDEN GROVE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT REGARDING
PARENT EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND THEIR IMPACT
ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
By
Jean Mary Clifford
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
May 1995
UMI Number: 9621709
UMI Microform 9621709
Copyright 1996, by UMI Company. All rights reserved.
This microform edition is protected against unauthorized
copying under Title 17, United States Code.
UMI
300 North Zeeb Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
School of Education
Los Angeles, California 90089-0031
This dissertation, written by
Jean Mary Clifford
under the direction o f h §£-.Dissertation Committee, and
approved by all members o f the Committee, has been
presented to and accepted by the Faculty of the School
o f Education in partialfulfillment of the requirements fo r
the degree o f
D o c to r o f E d u c a t io n
February 2 f 1 9 9 5.....
Dean
Dissertation Committee
irson
Jean Mary Clifford Dr. William B. Michael
PERCEPTIONS OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS AND PARENTS IN
THE GARDEN GROVE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT REGARDING
PARENT EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND THEIR IMPACT
ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Problem. As California educators face the challenges
of changing school demographics and continued changes in the
family structure, because of social and economic
conditions, they will require greater parent involvement and
more parent education programs to help meet the needs of the
students whom they serve. The purpose of the study was to
determine whether elementary site administrators and parents
of elementary school children have different or similar
perceptions about parent education programs.
Method. The subjects for this study were the
elementary school principals and parents of elementary
school-age children in the Garden Grove Unified school
District. Two independent surveys, one for elementary
school administrators and one for parents of elementary-age
students, were developed for this research study.
Findings. (1) Both parents and elementary school
administrators perceived the following activities to be
ones that had some to great impact on students achievement:
parent conferences (71% and 100%, respectively), helping
1
with homework (77% and 93%, respectively), and reading
school communications (56% and 86%, respectively).
(2) For the statements of characteristics representing
effective parent education programs as being those that (a)
were based on a needs assessment, (b) increased parent
skills to work with children and (c) involved parents and
children working together, the respective percentages of
parents and principals who gave a response of agree or
strongly agree were 84 and 95, 97 and 96, and 98 and 99.
Conclusions: (1) Parents and administrators perceived
parent education programs as important in helping students
do better in school. (2) It was evident that most parents
and administrators perceived parent education activities,
such as parent conferences, helping with homework, reading
school communications, and Back to School Night, as having
had a positive effect on student achievement. (3)
Administrators perceived the role of parents both as
supporters and as partners as having had the greatest effect
on student achievement.
(Copies available exclusively from Micrographics Department,
Doheny Library, use, Los Angles, CA 90089-0192)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to
the following people: Dr. William B. Michael, who served as
Chair of my Dissertation Committee, sharing his expertise,
knowledge, and skills with a strong sense of dedication and
commitment to his students; Dr. Maurice Ross and Dr. Dennis
Hocevar for their contributions as members of my
Dissertation Committee; my parents, Fred and Yvette
Clifford, for their inspiration, support, and encouragement
in all my educational and professional endeavors; my
neighbor, Della Soto, for her support and encouragement
throughout the doctoral program; and the elementary school
administrators and parents in the Garden Grove Unified
School District for their support and contributions to this
study.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS..........................................ii
LIST OF TABLES......................................... V
Chapter
I. THE PROBLEM................................... 1
Introduction
The Problem Situation
Purpose
Importance of the Study
Research Questions
Delimitations
Limitations
Assumptions
Definitions of Terms
Organization of the Remainder
of the Dissertation
II. REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE..................14
A Historical Perspective
The Changing Relationship
Between Family and School
Support for Parent Involvement
in Parent Education
Parent Involvement and Student
Achievement
Federal, State, and Local Influences
California's Policy on Parent
Involvement
District and Site Level Roles/
Responsibilities
Parent Involvement Roles in the
School
III. METHODS AND PROCEDURES.......................... 40
Population of Principals and
Sample of Parents
Instrumentation
Procedures for Distribution of
the Instrument
Data Analyses
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)
Chapter Rage
IV. FINDINGS......................................... 46
Analysis of Findings
Discussion
V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS . . 72
Summary
Conclusions
Recommendat ions
REFERENCES................................................ 80
APPENDIX A: Elementary School Principal Perceptions
About Parent Education Programs and the
Impact on Student Achievement ........... 83
APPENDIX B: Parent Perceptions About Parent
Education Programs at the Elementary
School...................................... 88
iv
LIST OF TABLES
Iai2l£ Page.
1. Parent Survey: Percentages of Parent
Responses of Participation in Their
Child's School Related Activities
M = 148..........................................48
2. Parent Survey: Percentages of Parent
Responses to Questions Concerning the
Effect of Parent Education Programs on
Their Child's Learning N = 1 4 8 ................52
3. Principal Survey: Percentages of
Principal Responses to Questions
Concerning Effective Parent Education
Programs £ = 42..................................58
4. Principal Survey: Percentages of
Principal Responses to Questions
Concerning the Perceived Impact of
Parent Education Programs on student
Achievement £ = 4 2 .............................59
5. Percentage comparisons of Parent
(£ = 148) and Principal (£ = 42)
Responses Concerning Involvement of
Parents in Child's Learning....................62
6. Comparison of Parent (£ = 148) and
Principal (£ = 42) Survey Responses
Concerning the Representation Involved
in Planning Parent Education programs. . . . 64
7. Comparison of Parent (N = 65) and
Principal (£ = 42) Survey Responses
Regarding Effective Parent Education
Programs....................................... 65
8. Comparison of Parent (£ = 148) and
Principal (£ = 42) Survey Responses
Regarding the Perceived Effect of
Parent Education Activities on Child's
Schoolwork (Student Achievement) . ......... 67
v
CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM
Introduction
Research supporting the impact of parent involvement on
student achievement is clearly documented by a number of
researchers including Berger (1991), Chavkin and Williams
(1987), Comer (1986), Epstein (1987), Henderson (1988), Kum
(1993), and Solomon (1991). Parents are their children/s
first teachers, and studies such as Berger's (1991) have
documented the involvement of parents in the education of
their children throughout history. Social and economic
conditions brought changes in the family and in the growth
of public schooling. Schools are viewed as important to
parents and families. Comer (1986) emphasized the
importance of involving parents in school programs because
such involvement creates a desirable context for teaching
and learning. Solomon's (1991) research supported the fact
that successful students receive long-term support from
their parents.
The Evidence Grows (National Committee for Citizens in
Education, 1981) and The Evidence Continues to Grow:__Parent
Involvement Improves Student Achievement (Henderson, 1987),
published by the National Committee for Citizens in
Education, describes fifty-three studies that show that
school programs with a strong parent involvement component
1
produce students who perform at a higher level than those
students in identical programs that have less parent
involvement (Henderson, 1988). Studies by Comer, Coleman,
and Hoffer as cited in Henderson (1988) also have revealed
that students who have had long-term programs with parent
involvement have had higher gains in achievement than those
students who have not. Bristor (1987) referred to Epstein's
(1984) research which reported that students made higher
achievement gains in reading when parents received parental
help than when they did not. As Goldring (1990) stated, "It
is generally believed that increased parent-school relations
will lead to significant educational benefits" (p. 391).
Studies by Caplan, Choy, and Whitmore (1992) attributed
the success of Indochinese Refugee students to adapt to
American schools to the pivotal role that the family played
in the children's academic success. They went on to state
that families must become more committed to the education of
their children if American schools are going to succeed.
As California educators face the challenges of changing
school demographics and continued changes in the family
structure, because of social and economic conditions, they
will require greater parent involvement and more parent
education programs to help meet the needs of the students
whom they serve. Recognizing these needs, state and federal
legislators have, through School Improvement and Chapter 1
2
programs, established guidelines for parent involvement and
parent education programs in the schools. In September of
1990, California established its own policy on parent
education when Assembly Bill 322, written by Maxine Waters,
was signed into law (Solomon, 1991). It mandated that
districts establish policies on parent education. Districts
in turn put the responsibility for parent education into the
hands of school site administrators.
Epstein (1987), Morrow (1989), Berger (1991), Solomon
(1991), and Kum (1993) provided a number of valuable
suggestions for administrators to consider when designing,
planning, and implementing parent education programs.
Morrow (1989) and Kum (1993) offered excellent suggestions
that administrators should consider when working with
culturally diverse parents and when trying to increase their
participation and involvement in American schools.
The importance of effective parent involvement and
parent education programs cannot be overstated. It's
Elementary. a California Department report (California
Department of Education, 1992) recommends that educators
"reach out to parents to solicit their active involvement in
the education of their children" (p. 81). The report goes
on to say "the research regarding the effect of parental
involvement on their children is both well-known and
unequivocal. Parental involvement helps motivate students,
3
particularly those from low-income household and has a
marked positive impact on their achievement. At present,
it remains a largely underutilized resource in promoting
improved learning outcomes" (California Department of
Education, 1992, p. 81).
Finally, the importance of having parents involved in
activities at schools, is best stated by Henderson (1988),
who said, "We cannot afford to sequester parents on the
periphery of the education enterprise. Parent involvement
is neither a quick fix nor a luxury; it is absolutely
fundamental to a healthy system of public education" (p.
153).
The Problem Situation
Parent education is an essential ingredient toward
helping students succeed in school. The task of the
educator has become increasingly more difficult throughout
the state of California as schools continue to have an
increase in (a) the number of Limited English Proficient
(LEP) students, (b) students entering the school system
from dysfunctional families, and (c) families dealing with
all kinds of social, emotional, and economically related
problems. In addition, California legislators have passed
a law, Assembly Bill 322, which requires that all school
districts establish policies for parent education. Although
general policies are in place in most districts, much of the
designing, planning, and implementing of parent education
programs has been left under the direction of the school
site administrator.
Administrators and teachers have addressed parent
education in the past through the early childhood program.
Today, most schools have parent education programs in place
based on the state and federal guidelines issued for School
Improvement and Chapter 1 programs. Parent education
programs, particularly those in schools representing
culturally diverse parents, are usually centered on what the
administrator or staff perceive as essential topics that
would help the students become more successful with school.
These parent education presentations tend to be (1) "short
term" non-sequential ones that are on a single topic area
such as Family Math [Mathematics], Family Science, Family
Reading; (2) "long-term" programs that are sequential and
thematically based such as basic English survival skills or
parenting skills; or (3) a combination of "short-term" or
"1ong-term" programs.
The literature clearly has revealed that parent
involvement impacts student achievement and that the school
plays a critical role in designing, planning, and
implementing effective programs. Therefore, it is important
to identify the critical components of successful and
effective parent education programs. It is equally
5
important to analyze whether elementary school
administrators and parents have similar or different
perceptions regarding parent education programs in order to
determine whether these programs are meeting the needs of
the parents in order to help their children succeed in
school.
Purpose
This research study was intended to identify some
characteristics of effective parent education programs, as
well as some model parent education programs which were
perceived by elementary school administrators and parents to
improve student achievement. These identified
characteristics and programs would serve as a resource to
site administrators who would be planning, designing, and
implementing parent education programs as a vehicle toward
increasing student achievement. The purpose of the study
was to determine whether elementary site administrators and
parents of elementary school children held different or
similar perceptions about parent education programs.
Importance of the Study
Parent education/involvement programs have been a part
of the elementary school setting since the early years
(about 1934) as reflected in the review of literature.
Researchers such as Comer (1986), Epstein (1987), and
6
Henderson (1988) have shown the importance of parent
involvement in increasing student achievement. State and
Federal legislators have mandated parent education programs,
and districts and schools have formulated policies and
guidelines based on these legislative actions. Reports
such as A Nation at Risk (United Stated National Commission
on Excellence in Education, 1983) and It's Elementary
(California Department of Education, 1992), have stressed
the importance of parent involvement and have presented
recommendations to parents and educators.
This study was considered important as it sought to
identify current perceptions of parents and administrators
at the elementary school level regarding parent involvement
and parent education programs in meeting the academic needs
of students. This study could serve as a possible resource
to elementary school administrators and parents as they
continue to plan, design, and implement parent education
programs mandated by state and federal guidelines by
identifying model parent education programs that are
perceived to increase student achievement.
Research Questions
Based on a sample of 148 parents and a population of 42
elementary school principals in a suburban school district
adjacent to Los Angeles, answers were sought to the
7
following questions for parent education programs already in
place:
1. In what ways and to what extent did parents
indicate their participation and involvement in their
child/s school-related activities?
2. What were the perceptions of parents regarding
parent education programs with respect to the following
features: (a) goals and objectives of these programs and
(b) perceived effect of these programs and other school-
related activities on their child's school work?
3. What commonalties and practices were identified by
the elementary school principals in planning, designing,
implementing, and evaluating current parent education
programs?
4. What were the perceptions of principals regarding
parent education programs with respect to the following
features: (a) goals, objectives, and effective
characteristics of these programs and (b) perceived impact
of these programs and other school-related activities on
student achievement?
5. What similarities and differences were indicated
in the perceptions of principals and parents with respect to
the following characteristics: (a) involvement of parents
in their child's learning, (b) the representation of those
individuals who should be involved in the planning process,
8
(c) the selection and implementation of the goals and
objectives for an effective program, and (d) the perceived
impact of those programs on student achievement?
Delimitations
The delimitations of the proposed research study were:
1. Only the forty-two elementary school
administrators (K-6) in the Garden Grove Unified School
District were involved in the research study.
2. Perceptions of parents and elementary school
principals were restricted to those matters and features
associated with parent education programs.
Limitations
The limitations of the research study were as follows:
1. The validity and reliability of the responses to
the questionnaires completed by the administrators could be
challenged.
2. Some administrators might have been reluctant to
complete the questionnaires honestly and/or accurately.
3. Some elementary school sites might not have had
parent education programs in place.
4. Some elementary school sites might have
interpreted "parent education" more broadly than did the
investigator.
9
5. Administrator perceptions about what constitutes
an effective parent education program may differ in relation
to theory and actual practice.
6. Individual administrator biases might have existed
regarding mandated parent education programs.
7. Administrator attitudes in planning and
implementing parent education programs might have been based
on past experiences rather than on any empirical findings.
8. The administrator might have had no interest or
insufficient staff to assist in planning, designing, and
implementing a parent education program.
9. Administrators of the elementary school sites have
planned 1 1 short-term," "long-term," or a combination of both
types of parent education programs.
Assumptions
The following assumptions were implicit in this study:
1. Parents in the community have had an awareness
that certain school-related activities were in place to
support and to facilitate their child's learning at school.
2. Administrators at the school sites surveyed have
had parent education programs in place.
3. Administrators at these sites have perceived that
there has been a need to have parent education programs as
a means to increase student achievement.
4. The survey instrument was content valid.
10
5. The respondents were able to interpret in a
relatively uniform manner the content of each item in the
survey form.
6. The sample of responding parents was
representative of the population of parents in the school
district.
7. The data from the survey forms were accurately
recorded and analyzed.
Definitions of Terms
For the purpose of this study the following terms have
been defined:
Achievement
Assessment of student learning based on observations,
student records, portfolios, interviews, and questionnaires
from students, parents, and/or other school personnel.
Administrator
Elementary school site principal responsible for the
overall direction of the parent education programs in a
school.
Facilitator
Non-administrative staff member who is responsible for
the parent education component of the school's plan or site
(examples: Teacher on Special Assignment, Student Program
Facilitator, teacher, or parent).
11
Long-Term
A sequential parent education program that is
thematically based (e.g., English skills, parenting
skills).
Model Programs
Parent education programs that show a positive
relationship between the program and student achievement.
Parent Education/Involvement
Any form of information or training which increases the
skills of the parents (in helping their children at school
or improving themselves).
Short-Term
Parent education programs that are non-sequential and
presented once (e.g., Family Math (Mathematics], Family
Science, Family Reading).
Organization of the Reminder
of the Dissertation
Chapter II presents a review of literature on parent
education and involvement as it relates to student
achievement. It includes (a) the research on administrator
perceptions and/or attitudes regarding parent involvement;
(b) the importance of designing, planning, and implementing
effective parent education programs that meet the needs of
parents; and (c) an identification of model parent
education programs.
12
Chapter III focuses on the methodology used in the
study. It describes the procedures employed to gather and
to organize the data obtained through the use of
questionnaires, interviews, and observations.
Chapter IV affords an analysis and evaluation of the
data that were collected for this study.
Chapter V presents a summary, conclusions, and
recommendations derived from the study.
Appropriate references and appendixes are included at
the end of the research study.
13
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE
Parent involvement in education has received renewed
interest because of the directions of current legislative
actions. In reviewing the literature, one notes that
parents have nearly always been involved in their children's
education, but the degree and extent of involvement have
changed over the years because of variations in social and
economic conditions brought upon society. This chapter is
organized in terms of (a) an historical perspective, (b) the
changing relationship between family and school, (c) support
for parent involvement in parent education, (d) parent
involvement and student achievement, (e) federal, state, and
local influences, (f) California's policy on parent
involvement, (g) district and site level roles/
responsibilities, and (h) parent involvement roles in the
school.
An Historical Perspective
Parents have probably been the most important educators
for their children, as they are their children's first
teachers. Berger (1991) presented an excellent review of
the history of parent involvement by showing how parents
have been and continue to be involved in the education of
their children. In ancient cultures, "Parents were
nurturers and educators of their children through modeling,
14
care giving, and guidance. They imparted skills, mores, and
values of the time, influenced by their life experiences,
the environment in which they lived, and their culture"
(Berger, 1991, p. 210).
With the emergence of civilization, children continued
to receive their first education from within the home.
Later, they received their formal education outside the
home. The Greek and Roman societies had regulations
governing schools and parent responsibilities. In early
Greek society, good care, and the education of the children
were extremely important because it was for the benefit of
the state. In Roman society, the mother was the first
educator of her children, and when the children matured, the
fathers became involved with their son's education (Berger,
1991).
The Middle Ages brought changes, as this period was a
time of family survival, and formal education was kept alive
by the church. Parents taught basic skills, as the
children worked and participated in everyday life (Berger,
1991). In the 1700s, Western society viewed childhood as a
special period of life. John Amos Comenius and John Locke
recognized the importance of the interaction of parents and
children in shaping the ability of children. Locke's
writings emphasized the issues of parenting and the
responsibilities of parents.
15
The roots of the current emphasis on parent involvement
were seen in the writings of Rousseau and Pestalozzi
(Berger, 1991). The mother was viewed as the child's first
educator. The emphasis on parent involvement in the 1900s,
which was founded in the European line of thought, was based
on three child rearing theories: (a) strict guidance by the
parents and obedience by the child (Calvinist doctrine); (b)
natural goodness of the child and the importance of family
care; and (c) influence upon children by the environment
accompanied by the necessary intervention of education
(Berger, 1991).
Prior to the 1940s, parent involvement in the schools,
although indirect, was meaningful and constant because the
United States was basically made up of small towns and rural
areas. Young people learned about life through emotionally
important authority figures and behavior models such as
parents, teachers, and religious leaders. The school was a
natural sense of community which was shared by most people
(Comer, 1986).
After World War II, technology and scientific changes
brought on social changes, including a change in the
relationship with the home and the school. School teachers
and administrators "lost much of the power they once had to
significantly influence the social and psychological
development of students as they address their intellectual
16
development” (Comer, 1986, p. 443). As the social struggles
for rights and opportunities increased over the past two
decades, so did the distrust between school personnel and
parents, particularly parents in poor and minority
communities. As Comer wrote, "The task now is to make
institutional adjustments— changes in the ways of
schooling— that will once again give parents, teachers, and
administrators the power to help students grow
intellectually, psychologically, and socially. Direct
parent participation in the school is one such needed
adjustment" (p. 443).
The Changing Relationship Between
Family and School
In the early days, schooling was fully lodged in the
family, except for the elite. Schooling took place through
household activities and through a system in which children
and youths learned trades, either at home or in nearby
households (Coleman, 1987). For elite families, private
tutors served as an extension of the family and provided
instruction within the home, while boarding schools
transferred the teachings and activities of the home to a
setting outside the home. Most of the economic activities
prior to this century were centered within the household or
within the neighborhood. The whole social and economic
structure had the family as the basic building block. This
17
circumstance changed in the later half of the nineteenth
century because economically productive activities were
moved outside the household (Coleman, 1987).
Paralleling the movement of men working outside the
home was the growth of public schooling. The family, as the
center, continued to change when women went to work.
Coleman (1987) said, "The role of unstructured home-based or
neighborhood-based activities for children under the
supervision of parents has declined, and the role of
structured, school-based activities under the supervision of
professionals has increased" (p. 34). Parents have
continued to delegate a wide range of socialization
activities to the schools.
Support for Parent Involvement
in Parent Education
The importance of a home and school alliance has been
clearly stated by Berger (1991). He declared, "The emerging
alliance between homes and schools comes from the
recognition that not only are schools important to parents
and families but that schools also need the support of
parents in order to achieve optimum success" (p. 209).
Comer (1986) also emphasized the importance of school
programs that involved parents as this "can play a major
role in creating a desirable context for teaching and
learning" (p. 444). In addition, he stated, "In a climate
18
of good parent/teacher relationships, students were more
responsive to the academic and behavioral expectations of
the school staff. Parent assistants and teachers shared
knowledge that enabled the parents to better support the
academic, social, and psychological growth of students"
(p. 445).
A position paper on "Home-School Partnership" (New York
State School Boards Association, 1987) stated that
"virtually every major national report addressing the
current problems of American public education has urged
greater parent involvement as a solution" (p. vi).
"Parent involvement in the schools has been the
cornerstone of the American school system since the colonial
period" (New York State School Boards Association, 1987,
p. 1). Families were the primary agents in the
socialization of children. Schooling belonged to the
families because each member was involved in and responsible
for the upbringing of children. As time passed and the
communities grew, social and economic changes made families
turn to formally established schools to deal with their
children's learning (New York State School Boards
Association, 1987).
Parent Involvement and Student Achievement
A review of research by the New York State School
Boards Association (1987) refers to Coleman's (Coleman,
19
Campbell, Mood, Weinfeld, Hobson, York, & McPartland, 1966)
"watershed study" on student achievement, which determined
that "a student's positive attitude about himself and his
control over his environment are critical to achievement"
(p. 6). Coleman et al. also concluded that family
background is the most important factor in a child's
education. Reanalysis of Coleman et al.'s data, along
with more current studies, has confirmed the importance of
school influences and has emphasized the importance of
family influence on a child's learning. Greenwood and
Hickman (1991) also referred to the Coleman report and
reanalysis of the report by Mosteller and Moynihan (1972)
that revealed "approximately one-half to two-thirds of the
student achievement variance studied was accounted for by
home variables, especially socioeconomic status, rather than
school variables" (Greenwood & Hickman, 1991, p. 279). They
also agreed that these results "strongly supported increased
emphasis on parents in the education of their children"
(p. 279).
According to Solomon (1991), "research has shown
clearly that successful students tend to receive long-term
support from parents or other adults at home as well as
strong support from teachers and others at school" (p. 359).
Achievement seems to be determined by three important family
influences: (a) student and parent expectations for academic
20
performance; (b) the extent to which the families engaged in
activities to support expectations; and (c) the student's
attitude toward hard work as necessary to succeed (New York
State School Boards Association, 1987, p. 6).
Epstein (1987) reasserted the importance of parent
involvement in student achievement. She stated;
The recent acknowledgements of the importance of parent
involvement are built on research findings accumulated
over two decades that show that children have an
advantage in school when their parents encourage and
support school activities. Research on family
environments has consistently documented the importance
of parent involvement at all grade levels. The
evidence is clear that parental encouragement,
activities, and interest at home and participation in
schools and classrooms affect children's achievements,
attitudes, and aspirations, even after student ability
and family socioeconomic status are taken into account,
(pp. 119-120)
Two annotated bibliographies, The Evidence Grows
(National Committee for Citizens in Education, 1981) and The
Evidence Continues to Grow; Parent Involvement Improves
Student Achievement (Henderson, 1987) published by the
National Committee for Citizens in Education, describe
fifty-three studies that "show that programs designed with
a strong component of parent involvement produce students
who perform better than those who have taken part in
otherwise identical programs with less parent involvement"
(Henderson, 1988, p. 149). Some of the major benefits of
parent involvement, according to Henderson (1988), include
higher grades and tests scores, improved long-term academic
21
achievement, positive attitudes and behavior, more
successful programs, and more effective schools.
The studies on parent involvement examined one of three
general approaches: (a) improving the parent/child
relationship, (b) integrating parents into the school
programs, or (c) building strong connections among schools,
families and the larger community (Henderson, 1988). In
looking at improving the parent/child relationship, the
researchers in Henderson's view have found that building a
strong environment at home (with high expectations and
positive attitudes) has had a powerful effect on student
achievement. With respect to introducing parent
involvement in the school, the studies showed that parents
(a) developed better attitudes toward schools and school
staff members (b) helped gather support in the community,
and (c) became more active in community affairs, and sought
more education for themselves (Henderson, 1988).
In suggesting building a partnership between home and
school, the studies indicated that individual student
performance improved by involving parents in their
children's education at home. However, "the average level
of achievement of a school does not appear to rise unless
parents are involved in the school" (Henderson, 1988,
p. 151). Research has supported the fact that when parents
are a basic ingredient in an improvement strategy, students
22
perforin better in school. Henderson (1988) referred to the
research by Benson (Benson, Buckley, & Medrick, 1980) on
family initiated activities. This research revealed that
parent efforts do improve achievement. However, parent
efforts do not totally overcome the disadvantages associated
with low socioeconomic status. Benson's study, according to
Henderson (1988), did not look at the effects of an
intensive program to reinforce the mutual efforts of home
and school.
Solomon (1991) referred to the research studies of
Comer (1986), and of Coleman and Hoffer (1987), whose
findings indicated how parent involvement impacts student
achievement. Comer's (1986) study of two inner city New
Haven Connecticut schools revealed that long-term programs
which included parent involvement, resulted in significant
gains in student achievement (Solomon, 1991). In another
study, Coleman and Hoffer (1987) concluded that "students in
Catholic and other private high schools performed better
than comparable students in public schools at least partly
because of the relationship between school and the families
and communities they served" (Solomon, 1991, p. 360).
Some of the major points identified by Henderson
(1988) regarding the research on parent involvement were as
follows: (a) the family provides the primary educational
environment for children, not the school; (b) student
23
achievement is improved if parents are involved in their
children's formal education; (c) parent involvement is more
effective when it is comprehensive, well-planned, and long
lasting; (d) involving parents when their children are
young has beneficial effects that continue throughout the
child's academic career; (e) children from low-income and
minority families benefit most when parents are involved in
the schools; and (f) parents do not have to be well-educated
to make a difference.
The importance of the influence of parent involvement,
as a significant contributor to children's success in
school, was further supported by Bristor (1987) who referred
to the research by Croft (1979) that confirmed the
beneficial impact that the family has on the educational
outcomes of its children. In a major research study Tizard,
Schofield, and Hewison (1982), according to Bristor (1987),
found that "children who receive parental help are
significantly better in reading attainment than comparable
children who did not receive parental help" (p. 24). The
preliminary results of Epstein's (1984) research indicated
that "students whose teachers were leaders in parent
involvement made greater gains in reading achievement than
did other students from fall to spring of their school year"
(p. 24).
24
Research conducted by Caplan, Choy, and Whitmore
(1992), on Indochinese Refugee Families, revealed that these
students succeed in American schools despite their hardships
or lack of English because they are able to adapt to
American schools. The researchers attributed this success
to the pivotal role of the family in the children's academic
success. Based on their research, they concluded that "it
is clear that the U.S. educational system can work— if the
requisite familial and social supports are provided for the
student outside school" (p. 36). They stated: "Children
often acquire a sense of their heritage as a result of
deliberate and concentrated parental effort in the context
of family life" (p. 39).
Cultural perspectives and values are embedded in the
cultural heritage of these Indochinese children. Because
older children help the younger children with their homework
studies, students learned skills, habits, attitudes, and
expectations as well as content. Younger children are
taught how to learn. Consequently, as this setting appears
to make children feel at home in school, they are able to
perform well.
The findings by Caplan et al. also suggested that
English literacy skills may not play a vital role in
determining school performance. Instead, the "emotional
ties between the parent and child, cultural validations, and
25
wisdom shared in stories read in the child's native
language, or value placed on reading and learning, extend to
schoolwork" (p. 40). In addition, cultural values were seen
to be linked not only to past traditions, but to present and
future possibilities. "The emphasis on education as the key
to social acceptance and economic success helps us
understand why academic achievement is reinforced by such
strong parental commitment" (p. 41). They stated that for
"American schools to succeed, parents and families must
become more committed to the education of their children.
They must instill respect for education and create within
the home an environment conducive to learning. They must
also participate in the process so their children feel
comfortable learning and go to school willing and prepared
to study" (p. 42). Parent involvement must include the
identification of cultural elements that promote
achievement.
Federal, State, and Local Influences
The influence of federal, state, and local actions on
parent involvement and education had its beginning long ago.
Berger (1991) presented an excellent overview of the
increased growth of parent education efforts beginning with
the early 1800s.
In the early 1800s, the concept of the kindergarten was
introduced into the United States. Along with it came an
26
increase in the parent education movement, which received
support from several organizations, including the American
Association of University Women and the Congress of Parents
and Teachers. As the attention to children's early
education and the interest to share information on
child-rearing practices grew, the media began to reach
larger audiences through printed publications (Berger,
1991).
Parent education in the 1920s focused on the needs of
the parents. Study groups were formed for their own
enlightenment or need for health information. The 1930s
brought the recommendation that professional organizations
and state educational departments study their opportunities
and obligations for parent education. The 1940s saw a
continuation of parent education and the provision of child
care services for mothers who worked in the war effort. The
1950s brought an emphasis on the family and the
influences of Benjamin Spock, who encouraged parents to
allow children self-regulation (Berger, 1991).
With the consolidation of schools, children traveled
longer distances to schools. Parent power was reduced, as
parents were not so personally involved with their
children's schools. The 1960s brought a renewed emphasis on
academic achievement. New educational directions took place
at this time. Research had shown that early childhood
27
programs had beneficial effects on a child's development,
and that positive outcome led the way toward the
establishment of Head Start programs. In addition, this
period was a time in which educators recognized the cultural
diversities of children. Parent education during this time
provided support for the whole family.
The 1970s brought an increase in federal programs.
Parents became involved in school and student-related
decisions, as defined by the guidelines of the specific
programs, such as Chapter I and Public Law 94-142. The
1980s brought support for home-school collaboration from
both public agencies and professional educators, and schools
took on the leadership role for developing ideal models for
successful parent-school collaboration.
The 1990s have continued to challenge schools and
parents in providing the necessary education and support
that children need. Berger (1991) pointed out that parent
participation in the school includes at least five levels of
involvement: (a) parent as active partner and educational
leader at home and school; (b) parent as a decision-maker;
(c) parent as school volunteer or paid employer; (d)
parent as a liaison between home and school to support
homework; and (e) parent as a supporter of the educational
goals of the school (p. 217).
28
With the increased social and economic problems has
come a greater increase in the responsibility of the schools
to reach both students and parents. As Berger (1991)
stated, "Schools, community, and parents must join hands in
a commitment to their children's future" (p. 218).
California's Policy on Parent Involvement
The state of California passed a policy for parent
involvement, which requires all districts and schools to
develop their own policies and practices to involve all
families in their children's schooling. In January 1991,
Assembly Bill 322, written by Assemblywomen Maxine Waters,
was signed into law. The bill requires districts receiving
specified federal and state funds not only to establish
programs of parent involvement, but also to adopt parent
involvement policies for those schools that do not receive
any of these funds (Solomon, 1991).
The policy, as defined by the state, has recognized the
connection that links school curricula, family involvement,
and student success (Epstein, 1991). In addition, the
policy is written "with 'enabling actions' to help districts
and schools understand, design, develop, and implement their
own policies and programs" (Epstein, 1991, p. 346). Parent
involvement fell into four broad categories: (a) governance;
(b) client services, (c) parents as teachers; and (d)
parents as parents (Solomon, 1991).
29
California's policy on parent involvement was
formulated on Epstein's five types of parent involvement.
The policy adopted by the Board states:
Comprehensive programs of parent involvement require
schools to involve parents at all grade levels and in
a variety of roles. These programs should be designed
to (1) help parents develop parenting skills and
foster conditions at home that support learning; (2)
provide parents with the knowledge of techniques
designed to assist children in learning at home; (3)
provide access to and coordinate community and support
services for children and families; (4) promote clear
two-way communications between the school and the
family as to the school programs and children's
progress; (5) involve parents, after appropriate
training in instructional and support roles of school;
and (6) support parents as decision-makers and develop
their leadership in governance, advisory, and advocacy
roles. (Solomon, 1991, p. 361)
District and Site Level Roles/
Responsibilities
The efforts of principals, teachers, and support staff
at their local school sites determine whether and how
families understand the schools, their children, and their
own continuing influence in their children's learning and
development (Solomon, 1991). Solomon (1991) pointed out
that leadership in coordinating plans and actions for
integrating parent involvement into the school and classroom
must start with leadership at the state level. She wrote
"School leadership enables parents to support their
children's academic and social development across the
curriculum and across the grades through involvement at the
30
school and involvement in learning activities at home"
(p. 360). State leadership must respect the diversity
within and between schools. "School policies, programs, and
practices must recognize and respect the diverse attitudes,
cultures, skills, and needs of individual families"
(Solomon, 1991, p. 360).
According to the New York State School Boards
Association (1987), local school boards should define the
conditions of appropriate involvement in the context of
legal obligations and local policy. Educational
institutions must attend to the total well-being of the
student, as they are charged with the education of the whole
child. It goes on to suggest that at the state level there
should be a priority in requiring higher educational
institutions to develop programs that will enhance the
professional skills and knowledge related to involving
parents in education and to helping parents clarify their
roles. At the local level, policy makers can help teachers,
administrators, and other support staff with inservice
programs that incorporate parent involvement needs, goals,
and strategies.
Schools are being called upon to provide more for
parents. Most reform efforts, such as school-based
management and schools of public choice, have a heavy parent
involvement component. Chavkin and Williams (1987) stated,
31
"Most of the recent calls for educational reform in our
public schools have cited parent involvement as a key factor
for success" (p. 165). Research on school effectiveness has
revealed that parent participation is an important component
of effective schools (Goldring, 1990). Based on research
findings, "it is generally believed that increased
parent-school relationships will lead to significant
educational benefits" (Goldring, 1990, p. 391). Cochran
and Dean (1991) referred to Comer's (1986) experiences with
school improvement and parent education programs in which
Comer concluded that "parental time and talent are best used
through parent involvement in a school program that parents
themselves help determine in a meaningful partnership with
school staff" (p. 265)
Organizational effectiveness and more effective
teaching are important concerns of school administrators.
Principals and superintendents can play important leadership
and support roles in the development of all types of
effective parent involvement programs. In studying the
perceptions of administrators, Chavkin and Williams (1987)
found that administrators frequently viewed parent
involvement with schools in a manner that did not include
the full range of parent interests or abilities. They
wrote: "When administrators hold narrow views about parent
involvement, they place limits on the ways parents can
32
participate in the education of their children" (p. 165).
They referred to Nielsen's (1982) suggestion that the way to
increase parent involvement is for administrators to
encourage parents to become partners in education.
Administrators must establish a "two-way arrangement that is
active, reciprocal, and that helps facilitate a partnership
approach to providing quality public school education"
(p. 166). Consequently, administrators will need to
develop new strategies and skills for accommodating a wider
range of participations by parents, some of which may be
feared and/or resented by educators, in order to insure the
success of the partnership.
Chavkin and Williams' (1987) survey research results
showed that administrators and parents have strong interests
in parent involvement activities; however, parent
involvement in the schools was being interpreted
differently. They referred to the reviews of research of
many scholars that reinforced the critical need for more
participation and collaboration between schools and parents
in interpreting and developing common parent involvement
goals (Chavkin & Williams, 1987). In a similar vein Jackson
and Cooper (1989) stated: "School administrators, too, have
come to realize the importance of the 'home' in helping
children succeed in schools and the significance of having
33
parents in and around the school to show support and to
communicate with the wider community" (p. 263).
Epstein (1987) stated that "administrators can help
teachers successfully involve parents by coordinating,
managing, supporting, funding, and recognizing parent
involvement" (p. 133). She suggested the following
administrative functions:
(a) collecting and disseminating pertinent research and
development findings to teachers and appropriate staff,
(b) conducting staff meetings and in-service workshops
on the kinds of parental assistance needed to build
students' social skills, basic skills, and advanced
skills at each grade level, (c) coordinating
information on the programs or practices of all the
teachers in the school to document the extent of
efforts in parent involvement, (d) encouraging teams
of teachers to work together to develop activities for
parents to help the student review basic skills, or
advance or enhance student learning, (e) stimulating
teams of teachers district-wide to share the parent
involvement practices and the programs they have
developed or discovered to save teachers from
duplicating each other's efforts; (f) providing small
grants to teachers or to teams of teachers for creating
or testing materials, or for obtaining funds to
compensate teachers for time spent after school in
communicating with parents, (g) coordinating official
recognition programs for the parent and teachers who
participate at school and at home in parent involvement
activities, (h) building a positive attitude toward an
experimental approach over at least a two-(or more)
year period for improving parent involvement practices
at all grade levels. (Epstein, 1987, pp. 133-34)
Parent Involvement Roles in the School
As district level and school level personnel begin to
establish effective parent involvement and parent education
programs, it is important to know more about the diverse
34
roles that parents can play in school programs. These roles
reflect parent involvement in the schools that can take on
many different forms. Four types of parent involvement as
identified by Epstein (1987) include (a) basic obligations
of parents, (b) school-to-home-comraunications, (c) parent
involvement at the school, and (d) parent involvement in
learning activities at home.
The most basic involvement of parents is providing for
their children's needs of food, clothing, shelter, health,
and safety. Parents are expected to provide basic
child-rearing skills or child-rearing obligations that make
children "ready" for school. Parents lay the groundwork for
student success in school by building their children's
self-esteem, self-confidence, self- concept, and self-
reliance. The second type of parent involvement common to
all schools is communication from the school to the home.
School administration can influence the type and frequency
of information sent home. Newsletters, parent-teacher
conferences, open houses, and general communications by the
principal and teachers keep parents informed about the
school and the educational progress of their children. The
third type of parent involvement is that of parents
assisting teachers, administrators, and students at school.
Parents volunteer in classrooms, serve on advisory
councils, participate in parent organizations, and attend
35
school functions. The fourth type of parent involvement is
parental assistance with learning activities at home. This
involvement refers to the teacher's requests and
instructions for parents to assist their children with home
learning activities that are directly related to their
children's classwork (Epstein, 1987).
Gordon (Berger, 1991) suggested three approaches for
parent involvement and education: (a) the Family Impact
model, (b) the School Impact model, and (c) the Community
Impact model. The Family Impact model was designed to work
with family members to enable them to cope with the social
and educational system. The School Impact model was one
based on teachers learning from parents and parents learning
from teachers. The Community Impact Model has been one of
the most comprehensive frameworks which has suggested
forming alliances with other agencies, such as schools and
health agencies joining together to provide health and
educational services for families. Today, this model is one
which has begun to emerge as schools prepare to design,
plan, and implement effective parent education programs that
meet the needs of the students today.
Morrow (1989) highlighted the challenges and
difficulties of administrators, teachers, and other
education personnel who work with Southeast Asian students.
He pointed out that "Southeast Asians' expectations of
36
schools, communication patterns, and general behavior are
contrary to our own beliefs" (p. 38).
To be more effective in involving Southeast Asian
families in the schools, Morrow (1989) suggested that
administrators should be aware of the following: (a) the
literacy level of Southeast Asian refugees varies
considerably by subgroup; (b) the level of education of
Southeast Asians is also different by subgroup; (c) data
have indicated that the large differences among refugees in
the size of their native community have hindered their
ability to adjust; (d) Southeast Asian attitudes toward
parent involvement in the schools traditionally have been
different from those of American parents who tend to become
involved; (e) administrators must be aware of the powerful
force referred to as the "pride and shame" principle which
states that all individual behavior reflects either
positively or negatively on the entire family.
In order to work effectively with Southeast Asians,
Morrow (1989) pointed out that administrators and other
school personnel need to (a) review a parent/s background,
(b) learn about cultural differences, (c) develop a sense of
trust, and (d) find out how parents feel about schools. By
understanding the Southeast Asian value system,
administrators can plan and work with the Southeast Asian
37
students and parents and can thereby increase Southeast
Asian parental involvement.
Kum (1993) identified the following as the key
ingredients to successful parental involvement which help
multiethnic parents become involved in their children's
education: (a) obtaining financial support and resources
through grants and donations, (b) carefully planning the
program with input from administrators, staff, parents and
community members, (c) advertising events well in advance,
(d) having bilingual volunteers call to remind parents to
attend meetings, (e) gathering support from community
groups, (f) offering food and entertainment involving
children, (g) having child care aides, (h) having
interpreters available to translate sessions, and (i)
inviting dynamic, interesting speakers to speak on topics of
interest at parents. "All parents deserve the opportunity
to learn as much as they can to become truly involved
parents and community members” (p. 17).
Chavkin and Williams (1987) emphasized that "by
involving parents more in the goal-setting, development/
implementation, and assessment aspects of education,
administrators can help broaden the participation of parents
as well as increase their feelings of ownership and
commitment regarding public schools" (p. 120).
38
The importance of parent involvement in education can
not be overstated. Bristor (1987) referred to the United
States Department of Education's publication, First Lessons
(Bennett, 1986) which clearly pointed out the important role
of parents. Bristor (1987) wrote:
Parents belong at the center of a young child's
education. The single best way to improve elementary
education is to strengthen the parents' role in it,
both by reinforcing their relationship with the school
and by helping and encouraging them in their own
critical job of teaching the young. Not all teachers
are parents, but all parents are teachers. (p. 24)
39
CHAPTER III
METHODS AND PROCEDURES
For this quantitative study, this chapter describes (a)
the characteristics of the one population of principals and
the sample of parents, (b) the instrumentation employed (c)
procedures used for the distribution of the materials, and
(d) the processing and analysis of data.
Population of Principals and
Sample of Parents
The subjects for this study were the elementary school
principals and parents of elementary school-age children in
the Garden Grove Unified School District. The principals
have the responsibility of ensuring that Board Policies
regarding parent education programs are in place according
to state and federal guidelines. There are forty-three
elementary schools in the district. Each elementary school
site has one school principal. The entire elementary school
principal population of the Garden Grove Unified School
District was selected for this study in order to determine
what their perceptions were regarding parent education
programs at their site and the perceived effect of parent
education programs on student achievement. The parents of
fourth-grade elementary school-age children were selected
for this study from a random sample of elementary schools in
the Garden Grove Unified School District. The parents
represented the ethnic diversity of the school district,
which covers the communities of Garden Grove, Cypress, Santa
Ana, Westminster, and Stanton. Six schools were selected
for parent participation in the study.
Instrumentation
Two independent surveys, one for elementary school
administrators and one for parents of elementary-age
students, were developed for this research study.
Elementary school principals completed a four-page
survey with twenty-seven questions (Appendix A). This
survey was divided into three sections as follows:
1. Section 1, "Site Level Parent Education Programs,"
included fourteen multiple-choice questions about the
planning, implementation, and evaluation of school site
parent education programs.
2. Section 2, "Perceptions About Parent Education
Programs," consisted of eight statements in which the
respondent used a response scale. Six of the statements
solicited opinions about parent education in general, and
two questions asked about the (a) level of parent
participation in specific parent education activities and
(b) the perceived impact of those activities on student
achievement.
3. Section 3, "Respondent Information," had five
questions in a multiple-choice and fill-in format asking
about school size, percentage of Limited English Proficient
population at the school site; and the experience of the
41
principal with respect to number of years as an elementary
principal and number of years assigned to that particular
site.
The four-page parent survey form (Appendix B) consisted
of twenty-two questions which were grouped into the
following three sections:
1. Section 1, "Parent Involvement Information," had
nine multiple choice questions, two of forced response,
inquiring about the types of parent involvement activities
in which the parents had participated to support their
child's educational program.
2. Section 2, "Perceptions About Parent Education
Programs," comprised nine questions using a response scale,
indicating parent opinions about parent education programs
in general, identifying parent education activities
attended, and revealing the perceived effect on their
child's schoolwork.
3. Section 3, "Parent Information," consisted of four
questions in which the parent filled in an answer regarding
the number of students in his/her family attending
elementary school, intermediate school and high school, and
the grade levels of the elementary school-age children.
Both the elementary principal survey and the parent
survey forms presented similar questions for each section in
order to keep the surveys as closely aligned as possible,
while providing for the individual differences of each
42
group. The principal survey was in English only, whereas
the parent survey was translated into Spanish and Vietnamese
to ensure maximum participation in the research study as
well as an understanding of the survey questions by the two
dominant second language groups represented in the Garden
Grove Unified School District.
Procedures for Distributions
of the Instrument
A survey form was mailed to each of the forty-three
elementary school principals in the Garden Grove Unified
School District, who were requested to return the completed
surveys to the researcher in the self-addressed envelope.
The surveys were coded by an assigned number (1 to 43) for
the purpose of follow-up only in the event that a survey was
not returned. Each participant was ensured anonymity and
conf identiality.
A total of 430 survey forms was distributed to the
parents of fourth-grade students at the six randomly
selected elementary schools in the Garden Grove Unified
School District. This procedure for selecting the parent
participants ensured that there was equal access to student
gender, ethnic diversity, and socioeconomic status. Parents
mailed their completed survey directly to the researcher.
Parents were assured of anonymity and confidentiality.
The researcher personally met with the fourth-grade
students at three of the schools, to explain the purpose of
43
the study and to ask their assistance by emphasizing that
the surveys be hand delivered to their parents. This
procedure also provided the researcher with the opportunity
to distribute the parent surveys to the students according
to the language of the parents (i.e., English, Spanish, or
Vietnamese). For the other three schools in the study, the
site principals volunteered to distribute the surveys and to
talk with the students. A letter of instruction was given
to those principals to make certain that the same
information was presented to all the schools involved in the
research study. Parents were encouraged to participate, to
complete the survey, and to return it to the researcher via
the stamped, self-addressed envelope. These surveys were
color-coded for language purposes only. No follow-up
procedures were established, as all parents of fourth-grade
students at the randomly selected schools were invited to
participate.
Data Analyses
Data from the elementary school principal surveys and
the parent surveys were analyzed to determine the
similarities and differences between the two groups in
their perceptions regarding parent education programs and
their perceptions of the impact of these parent education
programs on student achievement. The analysis of the survey
responses by the respondents generated the descriptive
statistics for this research study. As no effort was being
44
made to generalize the results beyond the Garden Grove
Unified School District, no inferential statistics were
employed.
45
CHAPTER IV
FINDINGS
This chapter reports the findings for each of the five
research questions identified in the first chapter. All
percentages reported have been rounded to the nearest whole
number. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the
findings within the context of each research question.
Analysis of Findings
Parent Participation and Tnvolvement
in Their Child's School Related
Activities (Research Question 1)
Nine questions on the parent survey focused on parent
involvement and participation in their child's
school-related activities. The results showed that the
percentage of parents who were members of the Parent
Teachers Association (PTA) was 68 and that the percentage of
parents who were members of the Parent Teacher Organization
was 28. Parents learned about their children's educational
program by attending parent/teacher conferences (83%) and
reading school newsletters and school notices (77%). Host
of the parents surveyed indicated that they had supported
their child's learning by being sure that homework
assignments were completed (90%), helping their child study
at home (86%), and attending school activities and programs
(57%). The majority of the parents (68%) stated that they
46
had been given opportunities to decide what parent education
programs should be presented at school.
When asked about specific activities and the frequency
of their involvement in those activities (Table 1) during
the year, the following information was obtained:
1. At least 60% of the parents stated that they had
conferenced with the teacher at least one or more times,
while 36% had stated that they had three or more times.
2. Informal talks with the teachers were reported to
have occurred once or twice a year for 45% of the parents
and three or more times a year for 23% of the parents;
however, 33% of the parents indicated that they had not met
informally with the teacher.
3. With respect to the observance of classroom
activities, 57% of the parents revealed that they had not
observed classroom activities; on the other hand 35% had
done so at least once or twice a year.
4. When asked about volunteering for school projects
only 26% answered at least once or twice a year, although
64% did not; similarly, when asked about volunteering to
help with field trips, 22% responded that they had done so
once or twice a year, while 73% had not.
5. With respect to attending events at school, 50%
indicated that they had attended an event in which their
child had participated, whereas 68% declared that they had
not attended an event in which their child had not participated.
47
Table 1
Parent Survey: Percentages of Parent Responses
of Participation in Their Child's
School Related Activities
N - 148
None 1 or 2 3 or more
times times
% % %
Question: During the school year, how often have you gone to your
child's school for any of the following
a. conferences with the teacher
activities?
4 60 36
b. informal talks with the teacher 33 45 23
c. observed classroom activities 57 35 8
d. volunteered for school projects 64 26 10
e. volunteered help with field trips 73 22 5
f. attended an event in which your
child participated (play, concert) 30 50 20
g-
attended an event in which
your child did not participate 68 29 3
Question: During the school year, how often have you participated in
any of the following activities at your child's school?
a. PTA or PTO meeting 62 27 11
b. School Site Council meeting 87 11 2
c. Bilingual Committee meeting 94 4 2
d. School fund raising activity 50 39 12
e. Volunteered in classroom 82 10 8
f. Parent education programs 66 25 9
48
When asked about the frequency in which parents
participated in activities related to school site meetings,
school organizations, fund raising activities, classroom
activities, and parent education programs, the following
information was obtained:
1. At least 62% of parents responded that they had not
attended PTA or PTO meetings, although 27% of those reported
on the survey that they had attended at least one or two of
these meetings;
2. Of the parents 39% declared that they had
participated in school fund raising activities once or
twice;
3• Although 66% of the parents reported that they had
not attended parent education programs, 25% indicated that
they had attended parent education programs at least once or
twice time a year; and
4. In related questions of participating in school
site committee meetings, bilingual committee meetings,
and volunteering in the classroom, respective percentages
of responses to none were 87, 94, and 82.
Perceptions of Parents Regarding
Parent Education Programs
(Research Question 21
Goals and objectives of these programs. Parents
indicated their opinions of parent education goals and
objectives by using a four-point rating scale ranging from
49
strongly disagree to stronalv aaree. of the parents, 41%
gave a response of either agree or strongly agree to the
statement that parent education programs should focus only
on what students are learning at school, whereas 58% of the
parents afforded a response of disagree or strongly disagree
with this statement. Parents marked a response of strongly
agree (49%) or agree (41%) with the statement that parent
education programs need to help parents learn what their
children are learning at school so that parents can help
their children with their schoolwork. When parents were
asked whether their children did better in school because of
parent education programs that they had attended, 59%
checked the response of agree or strongly agree, while 41%
provided a response of disagree or strongly disagree.
Parent education programs were perceived by parents as
important in helping children do better in school with 92%
indicating a response of agree or strongly agree.
Other perceptions about parent education programs were
noted. At least 69% of parents expressed a common response
of agree or strongly agree with each of the following
statements: (a) parents should be surveyed on what they
want for parent education program (84%), (b) programs should
focus on what children are learning (93%), (c) parent
programs should increase parent skills to work with their
children (97%), (d) focus of programs should be on parenting
skills (69%), and (e) parent education programs should
50
involve parents and children working together (98%). On the
other hand, only 42% of parent registered a favorable level
of response to the statement that parent education programs
should teach parents career skills.
Par en t_perceptions regarding effect of parent education
programs. In Table 2, percentage distributions of responses
to items on a five-point scale (none. little. some. great.
and not applicable) are presented. Although the reader may
want to consult the table for detailed information, the
responses may be summarized briefly as follows:
1. The items receiving a common percentage of response
to the some or great category of at least 50% were: (b)
parent conferences (71%), (r) helped your child with
homework (77%), and (s) read school communications (56%).
2. The items obtaining a common percentage of
responses to the some or great categories ranging between 18
and 49% were (a) Back to School Night Program (49%), (c)
Family Math [Mathematics] Program (21%), (i) Earthquake
Preparedness Program (18%), and (t) visiting the classroom
(43%).
3. Other items registered a low level of effective
responses.
51
Table 2
Parent Survey: Percentages of Parent Responses to Questions
Concerning the Effect of Parent Education Programs on
Their Child's Learning
N - 148
1 2 3 4 5
None Little Soie Great NA
% % % % %
QUESTION: How much that activity effected your child's schoolwork?
a. Back to School Night 8 15 24 25 29
b. Parent Conferences 5 10 21 50 14
c. Family Math 8 5 8 13 66
d. Parent Effectiveness workshops 10 3 6 4 77
e. Classes to learn how to work
with my child 10 1 7 4 78
f. Family Science 11 2 5 7 76
g-
Family Literacy
(Camp Fire Girls) 11 2 3 1 83
h. Family Astronomy 9 1 3 2 85
i. Earthquake Preparedness 6 6 8 10 71
j-
Family Reading/Literature 7 4 7 7 74
k. Parent's Day 7 4 6 7 76
1. Active Parenting Workshops 9 4 3 6 77
m. Computer Literacy 10 2 4 4 80
n. Parenting/ESL 6 6 3 4 82
o. Early Start 7 2 3 2 86
P-
Science Fairs 10 4 3 7 77
q-
Worked in your child's classroom 12 3 6 6 73
r. Helped your child with homework 3 7 17 60 14
s. Read school communications 4 13 19 37 28
t. Visited the classroom 5 18 20 23 35
u. Helped in the classroom 13 3 5 8 72
52
Commonalties and Practices Identified bv
Elementary Principals in Planning.
Designing. Implementing, and
Evaluating Current Parent
Education Programs
fResearch Question 3)
Forty-two elementary principals in the Garden Grove
Unified School District responded to fourteen questions
about planning, designing, implementing and evaluating
parent education programs at their school sites. The
following information was obtained:
1. When asked whether parent education programs were
important, 93% of the elementary principals responded "yes",
while 8% indicated "no". Ninety-eight percent of the
principals stated that parent education programs had
increased the understanding of parents concerning what their
child had learned at school and that parent education
programs at their school site were important in order to
give parents ideas on how to help their children with school
work. In addition, 95% of the principals stated that parent
education programs had increased parent participation in
school activities.
2. Elementary principals stated that they had planned
the parent education programs at their site based on (a)
parent needs (93%), (b) student needs (91%), (c) community
needs (60%), and (d) curriculum thrusts (57%). Some
53
administrators reported having planned their parent
education programs based on administrator needs (21%) or
district needs (10%). In response to a similar question,
74% of the principals indicated that their parent
education programs had been primarily based on parent
interest, while 24% declared that planning had been based
primarily on teacher interest.
3. When asked whether the parent had played an
important role in designing the parent education programs at
their school site, 44% of the principals answered "yes",
while 56% of them responded "no".
4. Of the administrators, 44% reported having planned
parent education programs on an as needed basis, while 49%
cited having had one-year plans. Eight percent of those
surveyed indicated that their parent education plan had
covered three or more years.
5. On the whole, 69% of the administrators stated that
the parent education programs had been primarily coordinated
by them, while 29% declared that selected staff members
coordinated their parent education programs.
6. In the evaluation of the effect of parent education
programs on student achievement the following information
was noted: (a) 74% of the principals stated that
achievement had not been measured, (b) 21% reported that
they had measured the effect of the parent education
programs based on teacher records (e.g., observation,
54
checklist, tests scores), and (c) 12% responded that they
had monitored the progress of those students whose parents
attended parent education activities.
7. When asked about the focus of parent education
programs with respect to student and parent needs over the
past two years, 67% of the principals declared that they had
focused on ESL students and parent needs, 57% had
concentrated on specific grade level needs, and 50% had
given attention to the needs of at-risk students. In
addition, when administrators were asked on which curriculum
areas attention had been primarily focused, the responses
were as follows: math [mathematics] (45%), English as a
Second Language (ESL) (38%), reading (26%,) other areas
(26%), and science (12%).
8. Fifty-three percent of the principals stated that
the effectiveness of parent education programs at their site
would be increased by having district coordinated parent
education programs/conferences; 41% indicated that it would
have been increased by having had coordinated feeder school
presentations, and 36% declared that formulating a basic
parent education program for all schools would have
increased effectiveness.
9. In identifying which parent education roles had had
the greatest effect on student achievement, the principals
indicated inclusion of parents as partners (39%), parents
55
as learners (21%), parents as supporters (56%), and parents
as teachers (13%).
Perceptions of Principals Regarding
Parent Education Programs
(Research Question 4^
Goals and objectives of these programs. Principals
stated their opinions of parent education goals and
objectives by using a four-point rating scale ranging from
strongly disagree to strongly agree. Of the principals, 93%
gave a negative answer to the statement that parent
education programs should only focus on what students were
learning at school, while 7% afforded a positive answer to
that statement. However, when responding to the statement
that parent education programs need to help parents learn
what their children are learning so that parents can help
their children with their schoolwork, 21% of the principals
gave a response of disagree or strongly disagree with the
statement, whereas the remaining percentage furnished a
response of agree or strongly agree. With respect to the
perception that children do better academically in school
because of parent education programs, 90% of the principals
selected a response of agree or strongly agree. whereas 9%
reported a response of disagree or strongly disagree.
Eighty-three percent of the principals marked a response of
agree or strongly agree that parent education programs had
played an important role in increasing student achievement,
whereas 17% checked a response of disagree or strongly
disagree. Principals provided responses of agree or
strongly agree. with the statement that parent education
programs should be designed by teachers (98%), by parents
(93%), by administrators (91%), and by district office staff
(68%).
Table 3 reflects a detailed analysis about what
elementary principals had perceived to be characteristics of
effective parent education programs. In summary, the
following percentages (in parenthesis) of principals who
expressed agreement or strong agreement that effective
parent education programs should be based on the following
factors: (a) needs assessments (95%), (b) curriculum
(90%), (c) increasing parent skills to work with children
(96%), (d) a focus on parenting skills (98%), (e) teaching
bilingual parents English skills (85%), (f) involving
parents and children working together (99%), (g) presenting
a single topic in one session (68%), (h) offering a single
topic in a series of sessions (77%), and (i) teaching
parents career skills (only 23%).
Principal perceptions regarding the perceived effect of
parent education programs on student achievement. In
Table 4 percentage distributions of responses to items on a
five-point scare (none. little. some. great. and not
applicable) are presented. The reader may want to consult
57
Table 3
Principal Survey: Percentages of Principal Responses
to Questions Concerning Effective Parent
Education Programs
N - 42
1 2 3 4
Strongly Disagree Agree Strongly
Disagree Agree
% % % %
Question: Effective parent education programs should be:
a. based on needs assessments 2 2 43 52
b. curriculum based 10 0 78 12
c . increase parent skills to
work with children 2 2 37 59
d. teach parents career skills 15 63 18 5
e . focus on parenting skills 2 0 39 59
f . teach bilingual parents
English skills 5 10 56 29
&■
involve parents and children
working together 3 0 54 44
h. are presented on a single
topic in one session 5 28 43 25
i. are presented on a single topic
topic in a series of sessions 23 0 54 23
58
Table 4
Principal Survey: Percentages of Principal Responses to Questions
Concerning the Perceived Impact of Parent Education Programs on
Student Achievement N = 42
1 2 3 4 5
None Little Soie Great NA
% % % % %
QUESTION: How much does each activity impact student achievement?
a. Back to School Night 0 12 52 36 0
b. Parent Conferences 0 0 26 74 0
c. Family Math 2 14 36 26 21
d. Parent Effectiveness training 0 2 38 19 41
e. Attended classes to learn how
to work their my child 0 14 36 29 21
f. Family Science 0 2 14 5 79
S-
Family Literacy
(Camp Fire Girls) 0 10 17 5 69
h. Family Astronomy 0 0 2 0 98
i. Earthquake Preparedness 7 19 7 7 60
j-
Family Reading/Literature 0 2 19 14 64
k. Parent's Day 0 5 17 14 64
1. Active Parenting Workshops 0 7 21 14 57
m. Computer Literacy 0 0 7 2 91
n. Parenting/ESL 0 10 24 26 41
o. Early Start 0 5 10 19 67
P-
Science Fairs 0 10 21 12 57
q-
Worked in child's classroom 2 7 41 48 2
r. Helped child with homework 0 7 33 60 0
s. Read school communications 2 12 57 29 0
t. Visited the classroom 0 33 41 26 0
u. Helped in the classroom 0 24 33 38 2
59
the table for detailed information. The responses may
briefly be summarized as follows:
1. The items accompanied by their letter designation
in Table 4 receiving a common percentage of responses to the
some or great category of at least 50% were as follows: (a)
Back to School Night Program (88%), (b) parent conferences
(100%), (c) Family Math [Mathematics] Program (62%), (d)
Parent Effectiveness Training Program (57%), (e) attending
classes to learn how to work with children (65%), (n)
Parenting/ESL Program (50%), (q) working in child's
classroom (89%), (r) helping child with homework (93%), (s)
reading school communications (86%), (t) visiting the
classroom (67%), and (u) helping in the classroom (71%).
2. Items receiving a common percentage of responses to
the some or great categories ranging between 18 and 49% were
as follows: (f) Family Science Program (19%), (g) Family
Literacy (Camp Fire Girls) Program (22%), (j) Family
Reading/Literature Program (33%), (k) Parent's Day (31%),
(1) Active Parenting Workshops (35%), (q) Early Start
Program (29%), and (p) Science Fairs (33%).
3. Items receiving a percentage of responses to the
None or Little category ranging between 16 and 33% were as
follows: (d) Family Math [Mathematics] (16%), (i)
Earthquake Preparedness (23%), (t) visiting the classroom
(33%), and (u) helping in the classroom (24%).
60
4. Other items registered a very low level of
responses indicating perceived effectiveness.
Similarities and Differences Indicated
in, , The PerceptiQng„Qf....P.ri. nc?iBaig_and-P.ar.^Dt-s.
with Respect To Parent Education Programs
(Research Question 5)
Involvement of parents in their child's learning. Two
key statements addressed the perceptions of principals and
parents regarding the focus of parent education programs and
their purpose with respect to the involvement of parents in
their child's learning. Table 5 presents the percentage of
parents and principals responding to the two statements
using a four-point scale ranging from stronalv disagree to
stronalv agree. The two groups showed some degree of
difference in their responses. Of the principals, 93%
indicated that they strongly disagreed or disagreed with
the statement that parent education programs should focus
only on what students are learning at school, while 58% of
the parents gave the same level of response to the
statement. Interestingly, 41% of the parents registered a
response of agree or strongly agree with the statement,
compared to 7% of the principals.
On the other hand, when asked whether they agreed or
strongly agreed with the statement that parent education
programs need to help parents learn what their children are
learning so that parents can help their children with their
61
Table 5
Percentage Comparisons of Parent (N - 148) and Principal (& - 42) Survey
Responses Concerning Involvement of Parents in Child's Learning
Parents
%
Principals
%
STATEMENTS:
Parent education programs should focus onlv on
what students are learning at school.
Strongly Disagree 13 61
Disagree 45 32
Agree 28 5
Strongly Agree 13 2
Parent education programs need to help parents learn
what their children are learning so that parents can
help their children with their schoolwork.
Strongly Disagree 3 3
Disagree 8 18
Agree 41 65
Strongly Agree 49 15
62
schoolwork, 90% of parents and 80% of the principals gave a
response of agree or stronalv aaree. Twenty-one percent of
the principals and 11% of parents afforded a response of
disagree or strongly disagree with this statement.
Representation of individuals involved in Planning
process. Parents and principals were asked to indicate,
using a four-point scale, the degree to which they expressed
agreement or disagreement to the statement of who should
plan parent education programs: teachers, parents, school
principals, and/or district office staff. In Table 6, a
comparison of the responses from the two groups is
presented. Percentages of parents revealing a response of
agree or strongly agree with the statement that teachers,
parents, school principals (administrators), or district
office staff should plan parent education programs were 92,
86, 85, and 50 respectively; corresponding percentages of
principals giving the same response were 98, 93, 91, and 68.
Selection and implementation of the goals and
objectives for an effective program. Table 7 presents a
comparison of the responses for parents and principals
regarding the goals and objectives of an effective parent
education program. Percentages of parents and principals,
respectively, responding either agree or stronalv aaree with
five statements that parent education programs should (c)
increase parent skills to work with children; (d) teach
parents career skills, (e) focus on parenting skill,
63
Table 6
Comparison of Parent (g - 148) and Principal (g - 42) Survey Responses
Concerning the Representation Involved in Planning
Parent Education Programs
1 2 3 4
Strongly Disagree Agree Strongly
Disagree Agree
% % % %
STATEMENT: Parent education programs should be planned (designed) by:
a. teachers
PARENTS 4 5 61 31
PRINCIPALS 2 0 67 31
b. parents
PARENTS 3 11 58 28
PRINCIPALS 3
5
50 43
c. school principals (administrators)
PARENTS 5 10 63 22
PRINCIPALS 2 7 49 42
d. district office staff
PARENTS 18 32 37 13
PRINCIPALS 8 25 45 23
64
Table 7
Comparison of Parent ( J J - 148) and Principal (H - 42) Survey Responses
Regarding Effective Parent Education Programs
% %
STATEMENT: Effective parent education programs should:
c) increase parent skills to work with children
Strongly Disagree 0 2
Disagree 4 2
Agree 55 37
Strongly Agree 42 59
d) teach parents career skills
Strongly Disagree 15 15
Disagree 43 63
Agree 29 18
Strongly Agree 13 5
e) focus on parenting skills
Strongly Disagree 4 2
Disagree 27 0
Agree 47 39
Strongly Agree 22 59
f)
teach bilingual parents English skills
Strongly Disagree 8 5
Disagree 20 10
Agree 42 56
Strongly Agree 31 29
g)
involve parents and children working together
Strongly Disagree 0 3
Disagree 2 0
Agree 41 54
Strongly Agree 57 44
65
(f) teach bilingual parents English skills; and (g) involve
parents and children working together were 97 and 96, 42 and
23, 69 and 98, 73 and 85, and 98 and 98. It is evident that
similar percentages occurred between parents and principals
for statements (c) and (g), whereas differences tended to be
present for the other three statements.
Perceived impact of those programs on student
achievement. Parents and teachers were given a list of
various parent education programs and activities and were
asked to indicate their perceptions about the impact of
these programs and activities on student achievement
(child's schoolwork) using a four-point scale. Tables 2 and
4 present a detailed reporting of the survey responses which
the reader may wish to consult. For the purpose of
identifying similarities and differences, the reader should
examine Table 8, which presents a summary of those programs
perceived by parents and principals as having had "some" or
"great" effect on student achievement. As Table 8 shows,
five programs and/or activities received a percentage
response of at least 40% in the some or great category. In
every instance, the percentage of principals giving a some
or great response exceeded that of parents with the
difference never being less than 16.
66
Table 8
Comparison of Parent (E - 148) and Principal (N - 42) Survey Responses
Regarding the Perceived Effect of Parent Education Activities on
Child's Schoolwork (Student Achievement)
Survey items receiving a common percentage of responses to the the
"Some" and" Great" category of at least 40%:
a) Back to School Night 49 88
b) Parent Conferences 71 100
r) Helped child with homework 77 93
s) Read School Communications 56 86
t) Visited the classroom 43 67
67
Discussion
With respect to the first research question concerning
the ways in which and extent to which parents indicated
their participation and involvement in their child's
school-related activities, the findings were not surprising.
Host parents were members of the parent organization at
their school (either PTA or PTO) even though a high
percentage of parents declared that they had not attend
PTA/PTO meetings. Parent leaders (School Site Council,
PTA/PRO, and Bilingual Advisory Committee members) had a
greater opportunity to participate in the decision-making at
the school by virtue of their elected position. It was
predictable that most parents would attend events in which
their children participated. These findings were consistent
with the research of Bristor (1987), Chavkin and Williams
(1987), Henderson (1988), and Solomon (1991), who have
emphasized the importance of involving parents in school
activities and decision-making roles in order to increase
their feeling of ownership and commitment to public schools.
The second research question was concerned with the
perceptions of parents regarding parent education programs
with respect to goals and objectives and the effect of these
programs and other school-related activities on their
child's school work. It was not unpredictable that the
majority of parents surveyed agreed that parent education
programs should be designed according to what parents want;
68
namely, to increase their skills to work with their children
and to involve parents and children working together.
Parent education programs were perceived by parents as
important in helping children do better in school. These
findings were consistent with the research of Solomon
(1991) who found that the extent to which families engaged
in activities was an important influence on a student's
school achievement. Other researchers such as Comer (1986)
and Henderson (1988) also emphasized the importance of
school programs that involved parents in order to create an
environment for learning and to develop better attitudes
toward schools and school staffs.
Relative to the third research question concerning the
commonalties and practices identified by elementary school
principals in planning, designing, implementing and
evaluating current parent education programs, there were no
surprises. Almost all the principals surveyed agreed that
parent education programs had increased the understanding of
parents concerning what their child had learned at school
and the participation of parents in school activities. Most
principals planned parent education programs on parent and
students needs in the curricular areas of mathematics and
English as a Second Language. On the whole, principals
viewed the roles of parent both as supporters and as
partners as having had the greatest effect on student
achievement. This perception was consistent with the
69
findings of other researchers (e.g., Coleman, 1987;
Epstein,1987; and Henderson, 1988) who found that student
achievement had increased by parent involvement.
In the instance of the fourth research question
regarding the perceptions of principals concerning parent
education programs with respect to (a) the goals and
objectives and the effect-producing characteristics and (b)
the perceived impact of the these programs and other
school-related activities on student achievement, the
findings presented held no surprises. Principals perceived
that children do better academically in school because of
parent education programs and that these programs should be
based on a needs assessment, should involve parents and
children working together, should increase parent skills in
working with their children, and should teach parents
bilingual skills. Principals perceived at least eleven
parent education programs/activities as having had an effect
on student achievement. These programs fell into the
category of parents as supporters and parents as learners.
Researchers such as Chavkin and Williams (1987), Jackson
and Cooper (1989), and Berger (1991) have supported the need
for administrators and teachers to work together with
parents in designing, implementing, and evaluating parent
education programs.
The fifth and final research question concerning the
similarities and differences indicated in the perceptions of
70
principals and parents with respect to the involvement of
parents in their child's learning, representation of those
individuals who should be involved in the planning process,
selection and implementation of goals and objectives for an
effective program, and the perceived impact of those
programs on student achievement yielded some interesting
findings. Both principals and parents showed some degree of
difference with the statement that parent education programs
should focus only on what students are learning at school,
although the principals registered more disagreement than
parents. Both principals and parents shared a high degree
of agreement that parent programs need to help parents learn
what their children are learning so that they can help their
children with their schoolwork. Interestingly, both
principals and parents registered similar responses to the
fact that teachers, parents, and principals should plan
parent education programs. On the whole, the findings
revealed that both principals and parents identified
effective parent education programs as those that increase
parent skills to work with their children, focus on
parenting skills, and involve parents and children working
together. Overall these findings were consistent with those
of other researchers, (e.g., Berger, 1991; Coleman, 1987;
Comer, 1986; Epstein, 1987; Henderson, 1987; Solomon, 1991)
who stressed the importance of good home and school
alliances in order for students to be successful in school.
71
CHAPTER V
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
This chapter sets forth the purpose of the study,
research questions, methodology, instrumentation, data
analysis, major findings, conclusions, and recommendations
for future study.
Purpose
The three major purposes of this study were to (a)
identify some characteristics of effective parent education
programs; (b) cite some model parent education programs
which were perceived by elementary schools administrators
and parents to improve student achievement, and (c)
determine whether elementary site administrators and parents
of elementary school-age children have different or similar
perceptions about parent education programs.
Research Questions
The five research questions designed to accomplish the
purposes previously stated were as follows;
1. In what ways and to what extent did parents
indicate their participation and involvement in their
child's school-related activities?
2. What were the perceptions of parents regarding
parent education programs with respect to the following
features: (a) goals, objectives, and effective
characteristics of these programs and (b) perceived effect
72
of these programs and other school-related activities on
their child's school work?
3. What commonalties and practices were identified by
the elementary school principals in planning, designing,
implementing, and evaluating current parent education
programs?
4. What were the perceptions of principals regarding
parent education programs with respect to the following
features: (a) goals and objectives of these programs and
(b) perceived impact of these programs and other
school-related activities on student achievement?
5. What similarities and differences were indicated in
the perceptions of principals and parents with respect to
the following characteristics: (a) involvement of parents
in their child's learning, (b) the representation of those
individuals who should be involved in the planning process,
(c) the selection and implementation of the goals and
objectives for an effective program, and (d) the perceived
impact of those programs on student achievement?
Methodology
Population and Sample. Of the population of 43
elementary principals in the Garden Grove Unified School
District, 42 participated in the study. Of the original
sample of 430 parents of fourth-grade students from six
randomly selected elementary schools in the Garden Grove
Unified school District, 148 provided complete data for this
73
investigation. The Garden Grove Unified School district
has an ethnically diverse student population representing
various socioeconomic levels.
Instrumentation. This quantitative study relied on two
independent surveys, one for elementary school
administrators and one for parents of elementary-school-age
students. Both surveys consisted of questions regarding the
perceptions held by respondents of parent education programs
in general and their opinions as to which parent education
activities and/or programs were perceived to have an impact
on student achievement.
Selected Findings
Within the framework of the research questions, the
following selected findings were noted:
1. A majority of parents learned about their
children's educational program by attending parent/teacher
conferences (83%) and reading school newsletters and school
notes (77%).
2. Most of the parents (90%) surveyed indicated that
they had supported their child's learning by being sure that
homework assignments were completed.
3. Both parents and elementary school administrators
perceived the following activities to be ones that had some
to great impact on students achievement: parent conferences
(71% and 100%, respectively), helping with homework (77% and
74
93%, respectively), and reading school communications (56%
and 86%, respectively).
4. Principals identified the following parent
education roles as having had the greatest effect on student
achievement: (a) parents as supporters (56%), (b) parents
as partners (39%), (c) parents as learners (21%), and (d)
parents as teachers (13%).
5. For the statements of characteristics representing
effective parent education programs as being those that (a)
were based on a needs assessment, (b) increased parent
skills to work with children, and (c) involved parents and
children working together, the respective percentages of
parents and principals who gave a response of agree or
stronalv agree were 84 and 95, 97 and 96, and 98 and 99.
6. Sixty-eight percent of the parents stated that they
had been given opportunities to decide what parent education
programs should be presented at school.
7. In terms of a response of agree or strongly agree.
92% of parents perceived that parent education programs were
important in helping their children to do better in school.
8. In terms of a similar response modality, 90% of
principals perceived that children did better academically
in school because of the presence of parent education
programs.
9. Once again, in terms of rendering a statement of
agree or strongly agree, principals reported that parent
75
education programs had increased (a) parent understanding of
what their child learned at school (98%) and (b)
participation in school activities (95%).
10. Seventy-four percent of the principals responded
that they had not measured the effect of parent education
programs on student achievement, although 21% had done so
based on teacher records, and 12% had monitored the progress
of those students who had attended parent education
programs.
Conclusions
On the basis of the statistical findings for the sample
of parents of fourth-grade students and the population of
elementary principals studied, the following conclusions
became evident:
1. Parents and administrators perceived parent
education programs as important in helping students do
better in school.
2. Parents on the whole were not highly involved in
school site committees, although they attended and supported
basic school functions such as school programs, fund raising
activities, conferences, and helping their child(ren) with
homework.
3. It was evident that most parents and administrators
perceived parent education activities, such as parent
conferences, helping with homework, reading school
76
communications, Back to School Night, as having had a
positive effect on student achievement.
4. The majority of elementary school site principals
coordinated the education programs at their site and did so
as needed or on a yearly basis by focusing on primarily the
needs of parents and students for whom English was not their
first language and on the curriculum area of mathematics or
English as a Second Language.
5. Administrators perceived the role of parents both
as supporters and as partners as having had the greatest
effect on student achievement.
6. It was evident that the majority of elementary
school administrators did not have a process or method for
measuring the effect of parent education programs on student
achievement.
7. The effectiveness of parent education programs,
according to 53% of the elementary principals, would be
increased by having district coordinated parent education
programs and conferences.
8. It was apparent that both parents and
administrators perceived the characteristics of effective
parent education programs as being those that increased
parent skills in working with children, that involved
parents and children working together, that focused on
parenting skills, and that taught bilingual parents English
skills. Additional characteristics, noted by
77
administrators, for effective parent education programs
included that they be based on needs assessment and that
they be presented on single topics either in a single
session or in a series of sessions.
Recommendations
The following recommendations are offered:
1. This study should be replicated and extended to
include teacher perceptions in order to determine what
similarities or differences exist among the principals,
parents, and teachers.
2. Administrators might wish to develop a method of
measuring the effect of parent education programs in order
to ensure that the extra time and effort spent on these
programs are meeting the needs of parents and students.
3. Based on this researcher's perceptions of the
parent responses, it appears that parents may not understand
the scope that the term "parent education programs" implies
in relation to the types of activities, events, and
communications provided by schools. Therefore, it might be
advantageous for administrators to develop brochures or
communications about parent education opportunities to
increase parent awareness of the purpose of these programs.
4. Administrators should explore efficient methods of
delivering^ parent education programs to the community
through school pairings, feeder school presentations, or
78
district coordinated conferences that are based on a needs
assessment.
5. A longitudinal study might be conducted on selected
students to determine the long-term effect of parent
education programs on student achievement.
6. Schools and districts should continue to explore
methods of increasing awareness and participation of parents
in school committees and opportunities for parent education,
particularly those schools that serve a diverse student
population whose cultural perspectives do not promote parent
involvement in the schools.
79
REFERENCES
Bennett, W. J. (1986). First lessons; A report op
elementary education in America. Washington, DC:
United States Department of Education.
Berger, E. (1991). Parent involvement: Yesterday and
today. The Elementary School Journal. SA, 209-219.
Benson, C. S., Buckley, S., & Hedrick, E. A. (1980).
Families as educators: Time use contributions to
school achievement. In J. Guthrie (Ed.), School
finance policy in the 1980s: A decade of conflict
(pp. 170-177). Cambridge, MA: Ballinger.
Bristor, V. (1987). "But I'm not a teacher". Academic
Therapy. 23. 23-27.
California Department of Education (1992). It's
Elementary1 (Elementary Grades Task Force Report)
(pp. 81-84). Sacramento: CA: California Department
of Education.
Caplan, N., Choy, M., & Whitmore, J. (1992). Indochinese
refugee families and academic achievement.
Scientific American. . 2. 66, 36-42.
Chavkin, N. & Williams, D. Jr. (1987). Enhancing parent
involvement: Guidelines for access to an important
resource for school administrators. Education and
Urban Society . 19, 164-184.
Cochran, H. & Dean, C. (1991). Home-school relations
and the empowerment process. The Elementary School
Journal. 91, 261-269.
Coleman, J. S. (1987). Families and schools. Educational
Researcher. 1&, 32-38.
Coleman, J. S., Campbell, E., Mood, A., Weinfeld, E.,
Hobson, C., York, R., & McPartland, J. (1966).
Ecrualitv of education opportunity. Washington, DC:
United States Department of Health, Education, and
Welfare (United States Government Printing Office).
Coleman, J. S. & Hoffer, T. (1987). Public and private
high schools; The impact of communities. New York:
Basic Books.
Comer, J. (1986). Parent participation in the schools.
Phi Delta Kappan. 67, 442-446.
80
Croft, D.J. (1979). Parents and teachers; A resource
book for home, school, and community relations.
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Epstein, J. (1984). Home and school connection in .schools
of the future: Implications of research on parent
involvement. Baltimore: The John Hopkins
University, Center for Social Organization of
Schools.
Epstein, J. (1987). Parent involvement: What research
says to administrators. Education and Urban Society.
12, 119-136.
Epstein, J. (1991). Paths to partnership: What we can
learn from federal, state, district, and school
initiatives. Phi Delta Kappan. 72, 344-349.
Goldring, E. (1990). The district context and
principal's sentiments toward parents. Urban
Education. 2A, 391-403.
Greenwood, G. & Hickman, C. (1991). Research and
practice in parent involvement: Implications for
teacher education. The Elementary School Journal.
21, 279-287.
Henderson, A. (Ed.) (1987). The evidence continues to
SK2Wi Parent involvement improves student
achievement. Columbia, MD: National Committee for
Citizens in Education.
Henderson, A. (1988). Parents are a school's best
friends. Phi Delta Kappan. 70. 148-153.
Jackson, B. & Cooper, B. (1989). Parent choice and
empowerment: New roles for parents. Urban
Education. M, 263-285.
Kum, W. (1993). Maximizing involvement of diverse parent
groups. Thrust for Educational Leadership. 22,
16-17.
Morrow, R. (1989) Involving Southeast Asian parents in
schools. Thrust for Educational Leadership. 12,
38-39.
Mosteller, F. & Moynihan, D.P. (1972). On equality of
educational opportunity. New York: Random House.
81
National Committee for Citizens in Education. (1981).
The evidence grows. Columbia, MD: National
Committee for Citizens in Education.
New York State School Boards Association. (1987).
Home-school partnership:__SchPPl bPatfls and—BfrEffntS^.
A position paper. New York: New York State School
Boards Association, p. 24.
Nielsen, L., (1982). Partnerships: For quality
education. The school administrator. 42, 32-33.
Solomon, Z. (1991). California's policy on parent
involvement: State leadership for local initiatives.
Phi Delta Kappan. 72, 359-362.
Tizard, J., Schofield, W. N., & Hewison, J. (1982).
Collaboration between teachers and parents in
assisting children's reading. The British Journal of
Educational Psychology^ 52^ 1-5.
United States National Commission on Excellence in
Education. (1983). A nation at risk. Washington
DC: Unitied States National Commission on Excellence
in Education.
82
APPENDIX A
Elementary School Principal Perceptions About Parent
Education Programs and the Impact on Student
Achievement
83
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL PERCEPTIONS
ABOUT PARENT EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND THE IMPACT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
DIRECTIONS: This survey i s designed to obtain information regarding the perceptions of
elementary school principals about parent education programs and the impact of these programs
on student achievement. This survey w i l l take approximately fifteen minutes to complete. There
are no right or wrong answers.
This section asks questions about the parent education programs at your school site. Please read
each question carefully and place a check i n the space that best represents your answer to the
question.
1 . At my school the parent education programs are important.
y e s no
2. Parent Education programs at my school are based on: (Mark a l l that apply)
3. Parents play an important role i n designing the parent education programs at my school
site.
yes __ no
4. The parent education program at my site i s :
planned on an as needed basis
a one year plan
a two year plan
a three year plan
a plan covering more than three years
5. The parent education program at my site i s primarily based on: (Mark only one)
1. teacher interest
2. parent interest
3. student interest
6. The parent education programs at my site are primarily coordinated by: (Mark only one)
1. the site administrator
2. selected staff
3. volunteer parents
4. district personnel
7. At my school the effect of parent education programs on student achievement i s
measured by: (Mark a l l that apply)
teacher records (observation, checklists, test scores)
monitoring progress of those students whose parents attended parent education
activities
monitoring student portfolios related to parent education activities
not measured
SECTION 1 - SfTE LEVEL PARENT EDUCATION PROGRAMS
student needs
administrator needs
parent needs
district needs
standardized test scores
current curriculum thrusts
particular grade level needs
community needs
84
8. Over the past two years the parent education programs at my school site have focused on:
the needs of: (Mark a l l that apply)
specific grade levels __at-risk students
ESL students __ ESL parents
9. Over the past two years, the parent education programs at my school site have focused
primarily on this curriculum area: (Mark only one)
1. math
2. reading
3. science
4. English as a Second Language (ESL)
5. Other________________
10. The effectiveness of parent education programs at my school site would be increased by:
( I f selecting more than one response, please rank 1 st, 2nd, 3rd, with 1 being highest and 3
being lowest Use each rank only once.)
having district coordinated Parent Education Programs/ Conferences
coordinating feeder school presentations
formulating a basic parent education program for a l l schools
11. At my site, the parent role having the greatest effect on student achievement i s : ( I f
selecting more than one response, please rank 1 st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, with 1 being highest and
4 being lowest. Use each rank only once.)
parents as participants
parents as learners
parents as supporters
parents as teachers
12. Parent education programs increase the parents’ understanding of what their child i s
learning at school.
yes __ no
13. Parent education programs increase parent participation i n school activities.
yes __ no
14. At my school i t i s important to give parents ideas on how to help their children with
school work.
yes __ no
SECTION 2 - PERCEPTIONS ABOUT PARENT EDUCATION PROGRAMS
DIRECTIONS: These items involve your opinion as i t relates to parent education proyams. Please
respond to each statement using the rating scale below. Circle one response for each item that
most closely matches your opinion.
1 2 3 4
Strongly Disagree Disagree Ayec Strongly Agree
15. Parent education programs should only focus on what
students are learning at school. 1 2 3 4
16. Parent education programs need to help parents learn
what their children are learning so that parents can
help their children with their schoolwork. 1 2 3 4
85
1 2 3 4---
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Aqre<
17. Children are perceived to do better academically i n
school because of parent education programs. 1 2 3 4
18. Parent education programs play an important role
i n increasing student achievement. 1 2 3 4
19. Parent education programs should be designed by:
a . teachers 1 2 3 4
b. parents 1 2 3 4
c . administrators 1 2 3 4
d district office staff 1 2 3 4
20. Effective parent education programs should be:
a . based on needs assessments 1 2 3 4
b. curriculum based 1 2 3 4
c . increase parent s k i l l s to work
with children 1 2 3 4
d teach parents career s k i l l s 1 2 3 4
e . focus on parenting s k i l l s 1 2 3 4
f . teach bilingual parents English sk i l l s 1 2 3 4
S involve parents and children working together 12 3 4
h. are presented on a single topic in one session 1 2 3 4
i. are presented on a single topic in a series of
sessions 1 2 3 4
DIRECTIONS: Below is a l i s t of parent education activities. Using the following scale, please write
the number which indicates your school’ s level of parent participation for each activity and your
opinion of how much each activity impacts student achievement. Be sure to make 2 marks for
each item, one on the left for level of participation, and one on the right for impact on student
achievement. For the scale on the right, please write a 5 (Not Applicable) i f the activity i s not
offered.
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5
Not Offered Li t tl e Some Great None Little Seme Great NA
Level of Parent Perceived Impact on
Participation Student Achievement
21. a . Back to School Night ______
______ b. Parent Conferences___________ ______
c Family Math______________________
d Parent Effectiveness Training ______
Attend classes to learn how to
work with their child
f . Family Science
g Family Literacy (Camp Fire Girls)
h. Family Astronomy
i . Earthquake Preparedness
j. Family Reading/Literature
k. Parent’ s Day
86
1 2 3 4
Not Offered Little Some Great
Level of Parent
Participation
1 2 3 4 5
Not Offered Little Some Great NA
Perceived Impact on
Student Achievement
22.
1 . Active Parenting
Computer Literacy
Parenting/ESL Classes
Early Start
Science Fairs
m.
... n.
a -
p .
q Other
1 2 3
Not Encouraged Little Some
4 1
Great None
2 3 4 5
Little Some Great NA
Level of Parent
Participation
Perceived Impact on
Student Achievement
a . Work in child's classroom
b. Help child with homework
Read school communications c .
d Visit the classroom
.. e . Help in classroom
Other f .
SECTION 3 - RESPONDENT INFORMATION
DIRECTIONS: The following questions are for grouping your responses with responses of other
persons of similar background and experience. The answers w i l l be used for research purposes
only and w i l l be kept strictly confidential.
23. School size:
24. LEP Population:
less than 400
401 to 600
more than 600
7596 or more
5096 to 74%
25% to 49%
24% or less
25. Gender. ___ Male Female
26. Number of years as an Elementary Principal years
27. Number of years as an Elementaiy Principal at this site: years
Thank you for completing this survey. Please return i t in the enclosed envelope by May 12.
1994.
87
APPENDIX B
Parent Perceptions About Parent Education Programs
at the Elementary School
88
PARENT PERCEPTIONS ABOUT PARENT EDUCATION PROGRAMS
AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
DIRECTIONS: The purpose of this survey i s to learn more about parent views regarding parent
education programs at their child’ s elementary school and their opinion of how these programs
affect student achievement. This survey w i l l take approximately fifteen minutes to complete. I t
should be f i l l e d out by the parent who i s most familiar about parent education programs. Since
only a small number of parents have been asked to participate, your candid and honest answers to
the survey are very important. There are no right or wrong answers.
SECTION 1 - PARENT INVOLVEMENT INFORMATION
Please read each question carefully and place a check i n the space that best represents your
answer.
1. At my ch i l d ' s school, I am a member of the: (Mark a l l that apply)
School Site Council (SSC)
Bil i ng u al Advisory Committee (BAC)
Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)
2. I have learned about my child’ s educational program by: (Mark a i l that apply)
attending parent/teacher conferences
attending parent meetings
reading school newsletters and school notices
reading district notices and publications
3. I help my child by: (Mark a l l that apply)
attending school activities/programs
helping my chid study at home
being sure homework assignments are completed to the best of my
child’ s a bility
4. I support my child’ s learning by: (Mark a l l that apply)
volunteering for school activities
becoming a member of a parent/school organization
serving as a room parent
making dassroom materials at home
5. The number of parent education programs that I have attended this year i s :
1. none
2. one
3. two
4. three
5. more than three
6. Parent education programs are presented i n :
1. English only
2. Spanish and English
3. Vietnamese and English
4. Korean and English
S. Other_______________
89
7. The parents at my school are given an opportunity to decide what parent education
programs should be presented at the school:
yes __ no
Directions: For each activity below, place a check under the category that best represents your
answer:
8. During the school year, how often have you gone to your c h i ld ' s school for any of the
following activities?
None 1 or 2 3 or more
times times
a, conferences with th e teacher
h. informal talks with th e teacher . . _
C , observed dassroom activities
d. volunteered for school projects ____
e. volunteered help with field trips
f. attended an event i n which your child
participated (play, concert)
g . attended an event i n which
your child did not participate
During the school year, how often have you participated i n any of the following
activities at your child's school?
None 1 or 2 3 or mo
times times
a . PTA or PTO meeting ____
h School Site Council meeting -■
r, Bilingual Committee meeting
d. School fundraising activity -
e Volunteered in dassroom
f . Parent education programs
SECTION 2 - PERCEPTIONS ABOUT PARENT EDUCATION PROGRAMS
DIRECTIONS: These items involve your opinion. Using the following 4-point scale below, please
read each statement and c ir c l e one number that most dosely matches your opinion.
1 2 3 4
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
10. Parent education programs should focus only on
what students are learning at school. 1 2 3 4
11. Parent education programs need to help parents learn
what their children are learning so that parents can
help their children with their schoolwark. 1 2 3 4
12. My child i s doing better in school because of the
parent education programs that I have attended. 1 2 3 4
90
i 2 3 4
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
13. Parent education programs are important i n
helping children do better i n school.
14. Parent education programs should be planned by:
IS.
a . teachers 1 2 3 4
b. parents 1 2 3 4
c . school prinapals 1 2 3 4
d dtetrict office staff 1 2 3 4
Effective parent education programs should:
a . survey parents on what they want 1 2 3 4
b . focus on what children are learning 1 2 3 4
c . increase parent s k i l l s to work with
children 1 2 3 4
d teach parents career s k i l l s 1 2 3 4
e . focus on parenting s k i l l s 1 2 3 4
f . teach bilingual parents English s k i l l s 1 2 3 4
9 -
invdve parents and children working
together 1 2 3 4
'IONS: Below i s a l i s t of parent education a c t i v i t i e s . On the l e f t , please put a check (V)
by those activities that you have attended. Using the 5 point scale below, circle one number on the
right that best shows how much that activity affected your child's sehodwork. I f you did not attend
a certain activity, please drde a 5 (NA means Not Applicable) on the scale to the r i g h t .
Effect on Your Child’ s Schoolwork
16.
Check i f 1 2 3 4 5
you attended None L it t le Some Great NA
a . Back to School Night 1 2 3 4 5
b. Parent Conferences 1 2 3 4 5
__ e . Family Math 1 2 3 4 5
__ d Parent Effectiveness workshops 1 2 3 4 5
e . Classes to learn how to work with
my child 1 2 3 4 5
__ f . Family Saence 1 2 3 4 5
S
Family Literacy (Camp Fire Gi r ls ) 1 2 3 4 5
__ h. Family Astronomy 1 2 3 4 5
__ i . Earthquake Preparedness 1 2 3 4 5
j-
Family Reading/Literature 1 2 3 4 5
__ k. Parent’ s Day 1 2 3 4 S
_
1 . Active Parenting Workshops 1 2 3 4 5
__ m. Computer Literacy 1 2 3 4 5
__ n. Parenting/ESL 1 2 3 4 5
a . Early Start 1 2 3 4 S
p.
Saence Fairs 1 2 3 4 5
- w 4
Other 1 2 3 4 5
91
Effect on Your Child’s Schoolwork
Check i f 1 2 3 4 5
you have: None L i t t l e Some Great NA
. __ a . Worked i n your child’ s dassroom 7 2 3 4 5
__ b . Helped your child with homework 7 2 3 4 S
__ c . Read school communications 1 2 3 4 5
__ d Visited the dassroom 7 2 3 4 5
__ e . Helped i n the dassroom 7 2 3 4 5
__ f .
Othrn- 1
2 3 4 5
18. Are you satisfied with the parent education programs presented at your child’ s
elementary school?
very satisfied somewhat satisfied not satisfied
SECTION 3 - PARENT INFORMATION
DIRECTIONS: The following questions are for grouping your responses with responses of other
persons of similar background and experience. The answers w i l l be used for research purposes
only and w i l l be kept strictly confidential.
19. How many children do you have attending elementary school? __
20. How many children do you have attending intermediate school? __
21. How many children do you have attending high school? ______
22. Cirde the grade levels of your elementary children.: K 1 2 3 4 5 6
Thank you for completing this survey. Please return i t in the endosed postage paid envelope by
May 18, 1994.
92

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