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Leadership matters: the role of urban school principals as transformational leaders in influencing parent engagement to disrupt educational inequities
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Leadership matters: the role of urban school principals as transformational leaders in influencing parent engagement to disrupt educational inequities
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Leadership Matters: The Role of Urban School Principals as Transformational Leaders in
Influencing Parent Engagement to Disrupt Educational Inequities
Johanna Knight-Briseno
Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
A dissertation submitted to the faculty
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Education
May 2024
© Copyright by Johanna Knight-Briseno 2024
All Rights Reserved
The Committee for Johanna Knight-Briseno certifies the approval of this Dissertation
Maria G. Ott
Adaina Brown
Rudolph Franklin Crew, Committee Chair
Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
2024
iv
Abstract
In light of the existing and persistent achievement gaps in urban schooling, school leadership as
well as parent engagement are critical components in promoting school improvement efforts.
The impact of transformational leadership is supported by decades of research, however, limited
studies have focused on the relationship between transformational leadership and parent
engagement. This qualitative study examined the transformational leadership practices of
successful school leaders and their influence on parent engagement. The purpose of this study is
to contribute to the existing literature and provide insight into understanding the leadership
practices of transformational leaders and how those practices influence and promote parent
engagement as well as organizational change to disrupt educational inequities.
Data were collected from the parent and school leader participants through in-depth
structured interviews and two school-based meeting observations. The findings of this study
suggest that establishing a strong personal connection with parents is of primary importance for
school leaders in influencing parent engagement within their school community. The leadership
practices identified by parents to have the most impact on their engagement included
emphasizing individual relationships, creating an inviting sense of community, fostering
motivation, and developing a shared sense of purpose. Additionally, parent perceptions revealed
that parent engagement can be influenced by school leaders when school leaders demonstrate
attentiveness to the development and growth of parents. Lastly, interview data from both parents
and principals affirmed the role of the school leader in encouraging an organizational culture that
values and supports parents. Findings further suggest that school leadership matters in fostering a
strong commitment to parent engagement both at the school site and organizational level.
v
Dedication
To the parents of this study, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to share your voice.
To my mother, words cannot express the deepest appreciation I have for the sacrifices you made
to make this dream a reality. To my sister, thank you for being a constant source of support and
encouragement.
To my husband, Junior. You are my rock, my champion, and my everything. Thank you for your
unwavering and unconditional love and giving me the strength to keep moving forward even
when it felt impossible.
To my children, Jayden and Jacob. Thank you for your patience and understanding of the
sacrifices made as I embarked on this journey in pursuit of a doctorate degree. I hope that when
you grow up, you will be proud of what we accomplished together.
This dissertation is foremost dedicated to my daughter, Jayden Isabella Briseno, who has been a
continual source of inspiration throughout my pursuit of this doctoral program. I hope this
achievement fuels your drive to be and do whatever your heart desires. You are capable of
anything and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you. For all that you are and for all that
you are yet to be, I am proud and blessed to be your mom.
vi
Acknowledgments
I would like to take the opportunity to share my profound appreciation for the individuals
who helped me make this dissertation possible. First and foremost, I would like to thank my
dissertation chair, Dr. Rudolph Crew, whose expertise and guidance helped me successfully
navigate this dissertation journey. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and experiences with me
and above all, serving as my mentor. I would also like to thank my other committee members
Dr. Brown and Dr. Ott for the continued support and encouragement provided throughout this
process. Dr. Brown, thank you for the inspiration you provided as an urban educational leader
and for pushing my growth as a school leader. I am also grateful for the support of Dr. Ott for
providing valuable feedback and for her leadership and advocacy in K-12 education. Without the
support of my committee, this dissertation would not be possible and I am forever indebted to
them for all their help. Finally, I am thankful to my dissertation cohort members, Dr. Stamps, Dr.
Martinez, Dr. Brahmbhatt, and Dr. Ili for their encouragement, friendship, and support
throughout the doctoral program, and for that, I am eternally grateful.
vii
Table of Contents
Abstract.......................................................................................................................................... iv
Dedication....................................................................................................................................... v
Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................... vi
List of Tables .................................................................................................................................. x
List of Figures................................................................................................................................ xi
List of Abbreviations .................................................................................................................... xii
Chapter One: Overview of the Study.............................................................................................. 1
Background of the Problem ................................................................................................ 6
Statement of the Problem.................................................................................................... 9
Purpose of the Study ......................................................................................................... 10
Significance of the Study.................................................................................................. 11
Limitation and Delimitations............................................................................................ 12
Definition of Terms........................................................................................................... 12
Organization of the Study ................................................................................................. 14
Chapter Two: Review of the Literature ........................................................................................ 16
Parent Engagement ........................................................................................................... 16
Transformational Leadership Theory ............................................................................... 25
Transformational Leadership and Organizational Change ............................................... 37
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 38
Chapter Three: Methodology........................................................................................................ 40
Purpose of the Study ......................................................................................................... 40
Sample and Population ..................................................................................................... 41
Methodology..................................................................................................................... 45
Instrumentation ................................................................................................................. 47
viii
Data Collection ................................................................................................................. 48
Data Analysis.................................................................................................................... 49
Trustworthiness and Credibility........................................................................................ 50
Reliability and Validity..................................................................................................... 51
Researcher Positionality.................................................................................................... 51
Summary........................................................................................................................... 52
Chapter Four: Findings................................................................................................................. 54
Participants........................................................................................................................ 55
Results for Research Question 1....................................................................................... 58
Discussion for Research Question 1 ................................................................................. 76
Results for Research Question 2....................................................................................... 77
Discussion for Research Question 2 ................................................................................. 86
Results for Research Question 3....................................................................................... 87
Discussion for Research Question 3 ................................................................................. 97
Summary........................................................................................................................... 98
Chapter Five: Discussion ............................................................................................................ 100
Findings .......................................................................................................................... 102
Limitations...................................................................................................................... 110
Implications for Practice ................................................................................................. 111
Future Research .............................................................................................................. 114
Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 116
References................................................................................................................................... 119
Appendix A: Informed Consent and Information Sheet............................................................. 132
Appendix B: Interview Cover Sheet........................................................................................... 134
Appendix C: Interview Protocol ................................................................................................. 135
ix
Appendix D: Observation Protocol............................................................................................. 138
x
List of Tables
Table 1: Interview and Observation Selection Criteria for Participants 43
Table 2: School Demographics- Description of the population of the two charter
schools
44
Table 3: Interview Participants- Background information of interview parent
participation
57
Table 4: Parent Perceptions of Inviting Sense of Community 63
xi
List of Figures
Figure 1: NAEP 4th Grade Mathematics Assessment Results 3
by Student Groups
Figure 2: Epstein’s Framework of Six Types of Involvement 18
For Comprehensive Programs of Partnership and Sample Practices
xii
List of Abbreviations
BIPOC Black, Indigenous, People of Color
CDE California’s Department of Education
ESSA The Every Student Succeeds Act
IASA The Improving America's Schools Act of 1994
LEA Local Education Agencies
NCLB No Child Left Behind
SES Socio-Economic Status
SOC School Operations Committee
1
Chapter One: Overview of the Study
From a power, diversity, and equity lens, a persistent problem of practice in education,
especially within K-12 urban schools in South Central Los Angeles, is the need for meaningful
parent engagement in helping schools move toward creating a more equitable educational system
(Barr & Saltmarsh, 2014; Fan & Chen, 2001; Giles, 2007; Henderson & Berla, 1944; Jeynes
2005 Levine & Lezotte, 1990; Skiba et al., 2014). The educational crisis in urban schooling is
well documented in literature as scholars like Jencks and Phillips (1998) have highlighted the
racial achievement gap between Black and Latino students and their white peer counterparts as
the greatest challenge in achieving social equity in the United States, which is a challenge that
continues to exist even today. Furthermore, parent engagement as a means of improving student
achievement has been identified as a need since the early 1980s (Epstein, 1995; Giles, 2007;
Henderson & Mapp, 2002; Levine & Lezotte, 1990 ). Given the ongoing crisis in urban public
schooling (Jencks & Phillips, 1998) about low student achievement, high drop-out rates, poor
attendance, inequitable standards, college educational attainment, and a shortage of qualified
teachers, transformational leadership and parent engagement is needed now more than ever to
disrupt the profound ongoing educational crisis in urban schooling (Bryk et al., 2010; Giles,
2007; Jasis & Ordoñez-Jasis, 2012).
More so, educational systems continue to be plagued by inequitable practices that further
perpetuate the disparities in academic achievement, especially for minority groups in K-12 urban
schools. Urban schooling is a continued area of focus as we critically examine education and the
intersectionality of power, diversity, and equity. Several factors impact educational outcomes
within urban schools, and one notable factor is the “Achievement Gap'' as defined by LadsonBillings (2006). The achievement gap refers to the disparities in achievement between White and
2
BIPOC students (Ladson-Billings, 2006). The implications of the achievement gap are ongoing,
even more so today, as we face the COVID-19 pandemic and the learning disruptions that took
place as a result of the pandemic. As such, there is an urgency to transform schools to disrupt the
systems of oppression and injustice that perpetuate educational inequities, as argued by several
scholars like Malcom-Piqueux and Bensimon (2017) urging educators to examine the equity
gaps in schools.
Examining the existing achievement data nationwide further underscores the urgency to
address the ongoing racial and ethnic achievement gaps. As part of the No Child Left Behind Act
(NCLB), key accountability measures were mandated to ensure that all students meet academic
growth targets in both English Language Arts and Math (California Department of Education
[CADOE], 2017). One of the accountability measures available is the National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) testing as it provides data on student achievement measures at the
national level. The NAEP measures academic performance at the 4th, 8th, and 12th-grade levels
by selecting a sample of students throughout the nation (National Center for Education Statistics
[NCES], 2022). Although federal law specifies that NAEP is voluntary, it requires all states that
receive Title 1 funds to participate in the NEAP assessments. School districts and students are
then selected to participate (NCES, 2022). According to NAEP, the 2022 results highlight the
largest decline in math scores in grades 4 and 8 since 1990. Specifically, fourth-grade
mathematics scores declined from 4 to 15 points in 23 of 26 participating urban districts,
including Los Angeles.
Similarly, eighth-grade mathematics scores also declined in 22 of the 26 urban districts.
Of greater concern is that scores declined across most racial and ethnic groups. The score and
achievement gaps between White students and Black and Hispanic students were more evident in
3
2022 than in the 2019 scores. The data highlight that the existing performance gap between
ethnic groups has remained constant since the 1990s (NCES, 2011). These data also exemplify
the widening of the achievement gap between racial and ethnic groups and the national urgency
to address the ongoing achievement gap, especially in urban schools historically linked to lower
student academic achievement among racial and ethnic groups (Cortese & Zastrow, 2006).
Furthermore, these data underscore how urban school districts continue to fail students of color
disproportionately. It also emphasizes why there is an urgent call for the transformation of urban
schooling, and the impact that school leaders have on achieving transformative growth in student
achievement.
Figure 1
NAEP 4th Grade Mathematics Assessment Results by Student Groups
Note. From National Center for Educational Statistics. (2022). NAEP Mathematics performance.
https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
4
Given the disparities in student achievement in K-12 urban schools, school leaders are
a vital source in leading transformation within their schools. However, school leaders cannot
address the educational challenges facing urban schools working in silos. Instead, the current
state of affairs demands that school leaders pay attention to the vital nature of parent
engagement to transform schools. More specifically, to attain transformation, school leaders
must focus on parent engagement within their school community, as numerous studies have
found significant positive effects of parent involvement in promoting student learning and
achievement (Cheung & Pomerantz, 2012; Dotterer & Wehrspann, 2016; Daniel et al., 2016 ).
Additionally, parent engagement is needed to challenge the “normalization of the
underachievement of urban schools”(Massey et al., 2014, p. 176). Community and collective
efforts are needed to enact change and disrupt systems of inequity. Massey et al. (2014), assert
that “school leaders and administrators have also recognized that involving parents and
community members in school reform is more effective than working alone”(p. 178).
Therefore, consideration of parents' voices is critical to propel overall school improvement
and reform to address the inequities that contribute to the widening of the achievement gap.
To effectively enact change in K-12 urban schools, it is essential to create the space and
opportunity for parents to take part in the work towards actively dismantling inequitable
educational practices within their school communities. Parent engagement is key in
questioning policies and practices that may hinder student achievement and perpetuate
educational inequities (Jasis & Ordoñez-Jasis, 2012). Researchers such as Jasis and OrdoñezJasis (2012) have found that parent involvement is key in helping improve student
achievement but also in helping improve school communities. Similarly, in their study of
5
Chicago schools, Bryk et al. (2010) found that schools with stronger ties between educators
and families had higher levels of student achievement than schools with weaker ties.
The Jasis and Ordoñez-Jasis (2012) and Bryk et al. (2010) study findings support the
argument of the impact and power that parent engagement can have in disrupting educational
inequities when parents are involved, and schools create opportunities for parent involvement.
Therefore, school leaders must emphasize creating meaningful opportunities for parent
engagement and the establishment of school-parent educational partnerships to create the
space and opportunity for parent involvement in disrupting the status quo of inequitable
educational practices that negatively impact urban students (Jasis & Ordoñez-Jasis, 2012). To
promote parent engagement, school leaders must understand the leadership factors that
encourage parent participation and how their leadership influences organizational change and
a culture that focuses on the power of parent engagement.
In consideration of the extensive research focused on the impact of effective
leadership, one notable leadership practice is that of transformational leadership. In
educational settings, the work of Leithwood et al. (1999) serves as a foundational cornerstone
in understanding and examining the effects of transformational leadership on student
engagement, teacher performance, teacher morale, organizational school improvement, and
effective school leadership. While most studies have focused on the influence of
transformational leaders in influencing school and student achievement improvement, limited
studies have focused on the leadership practices of transformational leaders in promoting
parent engagement. As such, this study aims to examine and understand the leading practices
of a transformational leader that encourage parent engagement.
6
Background of the Problem
A lack of parent voice is detrimental to students' success in urban schools (Jasis &
Ordoñez-Jasis, 2012), especially if schools maintain policies and practices that actively
contribute to the achievement gap, the school-to-prison pipeline, the cycle of poverty, and the
oppression of minority youth (Skiba et al., 2014). Skiba et al. (2014) assert that the school-toprison pipeline negatively impacts students' educational outcomes through overtly and
exclusionary school disciplinary practices. They further argue that to disrupt the school-to-prison
pipeline, the re-evaluation of school-based interventions must include student and family voices.
Without parent voice and representation, students within urban schools may continue to
experience and fall victim to inequitable practices that further perpetuate the disparities in
academic achievement (Skiba et al., 2014).
Parent engagement can help improve school communities as parent voice is an
invaluable asset and resource in understanding students' challenges and how to better support
students (Jasis & Ordoñez-Jasis, 2012). As such, parent representation is needed to question
and challenge the policies and practices that may hinder student achievement, perpetuate
educational inequities, and maintain the status quo for BIPOC students in urban school
communities. Much research has highlighted the critical role that parents and families play in
their children's success. Several studies, including the findings from Fan and Chen (2001),
Henderson and Berla (1944), and Jeynes (2005), have shown that parental involvement has a
positive correlation with student achievement, which highlights the positive association of
parental involvement with increased student academic achievement even as we consider racial
and ethnic groups.
7
Parent engagement has not only been a central focus for researchers but also the focus
of national attention since the original adoption of the Elementary and Secondary Act (ESEA)
of 1965. As a result of the ESEA authorization, parent involvement was emphasized in the
school improvement process as it encouraged parent involvement in their children’s education
(CDE, 2017). As part of Title 1, Part A, Education for the Disadvantaged, and then later
through the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, parent involvement has become a central
focus in defining the role of parents as partners in supporting their children's education (CDE,
2017). Furthermore, the Improving America's Schools Act (IASA) of 1994 mandated that
Title 1-A Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and schools develop parent involvement policies
as new additional parent involvement requirements were established (Congressional Research
Service, 2009). Since 1994, access to Title One Funding has required schools to establish
partnerships with parents to maintain eligibility for Title One funding (Epstein, 1995).
As a result, increased efforts have been observed at the State and Federal levels to
emphasize parent engagement for school and student achievement improvement. For instance,
according to Mapp and Kuttner (2013), 39 states had enacted laws mandating the
implementation of family engagement policies by 2013. Furthermore, in their 50-State
Comparison of the State’s School Improvement Policies, the Education Commission of the
States found that at least 20 states require parent and/or community engagement in developing
their Every Student Success Act (ESSA) school improvement plans (Education Commission
of the States [ECS], 2022). Therefore, there is a greater national emphasis on including parent
engagement in supporting school improvement efforts.
Furthermore, experts, advocates, researchers, educational leaders, and the like
continue to emphasize the need for parent engagement to improve student achievement
8
outcomes and overall school improvement in closing the achievement and equity gaps,
especially for BIPOC and low-income students. Bodenhausen and Birge (2017) argue that
“Engaging families will contribute to improving student learning outcomes only when family
engagement is integrated into all district goals and initiatives for student learning, including
both academic and social-emotional learning goals”(p. 6). Given that parent engagement is an
essential strategy for not only improving outcomes for all students but also as a critical
component in building pathways to college and career readiness, the CDE has emphasized the
need for parent involvement in the evaluative process of measuring the progress of LEAs.
More so, in California, the implementation of California’s Accountability System now also
considers factors related to the Condition and Climate of LEAs, specifically including an
indicator that measures parent engagement as Met, Not Met, or Not Met for Two or More
Years. LEAs report local measures that reflect on their progress, success, needs, and areas of
growth regarding parent and family engagement policies, programs, and practices (California
Accountability System [CAS], 2022). Thus, there is continued emphasis at the state and
federal level on the influence and impact of parent engagement and how parent engagement
can be instrumental in the efforts for school and academic achievement improvement.
Although there is considerable research that focuses on the significance and impact of
parent engagement (Fan & Chen, 2001; Henderson & Berla, 194; Jasis & Ordoñez-Jasis, 2012;
Jeynes, 2005, Skiba et al., 2014), most of the research and literature emphasizes the role of the
district in implementing strategies and tools to overcome the challenges of engaging parents,
especially in underserved and underrepresented communities. Of particular consideration is the
work of Mapp and Kuttner (2013) in their development of the Dual Capacity Framework, as it
“calls on districts to increase the family engagement-related knowledge, understanding, and
9
skills of educators and families alike”(CDE, 2017, p. 3). Furthermore, the work of Westmoreland
et al.,(2009) further emphasizes the critical role that districts play in engaging families. While
understanding that the role that districts play in engaging families is significant, it is equally as
important to understand the role that school leaders play in engaging parents/families as they are
the ones who directly interact with parents and families.
Like Mapp and Kuttner (2013), this study also acknowledges the significant role that the
district plays in promoting parent engagement. However, in contrast, this study focuses on
understanding how school leaders who effectively employ transformational leadership practices
promote parent engagement and propel reform within their school communities. This study will
provide insight into understanding the influence of transformational leadership practices in
promoting parent engagement and the influence of transformational leaders in promoting an
organizational culture that views parents as part of a collaborative partnership to seek school
improvement.
Statement of the Problem
In light of the existing and persistent achievement and equity gaps, especially among the
various racial and ethnic groups, NCLB, IASA, and ESSA have further exemplified the need for
parents to serve as partners in supporting school improvement efforts (Mapp & Kuttner, 2013;
Westmoreland et al., 2009). To propel school improvement, consideration of parents' voices is
critical, as parent engagement is vital in questioning policies and practices that may hinder
student achievement and perpetuate educational inequities. Thus, parent engagement is crucial
not only to the success of the individual students but also for the success of the school
community in disrupting educational inequities and closing the achievement gaps, especially for
underrepresented and underserved students. With the increased demand at the State and Federal
10
levels to promote parent engagement for school and student achievement improvement, there is a
need to understand the role of the school leader and the leadership factors that influence parent
engagement. Given the power of parent engagement in disrupting educational inequities, this
study will examine and seek to understand how effective transformational school leaders
promote and improve parent engagement while creating organizational change to promote a
culture that values and empowers parents as agents of change.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to provide insight into the leadership practices of
transformational leaders and how those practices influence parent engagement and organizational
change within their school communities to disrupt educational inequities. Transformational
leadership is a key central focus of this study, as Bass (1985) theorized that transformational
leaders would transform followers and their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. Transformational
leadership promotes individual growth and development and overall organizational performance
and outcomes (Bass, 1985; Bass & Bass, 2008). The four practices of transformational leadership
are the driving forces in leading school improvement efforts as transformational leaders establish
a shared purpose, motivate followers, foster capacity building, and reorganize the school’s
culture (Avolio & Bass, 1988; Leithwood & Riehl, 2003). Therefore, this study examined the
leadership practices of transformational leaders and how these practices assist in building the
capacity of educators and parents to work together toward positively impacting student outcomes
and closing the achievement gap. Specifically, this study sought to examine and understand
parents' perceptions of the school leadership transformational practices that encouraged their
engagement in school-based meetings. Interviews with parents were conducted to understand
11
their perceptions and understanding of their relationship with the school site leader and
involvement in continuous school improvement efforts.
This qualitative study was conducted to explore the practices employed by successful
transformational school leaders who effectively promote parent engagement within their school
communities and to understand the perceptions of parents regarding their engagement in schoolbased meetings. Successful transformational school leadership is defined as transformational
leaders who employ the four characteristics of transformational leadership: establishing a shared
purpose, motivating followers, fostering capacity building, and reorganizing the culture of the
school (Avolio & Bass, 1988; Leithwood & Riehl, 2003).
The following research questions guided this study:
1. What practices and strategies are employed by successful transformational leaders with
high levels of parent engagement within their school communities?
2. What do parents perceive as the transformational leadership factors that encourage their
participation in school-based meetings within urban school communities?
3. How do transformational school leaders build an organizational culture that influences
parent engagement?
Significance of the Study
In addressing the urban educational crisis, school leadership matters. Although there is
much research emphasizing the importance of parent engagement and the effectiveness of
transformational school leaders, limited studies have examined the influence of transformational
leaders in promoting parent engagement (Barr & Saltmarsh, 2002; Giles, 2007; Leithwood &
Jantzi, 2005; Yulianti et al., 2019). As such, this study will provide insight into the specific
12
leadership practices and strategies that successful transformational school leaders employ to
effectively promote parent engagement and enact organizational change within their school
communities. Furthermore, by understanding parents' perceptions, school leaders will have a
deeper understanding of the leadership practices that will aid in improving parent engagement
within their school communities to drive school improvement efforts. This study will help
provide new insight into effective school leadership practices for urban school leaders and their
work toward influencing parent engagement within urban school communities. Lastly, this study
aims to contribute to the existing literature addressing a persistent problem of practice in
education regarding parent engagement and identifying the leadership factors that may serve as
resources for other urban school principals as they strive to improve parent engagement and
school improvement within their school communities.
Limitation and Delimitations
This study was limited to parents who are actively involved in either school site
committees and/or actively participate in school improvement efforts within two charter schools
in South Central, Los Angeles, and their self-reported perceptions of the leadership practices
influencing parent engagement. The study consisted of parents' self-reported personal narratives
and answers to the interview questions about transformational leadership practices and parent
engagement. The delimitations of this study were limited to parent perceptions, geographic
region (South Central Los Angeles), school type (charter schools), the number of parents
interviewed, and the observations conducted.
Definition of Terms
Achievement Gap: The “Achievement Gap” refers to the disparities in achievement between
White and BIPOC students (Ladson-Billings, 2006).
13
BIPOC: Black, Indigenous, People of Color. The construction of the term “BIPOC” recognizes
that Black and Indigenous people are severely impacted by systemic racial injustices (American
Psychological Association, 2021).
Charter Schools: Charter schools are independently-operated public schools that have the
freedom to operate autonomy to pursue specific educational objectives regarding curriculum,
staff, and budget (National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, 2023).
Family engagement: Family Engagement has been described as “an intentional and systemic
partnership of educators, families, and community members ...[who] share responsibility
for a student’s preparation for school, work and life, from the time the child is born to young
adulthood (Weiss et al., 2010)
Leadership: “A process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a
common goal”(Northouse, 2004, p.3).
Leadership Practices: Theories of Leadership that are research-based models or frameworks for
explaining leadership approaches connected to specific behaviors and actions (Northouse, 2004)
LEAs: Local Educational Agencies (CDE, 2023).
Parent Engagement: “Parent Engagement in Schools is defined as parents and school staff
working together to support and improve the learning, development, and health of children and
adolescents. Parent engagement in schools is a shared responsibility in which schools and other
community agencies and organizations are committed to reaching out to engage parents in
meaningful ways, and parents are committed to actively supporting their children’s and
adolescents’ learning and development”(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC],
2023).
14
Transformational Leadership: Transformational leadership emphasizes intrinsic motivation,
follower development, empowering followers, focusing on emotions, values, ethics, standards,
and long-term goals, and creating and sharing a shared vision for the organization (Northouse &
Lee, 2022).
Successful Transformational Leaders: Succesful transformational school leadership is defined
as transformational leaders who employ the four characteristics of transformational leadership of
establishing a shared purpose, motivating followers, fostering capacity building, and
reorganizing the culture of the school (Avolio & Bass, 1988; Leithwood & Riehl, 2003;).
Urban School District: A district located in a major metropolitan area that has a student
population that is mostly minority, are English Learners, and receive free or reduced meals
(California School Boards Association, 2011)
Organization of the Study
Leadership matters. The role of urban school principals as transformational leaders in
influencing parent engagement to disrupt educational inequities is organized into five chapters.
Chapter 1 provided an overview of the study and introduces research and data to understand the
need for meaningful parent engagement in aiding school leaders to disrupt educational inequities.
Chapter 2 presents a literature review regarding the following areas: parent engagement,
transformational leadership, and organizational culture and change. Chapter 3 outlines the
methodology selected for this study and includes information regarding the sample and
population selection process, interview questions and protocol, data collection, and data analysis.
Chapter 4 highlights the research findings of the data analysis and outlines the central themes
that emerged from this study. Chapter 5 explains the findings, implications for practice,
15
conclusions, and recommendations for future studies. Lastly, the references and the appendices
are included after the conclusion of this study.
.
16
Chapter Two: Review of the Literature
The following review of the literature is presented in four sections. The first part of the
literature provides an overview of parent engagement, how it is defined, the correlation between
parent engagement and student achievement, and the implications of parent engagement toward
school improvement. The section further provides background knowledge of parent-school
engagement as highlighted by Epstein’s parent involvement framework, which helps school
leaders develop school and family partnerships. In consideration of the focus of this study on
transformational leadership, the second part of the literature review examines research related to
the theoretical model of transformational leadership as developed by Burns (1978), Bass (1985),
and Leithwood (1994). This section provides an overview of the empirical research available to
understand the practices associated with this leadership approach and its association with
educational improvement efforts. The third part of the literature review examines the impact of
transformational leadership on organizational culture and change. The final section reviews the
limited existing research associated with transformational leadership in influencing parent
engagement.
Parent Engagement
This study focuses on parent engagement as it relates to school improvement efforts; therefore,
we must examine the role, challenges, and implications associated with parent engagement.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Parent Engagement in
schools is defined as parents and school staff working together to support and improve the
learning, development, and health of children and adolescents” (2023). Furthermore, the CDC
(2023) also emphasized parent engagement as a shared responsibility between schools and
parents, both of which are committed to supporting the learning and development of students.
17
The belief in parent engagement as an established partnership is also echoed by Epstein (1995),
who asserts that since 1994, schools have been encouraged to develop partnership programs with
parents to retain their eligibility for funding as it relates to Title I funding mandates.
Furthermore, advocates and researchers, have continued to urge key stakeholders to understand
the importance of parent engagement in school and student achievement improvement efforts
(Levine & Lezotte, 1990; Henderson & Mapp, 2002). Desforges (2003) argues, “If pupils are to
maximize their potential from schooling they will need the full support of their parents'' (p.7).
Deforges (2003) further assers that, “It is anticipated that parents should play a role not only in
the promotion of their own children’s achievements but more broadly in school improvement
and the democratisation of school governance”(p. 7). The literature presented emphasizes parent
engagement to further underscore the importance and need for meaningful parent engagement in
aiding school leaders to disrupt educational inequities.
Epstein’s Six Types of Parent Involvement
Regarding parent involvement, the work of Jocey Epstein (1995) has been
instrumental and influential in defining the various forms of parent involvement. Epstein’s
Model of Parent Involvement identifies six types of parent involvement (Epstein & Dauber,
1991; Epstein, 2002). The model specifically identifies the six types as “parenting,
communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision-making, and collaborating with the
community”(Epstein & Sanders, 2006, p. 87). Table 2 outlines Epstein’s Framework of Six
Types of Involvement for Comprehensive Programs of Partnership and Sample Practices. Of
specific importance to this study is the decision-making type of parent involvement as it
relates to school improvement efforts aimed at including parents in the decision-making
process and the school’s responsibility to develop the capacity of parents as parent leaders and
18
representatives (Epstein et al., 2019). Furthermore, type 5 (Decision-Making) emphasizes
parent involvement as occurring when parent input is included in educational policies, parents
develop a sense of ownership in the parent-school partnership, and parents are aware of their
voice in school decisions (Epstein et al., 2019). Understanding Epstein’s framework of six
types of parent involvement is relevant to this study as Epstein’s framework has been utilized
in many studies, and there is a large body of empirical evidence supporting the model as it
relates to parent involvement.
Figure 2
Epstein’s Framework of Six Types of Involvement for Comprehensive Programs of
Partnership and Sample Practices
Note. Epstein, J.L., et al. (2019). School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook
for Action.
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Parent Involvement versus Parent Engagement Defined
It is also worthwhile to note the differences in understanding parent involvement
versus parent engagement. Parent involvement, as defined by the Annie E. Casey Foundation
([AECF], 2023), is understood as parent participation in school-related activities such as
chaperoning duties, participating in parent-teacher conferences and schoolwide events, and
volunteering. In contrast, parent engagement is defined as parents who engage and participate
in the decision-making process and opportunities, such as school site committees, where they
can provide input and feedback while helping the school make decisions about programs,
resources, initiatives, among other things (AECF, 2023). Although parent involvement, parent
participation, and family-school partnerships are used in a variety of contexts within research,
this study focuses on parent engagement to illustrate the actions, behaviors, and beliefs of
parents who actively participate in school improvement efforts.
Barriers Impacting Parent Engagement
Parent engagement can help improve school communities as parent voice is an invaluable
asset and resource to school communities in understanding the challenges students face and
understanding how to support students better (Fan & Chen, 2001; Henderson & Berla, 1994;
Jasis & Ordoñez-Jasis, 2012; Jeynes, 2005, Skiba et al., 2014). Parent representation is needed to
question and challenge the policies and practices that may hinder student achievement and
perpetuate educational inequities. However, several barriers exist that impact parent engagement
regarding parents’ willingness and ability to support school and student achievement
improvement (Epstein et al., 1997). Therefore, promoting parent engagement is critical, but in
order to promote parent engagement, school leaders need to understand and examine the barriers
impacting parent engagement at their school sites, specifically in understanding how parents’
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self-efficacy and SES status impact parent engagement, how the misconceptions held by school
staff negatively hinder school-parent relationships, and the need to redefine parent involvement
to promote parent engagement.
In their study focused predominantly on African American parents from urban school
communities, Murray et al. (2014) examined three factors that undermine parent involvement,
including motivational beliefs such as parents’ self-efficacy, parents’ perceptions of invitations
by the school to become involved, and parents’ personal life context such as socioeconomic
status. Regarding motivational beliefs, Murray et al. (2014) highlights the impact of parents’
self-efficacy in undermining parent involvement, especially for parents of low SES, as parents of
low SES may have less confidence in participating in school programs due to their limited
educational backgrounds. In addition, Murray et al.’s (2014) study highlights the impact of
negative prior schooling experiences or prior negative encounters with school staff as hindering
parents’ willingness to accept invitations from the school to participate in school events. Lastly,
parents’ personal life context, such as socioeconomic status, highlights parents’ capacity to
participate due to work obligations that limit their time and ability to participate, volunteer, or
attend school events (Murray et al., 2014). Overall, the study explored the impact of barriers and
facilitator factors, and the findings suggest that parents’ motivational beliefs, such as selfefficacy, significantly undermined parent involvement. The study highlights the need for further
examination of parents’ motivational beliefs to better understand how schools can promote
parents’ self-efficacy regarding their involvement in school.
Similarly, in their study, Williams and Sánchez (2013) identified four themes concerning
barriers to school involvement faced by African American inner-city high school parents,
including barriers of time poverty, lack of access, lack of financial resources, and lack of
21
awareness. Findings from this study suggest that parents of low SES experience more barriers
that make it more challenging to engage in school-parent events. An important note is the
obstacle of low SES families having less time to participate in their child’s education and,
therefore, having lower participation in school-based programs. As such, the findings suggest
that schools consider alternative ways to promote parent involvement given the barriers
identified.
Misconceptions of Parents in School-Based Involvement
Unfortunately, urban communities have historically experienced marginalization by
being underserved, underfunded, and negatively stereotyped. Negative stereotypes and narratives
have long plagued the misconception of the involvement of urban parents (Watson & Bogotch,
2015). Given the negative implications of such misconceptions, examining how these narratives
deter parent school-based involvement is critical.
For far too long, narratives such as “urban students are often described as unmotivated
and unwilling to learn, with parents who are uninterested and uninvolved”(Massey et al., 2014,
p. 173) have perpetuated the idea that students and parents of urban communities do not value
education and therefore are to blame for the disparities in achievement. Furthermore, Watson and
Bogotch (2015), highlight the disparity in the meaning of what school staff considers meaningful
parent involvement. Watson and Bogotch (2015) cite a study by Jackson and Remillard (2005),
in which 3 out of 10 African American families were able to attend school-centered functions
regularly. However, all 10 parents indicated that they monitored their child’s progress in school.
Continuing to maintain a narrow perception of parent involvement only further perpetuates
misconceptions and reinforces the idea that urban parents do not value education or care to be
involved.
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In consideration of existing misconceptions of parents by school staff, Lightfoot (2004)
argues that “many articles discussing parent involvement seem to target low-income and urban
parents as key problems in the educational system”(p. 91). Therefore, Lightfoot (2004) analyzed
the language used to describe parent involvement as either full or empty while highlighting the
negative implications of the language used to describe empty parent involvement. Specifically,
the language used to describe parent involvement of low-income immigrant parents is portrayed
as empty/lacking and therefore reinforces the deficit discourse that they do not care, as well as
the assumption that urban parents are a key problem in education instead of an asset. This study
emphasizes the need for school staff to revisit their own perceptions of how they define school
involvement to leverage the many ways parents can serve as an asset. Furthermore, this study
highlights the need for urban educators to examine their deficit discourse regarding shifting their
perception from perceiving parents as the problem to the perception of parents as a resource
(Lightfoot, 2004).
In addition, negative parent-school relationships also negatively impact parent
engagement, further perpetuating misconceptions with both parents and staff. Luet (2017)
analyzed the barriers that impact parent involvement in an urban school setting while
highlighting how negative school staff and parent relationships can hinder parent involvement .
The article highlights factors such as parent blame, issues with poor school-based
communication, parent frustration with lack of support, lack of knowledge of resources
available, and unwelcoming environments as barriers to parent engagement. Luet (2017) further
examines how a discourse of disengagement perpetuates stereotypes and creates a divide as
parents continue to be blamed instead of critically examining institutional barriers. This study
also calls for school staff to better understand of the systematic barriers that hinder parents from
23
being engaged in school programs and develop a better support network to communicate with
and support parents.
The Need to Redefine and Encourage Parent Involvement
As previously highlighted, parents face several barriers that limit their ability to actively
engage with schools (Murray et al., 2014; Williams & Sánchez, 2013). Furthermore,
misconceptions associated with parent involvement also negatively hinder parent involvement,
as parents and school staff hold negative perceptions about one another (Lightfoot, 2004). On the
one hand, prior negative interactions with school staff may discourage parents from participating
in future school programs In contrast, negative school staff perceptions of parents may impact
their willingness to reach out and encourage parent participation (Luet, 2017). Therefore, to
address the need for creating additional and meaningful opportunities for parent engagement,
school reform calls for redefining parent engagement and creating opportunities to encourage
active parent voice, engagement, and activism.
Redefining parent involvement to consider the various ways parents are involved is
crucial to understand how parents are already active participants in their child’s education, but
also to help school leaders offer opportunities for parent engagement tailored to the needs of
parents. In their article, Watson and Bogotch (2015) examine the unintentional misconstruction
of how parent involvement is defined and the implications of focusing on “schoolcentered”practices. Watson and Bogotch (2015) argue that “we critically examine how teachers
and administrators in an urban high school identify and consider the challenges to parent
involvement without engaging in or disrupting normative constructions of the term parent
involvement. It is in this unintentional misconstruction of the notion of parent involvement that
school leaders most often perceive Black and Hispanic parents”(p. 258). By redefining what
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parent involvement means, school leaders can move away from the “school-centered” practices
of only considering parent involvement to be when parents attend parent-teacher meetings,
attend school events, and participate in school committees and instead focus on the many ways
that parents can be involved, such as maintaining high academic expectations and monitoring
their child’s academic progress (Jeynes, 2012, Watson & Bogotch, 2015). The authors urge
urban school leaders to consider the strengths and the impacts parents can offer. They also call
for urban school leaders to redefine their concept of parent involvement and offer alternative
ways for parent involvement.
In addition to redefining parental involvement, it is essential to examine how schools can
encourage and promote parental involvement. In emphasizing the power and impact of parent
engagement, in their study, Jasis and Ordoñez-Jasis (2012) examine the power of parent
engagement in leading community activism at three community school-based programs. This
study explores how women-led activism can increase Latino parent participation in schools. A
sense of agency was a propelling factor in parent activism for the betterment of their
communities and children’s education. Jasis and Ordoñez-Jasis (2012) found that for parents,
“their engagement increased and became more meaningful within school contexts where their
parental roles, their individual and family aspirations, and life experiences and knowledge were
respected and incorporated into the school communities as valuable educational contributions”(p.
84). This study highlights the importance of schools establishing meaningful educational
partnerships with diverse families to achieve school reform.
The Importance of School Leadership in Influencing Parent Engagement
To effectively enact school reform in K-12 urban schools, it is essential to create the
space and opportunity for parents to take part in the work towards actively dismantling
25
inequitable educational practices within their school communities. As such, the literature and
evidence findings (Luet, 2017; Murray et al., 2014; Williams & Sánchez, 2013) highlight the
need for school leaders to understand the impact that parent motivational beliefs can have in
hindering parent involvement. Furthermore, school leaders should focus on establishing schoolparent educational partnerships that promote parents as leaders in disrupting inequitable
educational practices that negatively impact urban students. By establishing educational
partnerships with parents, school leaders will promote parent engagement and create
opportunities for parent leaders to empower other parents to become active participants (Jasis &
Ordonez-Jasis, 2012).
Transformational Leadership Theory
Leadership is a widely universally studied theme utilized to address ongoing challenges
within and outside of education. Established leadership theories and the improved outcomes of
corporation and educational challenges are connected to Specific leadership practices and
strategies are often connected. Bolman and Deal (1997) suggest that people often perceive
leadership as the solution to existing social problems. As we consider the impact of leadership, it
is important to note that leadership can be defined in a variety of ways. Stogdill (1974) argued
that “there are almost as many definitions of leadership as there are persons who have attempted
to define the concept”(p.7).
However, Northouse and Lee (2022), define leadership as “a process whereby an
individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal”(p.3). More specifically,
they extend their definition by suggesting that leadership is a complex phenomenon that
encompasses four central tenets: (a) Leadership is a process involving the leader and follower(s);
(b) leadership involves influence; (c) leadership does not occur in a silo but rather within the
26
context of groups; (d) leaderships involves identifying and attaining common goals. In sum,
Northouse and Lee (2022) emphasize the relationship between the leader and follower and their
relationship in the leadership process.
Furthermore, Leithwood and Riehl (2003) also emphasize the relationship between the
leader and follower in that leaders mobilize their followers to achieve a common goal and shared
sense of purpose and direction. Although several leadership theories have been influential in
guiding school leaders in their efforts for school improvement (Marzano et al., 2005), relevant to
this current study is the leadership approach of transformational leadership which emphasizes
leaders as change agents.
Background of Transformational Leadership
Transformational leadership is one of the most notable approaches associated with
addressing existing educational challenges. A vast amount of empirical research highlights the
impact of transformational leadership in improving school and student achievement outcomes
(Leithwood & Jantzi, 2005). In fact, according to Anderson (2017), in examining articles
published between 1990 and 2003, transformational leadership has been the focus of more
research studies than any other leadership approach. Yet, transformational leadership theory first
originated because of James MacGregor Burns’s (1978) study on political leaders in his book
Leadership. Transformational leadership was established as a theory in response to political
movements and later applied within business corporations as the positive effects on employee
performance, commitment, and satisfaction became evident (Anderson, 2017). Thus,
transformational leadership has been applied in various settings and, most recently, has expanded
in educational settings for the last two decades.
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According to Burns (1978), transforming leadership is a process in which “leaders and
followers help each other to advance a higher level of morale and motivation”(p. 20). More
specifically, Burns (1978) defined transforming leadership as the “reciprocal process of
mobilizing, by persons with certain motives and values, various economic, political, and other
resources, in a context of competition and conflict, in order to realize goals independently or
mutually held by both leaders and followers”(p. 425). Therefore, transforming leadership is a
leadership approach focused on “transforming” followers to elevate their achievement and
performance.
In his conceptualization of transforming leadership, Burns (1978) developed two
approaches: “transforming leadership” and “transactional leadership”. The key features of
transforming leadership included a shift in focusing on the leader’s personality, traits, and ability
to create significant change for individuals and organizations. This new approach in leadership
focused on leaders working towards the greater good of the team and/or organization as leaders
emphasized the development of followers into leaders. In this sense, leaders utilize their ability
to enhance follower motivation, morale, and performance; therefore, transformational leaders
influence followers to accomplish more than expected. At its core, Burns (1978) argued that
transforming leaders could not only to bring about change at the individual level but, more
importantly, for cultural change within an organization.
Bass’s Transformational Leadership Theory
In 1985, Bernard M. Bass (1985), one of the most notable contributors to the field of
transformational leadership, expanded the work of Burns (1978) on transforming leadership by
further developing the concept of “transformational”. According to Bass, a transformational
leader can enhance performance beyond expectations (Bass, 1985). Performance beyond
28
expectations is credited to the leader’s actions in raising follower awareness of the shared goals,
encouraging followers to act in the interests of the team or organization, and developing follower
skills to improve performance (Mora, 2012).
Bass incorporated an explanation of how transformational leadership behaviors could be
examined and measured in his extended work. Bass’s (1985, 1990) work highlighted
transformational leadership behaviors in that leaders exhibited four main behaviors: idealized
influence, inspirational motivation, individual considerations, and intellectual stimulation (Bass,
1985 and Anderson, 2017). According to Northouse and Lee (2022), the four factors of
transformational leadership, as developed by Bass and Avolio (1994), are described as follows
Idealized Influence: Transformational leaders who serve as role models for their
followers as they exhibit highly ethical behavior. Followers identify with their leaders
and want to emulate them. These leaders also provide their followers with a sense of
vision and mission while also demonstrating their own commitment to the vision and
mission.
Inspirational Motivation: Transformational leaders communicate high expectations to
followers, articulate a vision, provide meaning for their followers’ work, and build a
strong sense of teamwork. Giving purpose and meaning to their work drives motivation
and, therefore performance.
Intellectual Stimulation: Transformational leaders encourage and promote creativity
while challenging followers of their beliefs and values to stimulate innovation and
consider new ways of thinking and doing.
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Individualized Consideration: Transformational leaders who provide support and attend
to the needs of each follower by acting as coaches, mentors, and advisors, and by
providing feedback to support the follower’s growth.
Bass theorized that leaders would transform followers and their beliefs, attitudes, and
behaviors if they exhibited these qualities and characteristics. Transformational leadership
promotes individual growth and development and overall organizational performance and
outcomes (Bass, 1985; Bass & Bass, 2008). These four practices of transformational leadership
are the driving forces in leading school improvement efforts as transformational leaders establish
a shared purpose, motivate followers, foster capacity building, and reorganize the school’s
culture (Leithwood & Riehl, 2003; Avolio & Bass, 1988).
Transformational Leadership Further Defined
In our current times, transformational leadership is perceived as a leadership approach
that emphasizes individuals, intrinsic motivation, follower development, a shared purpose, and a
focus on improved performance and outcomes (Northouse & Lee, 2022). In its simplest form,
transformational leadership is defined as the leadership approach that inspires and motivates
others to attain a common goal. Burns (1978) asserted that transformational leadership “occurs
when one or more persons engage with others in such a way that leaders and followers raise one
another to higher levels of motivation and morality”(p. 20).
Furthermore, Northouse (2022) defines transformational leadership as “the process
whereby a person engages with others and creates a connection that raises the level of motivation
and morality in both the leader and the followers. This type of leader is attentive to the needs and
motives of followers and tries to help followers reach their fullest potential”(p. 176).
Transformational leaders are change agents as they seek to transform followers and organizations
30
(Northouse & Lee, 2022). Given the extensive research highlighting transformational leadership
in positively impacting performance outcomes at the individual, group, and organizational levels,
it is no surprise that it has also gained significant attention in educational settings.
Transformational Leadership in Education
Given the ongoing and persistent educational challenges regarding school performance
and student achievement, much attention has been given to examining school systems, school
accountability measures, and school leadership practices to understand better how school leaders
can champion school improvement and achieve higher student achievement. School reform has
been a long-time area of discussion but has been of even greater focus since the 1990s due to the
1983 Nation at Risk Report, which urged the federal government to establish more robust
accountability measures (Barth, 1986). Many scholars have focused on school improvement and
school reform efforts to address the ongoing educational challenges; however, in light of this
study, educational leadership is further examined to gain insight into how school leaders can
promote and facilitate school and student achievement improvement.
Of particular importance is the work of Kenneth Leithwood (1994), one of the first
scholars to study the impact of transformational leadership within educational settings
(Anderson, 2017). In his article, “Leadership for School Restructuring” Leithwood asserts the
need to train school leaders on transformational leadership to promote school restructuring and,
therefore, school improvement efforts (1994). Transformational leadership is needed in order to
facilitate school improvement changes as described in Leithwood’s model of transformational
leadership, outlining six factors that define transformational leadership as leaders who can 1)
create a shared vision for the work that is needed, 2) provide intellectual stimulation 3) provide
individualized support 4) model and transform the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of followers
31
5) maintains high performance expectations 6) develops structures for organizational redesign to
foster a strong and collaborative school culture ( Leithwood, 1994; Leithwood et al., 1999).
The impact of transformational leadership within the educational context is further
exemplified through the work of Leithwood (1994). Leithwood’s study findings suggested that
transformational leadership positively influences the ability of school leaders to facilitate school
restructuring efforts and performance improvement outcomes (Anderson, 2017). Hallinger
(2003) also echoed the belief that transformational leadership is an ideal practice within school
contexts. Furthermore, Leithwood (1994) also asserts that the transformational leadership style
effectively promotes change as a positive correlation between leader and follower relationships
in educational settings and as such, should be a key component of educational leader preparation
programs (Anderson, 2017). Of greater importance is the extent of further research studies that
have found a positive relationship between transformational leadership styles and school
improvement efforts, including outcomes related to positive school culture, organizational
commitment, improved teacher commitment, and efficacy (Leithwood & Jantzi, 2005).
Transformational leadership and Principals
There is an abundance of research highlighting the success and positive impact of
transformational leadership on overall school improvement outcomes (Leithwood & Sun, 2012;
Moolenaar et al., 2010; Valentine & Prater, 2011). Of special consideration are studies on the
effects of transformational leadership exhibited by principals and the school improvement
outcomes observed. Studies such as Valentine & Prater (2011) focus on how principals promote
school improvement by creating the conditions to promote effective schools and student
achievement.
32
Valentine and Prater (2011) focused on the behaviors of principals in exhibiting
transformational leadership and the impact of these behaviors, including that of modeling
appropriate behavior, identifying a vision, fostering acceptance, providing individualized
support, providing intellectual stimulation, and holding high expectations in transforming school
culture and improving student achievement. Similarly, Anderson (2017) asserts that
“transformational leadership exhibited by principals plays a key role in school improvement
initiatives”(p. 6). Furthermore, Anderson further argues that “Transformational leadership is
centered in forming ideas and building a shared vision is key to school improvement, hence
making principals’ development of transformational leadership skills paramount”(p. 6).
In addition, Griffith (2004) also examined the impact of principal transformational
leadership on school improvement outcomes, specifically examining staff turnover, school
performance, and job satisfaction. In his study, Griffith (2004) found a significant relationship
between job satisfaction and principals whose staff members perceived them as transformational
leaders. Another finding from Griffith’s study highlighted the indirect effect of transformational
leadership of principals on student achievement, as teacher job satisfaction was associated with
less staff turnover and, therefore, greater student achievement, especially in schools having more
disadvantaged students.
Transformational leadership exhibited by school principals is not only correlated with
school improvement efforts because of the direct and indirect effects on student achievement but
also because of the shift in the purpose of leadership. As transformational leaders, school
principals aim to make a greater impact by transforming the feelings, attitudes, and beliefs of the
school staff through capacity building (Mitchell & Tucker, 1992). Similarly, Leithwood et al.
(1992) argue that transformational principals push for a common purpose, goal, and vision of all
33
staff work to improve the quality of education provided to students. The overall focus of
transformational principals is to improve student achievement outcomes by giving meaning to
the work and purpose of all educators.
Another relevant study comes from Avolio and Bass (1988), who argued that
transformational leaders can alter the environments to inspire followers to higher levels of
performance. Avolio and Bass believe that “Transformational leaders do not necessarily react to
environmental circumstances—they create them”(p. 36). Therefore, transformational leadership
influences school improvement in that transformational leaders focus on developing their
followers to enhance their performance, ultimately leading to organizational growth (Kirby et al.,
1992). Kirby et al., (1992) studied follower perceptions of transformational leadership to
determine which behaviors predicted follower satisfaction and leadership effectiveness. Given
their study findings, The authors also found that transformational behaviors associated with
individualized consideration and intellectual stimulation a positively correlate to leader
effectiveness and follower satisfaction.
Transformational Leadership and Teacher Performance
The success of transformational leadership on teacher-focused outcomes, such as
commitment, efficacy, job satisfaction, and performance, are well documented (Allen et al.,
2015; Bagget, 2008; Hauserman et al., 2013; Leithwood & Sun, 2012,). Leithwood and Jantzi
(2005) founded a meta-analysis study of 32 empirical studies published between 1996 and 2005
focused on school transformational leadership. The study examined the Transformational
Leadership Behaviors (TLBs) developed by Leithwood and Jantzi (1999) of setting directions,
helping people, and redesigning the organization as categories to organize the behaviors.
Through the meta-analysis, Leithwood and Jantzi (2005) found a positive relationship between
34
transformational leadership practices and teacher job satisfaction, teacher practices, and
increased teacher efficacy. Edwards (2008) addressed teacher performance improvement in that
transformational leadership can be instrumental in facilitating systemic change and empowering
teacher improvement regarding their performance. Furthermore, Stewart (2006) emphasized
transformational leadership in promoting teacher perceptions of motivation and enthusiasm to
seek improvement and change in individual and organizational performance.
Transformational Leadership and Student Achievement
In their meta-analysis study, Leithwood and Jantzi (2005) also found that
transformational leadership practices positively indirectly effect on student achievement and
engagement outcomes. In the analysis of 32 empirical studies from 1996 to 2005, 15 focused on
student outcomes, including student academic achievement and engagement. Key studies were
analyzed to determine the effects of transformational leadership on student outcomes, including
that of Marks and Printy's (2003) study. They found significant positive effects of leadership on
achievement when examining student scores in mathematics and social studies on three standards
of intellectual quality and higher order thinking. Similarly, Griffith’s (2004) study also found
positive indirect effects on achievement and, Ross (2004) found significant positive effects of
transformational leadership on the students’ achievement in math and language.
Of the 15 studies, nine found a positive indirect effect of transformational leadership
practices on student achievement outcomes. Of the 9 studies, 6 reported a significant relationship
between transformational leadership and some student achievement indicators . The findings of
Leithwood and Jantzi (2005) further exemplify the positive impact of transformational leadership
practices, as previous research has indicated that these practices promote and influence school
outcomes that ultimately foster improvement in student performance and achievement outcomes.
35
In their study, Day et al. (2001) investigated the impact of leadership on student
outcomes by examining how principals directly and indirectly achieve improvement in the
school culture and student outcomes by utilizing transformational and instructional leadership
strategies. The study findings suggest that the factors attributed to improvement efforts were due
to the principal’s ability to understand and diagnose the school’s needs and their ability to
develop a vision for the work needed while building relational and organizational trust. Yang
(2014) echoed the impact of transformational leadership in promoting student achievement as his
study found a positive correlation between student performance and student motivation in
connection to transformational leadership. Additional studies (Day et al., 2001; Marks & Printy,
2003) further exemplify the positive effects, although indirect, that school leaders have on
student outcomes.
Transformational Leadership and Parent Engagement
As is evidenced by previous research, transformational leadership serves as a
foundational cornerstone in understanding and examining the effects of transformational
leadership on student engagement, teacher performance, teacher morale, organizational school
improvement, and effective school leadership (Leithwood et al., 1999). While most studies have
focused on the influence of transformational leaders in influencing school and student
achievement improvement, limited studies have focused on the leadership practices of
transformational leaders in promoting parent engagement.
One such study, Yulianti et al., (2019), investigated transformational leadership’s role in
promoting parent involvement through the perspectives of elementary school teachers in
Indonesia. They argue that school leaders do, in fact, influence parent involvement by
encouraging teacher outreach to promote parent participation. Similarly, Barr and Saltmarsh
36
(2014) further examined the role of the school principal in fostering parent engagement in their
qualitative study focused on parent perceptions in urban schools in Australia. In their study, they
found that school leaders’ attitudes, communication, and leadership practices as perceived by
parents played a crucial role in fostering parent engagement. This study highlights the need for
leaders to be perceived by parents as welcoming, inclusive, and supportive of parents to
influence parent engagement. These findings are consistent with the work of other scholars
(Bush, 2011; Giles, 2006, 2007; Leithwood, 2010) who have emphasized the role of
transformational school leaders as vital to the success of improving parent-school relationships
and overall school improvement. Furthermore, Barr and Saltmarsh’s (2014) study highlighted
principals as playing a transformative role in changing the school’s culture by creating
opportunities for parents to be involved.
Giles (2007) studied transformational leadership and parent involvement; however, his
study focuses on the perspective of the principal, teachers, and parents within the context of three
urban elementary schools in the Northeast United States. The study specifically examined the
success of transformational leaders in facilitating parent involvement as an integral part of
improving teaching and learning. The three case studies highlight the impact of transformational
leadership in improving the learning environment, building partnerships with parents, and
engaging community members in school improvement efforts. More so, in examining the
improvement efforts of the three elementary school principals, they found that the principal who
had the most success was also effective in leading and promoting parent involvement as a means
for school improvement. Giles attributed the success to the principal’s focus on encouraging
parent empowerment and a sense of ownership by developing the capacity of parents as active
members of the school community. As such, they assert that “leadership of parent involvement
37
can contribute to improved success as part of the comprehensive capacity-building approach to
improving schools”(p.279). As such, when the leadership approach focuses on the transformation
of the organizational culture and the transformation of the individuals, parent involvement can
contribute to the overall improvement of schools. They conclude that further research should
focus on the models of leadership regarding parent involvement to understand how parent
involvement can contribute to school improvement.
Transformational Leadership and Organizational Change
At its core, Burns (1978) argued that transforming leaders could not only bring about
change at the individual level but more importantly and notably, for cultural change within an
organization. Increased development of capacity and commitment are fundamental elements of
transformational leadership, as noted by Burns (1978) and Bass (1985). Furthermore, several
scholars, most notably Leithwood and Jantzi (1999), have researched the impact of
transformational leadership in promoting change within organizations. In their study, Leithwood
and Jantzi (1999) focus on school restructuring initiatives and transformational leadership
practices’ impact in attaining organizational change and enhanced organizational outcomes.
Findings from their survey data of teachers and students found a strong significant effect of
transformational leadership on organizational conditions (Leithwood & Jantzi, 1999), which
further points to the impact of transformational leadership in instigating change.
Several other significant studies also highlight the role of transformational leadership and
improved school and organizational culture (Edwards, 2008; Engels et al., 2008; Moolenaar et
al., 2010; Pounder, 2008; Sagor, 1992; Stover, 2005;). For instance, McCarley et al., 2014
examined the relationship between teacher perceptions of their principal as a transformational
leader and the school climate. In their study, McCarley et al. (2014) found a correlation between
38
transformational leadership and the school climate. Their findings are consistent with those of
other researchers (Eschbach & Henderson, 2010; Mooney, 2003; O’Connor, 2001), suggesting a
strong positive correlation between transformational leadership and a positive school climate.
Furthermore, Stewart (2006) argues that transformational leaders engage individuals at the
individual level and as a collective group as they inspire stakeholders, build a team, and create
high expectations to increase morale and motivation and improve organizational culture.
Similarly, Yulianti et al. (2019) assert that transformational leadership promotes secondorder changes in schools, and Hallinger (2003) argues that transformational leadership focuses
on schools’ capacity to change and maintain the changes. Giles (2006) also argues that
organizational change can improve parent-school relationships through the capacity development
of the individuals within the school and community. Findings from previous research further
highlight the impact of transformational leadership in strongly contributing to improving school
culture and climate and overall school improvement (Leithwood, 1994; McCarley et al., 2014).
Conclusion
Given the extensive research reiterating the impact of school leadership on overall school
improvement efforts, it is evident that leadership matters (Waters & Marzano, 2006). More so,
the role of urban school principals as transformational leaders in influencing parent engagement
to disrupt educational inequities matters. Although the empirical research available examining
parent engagement and transformational leadership is extensive, little is known about the impact
of transformational leadership practices in promoting parent engagement to disrupt the
educational crisis in urban schooling. As such, a gap in literature still exists regarding the
intersectionality of transformational leadership and parent involvement. Therefore, the current
study aims to add to this body of literature by examining transformational leadership and parent
39
involvement through the perspective of parents and the leadership factors that influence their
engagement in school improvement efforts. Utilizing transformational leadership as the
theoretical framework for understanding leadership practices in promoting parent engagement
will be a central focus of this current study.
40
Chapter Three: Methodology
Scholars like Jencks and Phillips (1998) have documented the educational crisis in urban
schooling. Along with other scholars, they have highlighted the existing racial achievement gap
between Black and Latino students and their White peer counterparts for the last three decades.
Considering the existing and persistent achievement and equity gaps, especially among the
various racial and ethnic groups, NCLB, IASA, and ESSA have further exemplified the need for
parents to serve as partners in supporting school improvement efforts (Mapp & Kuttner, 2013;
Westmoreland et al., 2009). To propel school improvement, consideration of parents' voices is
critical, as parent engagement is vital in questioning policies and practices that may hinder
student achievement and perpetuate educational inequities (Barr & Saltmarsh, 2014). Thus,
parent engagement is crucial not only to the success of the individual students but also for the
success of the school community in disrupting educational inequities and closing achievement
gaps, especially for underrepresented and underserved students in urban school communities.
Given the power of parent engagement in disrupting educational inequities, there is a need to
understand the role of school leaders and transformational leadership in influencing parent
engagement.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to provide insight into understanding the leadership practices
of transformational leaders and how those practices influence and promote parent engagement
and organizational change within their school communities to disrupt educational inequities.
Specifically, this study seeks to examine and understand parents' perceptions of the school
leadership transformational practices that encourage their engagement in school site parent
meetings and school improvement efforts.
41
Research Questions:
The following research questions guided this study:
RQ1: What practices and strategies are employed by successful transformational leaders
with high levels of parent engagement within their school communities?
RQ2: What do parents perceive as the transformational leadership factors that encourage
their participation in school-based parent meetings and committees within urban school
communities?
RQ3: How do transformational school leaders build an organizational culture that
influences parent engagement?
Sample and Population
The participants in this study consisted of parents of students who attend an urban charter
school in South Central Los Angeles. Participants participated in interviews that were designed
to create a better understanding of their perceptions of the school leadership transformational
practices that encourage their engagement in school site parent meetings and/or school
improvement efforts. Specifically, the study required interviewing parents who are active parent
members in their school community. The study also consisted of observations intended to
observe parents as they participated in a school meeting to gain an understanding of their level of
participation and role as an advocate. In addition, observations of school site leaders during the
school site meetings allowed the researcher to examine the leadership practices employed during
the school meetings to encourage parent participation. Lastly, school leaders were interviewed
understand their perceptions of how their leadership approach and practices influence parent
engagement.
42
Active parent members are parents who regularly participate in a school site committee
and/or in school-based opportunities for parent engagement. Committee membership refers to
parents who participate in a parent advisory type of committee, such as School Site Council,
English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC/DELAC), and/or Parent Teacher Association
(PTA). According to the CA Department of Education, School Site Council responsibilities
include evaluating the progress of the school towards improving academic achievement for all
students. They must include school staff members and parent/community/ student members
(CDE.CA, 2022). Similarly, ELAC/DELAC and PTA parent committee members also evaluate
the progress of the school toward meeting the school’s goals. On the other hand, parents who
participate in school improvement efforts actively participate in school based opportunities for
parent engagement, such as attending Coffee with the Principal monthly meetings, parent
informational workshops, or parent empowerment meetings.
Although this study focuses on parent engagement and school improvement efforts in
urban schools, the study specifically focuses on charter schools within South Central Los
Angeles. Charter Schools are free, public, non-profit schools open to all students (California
Charter School Association [CCSA], 2019). The charter school movement began as a
progressive movement to explore best practices in education and broaden family’s options in
their child’s public education (CCSA, 2019). According to the CCSA, charter schools are
“innovative public schools created over 30 years ago created by passionate educators, parents,
and civic leaders committed to reimagining public education”(CCSA, 2022). Proponents of
charter schools argue that charter schools have been designed to serve underserved communities
and provide alternative educational options for families in underserved communities. Therefore,
43
this study, focuses on charter schools as a means of exploring the opportunities that parents have
in relation to school improvement efforts and disrupting the existing educational inequities.
The researcher used purposeful sampling to select the participants for the structured
interviews and observations. According to Lochmiller and Lester (2017), purposive sampling
occurs “when a researcher selects individuals or sites on the basis of specific criteria”(p. 141).
Similarly, Patton (2002) argues that “purposeful sampling focuses on selecting information-rich
cases whose study will illuminate the questions under the study”(p. 230). The participant
selection process included identifying parents who actively participate in school site committees
and/or school-based opportunities for parent engagement in an urban charter school in South
Central Los Angeles. Additionally, the researchers selected school site leaders for the
observations and leader interviews as a result of the parent selection process as participants.
Purposeful sampling was utilized to ensure that the participants met the criteria and attributes
needed to gain insight into the perception of parents within urban school communities (Merriam,
2009).
Table 1
Interview and Observation Selection Criteria for Participants
Interviews Observations
Parent School Site Members-Elementary
Principal, Elementary
Elementary School Site Meeting
• Parent Participants
• School Site Leader
Parent School Site Members- Secondary
Middle School (6th-8th grade)
Principal, Middle School
Secondary School Site Meeting
• Parent Participants
• School Site Leader
44
For this study, a total of 18 parents and two school site leaders participated in the study.
Parent participants included nine elementary parents, eight secondary parents (middle schoolgrades 6th-8th), and one parent representing both the elementary and secondary level. The level
and type of parent participation varied among the 18 participants. Among the participants, parent
participation included 9/18 parents who participated as a school site committee members, 14/18
parents who attended the monthly coffee with the principal monthly meetings, and 12/18 parents
who participated in a parent empowerment workshop series provided by the school. School Site
Leader participants consisted of one elementary leader and one secondary leader. A total of two
charter schools within the South Central Los Angeles region are also included in this study.
Table 2
School Demographics- Description of the population of the two charter schools
School Enrollment English
Language
Learners
Socioeconomically
Disadvantaged
Race/Ethnicity
Elementary
(Grades Tk-5)
305 36.4% 96.1% Hispanic 98.7%
African American 0.7%
Middle School
(Grades 6-8)
447 23.7% 99.6% Hispanic 98.2%
African American .09%
Design Summary
This study seeks to examine and understand parents' perceptions of the school leadership
transformational practices that encourage their engagement in school improvement efforts. To
gain in-depth insight and understanding of parents’ perceptions regarding school leadership, a
qualitative approach was used to collect, analyze, and report the data. A qualitative
methodological approach was used as it lends itself to the nature of the study. According to
Merriam and Tisdell (2016), “qualitative researchers are interested in understanding how people
45
interpret their experiences, how they construct their world, and what meaning they attribute to
their experiences”(p. 6). Research studies that employ a qualitative approach intend to
understand and focus on meaning and experiences (Merriam and Tisdell (2016).
Furthermore, Patton (2002) argues that qualitative research allows the researcher to
examine a selected issue in great detail and depth. Similarly, Lochmiller and Lester (2017)
emphasize qualitative research as an approach that allows the researcher to study the participants
in their own natural environment while focusing on understanding how the participants make
meaning of their experiences. McEwan and McEwan (2003) further emphasize the importance of
qualitative research as descriptive, naturalistic, and focused on making meaning and explanation.
Given the emphasis on parent perceptions, this study aligns with Merriam and Tisdell’s
(2016) approach to conducting qualitative research. According to Merriam and Tisdell (2016),
the following are primary elements of a qualitative study: the researcher is the primary
instrument, fieldwork is the focus of the research, the process is inductive as the researcher
builds toward theory from understanding and observations, there is a focus on rich description,
and the sample selection is purposeful and small. These are the same elements guiding this
current study.
Methodology
The methodology consisted of collecting qualitative data through structured interviews
using an interview protocol to address the research questions of this study. Interviewing parent
participants was essential to this study as it allowed the researcher to gain insight into parent
perceptions and experiences. Furthermore, as echoed by Barr and Saltmarsh (2014), given the
role of parents as key stakeholders, it is critical to examine parents’ perceptions of how they
view school leadership as a factor in impacting parent engagement. As such, the researcher
46
constructed the interview protocol to ensure the consistency and reliability of the instrument as
the same questions were asked to all participants and in the same order. According to Merriam
and Tisdell (2016), the structured interview approach allows the researcher to ask questions that
seek specific information from the participants, which helps gather data related to a specific
issue.
In addition to the interviews, the researcher also conducted observations, which consisted
of observing parent participation and school site leadership in the school-based parent meetings.
Observations were utilized to observe parents as participants in a school-based parent meeting to
understand their level of participation and role as an advocate. Similarly, the researcher
conducted observations of school site leaders during the school-based parent meetings to
examine the leadership practices employed during the school-based parent meetings to
encourage parent participation. Utilizing a qualitative data collection approach through
interviews and observations enabled the researcher to address all three questions of the current
study.
Multiple Sources of Data
The researcher relied on multiple sources of data for this study including data from the
interviews, observations, and the literature review to ensure internal validity. Furthermore, as
echoed by Merriam and Tisdell (2016), triangulation was used as a strategy to ensure internal
validity by utilizing multiple sources of data. By utilizing triangulation through multiple sources
of data, it allows for the researcher to cross-check and compare the data. Triangulation is an
essential research component as it “increases credibility and quality by countering the concern
that a study’s findings are simply an artifact of a single method, a single source, or a single
investigator’s blinders”(Patton, 2015, p. 674). In addition, member checks were conducted as a
47
form of respondent validation to seek participant feedback regarding the emerging findings from
the interview and observations (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Instrumentation
Participants were contacted and received an Informed Consent and Information Sheet (
Appendix A) to elicit their participation. , The researcher contacted participants to schedule an
interview and observation once the informed consent forms were returned. Before conducting the
interviews, a cover sheet (Appendix B) was also provided to reiterate the purpose of the research
and to inform participants of their confidentiality.
Interview Instrument
For the interviews, a structured interview or standardized-open-ended interview approach
was utilized to predetermine the questions and the order of the questions (Patton, 2002; Merriam
& Tisdell, 2016). Patton (2002) asserts that utilizing a standardized open-ended approach allows
the researcher to ask each respondent the same questions in the same sequence, which assists in
the data analysis process. Similarly, Maxwell (2013) argues that intensive interviews enable the
researcher to collect rich data if the collected data are detailed and varied enough, and verbatim
transcripts of the interviews are provided. The interview protocol consisted of 12 questions (see
Appendix C) intended to address the research questions of this study. The interview protocol also
consisted of additional probing questions to assist in collecting and clarifying responses given by
the participants (Merriam, 2009).
Observation Instrument
Observations are also a powerful tool in a qualitative study to capture additional data.
Merriam and Tisdell (2016) argue that “observational data represent a firsthand encounter with
the phenomenon of interest rather than a secondhand account of the world obtained in an
48
interview”(p. 137). Furthermore, observations can serve as a research tool to observe behavior as
it is happening in the natural world and to triangulate emerging findings (Merriam & Tisdell,
2016). Thus, observations can assist researchers in systematically addressing specific research
questions. As such, the researcher developed an observation protocol to serve as a guide during
the observations to record behavior, interactions, participation, and other factors (see Appendix
D). During the observation, in-depth, highly descriptive field observation notes were utilized, as
well as a complete recording of the meeting to capture as much detailed data as possible.
Data Collection
As part of the qualitative methodology, the researcher used structured interviews and
observations to collect research data. This study is aligned with Merriam and Tisdell’s (2016)
approach to designing and implementing qualitative research: (a) designing your study and
selecting a sample, (b) collecting quality data, and (c ) analyzing and reporting qualitative data.
The study’s design consisted of structured interviews and observations, and the researcher used
purposeful sampling to select participants who met the criteria and attributes needed for
participation. Interview participants were identified based on their participation in school
improvement efforts within urban charter schools in South Central, Los Angeles.
Participants were contacted and received an Informed Consent and Information Sheet
(Appendix A) to elicit their participation. The researcher contacted participants to schedule an
interview once their informed consent forms were received. Before conducting the interviews,
the researcher provided a cover sheet (Appendix B) for participants to reiterate the purpose of the
research and inform participants of their confidentiality. The interviews were conducted in
person or via video conference, depending on their availability and preference. At the start of
each interview, the researcher reiterated the purpose of the study, along with restating the
49
confidentiality clause. Participants provided consent to record interviews. They were also
informed of the researcher’s actions in taking notes during the interview to record my own
reactions as a researcher (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). After the interview, participants indicated
their willingness to participate in the observation data collection process. The researcher also
asked participants if they would be willing to be contacted for clarification and/or member
checks to ensure their perspective was accurately portrayed in the findings. Interviews lasted
approximately 45-60 minutes. All the interviews were transcribed for data analysis and were
reviewed by the researcher as recommended by Merriam and Tisdell (2016).
For the observations, the researcher recorded the meetings to document verbatim what
participants shared. Maxwell (2013) urges researchers to collect rich data by recording verbatim
the interview while also taking highly descriptive field notes. The researcher also completed field
notes to capture additional reactions or observations about specific behavior. The observation
notes were also translated (if needed), transcribed, analyzed, and coded according to emerging
themes.
Data Analysis
Data collected from the interviews and observations were analyzed to identify emerging
themes regarding parent perceptions of the transformational leadership practices that influence
parent engagement. The research questions guided the data analysis for this study. As such, the
data collected from the interviews, including handwritten notes, reflections, and audio
recordings, were transcribed and critically analyzed. The researchers transcribed all the
interviews and observations to provide a robust database for analysis. In consideration of the
qualitative approach emphasizing an inductive analysis, notes and observations were added to
identify and code the themes emerging regarding the leadership strategies that emerged from the
50
interviews and observations. Rapid Analysis Coding was used as a tool to analyze the data and to
identify themes and categories (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The observation notes were also
transcribed, analyzed, and coded according to emerging themes. Throughout the data collection
and analysis process, the researcher preserved participation confidentiality. Further analysis was
conducted to identify key findings and themes addressing the research questions once the
researcher coded the data from the interviews and observations.
Trustworthiness and Credibility
To support trustworthiness and credibility, the researcher utilized triangulation via
multiple sources of data collection (interviews and observations) and member checks were then
conducted. According to Merriam and Tisdell (2016), member checking is the act of soliciting
participant feedback on the preliminary findings to ensure that their responses and perspectives
are not misinterpreted. In addition, member checks help to ensure that the researcher has
identified their own biases of regarding interpretations and observations of the data ( Merriam &
Tisdell, 2016). As Milner’s (2007) framework highlights, the Engaged Reflection and
Representation process consists of the researcher and participants engaging in reflection together
to better understand how the researcher’s and participant’s voices are represented in true and
representative findings. This is an important component of the research process to “prevent the
researcher’s voice from overshadowing the voice of the researched”(Milner, p. 396). Utilizing
this strategy will help ensure that parents feel comfortable with what they shared, the developing
narrative, and the findings of the study. Finally, the researcher compared the data findings to the
literature on transformational leadership as the underlying theoretical framework of this study.
51
Reliability and Validity
To address reliability and validity concerns, the interview and observation protocol were
reviewed and revised, given the feedback from a research methods expert and the study’s
dissertation committee. The interview protocol was field-tested with two parent volunteers and
revised to clarify the intent and language of the questions To support content validity. Similarly,
the researcher field tested the observation protocol in an informal school site meeting. Of most
importance, and as echoed by Merriam and Tisdell (2016), this study was conducted in an ethical
manner following all the guidelines for ethical conduct of research, including of adequate
engagement in data collection, critical self-reflection as a researcher, peer review, and
examination, audit trail, providing rich descriptions, and purposefully seeking maximum
variation.
Researcher Positionality
One of the identities that I was most proud of is that of being an educator. In my current
role as a principal, my positionality was that of being an advocate, agent of change, and
mobilizing my colleagues and school community to challenge the status quo. My position
afforded me the power and privilege to have a voice, to question existing rules and policies, to
create a space for those who often go unheard, and to propose new policies and changes to
promote learning and achievement for all students. As a current principal, I was cognizant of the
power dynamics given the nature of this study. This study aimed to understand how school
leaders promote and improve parent engagement. More specifically, to understand the specific
leadership practices and strategies principals employed to effectively promote parent engagement
within their school communities. Given that parents were the main participants in this study and
the research questions focused on their perceptions of principal leadership styles and actions, I
52
understood that my role as a principal, even though I was not a principal in their child’s current
school, may have been perceived as a position of power.
In my own positionality, I also had to face my own intersection of power, specifically the
power of being a leader in a school setting. Therefore, I always had to be aware of my privilege
and monitor the implications of the power dynamics between me as the researcher and the
participants (i.e., parents) in this study (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). As a researcher, I stayed open
and authentic to their perspective, experiences, and narrative without allowing my experiences as
a principal to impact my understanding of the knowledge gained (Maxwell, 2013).
In addressing the issues of power and positionality, engaging in Milner’s Framework of
Researching Racial and Cultural Positionality deepened the racial and cultural knowledge of
myself as a researcher and the community and people under study (Milner, 2007). Through the
Researching the Self Process, Milner (2007) argues that researchers engage in racial and cultural
introspection that may “bring to their consciousness explicit, hidden, or unexpected matters,
which can have a bearing on the entire research study (p. 395). Therefore, Researching the Self
Process was critical in addressing power and positionality issues and discouraging
misrepresentation of people of color and communities of color. Furthermore, engaging in the
Self in the Relation to Others Process allows researchers to better understand and examine
themselves related to others (Milner, 2007). Through these processes, I aimed to address the
issues of power and positionality as a researcher.
Summary
This study used a qualitative research approach utilizing multiple sources of data
collection, including data from interviews and observations. The data collected from parents
were analyzed to understand parent perceptions related to the school leadership transformational
53
practices that encourage their engagement in school site-based opportunities. More specifically,
the data collected address the research questions of this study: what practices and strategies are
employed by successful transformational leaders with high levels of parent engagement within
their school communities, what do parents perceive as the transformational leadership factors
that encourage their participation in school site parent meetings within urban school
communities, and how do transformational school leaders build an organizational culture that
influences parent engagement. To gain in-depth insight and understanding, a qualitative
approach was used to collect, analyze, and report the data findings. The findings of this study are
presented in chapter four and followed by a discussion of the findings in chapter five.
54
Chapter Four: Findings
This qualitative study was conducted to understand the practices employed by successful
transformational school leaders to effectively promote parent engagement within their school
communities, as well as understand the perceptions of parents regarding their engagement in
school improvement efforts. Successful transformational school leadership is defined as
transformational leaders who employ the four characteristics of transformational leadership:
establishing a shared purpose, motivating followers, fostering capacity building, and
reorganizing the culture of the school (Leithwood & Riehl, 2003; Avolio & Bass, 1988).
This study and data collection analysis was guided by the following research questions:
1. What practices and strategies are employed by successful transformational leaders with
high levels of parent engagement within their school communities?
2. What do parents perceive as the transformational leadership factors that encourage their
participation in school-based parent meetings/committees within urban school
communities?
3. How do transformational school leaders build an organizational culture that influences
parent engagement?
This chapter will focus on the results from the interviews and observations conducted.
The research results are presented below and organized by research question. A review of the
emerging themes and relevant literature is provided for each research question. A summary of
the results related to each question and an overall summary of the results is presented at the end
of this chapter.
55
Participants
The participants in this study were parents and school principals from two urban charter
schools located in South Central Los Angeles, specifically, one elementary and one middle
school. Based on the CA Dashboard data for the Parent Engagement Indicator, both charter
schools have met the criteria for parent engagement (California Department of Education
[CADOE], 2023). The Parent Engagement Indicator measures parent and family engagement,
including the progress of involving parents in the decision-making process and establishing
partnerships with families.
Per the 2023 CA Dashboard (CADOE, 2023), parent engagement for the elementary
school included the following parent engagement data: parent survey data indicated that most
(97%) of parents feel that the school encouraged them to be an active partner in educating their
child. Parent survey data also indicated that nearly all parents feel welcome to participate at the
school (98%), are treated with respect by school staff (98%), and receive prompt responses from
the school to parent phone calls, messages, and e-mails (99%). In addition, parent survey data
indicated that 94% of parents feel that the school actively seeks the parents’ input before making
important decisions. Similarly, data from the middle school also reflected high parent
engagement. Parent survey data indicated that the vast majority (95%) of parents feel that the
school encourages them to be active partners in educating their child. Furthermore, recent parent
survey data indicates nearly all parents feel welcome to participate at the school (93%), are
treated with respect by school staff (98%), and receive prompt responses from the school to
parent phone calls, messages, and e-mails (95%). Lastly, parent survey data indicated that most
parents (84%) feel that the school actively seeks parents’ input before making important
decisions (CADOE, 2023).
56
The parent participant selection process included identifying parents who actively
participate in either school site committees and/or school-based opportunities for parent
engagement within the two urban charter schools in South Central Los Angeles. For this study,
18 parents and two school site leaders participated. Parent participants consisted of nine
elementary parents, eight secondary parents (middle school for grades 6th-8th), and one parent
representing both the elementary and secondary level. The level and type of parent participation
varied among the 18 participants, as shown in Table 4.1. Among the participants, parent
participation included nine out of the 18 parents who have participated as a school site
committee member, 14 out of the 18 parents who attend the monthly Coffee with the Principal
meetings, and 12 out of the 18 parents who participated in a parent empowerment workshop
series provided by the school. School site leader participants consisted of one elementary
principal, Principal A, and one secondary principal, Principal B. Principal A expressed feeling
that parent engagement at her school site was extremely robust. Principal B believed that parent
engagement is seen in various ways, i.e., parent participation at school events, parents with
active parent portals, parents’ responsiveness to school outreach, and as such, considers the
engagement or involvement of parents to be much higher.
57
Table 3
Interview Participants- Background information of interview parent participation
Parent Pseudonym School Site Participation in
School Committee
Participation in
school based programs
(Meetings with Principal)
Participation in
School-based programs
(Parent Workshops)
Parent A Elementary X X
Parent B Elementary X
Parent C Elementary X
Parent D Middle School X
Parent E Middle School X X X
Parent F Elementary X X
Parent G Elementary X
Parent H Elementary X X
Parent I Elementary X X
Parent J Elementary X
Parent K Middle School X X
Parent L Middle School X X X
Parent M Elementary X
Parent N Middle School X X
Parent O Middle School X X X
Parent P Middle School X X
Parent Q Both Schools X X X
Parent R Middle School X X X
Data from the qualitative interview were collected from 18 parent participants using open-ended
questions designed to determine (a) the essential leadership practices and strategies identified by
parents in helping to promote parent engagement, (b) what are the contributing factors that
promote high levels of parent engagement, (c) how do leaders influence parent engagement.
The interview protocol included the following questions aligned to the research questions
of this study:
58
1. Tell me about your decision to enroll your child at their current school.
2. On a scale of 1-10, how likely do you feel the school is inviting to parents, with 10 being
very inviting and 1 not inviting at all? And, can you tell me why you selected that
specific rating?
3. Now, tell me about your experiences and participation in school-related events. What
motivated you to participate in school-related events?
4. What has been your experience participating in the school-based events? What
contribution(s) do you believe you have made as a parent participant, if any?
5. Suppose you were on the hiring committee for a new Principal, what would you be
looking for? What characteristics do you associate with a great school leader?
6. Tell me about your experiences with the current school leader.
7. Considering your decision to participate as a parent member, what actions and behaviors
by the principal encouraged or discouraged your participation, if any? What role, if any,
do you believe the principal should play in relation to parent engagement?
8. As we think about the culture of the organization at (insert district name), how does the
organization value the input of parents? How does the organization encourage parent
engagement, if at all?
9. What other insight would you like to share with regard to how and if principals promote
parent engagement that I might not have covered, if any?
Results for Research Question 1
The purpose of this study is to provide insight into understanding the leadership practices
of transformational leaders and how those practices influence and promote parent engagement.
As such, the study’s first research question seeks to understand the practices and strategies
59
employed by transformational leaders with high levels of engagement within their school
communities. Research question one was: What practices and strategies are employed by
successful transformational leaders with high levels of parent engagement within their school
communities?
Bass (1985) theorized that transformational leaders promote individual growth and
development if the leader exhibits four specific qualities and characteristics; establishing a
shared purpose, motivating followers, fostering capacity building, and reorganizing the culture of
the school (Avolio & Bass, 1988; Bass, 1985; Bass & Bass, 2008; Leithwood & Riehl, 2003).
These four practices of transformational leadership are the driving forces explored in this study
concerning parent engagement. The parent and principal interview responses provided greater
insight into understanding the practices and strategies of school principals with high levels of
parent engagement within their school communities. From the parent interviews, several central
themes highlighted the impact of transformational leadership practices that contribute to high
levels of parent engagement, including emphasizing the individual, creating an inviting sense of
community, fostering motivation, developing a shared sense of purpose, and the impact of school
leadership. Responses from the principal interviews also echoed the theme of relationship
building as a contributing factor in promoting parent engagement.
Emphasizing the Individual and Relationship Building
Throughout the interview, parents had the opportunity to share their experiences as
parents with their children's charter schools, their involvement as a parent of the school,
interactions with school leaders, desired characteristics in a school leader, and recommendations
for greater parental involvement. One significant theme that emerged during the parent
interviews was the importance of school principals prioritizing personal relationship building
60
with parents as a contributing factor for feeling seen, heard, and valued as a parent. Of the 18
parent participants, all 18 parents spoke about the importance of establishing strong personal
connections between parents and the school leader. Parent C stated, "nos invita personalmente
para atender la junta, ella nos da el saludo, ella nos da la bienvenida, nos dedica su tiempo para
estar con nosotros“ [She personally invites us to the meeting, she greets us, she welcomes us, she
dedicates her time to be with us.] Parent F commented, “de verdad que ellos hagan el intento de
tener o desarrollar esas relaciones personales con los padres. Sí, con los padres. Muy importante,
obviamente” [They must try to have or develop those personal relationships with parents. Yes,
with parents. Very important, obviously]. Parent F also spoke extensively about the positive
impact on parent engagement when there is an established personal connection with the school
leader. Parent F shared. “Pues le digo más que nada lo que es lo de la confianza, que es más,
cómo tienen relación entre la directora y la familia. Hay mucha confianza pues con los padres y
familia“ [Well, I'll tell you more than anything about trust, which is more like the relationship
between the principal and families. There is a lot of trust with the parents and families]. When
speaking about the principal and parent relationship, Parent L noted:
Afortunadamente pasa porque yo a veces vengo y la directora ella me conoce o ya sabe
de qué niño le estoy hablando. Entonces me dice, oh si…, es que es bueno si ellos
conocen a todos los niños. Es lo que me gusta, que siempre están ahí, al pendiente de la
preocupación mía, pues, a base de mi hija. [Fortunately sometimes I come to the director,
she knows me or already knows who, which child I'm talking about, so she tells me, oh
yes…, it's a good thing when they know all the children. That 's what I like, that they're
always there, aware of my concern, well, with regard to my daughter].
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Parent Q also shared similar sentiments as she stated “Se involucran también, en el alumno, tanto
como en el padre, para hacer una mejor conexión.” [They get involved too, not only with
students, but as well with parents, to make a better connection.] When speaking about the
importance of personal rapport with school leaders, Parent B shared,
It does encourage us a lot to participate. It all depends on them. She's the school leader. If
we see that the leader doesn't care, if we never see her, because there's some principal’s
that we never see, to be honest with you. Some parents don't even know who's the
principal or who works at the school. But if we know who she is and she makes an
attempt to get to know us, to reach out to us, then yes, that's something that will
encourage us as parents, to wanna participate, to wanna go more than just an assembly or
to the end of the year awards or whatever the case may be.
While speaking with Principal B, relationship building was a key component when
considering the factors influencing parent engagement. When asked, “What do you feel
contributes to the success in promoting a strong school-parent relationship? Principal B
responded, “Relationships.” Principal B continues, “Each of us has our core group of parents
because of our individual interactions with them. Because those relationships already exist, that’s
definitely where we see parents who are more willing to participate. So it’s rapport building”.
Principal B reiterated that rapport building starts immediately as she talks about a welcome event
for new parents. Principal B shares, “It was a nice way to, again, just welcome our parents and
show them what a great place this is and that opportunity to make connections and start
relationships with folks”. In addition to emphasizing relationship building, Principal B also
touches upon the importance of emphasizing the individual, as she shares, “I think it starts with
those conversations and those personal connections, but I also think giving parents tangible
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experiences and tangible roles at the school site also goes a long way”. In connection with the
parent responses, both parents’ and principals’ responses assert the importance of relationships
and the emphasis on developing personal relationships.
From the parent excerpts, it was evident that several parents noted their relationship with
the school leader as a contributing factor in why they decided to become involved in their child’s
school. Interview responses supported the finding that participants who experience or develop a
personal connection with the school leader are more likely to feel heard, seen, and valued and
ultimately more likely to become active parents within the school community. Northouse (2022)
highlighted the significance of leaders creating a connection with their followers in order to raise
the level of motivation. Similarly, Jasis and Ordonez-Jasis (2012), Northouse and Lee (2022),
and Leithwood and Riehl (2003) emphasized the relationship between the leader and follower
and their relationship as a contributing factor in the leadership process. In sum, school leaders
can promote parent engagement by establishing personalized partnerships with parents.
Creating an Inviting Sense of Community
In consideration of the various practices and strategies that influence high levels of parent
engagement, it is critical to consider how parents perceive the school culture. As part of the
interview questions, parents were asked to rate on a scale of 1-10 how likely they felt the school
to be inviting to parents, with ten being very inviting and one not inviting at all. In addition, the
researchers asked parents to share an experience related to the rating given. Parent’s remarks
regarding their perceptions of the school culture as being inviting to parents were
overwhelmingly positive as, of the 18 parents, the average rating was 9.58 out of 10.
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Table 4
Parent Perceptions of Inviting Sense of Community
Parent Psyduneum Parent Response Key Attributes Identified
Parent A 10 Very inviting, helpful, welcoming
Parent B 10 Personal relationship with school personnel
Parent C 8 Principal knows her personally
Parent D 9 Feels welcomed
Parent E 10 School is always willing to help
Parent F 10 Feels well received by staff
Parent G 10 Parents are always included
Parent H 10 Attentive to parents
Parent I 10 Staff is friendly and supportive
Parent J 10 Welcoming to parents
Parent K 10 Able to speak with Principal whenever needed
Parent L 10 Feels comfortable attending school meetings
Parent M 10 Staff treats you as an equal
Parent N 8 School personnel is kind
Parent O 10 School encourages parents to get involved
Parent P 7.5 Would like to see more reminders for parent meetings
Parent Q 10 A strong focus on parent support
Parent R 10 Feels valued and welcomed
Note: Average score of 9.58 based on parent responses.
As evidenced by the key attributes shared by parents in Table 4.2, creating an inviting
sense of community and belonging can influence parent engagement. Parent C shared that she
felt like a member of the school community due to the principal’s actions as the principal was
personable and welcoming to all parents. Parent P also echoed the importance of principals in
creating a sense of belonging for parents. Parent P commented:
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It's just like a community feel, where you feel welcomed. And the principal, I would say,
is the one who makes the greatest difference in that aspect. So like I said, it's not only the
principal, but I feel like, yes, the principal makes a very big difference.
Parent E also spoke about a familial partnership, stating, “Pues la movilidad del personal, la
directora, principalmente, que ellas son amables, se siente uno como en familia en ser bienvenido
a cualquier junta de la escuela“ [Well, the mobility of the staff, the principal, mainly, that they
are friendly, you feel like you’re with family in feeling welcomed to any school meeting].
Similarly, Parent F shared “de hecho, yo tuve una experiencia en otra escuela, y, sí hay
mucha diferencia en cuanto hasta el mismo trato que le dan a uno, o sea aqui, es más personal“
[In fact, I had an experience at another school, and there is a big difference in terms of how they
treat you, here, it is more personal]. Parent F also talked about how having a sense of belonging
impacted her confidence in her interactions with school staff and participating in school parent
meetings. Parent F shared "me siento así como con más confianza, me retrato de relacionar pues
así con todos los maestros y este, pues de saludarlos, y si me siento así pues con mucha
confianza,“ [I feel like there is more trust, I make more of an effort to converse with all the staff,
well, to greet them, and I feel like I have lot of confidence in doing so].
In addition to a sense of belonging, parents also shared their sentiments regarding trust,
comfort, and the rapport established with their respective schools. For example, Parent K
commented:
Yo le diría que le daría un 10. ¿Por qué razón? Porque yo en otra escuela nunca tuve la
oportunidad de hablar con la directora. Y aquí me ha gustado porque la directora, si ella
anda caminando y si uno le hace una pregunta, ella se toma el tiempo y te escucha. O sea,
eso es lo que a mí me ha gustado también porque se presta ella, escuchar a los padres. [I
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would say I'd give it a 10. Why? Because at another school I never had the opportunity to
speak with the principal. And here I like it because the director, if she 's walking [during
dismissal) and you ask her a question, she takes the time and listens to you. I mean, that 's
what I have liked because she lends herself to listening to parents].
Factors such as trust, comfort, and rapport are essential in creating an inviting sense of
community, as evidenced by the parent interview responses.
In addition to the parent interview responses, data analysis from the observations also
highlighted the importance of school leaders creating an inviting sense of community. One
observation occurred at a Coffee with the Principal meeting at the secondary level. During the
meeting, nine parents were present to meet with the school principal. As parents entered the
room, the school principal individually greeted all parents and, in some instances, followed up
with the parent about their child or followed up to inquire about a prior concern. The observation
data collected included noting how many times parents had the opportunity to speak throughout
the meeting, what type of participation was observed (passive versus active), how often parents
were encouraged to provide feedback, share feedback, or ask questions, as well as what actions
the school leader took to encourage their participation. Throughout the one-hour meeting, the
researcher observed twelve specific instances where the school leader intentionally inquired for
parent feedback and/or provided the space for parents to ask questions or share their perspective.
In addition, at the end of the meeting, Principal B, allowed time for Q&A. During the Q&A
portion, several parents asked follow-up questions and made commentary about other school
related issues. It was evident that parents felt safe and welcomed to share their feedback and that
the principal was receptive. Data collected from this observation align with parent’s remarks
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regarding their perceptions of the school culture as being inviting to parents was overwhelmingly
positive.
Overall, from the interview responses, it was evident that parents believe that feeling
connected to the school and like they are part of the school community influences their
engagement in school events. Of greater importance is the belief that the actions of school
leaders are influential in creating a sense of community that is inviting for parents. The
emergence of this theme aligns with the findings from the Barr & Saltmarsh (2014) study in
which they found that the attitudes, communication, and leadership practices of school leaders as
perceived by parents played a crucial role in fostering parent engagement. More so, the Barr &
Saltmarsh (2014) study highlighted the need for parents to perceive leaders t as welcoming,
inclusive, and supportive of parents to influence parent engagement. Additionally, Barr and
Saltmarsh (2014) highlighted the crucial role that principals play in changing the culture of the
school. In this study, the parent participants also echoed the role that school principals can have
in creating an inviting sense of community and its impact on promoting parent engagement.
Fostering Motivation
During the interviews, the researcher asked parents to talk about their experiences in
school-related events, such as their participation in school site committee meetings, parent
workshops, and/or parent meetings, and share what prompted them to participate in those
activities. From the responses, another significant theme, that of fostering motivation, was
expressed by parents in alignment with transformational leadership. Northouse (2022) defines
transformational leadership as “the process whereby a person engages with others and creates a
connection that raises the level of motivation and morality in both the leader and the followers.
This type of leader is attentive to the needs and motives of followers and tries to help followers
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reach their fullest potential”(p. 176). As such, an essential attribute of transformational
leadership is inspiring and motivating followers by giving meaning to the work to be done, in
this case, giving parents a compelling reason why parent engagement is needed and important to
the overall success of the school community.
In relation to fostering motivation, parents spoke about their sentiments of feeling
motivated in knowing that their participation not only helped them become more informed as
parents but also to foster a strong parent-school relationship and contribute to school
improvement efforts. For instance, in speaking about school leaders, Parent O expressed, “Los
están motivando como padres, nos enseñan a que debemos involucrarnos más con nuestros
niños. [They are motivating us as parents, they are also teaching us that we should be more
involved with our children]. Parent J shared a similar sentiment:
lo que me gusta es que no sólo hay esa información, para quedarse al tanto, pero hay
oportunidad para que padres reciban apoyo en temas muy específicos, verdad, cómo ellos
pueden apoyar a sus hijos mejor. [ What I like right now is that not only is there
information, to help you stay current with what is happening, but there’s an opportunity
for parents to get support on very specific issues, right, how they can better support their
children].
Similarly, Parent K shared, “Aprendo yo cosas, digamos que la escuela está 67acienda, lo que
ellos tienen para mejorar la escuela, para ayudar a los niños.” [ I learn things, let's say that the
school is doing, what they have to improve the school, that is, to help the children]. Another
Parent, Parent C, concurred and shared:
A mí lo que me motiva a ir a las juntas es para escuchar información, para estar activa a
todo lo que va pasando sobre cómo está trabajando la escuela. Esa es mi motivación de
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estar ahí. [What motivates me to go to the meetings is to listen to information being
shared, to be in the know of everything that is happening about how the school is
performing. That's my motivation to be there].
Most parents spoke extensively about how their motivation to participate stemmed from
feeling as though they were either learning about school operations, becoming more informed,
and/or supporting school improvement efforts. Several parents spoke explicitly about the vital
role of leaders in influencing parent engagement by motivating parents. Parent O spoke about the
role of school leaders in motivating parents by reinforcing how important their voice is as
parents, stating, “Que la escuela valora la participación de ellos y valora la voz de los padres”
[That the school values their participation and values the voice of parents]. Parent L emphasized
that leaders should ensure the meetings are informative and beneficial to parents. Parent L
shared: “tienen que ser algo como más llamativo para que ellos vayan y para atraer a los papás”
[They have to share a compelling reason for them to go and to draw parents in]. As
transformational leaders, school leaders must consider how they can motivate parents by helping
them understand the significance and impact their involvement can have in establishing a
stronger school community.
Other parents spoke about how school leaders can utilize the parents who are already
actively involved to encourage other parents to also participate in school parent activities. For
example, Parent R spoke about how parents can help to motivate other parents. Parent R stated:
“hay que pasarle la voz” [ you have to spread the word]. Parent C also commented, “Sí, porque
un padre trae al otro. Otro padre trae al otro. Otro padre trae al otro. ¿Por qué? Porque un padre
motiva al otro, el otro motiva al otro.” [Yes, because one parent brings the other. Another parent
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brings the other. Another parent brings the other. Why? Because one parent motivates the other,
the other motivates the other].
In essence, school leaders not only foster motivation for the individual parents, but the parents
then serve to foster the motivation for others also to participate.
When analyzing the school leader interview responses, Principal B also spoke about the
role of school leaders in fostering motivation to encourage parent engagement. For instance,
Principal B spoke about the role of school leaders in serving as role models for others,
specifically the staff, regarding the importance of parent outreach. Principal B shared:
We’re all responsible for reaching out and engaging our parents. It’s not solely up to the
school leaders, but it’s up to the school leaders to make sure that everybody feels that
they can and should do the same. Because ultimately it’s really about, you know, the
community efforts and that parents feel at least connected to one school staff. So that’s
one of the additional considerations for school leaders about how we can continue, you
know, strengthening our parent-school partnerships.
Therefore, considering follower motivation, school leaders can extend a significant influence to
promote parent engagement by encouraging their followers to recognize the value of their
participation and utilizing parents and staff to assist with recruiting other parents as well.
Developing a Shared Sense of Purpose- A Vision
Parent interviewees also commented on the importance of having a shared sense of
purpose for their involvement in school events. For example, Parent A indicated that as an ELAC
committee member, it was vital for her to feel as though there was meaning and purpose to her
participation. Parent A shared:
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I wanted to learn more about it and to see how I can help my son improve and maybe
how it can help other kids. How we can, you know, learn about how we can be more
involved and help other students'.
Similarly, Parent O, an ELAC Committee member as well, concurs, stating:
Y me gustó muchísimo, porque no solo nos involucramos como padres, sino que sabemos
el desarrollo de la escuela. ¿Cómo está la escuela trabajando? ¿Cómo los maestros, la
directora?” [And I liked it a lot, because not only do we get involved as parents, but we
know the development of the school. How is the school working? Like the teachers, the
principal?].
Parent E, a School Operations Committee member, expressed her satisfaction in knowing how
she was helping to improve the educational program within the school. Parent E commented:
“Me motivó para ver en qué gastan el dinero, el presupuesto, en cómo ayudan a los
estudiantes para darle sus artículos, lo que ellos necesitan. Más que nada eso de que les
tengan su tecnología, todo lo que ellos necesitan, saber cómo la escuela lo está
mejorando“ [It motivated me to see what they spend the money on, the budget, how they
help the students to give them their items, what they need. More than anything, that they
have their technology, everything they need, knowing how the school is distributing it].
Parent M also spoke about a shared sense of purpose, stating:
motiva más para saber sobre todos los beneficios que hay para los niños y puedo yo
también estar enfocada más para mi hijo.[It motivates me more to know all the benefits
that there are for children and I can also focus more on for my son].
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Furthermore, when asked whether parents felt like they were contributing to improving
the school and school community, parents overwhelmingly agreed. For instance, Parent E
shared:
Sí, yo pienso que sí, sí estoy contribuyendo porque invitó a más papás para que se vengan
a las juntas para que sepan qué es lo que está pasando en escuela, qué sucede con sus
hijos y pues sí para invitar a más padres.” [Yes, I think so, yes I am contributing because
I invite more parents to come to the meetings so that they know what is happening at
school, what is happening with their children, and well yes to invite more parents].
Parent L noted that she believes she does contribute to improve the school and school
community because as a parent participant she is serving as the voice of the community, stating:
“Entonces, yo siento que esta es una manera también de ayudar, porque somos la voz de
otras personas que no se animan a decir“ [I feel that this is also a way to help, because we
are the voice of other people who do not dare to speak].
Another ELAC & SOC parent committee member, Parent B, also shared:
I was able to find out all the insights of the school, what was going on, where the money
was being spent, how was it gonna benefit the kids? How was it gonna affect or, you
know, benefit us as parents? What resources were our kids gonna receive? What was
gonna get cut off, you know, everything that basically benefits and impacts our children?
Developing a shared sense of purpose was also a theme that emerged during the schoolbased meeting observations conducted as part of the data collection process of this study. The
first observation occurred during a School Operations Committee (SOC) meeting at the
elementary school. The committee members included the school principal, three teachers, and
five parents. During the meeting, the school principal shared school data from the CA Dashboard
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regarding the school’s academic performance. One key takeaway from the observation was the
principal’s intentional efforts to provide a meaningful explanation for why the data are relevant
and how they inform the school of the progress made and the existing educational gaps.
Providing meaning and context to the data reviewed helped parents understand why the data
matter, the work that needs to be done, and how the data are used to inform the educational tools
adopted to support student learning. Throughout the meeting, Principal A made conscious efforts
to break down the information and help make meaningful connections. Even still, Principal A
provided multiple opportunities for parents to ask questions and seek clarification to create a
shared sense of purpose as to why the committee was reviewing the data and the purpose of the
SOC team meeting to review this data. Observations allowed for a greater understanding of how
school leaders intentionally create opportunities to foster strong parent-school leader
partnerhsips.
From the principal interviews, Principal B echoed similar sentiments about school
leaders’ work to support and promote parent engagement by developing a shared sense of
purpose for why parent engagement matters. Specifically, Principal B commented “that it’s not
just about communication”. More importantly, it is about the “framing of the why”. Principal B
shared that it is about helping parents understand why a specific topic is relevant or how their
contributions are meaningful. Principal B stated, “Even if it is just one parent at a time but
helping them to see and being very explicit about, you know, what you did or what you can do
for us impacts our school in this way”. Furthermore, when speaking about why parent
engagement may be a challenge at times, Principal B shared, “I wonder if some of the
breakdown is, parents knowing the relevance of that or being able to identify, oh yeah, here’s
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why I should go”. Hence, Principal B reaffirmed the role of the school leader in helping parents
develop a shared sense of purpose to promote parent engagement.
In the development of Transformational Leadership, Bass and Avolio (1994) identified
specific leadership behaviors, including idealized influence and inspirational motivation. When
leaders exhibit idealized influence behavior, they are helping their followers develop vision and
mission for the work to be accomplished together. Similarly, when exhibiting inspirational
motivation behavior, leaders provide meaning to the work being achieved as a collective group,
which drives motivation. When asked about school leaders’ practices and strategies that
contribute to high levels of parent engagement, parent interviewees remarked on the importance
of having a shared sense of purpose for their involvement in school events and how that sense of
shared purpose promoted their motivation to continue their involvement with school-related
events.
School Leadership Matters
Overall, a common belief shared by the parent participants was apparent, school
leadership matters. Of the 18 participants, all 18 parents spoke about how their existing
relationship with the school leader promoted their motivation to participate as parents. Parent J
shared:
y digo yo, wow, entonces si las tres escuelas tienen buenos líderes, entonces uno tiene
también ese enfoque de seguir, o sea manteniendo los niños hasta que salgan. [ I say to
myself, wow, so if the three schools have good leaders, then you as a parent want to also
maintain your commitment, and keep your children enrolled until they graduate].
In speaking about the impact of the school leader, Parent E shared that to be an effective leader,
leaders must:
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que pues que trabajen con los padres, que los motivan a participar, a que vayan, que pues
sí que insistan, a que ellos asistan a sus juntas, como el café con la directora, insistir.
Porque la directora es el líder de la escuela, es el que tiene más, es el que tiene más
trabajo para que los padres participen.[that they work with the parents, that they motivate
them to participate, that they encourage them to attend, that they insist for them to attend
their meetings, like coffee with the principal. Because the principal is the one who is the
leader of the school, is the one who has the most work so that the parents participate].
Another parent, Parent M, spoke about the impact of the school leader and shared, “Puede hacer
que si no es bueno, pues sí, pueda que desanima a uno de no ir“ [ It could be that if they are not a
good leader, then, it could discourage you from not participating]. Parent K shared her opinions
of how school leadership matters as school leaders are the ones who can motivate and encourage
parents to feel valued by them. Parent K stated:
“es como cuando digamos, de que cuando uno va y tiene una inquietud, digamos que
ellos estén dispuestos, pues como a escuchar al padre que tiene esa inquietud, o sea, y de
esa forma pienso yo que ellos van a sentir, pues que verdaderamente valoran a este padre.
[It's like when we say, when you go and have a concern, that they are willing, well, to
listen to the parent who has that concern, that is, and that's how I think they're going to
feel, well, that they really valued you as a parent].
Parent E also spoke extensively about how school leadership influences parent engagement and
helps parents feel valued. Specifically, Parent E spoke about her experience with a school leader
at her child’s previous school who did not encourage parent participation. Parent E shared her
story:
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mi experiencia en la primaria, esa fue la experiencia más mala, todos los padres que
asistimos a las juntas prácticamente pues ya no fuimos como el director ya no hizo juntas
,como decir café con el director, no nos motivaba a participar a la escuela. Y ahorita la
directora es muy diferente, como le digo, luego se mira la persona en qué cómo trata los
estudiantes ya los papás, si es muy diferente y ella le da la importancia a los papas. [ My
experience with the elementary school, that was the worst experience, all the parents who
attended the meetings, practically well, we all stopped going because the principal no
longer held meetings, like coffee with the principal, he didn’t make the effort to motivate
us to participate in school events. Now the current principal is very different, as I’ve told
you, you can easily tell how she treats the students and the parents, she is very different
and gives importance to the parents].
Another parent, Parent I, also shared:
Entonces, es cómo así, es como una cadenita, yo pienso que si ellos siguen haciendo esos
esfuerzos, esas pláticas que hacen y nosotros aprendemos, nosotros motivamos también a
otros padres que no han ido y les damos nuestra experiencia, y eso motivata a otros. [ So,
it's like that, it's like a chain, I think that if they continue to make the effort, those talks
that they do, and we learn, we also motivate other parents who haven't gone and we give
them our experience, and that motivates others’].
Similarly to the anecdotes just shared, every parent shared similar experiences and sentiments
about the impact of school leadership. In sum, the anecdotes above highlight the significant
impact of school leadership and affirm this study’s core belief that school leadership matters.
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Discussion for Research Question 1
An analysis of the interview transcripts revealed five common themes across all eighteen
parent participants. First, parents overwhelmingly felt that emphasizing the individual connection
between parent and school leader was a factor in influencing parent engagement. Of the 18
parent participants, all 18 parents spoke about the importance of establishing strong personal
connections between parents and the school leader. Most notably, parents spoke about the
importance of feeling seen, heard, and valued by the school leadership as a motivating factor in
encouraging their decision to become involved in school-based parent opportunities. This finding
of emphasizing the individual and building relationships between school leaders and parents is
consistent with existing literature on transformational leadership. Northouse (2022) emphasizes
the significance of leaders in creating a connection with their followers to raise the level of
motivation.
Similarly, parents also remarked about their perceptions of the school culture as inviting
as a contributing factor in their decision to participate in school-based meetings. Of the 18
parents, the average rating was 9.58 out of 10. This reiterates findings from Northouse (2022),
highlighting the belief that a personal connection raises the level of motivation in both the leader
and the followers.
Further, parents believe that leaders should intentionally foster motivation to encourage
parent participation as parents perceive motivation as an effective strategy to promote parent
engagement. From the responses, it was evident that parents felt a motivating factor was helping
parents become aware of how their participation contributed to not only their development but to
the success and growth of the school. In addition, developing a shared sense of purpose was also
noted as an essential strategy in helping parents understand how their participation contributes to
77
school improvement efforts. As highlighted by Northouse (2022), developing a shared sense of
purpose is key in inspiring parents by giving meaning to their participation.
Most notably, parents also spoke about the impact of school leadership and how the
leadership experience impacted their motivation to engage in school-parent activities. Thus, the
findings from the qualitative parent interviews were consistent in highlighting the need for
parents to perceived leaders as welcoming, inclusive, and supportive of parents to influence
parent engagement, as echoed by the work of other scholars, including Bush (2011), Giles (2006
and 2007), and Leithwood (2010) who have emphasized the role of transformational school
leaders as vital to the success of improving parent-school relationships.
Results for Research Question 2
Parent perceptions were analyzed to examine what transformational leadership factors
encourage their school participation. Research question two asked: What do parents perceive as
the transformational leadership factors that encourage their participation in school-based
parent meetings within urban school communities? The intent of this research question was to
understand the perceptions of parents regarding their engagement in school-based meetings
and/or committees. Furthermore, crafting the questions to ask about experiences, as echoed by
Merriam and Tisdell (2016), allows the researcher to gain an understanding of their experiences
as they perceive them, which helps produce credible findings as they reflect how the
interviewees have made meaning of their experiences. Prior research highlights the need for
school leaders to understand parents’ motivational beliefs impact in parent involvement (Murray
et al., 2014; Williams & Sánchez, 2013; Luet, 2017). Thus, by understanding parents'
perceptions, research question two provides school leaders with a deeper understanding of the
leadership factors that will aid in improving parent engagement within their school communities
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to drive school improvement efforts. Interview data responses from parents were collected to
answer research question two. Two themes emerged from this question, including (a) leaders
being attentive to the needs of parents, students, and the communityand (b) follower
development as a significant factor in encouraging parent participation in their school
community.
Attentive to the Needs of Parents, Students, and the Community
Parents interviewed expressed a significant appreciation for school leaders’ attention to
the needs of students, parents, and the community. Being attentive to the needs of school
community members was an emerging theme concerning research question two, as parents spoke
about the decision to enroll their children at their current school. The following interview
questions and responses were aligned to research question two: (interview question 1), their
experiences with their current school and participation in school-based events (interview
question 3), characteristics associated with an effective school leader (interview question 5),
experiences with the current school leader (interview question 6), and the role they believe a
principal should play in influencing parent engagement (interview question 8). Of the parent
responses, sixteen parents emphasized a personalized learning approach and school culture
environment that allowed the school leader and staff to support the individual student, parent,
family, and community. Two additional parents spoke regarding the high expectations for
academic achievement observed by school leaders and they acknowledged that the school
provided the needed support to promote academic success for all students.
Parents interviewed believe that effective school leaders show great care and concern for
the needs of their students, parents, and community members. Parent L indicated:
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yo he visto que en estas escuelas, siempre nos toman en cuenta y eso para mi es algo muy
importante. No se enfocan solamente en los niños, ¿verdad? La educación es inclusiva
porque tienen los talleres que son para padres.[I have seen that in these schools, they
always take us (parents) into account and that for me is something very important. They
don't just focus on children, right? Education is inclusive because they have workshops
that are for parents].
Parent O spoke about her decision to change her child’s school based on the positive feedback
she heard from other community members. Parent O stated:
anteriormente yo había escuchado de una señora que trabajaba conmigo, que es una
escuela muy buena donde les enseñan mucho, donde les dedican bastante tiempo y donde
están en constante progreso para que ellos puedan seguir adelante o si van atrasados con
una materia que se puedan poner al nivel de la materia.[Previously, I had heard from a
lady who worked with me, that it is a very good school where they teach them a lot,
where they dedicate a lot of time to them, and where they are constantly monitoring their
progress so that they can move forward or if they are behind with a subject that they can
put themselves at grade level].
Furthermore, several parents spoke on the individual attention given to students and their
overall academic performance. Parent A talked about her experiences and shared that in deciding
to enroll her child, a deciding factor was enrolling her in a school where “more individual
attention is given to students”. Parent M also highlighted some of the contributing factors that
influenced her decision as a parent, including observing better support for students, showing
more care for students’ overall well-being, and teachers and staff willingness to help. Parent M
noted that school leaders establish these factors at a school, and a leader is the one who models
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and sets the tone for the entire school staff. Parent F also emphasized the individual attention
given to students and spoke about the support provided to her child in helping her child improve
her literacy skills. Parent F also spoke about the attention to each member of the school
community as she shared, “Everyone knows you- know you personally” and it is the attention to
the individual student and parent lends itself to a positive school culture.
Parents spoke not only about the attention given to students but also to parents
themselves. Parent C shared:
mi experiencia es buena en la escuela y me siento contenta de estar en la escuela porque
yo he recibido el apoyo suficiente del personal de la escuela, de la del directora, de
todos.[My experience is good at school and I feel happy with this school because I have
received sufficient support from the school staff, the director, from everyone].
Parent K expressed similar sentiments when speaking about her experience as a parent, stating,
“que le prestan como la atención a los papas.” [They pay attention to parents]. Parent L
commented, “I would say that this school is good because it has support, as I've said, they
provide support for us as parents and for the students”. Parent J also commented on the
individual support and attention given to parents:
esta es una escuela que aparte de que ofrece una buena calidad de educación para los
niños, también esté pendiente en nosotros como papás, porque nos ofrece programas a los
que yo he asistido, que en mi otra experiencia con otra escuela no había nada como para
ayudar a los papás con temas que nos ayudan en el desarrollo de los niños. [ It is a school
that apart from offering a good quality of education for children, it also thinks of us as
parents because it offers us programs that I have attended, that in my other experience
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with another school there was nothing to help parents with topics that help us in the
development of our children].
Similarly, Parent G shared, “porque siempre nos incluyen como padres que estemos involucrados
con los hijos“ [because they always include us as parents to be involved with our children]. On
speaking about what makes a great school leader, Parent D commented:
De que la persona busque, esperamos verdad, que quiera tener una colaboración con los
padres para hacer decisiones para mejorar la escuela y que no hacen las decisiones
completamente sin escuchar a los padres. [That the person attempts to, we really hope,
that they want to have a collaboration with the parents to make decisions to improve the
school and that they do not make the decisions completely without listening to the
parents].
Parent D continues to share the importance of being attentive to parent concerns, stating:
La directora se presta para poder formar una comunidad con ella. Si tiene alguna duda,
alguna queja, se toma unos minutos. Entonces se toma su breve tiempo para escuchar a
uno y sacar a uno de la inquietud o darle el tiempo preciso para lo que va uno a preguntar.
[The director lends herself to being able to create a community with her. If you have any
doubts, any complaints, she takes the time to speak with you. That they take the time to
listen to you and address your concern, or give you the time to ask questions].
Parent L underscored the importance of being heard by the school leader, as she stated:
al fin de cuentas, lo que vale aquí es el estudiante y nosotros como padres, somos las
voces de nuestros hijos y tenemos que ser escuchados por ellos. [At the end of the day,
what matters here is the student and we as parents, we are the voices of our children and
we have to be heard by them].
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As expressed in the parent comments, parent responses echo the findings from the Watson and
Bogotch (2015) study, which highlighted the critical need for school leaders to be responsive to
parents’ needs to promote parent participation.
Follower Development
According to Northouse and Lee (2022), one of the crtical factors of transformational
leadership, as developed by Bass and Avolio (1994), is that of individualized consideration, in
which transformational leaders provide support and attend to each followers’ needs.
Furthermore, individualized consideration identifies transformational leaders as leaders who
provide support and attend to the needs of their followers by serving as coaches and mentors to
support the growth of their followers (Bass & Avolio, 1994). From the interview data, based on
parent perceptions shared, follower development was also a significant factor in influencing their
parent participation. Specifically, parents identified two types of follower development focuses
in their interviews: (a) learning how to contribute to school improvement efforts and (b) learning
how to be more supportive parents to their children.
From the 18 parent participants, fifteen parents spoke about their educational experiences
in another country and, as such, shared the challenges they have encountered in understanding
the educational system and how they themselves can be helpful in school improvement efforts.
For these fifteen parents, developing a better understanding of school operations and how their
voice can make a difference was a significant factor in encouraging their participation in schoolbased opportunities offered to parents. Parent G shared:
Bueno ayer tuvimos el último taller de padres. En ese taller, nos ayudaron a aprender a
cómo involucrarnos con nuestros hijos, qué oportunidades hay para nuestros hijos que tal
vez nunca habíamos escuchado como muchos padres venimos de otros países.Entonces
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eso lo nos ayuda como involucrarnos más como padres a que hemos enfocado en sacar
nuestros hijos adelante y comprometernos con nuestros hijos en la escuela. [Well,
yesterday we had the last parent workshop. In that class, they helped us to learn how to
get involved with our children, what opportunities there are for our children that maybe
we had never heard of, as many parents come from other countries. So the workshops
help us to be more involved as parents, how to help our children get ahead, and to
commit ourselves to being involved in our child 's education].
Parent L, a school site committee member, spoke about how her participation in the school site
council committee helped her better understand school operations and school funding. Parent L
stated:
pues me gustó porque me di cuenta que a veces hay muchos fondos de los cuales nosotros
como padres podemos hacer uso para el bien de nuestros hijos y de los alumnos y sobre
todo que puede opinar uno y tratar de que se lleve a cabo, por eso es importante a veces
participar en ese tipo de juntas. [I liked participating because I realized that there are
many funds that we as parents can make use of for the good of our children, of the
students, and above all that we as parents can give our opinion and try to make change
happen, that is why it is important to participate in these type of meetings].
Parent I also shared about her personal growth due to her participation in school-based parent
workshops focused on parent development stating:
Me siento como ya con más confianza, como que se me está quitando la pena, porque a
veces nosotros tenemos pena de hablar, si de preguntar, pero ahí nos han enseñado que no
nos tenemos que quedar callados. [ I feel like I'm already more confident, like I'm getting
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rid of my shame, because sometimes we're embarrassed to talk, if I ask a question, but
through the workshops we've been taught that we should not stay silent].
Furthermore, parents also talked about how attending school sponsored parent workshops has
helped them learn how to be more supportive parents to their children. Parent D commented,
así de hecho son talleres que nos sirven como papás, que nos dan como para tener mejor
comunicación con nuestros hijos“ [So, in fact, there are workshops that serve us as parents, that
help us have better communication with our children].
Similarly, Parent E shared:
Sí, el taller nos ayudó, nos ayuda en que cómo podemos ayudar a los hijos, cómo
tenemos que participar en la escuela, en otros programas, cómo educarlos, de que no
tenemos que gritarles, tenemos que hablar con ellos, con paciencia [Yes, the workshop
helped us learn how we can help our children, how we can participate in the school, in
other programs, how to educate them, that we don't have to yell at them, we have to talk
to them, with patience.]
Another parent also shared similar sentiments about participating in school parent workshops
that have helped her personal development. Parent E commented:
Sí, me han ayudado a expresarme más, porque yo era muy tímida, yo iba a las juntas al
principio, pero no hablaba, solamente escuchaba porque me daba pena, no me sabía, yo
pienso yo no sabía expresar, yo no sabía hablar. Pero esos talleres me han ayudado
mucho para yo expresarme más, aunque no mucho, yo estoy muy agradecida con los
personales de la escuela que me han enseñado mucho. [Yes, they have helped me a lot to
express myself, because I was very timid, I would attend meetings at the beginning, but I
wouldn’t talk, I just listened, I was shy, I didn’t know how to express myself, I didn't
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know how to speak up. But the workshops, have helped me a lot to express myself more,
although not much, I am very grateful to the school personnel for teaching me so much].
Parent H shared:
me ha ayudado demasiado, me ha ayudado a cómo ayudar a nuestros hijos tanto
emocionalmente, como en la escuela, y como abogar por nuestros niños. Nos enseñaron
que si algo no anda bien con su niño, uno siempre tiene que hablar, porque si no habla
cómo va a ver que su niño o su niña se mejore. [It's helped me a lot, it's helped me to
learn how to support our children both emotionally, and in school, as well as advocating
for our children. They taught us a lot, that when something is not right with your child,
you always have to speak up because if you don't, how are you going to see that your
child is improving].
Parent I concurs, stating:
los talleres de los padres me han llamado la atención y siento que eso nos enseñan
muchas cosas, nos enseñan cómo tenerle paciencia a los niños, entenderlos un poco por lo
que ellos están pasando, que estás sintiendo en su mente, cosas que yo no sabía porque a
veces uno viene con otras costumbres, otra educación de tus padres y aquí nos enseñan
cómo tratarlos major. [The parent workshops called my attention because they teach us a
lot of things, they teach us how to be patient with children, understand them a little bit
about what they're going through, what their thinking, things that I didn't know because
sometimes you have other customs, another way of upbringing from your parents and
here they teach us how to treat our children better].
In speaking about how the parent workshops offered has helped her own personal
development, Parent I stated:
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me está ayudando porque estoy aprendiendo, estoy aprendiendo cómo comprender a mis
niños y cómo hablar de una manera más educada y respetando a mis niños. [It is helping
me because I am learning, I am learning how to understand my children and how to speak
in a more polite way and respecting my children].
In general, all parents interviewed spoke about their personal growth because of their
participation in school-based programs focused on parenting skills and meetings focused on
understanding school operations and the education system.
Discussion for Research Question 2
In their study, Barr and Saltmarsh (2014) found that school leaders’ attitudes,
communication, and leadership practices ,as perceived by parents, played a crucial role in
fostering parent engagement. Interview data from this study revealed that school leaders can
influence parent engagement when school leaders demonstrate to be attentive to the needs of
their students, parents, and community members as well as when they provide parents
opportunities for individual development and growth. Findings from this study are consistent
with those of Jasis and Ordoñez-Jasis (2012), who found that parent engagement increased when
their participation became more meaningful and aligned with their parental roles and
experiences. Bass and Avolio’s (1994) findings also support this finding. They identified
individualized consideration as one of the key factors of transformational leadership. Leaders
observe individualized consideration when leaders provide support and attend to each followers’
by providing mentorship and feedback to support the follower’s growth. Furthermore, Kirby et
al., (1992) suggest that transformational behaviors associated with individualized consideration
and intellectual stimulation positively correlated to leader effectiveness and follower satisfaction.
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Thus, themes from research question two support much of the literature related to parent
engagement and transformational leadership.
Results for Research Question 3
Extensive research findings continue reiterating the power of parent engagement and the
need to encourage school leaders to promote parent engagement. As such, this study focuses on
understanding how school leaders who effectively employ transformational leadership practices
promote parent engagement. Considering the various factors and phenomena that impact parent
engagement, this study focuses on three areas of interest: the leadership practices of
transformational leaders and how those practices influence and promote parent engagement, the
perceptions of parents and how their perceptions influence parent engagement, and, how leaders
can promote an organizational culture that values parental engagement. As such, research
question three asked: How do transformational school leaders build an organizational culture
that influences parent engagement? From the parent interviews, two themes emerged: (a) the
role of the principal in encouraging the organization to provide support services to parents and
families and (b) the need to prioritize a parent support coordinator. Principals echoed both
themes in their interviews. Furthermore, from the principal interviews, a recurring theme was the
belief of involving parents in the decision-making process to promote parent engagement and as
a means to drive organizational decisions based on parent input.
Undeniably, school leaders have the potential to be agents of change within their school
communities, especially school leaders who employ transformational leadership practices. Eddy
and VanDerLinden (2006) describe transformative leaders as individuals who “have a vision of
what their (organization) can become '' (p. 9). Therefore, a transformational leadership approach
can be instrumental in helping a leader serve as a change agent and helping an organization move
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in a new direction while calling upon the team members to become part of the change process
(Eddy & VanDerLinden, 2006). Furthermore, Northouse and Lee (2022) describe
transformational leaders as “change agents who are good role models, can create and articulate a
clear vision, empower followers to meet high standards, act in ways that make others want to
trust them, and give meaning to organizational life” (p. 59). The intersectionality of parent
engagement and transformational leadership is observed as transformational leadership focuses
on empowering its followers to affect change; in this instance, empowering parents to have a
voice and support school improvement efforts. Furthermore, the Barr and Saltmarsh (2014) study
highlights principals as playing a transformative role in changing the school’s culture by creating
opportunities for parents to be involved. Therefore, research question three of this current study
aimed to explore how school leaders can promote an organizational culture that values and
promotes parent engagement.
Providing Support Services to Parents and Families
Among the parent participants, 12 of the 18 parents participated in a school-based
program, specifically parent workshops. During the interviews, parents shared their experiences
participating in various parent workshop programs. First, parents spoke about their experience in
a program called Padres Comprometidos, a parent engagement grant program sponsored by
Unidos US focused on fostering a strong connection between families and schools. Through the
program, parents attend a series of workshops to acquire the skills needed to support their
children’s success and encourage their engagement in their child’s schooling. Per The National
Council of La Raza (NCLR), “NCLR believes that Latino parents can become more effective
advocates for their children when they learn how to engage with the school system and gain
strategies for navigating their children’s stages of development as they progress through”(NCLR,
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2012). The second program discussed was the opportunity for parents to participate in child
development workshops and parenting classes provided by a psychologist contracted by the
organization. During the interviews, parents expressed their appreciation for being able to
participate in parent-centered programs. Parents acknowledge that these opportunities that school
leaders and organizations intentionally provided because they value parents and their
involvement in their child’s education. More importantly, parents also acknowledge that school
leaders are vital in advocating for parents to ensure that these opportunities exist for parents.
When parents were asked whether the organization valued parent involvement, Parent H
shared:
Sí, yo creo que sí, porque si no, no, hicieran los programas para los padres, entonces yo
pienso que sí, porque lo están haciendo especialmente para los padres [Yes, I think so,
because if they didn’t they wouldn't offer programs for parents, so I think they do,
because they're offering them specifically for parents].
Similarly, when speaking about the impact of having the opportunity to participate in parent
workshops, Parent I shared:
Si tú aprendes y te educa tú mismo, entonces tú puedes aportar eso a tus hijos. Y eso es
que nos están valorando porque nos están dando un tiempo para enseñarnos a nosotros.
[If you are learning and it is helping to educate you, then you pass that on to your
children. And that shows that they're valuing us because they're dedicating time to teach
us].
When speaking about how the parent workshops facilitated by the psychologist have helped her
as a parent, Parent K commented:
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digamos ayudar a nuestros hijos, o sea, se enfoca en eso, como ayudar a los niños. Yo te
digo, en mi casa personal, lo que más me ha gustado aquí en esta escuela son juntas de
cómo enfocarse en ayudar a nuestros hijos, porque a veces decimos, yo como papá ya no
puedo hacer nada y que es tan demasiado estresado, pero cuando tú te metes a estos
talleres, desde que es con un psicólogo, o sea, te ayuda a cómo enfrentar la situación
cuando el niño se pone un poco tenso o cuando viene estresado de la escuela, cómo
manejar la situación, o sea, con ellos. [ It’s about helping our children, that is, they focus
on how to help our children. I tell you, in my personal experience, what I have liked the
most here in this school are the parent workshops focused on how we can help our
children, because sometimes we say, as parents, that there is nothing we can do to help
them, but when you go to these workshops, with the psychologist, it helps you learn how
to be a supportive parent when your child is stressed or how to address a situation with
them].
Parent N also shared that offering workshops helps parents feel valued as they can develop their
parenting skills. Parent N expressed:
otra de las cosas que me ha gustado es cuando nos involucran en talleres que nos nutre,
que nos enseñan a hacer mejores, porque nadie nace con el manual de ser papá, ¿verdad?
Aprendemos a base del camino. [Another of the things that I have liked is when they
involve us in workshops that nourish us, that teach us to do better, because no one is born
with the manual of being a parent, right? We learn along the way].
Similarly, Parent J stated:
El taller de padres comprometidos me ayudó mucho a aprender cosas que no sabía, cómo
yo puedo ayudar a los niños en su educación. Y en la otra escuela, le digo que no había
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nada como para los papás, ningún taller que nos ayudará así. [The parent comprometidos
workshop helped me a lot, to learn things that I didn't know, such as, how I can help my
children in their education. And in the other school, I tell you, there was nothing like this
for the parents, no workshop that helped us like that].
When speaking about the role that the school leader, the principal, plays in creating an
organizational culture that promotes parent engagement, Parent L expressed that school leaders
play an important role by:
viendo las necesidades de las escuelas, y también ver las necesidades de los estudiantes, y
pidiendo apoyo para esas necesidades, entonces el distrito se debería the comprometer a
que atienden sus llamados, que atiendan sus solicitudes y que siempre estén dispuestos a
apoyar. [ seeing the need of the school, and the need of the students, and asking for
support for those needs, so then, the district should commit to heed their calls for support,
that they attend to the needs and be willing to provide support].
Similarly, Parent H shared her sentiments about the school leader’s role in ensuring that the
organization also values parent engagement. Parent H commented:
que sigan trabajando para que a nosotros nos sigan proveyendo educación para poder
sacar a nosotros y a nuestros hijos adelante.[They (school leaders) must continue to work
so they (the organization) continue to provide us (parents) educational opportunities, to
be able to help us and our children succeed].
Furthermore, principals echoed the need to provide support to parents and families to
promote parent engagement in their interview responses. Principal A noted:
The second I started working here, I couldn’t believe the number of opportunities that our
community outreach manager coordinates for our parents and our parents take advantage.
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We do everything from offering financial advice or planning for adults and for their kids
to literacy or computer skills or mental health and development. I feel like our
organization offers so much for our parents.
Principal A also spoke about how the support provided to parents helps to empower parents.
Principal A shared, “Our organization values parents as partners in their children’s education.
It’s not just about giving them score reports, it’s about giving them the knowledge behind their
own child’s success”. Principal A also commented on how principals empower parents by
“giving them the knowledge to be able to ask the right questions or know what to look for when
those reports come home. I think that’s key”. A key takeaway from the principal anecdotes is
that supporting parents and families can take place in many different forms. However, ultimately,
a priority for school leaders is to ensure that parents feel valued and supported in addressing their
needs.
Providing a Parent Support Coordinator
Several parents also noted the role that school leaders play in advocating for parents by
ensuring that funding is allocated to provide a parent support coordinator at the organization or
school level. Of the 18 parents, all 18 spoke about the support they received from the Parent &
Family Outreach Coordinator. Not only did parents acknowledge the support received, but they
also spoke about the importance of maintaining funding for this position if organizations
genuinely want to support parents.
Based on her experiences, Parent A spoke about the resources and support made available
to parents because of the Parent and Family Outreach Coordinator; she stated, “That's something
amazing because not a lot of schools do that, where they're finding opportunities in the
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community and sharing it with the parent. So I think that's a great thing that they've been doing
for sure, sharing different opportunities”. Parent C shared:
Lo que me gusta es eso, le tengo mucha gratitud porque miro cómo ella siempre está
buscando cosas que ayudan a los papás en cuanto a la educación de los niños, en cuanto a
las necesidades que a veces uno tiene en la familia. [What I like is that, I have a lot of
gratitude to her because I see how she is always looking for things that help parents in
terms of the education of their children, in terms of the needs that sometimes one has in
the family].
Similarly, Parent Q, shared:
Pues yo la verdad, yo si me siento bien, esté, apoyada por la coordinadora, la verdad que
ya mi respeto para ella, porque como le digo a ella, la que nos hace sentirnos, así que
somos valoradas como padre. [Well, the truth is, I do feel good, supported by the
coordinator, the truth is that I have much respect for her, because as I say to her, she
makes us feel valued as parents].
Parent I also expressed gratitude for the coordinator’s role in coordinating and providing parent
workshops as the workshops have helped empower her as a parent. Specifically, Parent I shared,
“Y los padres queremos aprender y romper cosas como ciclos de nuestras infancia y cosas así,
todo eso nos ayuda.” [Parents want to learn and break cycles of our childhood and things like
that, all of that helps us].
Regarding the parent support coordinator role, of the 18 parents, four spoke about their
experiences at other schools before enrolling their children at their current school. All four
parents expressed similar sentiments about acknowledging that the school leader, as well as the
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organization, demonstrated a strong commitment to parent engagement due to having a role
within the organization that was specifically intended to support parents. Parent K shared:
estoy muy contenta, y me siento satisfecha de haber tomado esa decisión porque me gusta
mucho todo lo que ellos hacen, todas las motivaciones que nos dan a nosotros como
padres que otras escuelas no tienen y yo estoy muy contenta. [ I'm very happy and I'm
satisfied to have made that decision because I really like everything they do, all the
motivations they give us as parents that other schools don't have and I'm very happy].
Similarly, Parent C shared:
pues lo que yo me he dado cuenta, es que ellos valoran a los padres, pues como nos
toman en cuenta, pues o sea, nos informan lo que va a pasar en la escuela y todo eso
verdad, entonces yo en mi experiencia, he mirado mucho apoyo en la organización y en
las escuelas y yo estoy muy contenta con las escuelas. [Well, what I've realized is that
they value parents, they take us into account, they inform us what's going to happen at
school and all that, so in my experience I've seen at a lot support given from the
organization and from the schools and I am very happy with the schools].
In sum, parents felt valued by the school leader and the organization in knowing that a position
was created and funded specifically to support parents. Parents acknowledge that this was not
always offered at all schools and were grateful that this was the case at their current schools,
which plays a significant factor in their feeling valued as parents and ultimately served to
encourage their engagement in the parent-centered programs offered to them.
Both principals also agreed that providing a parent coordinator is an effective strategy for
promoting parent engagement. Principal A noted, “the fact that we have a community outreach
manager who really focuses on finding these events or organizations that can bring something to
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our parent community” speaks values regarding the commitment that the school leaders and the
organization hold for parents. Principal A also spoke about the addition of the English Learner’s
Program Director and how that position allowed parents to become more informed and educated
about the English Learner reclassification process, which, in turn, serves to empower our parents
and support the success of students. Similarly, Principal B concurs when speaking about how the
organization values the input of parents, as she shared:
I think the most obvious way is that we have a person dedicated to that. I think for an
organization to, you know, recognize that that’s a need and to, you know, prioritize
having somebody whose role is dedicated to filling that need and supporting all three
school sites in those endeavors speaks volumes about how important, you know, parent
outreach and the support of our parents and the well-being of our families, how impactful
that is.
Overall, parents and school leaders agreed on the significant value that the role of the parent
outreach coordinator plays in promoting parent engagement and encouraging parents to feel like
valuable contributing members of the school community.
Involving parents in the decision-making process
In response to the interview questions on leadership attributes and practices, Principal A
emphasized involving all stakeholders in decisions using data and perspectives. Principal A, in
speaking about the role of principals in promoting parent engagement, shared that she feels “it’s
a leader's duty to pull parents in as partners on goals, issues, and successes”. Specifically,
Principal A noted, “When decisions are made, you have to look at all of the stakeholders’
perspectives and try to involve everyone in that process as much as you can realistically”.
Principal A also shared that she feels that seeking out parent input through surveys and other
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input opportunities demonstrates the value that the organizational culture places on parent input
in the decision-making process. When speaking about the decision-making process, Principal A
stated, “Well, my biggest priority is the students first, and by the way, if I’m putting the students
first, obviously that includes their families, because their families are entrusting them to us that
we’re making decisions that are in the best interest of their children”. As such, Principal A
reiterates the importance of school leaders ensuring they are creating opportunities to seek input
from parents in the decision-making process.
Principal A also spoke extensively about the importance of developing strong
relationships with parents and believes that the established rapport has contributed to a sense of
trust afforded her as a school leader by the parents within the school community. Principal A
shared, “The parents really do trust the decisions we are making”. Principal A acknowledged that
being transparent and maintaining open and consistent communication is an effective strategy to
promote parent engagement. For instance, Principal A noted, “I feel like we have great parent
engagement because I try to draw people in through our parent communication platform”.
Furthermore, Principal A spoke of the principal’s duty to pull parents in, “Whether it’s because
we need to work towards a common goal, we’ve got some things going on that we don’t like, and
we need to talk through it, or celebrate success, I think that’s the principal’s responsibility”.
When sharing a personal experience in working with one family, Principal A stated, “And so
those are the things I want to capitalize and let people know, like, I hear you”. When asked to
provide any additional insight regarding a principal’s role in encouraging parent engagement,
Principal A commented, “Keep your on eye on the prize, which is the students, think of what
your school’s mission is and just always try to do what’s best and make parents feel that they’re
included because we need them”. Therefore, like the parent interview responses, the interview
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responses from principals also echoed the importance of relationship building in promoting
stronger school-family partnerships.
Discussion for Research Question 3
Interview data from parents and principals indicated that the role of the principal in
encouraging the organization to value and support parents is vital. Specifically, parents believe
that school leaders can encourage the organization to provide support services for parents and
families. More so, parents asserted the importance of the school leader advocating on behalf of
parents to ensure that the organization values and seeks to support parents as a strategy to
promote parent engagement. Parents also spoke extensively about how they felt empowered as
parents by being able to attend parent workshops focused on helping improve their parenting
skills and understanding how they could support their children better. Even still, parents
expressed immense gratitude for the support provided by the parent support coordinator role
established to support all parents across both schools. Similarly, principal responses echoed the
need to seek out parent input and involve parents in the decision-making process to encourage
parents to feel valued and empowered in the school-parent partnership.
As exemplified by the Barr and Saltmarsh (2014) study and the current findings of this
study, principals play a transformative role in changing the school’s culture and organization by
creating opportunities for parents to be involved and advocating on their behalf. Findings from
research question three are consistent with Eddy and VenDerLindent (2006), who assert that
school leaders can serve as change agents to help an organization seek positive change. The
findings described in this section are also supported by Northouse and Lee (2022), who argue
that transformational leaders give meaning to organizational life. This study relates to how
leaders empower stakeholders to affect change. Therefore, interview responses related to
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research question three of this current study indicated that school leaders do, in fact, play a
significant role in building an organizational culture that influences parent engagement.
Summary
Key findings from this chapter focus on three areas of research: the leadership practices
of transformational leaders and how those practices influence and promote parent engagement,
the perceptions of parents and how their perceptions influence parent engagement, and how
leaders can promote an organizational culture that promotes parent engagement. Research
question one focused on understanding the practices and strategies employed by transformational
leaders with high engagement levels. The analysis of the interview transcripts revealed five
central themes across the parent interview responses and from the principal interviews and
observations conducted. Parent responses asserted the need for school leaders to prioritize
building individual connections with parents to establish stronger school-home relationships.
Parents also spoke about the critical role that leaders play in creating a sense of community while
also fostering motivation for parents as to why they should participate in school-based programs.
Developing a shared sense of purpose was also echoed by various parents who found meaning to
be an essential factor in their decision to participate in school-based programs. Of greater
significance is the core belief presented in this study: school leadership matters. In the context of
this current study, school leadership played a significant role in influencing parent engagement
based on the parent interview responses, which further highlights the vital role that school
leaders play in influencing parent engagement.
Research question two focused on parent perceptions to understand their own
engagement in school-based programs better and provide school leaders with deeper insight into
the leadership attributes identified by parents as key in influencing their engagement within their
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school communities. The findings indicated that parents' perceptions centered around two central
themes. The first is that of leaders’ attentiveness to the needs of parents, students, and the
community. Interview data indicated that parent engagement is positively influenced when
parents perceive school leaders as attentive to their needs, which influences their willingness to
participate in school-based opportunities. Furthermore, parents also spoke extensively about the
opportunities made available to them to support their individual development and growth as
parents and as educational partners.
Research question three aimed to understand how school leaders who exhibit
transformational leadership attributes can build an organizational culture that influences parent
engagement. The focus on the school leader and their influence in influencing the organizational
culture was essential in examining how parents are valued and supported at the school site level
and at the organizational level. From the parent interviews, parents affirmed the need for school
leaders to serve as advocates on behalf of parents to ensure that they receive the needed support.
In addition, interview data from both parents and principals indicated that the role of the
principal in encouraging the organization to value and support parents is vital while also
recognizing that school leaders can influence how the organization values parent engagement.
Therefore, school leadership fosters a strong commitment to parent engagement at the school site
and organizational level.
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Chapter Five: Discussion
Given the disparities in student achievement in K-12 urban schools, school leaders are
vital in leading transformation within their schools; however, to overcome the existing
educational gaps, school leaders are encouraged to collaborate with educational partners to
promote school improvement efforts. Of particular consideration is the impact and influence that
parent engagement can offer to transform schools. Several scholars have found meaningful
parent engagement to serve as a powerful tool in helping schools move toward creating a more
equitable educational system (Barr & Saltmarsh, 2014; Fan & Chen, 2001; Giles, 2007;
Henderson & Berla, 1944; Jeynes 2005; Levine & Lezotte, 1990; Skiba et al., 2014).
Furthermore, parent engagement as a means of influencing school improvement efforts is
consistent with findings demonstrating the significant positive effects of parent involvement in
promoting student learning and achievement (Daniel et al., 2016; Dotterer & Wehrspann, 2016;
Cheung & Pomerantz, 2012). Therefore, it is essential for school leaders to intentionally create
the space and opportunity for parents to take part in school improvement efforts. By doing so,
school leaders can leverage their collective strengths to create more inclusive, responsive, and
equitable educational experiences for all students.
The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of leadership practices and
how they influence parent engagement and organizational change within their school
communities to propel school improvement efforts and, therefore, disrupt educational inequities.
Given the emphasis on school transformation and the role of the school leader in this process,
transformational leadership serves as the cornerstone of this study, as Bass (1985) theorized that
transformational leaders transform followers and their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. More so,
transformational leadership is a key central focus of this study as literature findings are
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consistent with the idea that transformational leadership promotes individual growth and
development and overall organizational performance and outcomes (Bass, 1985; Bass & Bass,
2008). Therefore, this study examined the leadership practices of transformational leaders and
how these practices promote parent engagement and further develop the capacity of parents to
work together towards positively impacting student outcomes and school improvement efforts.
The goal of this study was threefold: 1) understanding the leadership practices of
transformational leaders and how those practices influence and promote parent engagement; 2)
understanding the perceptions of parents and how their perceptions influence parent engagement;
and 3) understanding how leaders can promote an organizational culture that fosters and values
parental engagement. The following questions guided this research:
1. What practices and strategies are employed by successful transformational leaders with
high levels of parent engagement within their school communities?
2. What do parents perceive as the transformational leadership factors that encourage their
participation in school-based parent meetings/committees within urban school
communities?
3. How do transformational school leaders build an organizational culture that influences
parent engagement?
The methodology of this study consisted of collecting qualitative data through structured
interviews using an interview protocol and observations of school-based meetings focused on
opportunities for parent engagement. Utilizing a qualitative study approach allowed for in-depth
interviews with parents and school leaders to obtain descriptive data on participants’ experiences
and perceptions. Parent interview responses provided insight to better understand parents'
perceptions about the school leadership transformational practices that encourage their
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engagement in school-based meetings. School leader interviews provided insight into their own
leadership practices and their perceptions of the organizational culture. The researcher also
conducted observations which consisted of observing parent participation and school-site
leadership interactions in the school-based parent meetings. A qualitative data collection
approach through interviews and observations was used to address all three questions of the
current study. A qualitative analysis of interview responses supported the findings of this study.
This chapter provides a summary and discussion of the findings related to the
implications for practice for school leaders. Key research findings are discussed for each
research question to inform current and future school leaders of the leadership practices that
influence parent engagement. The limitations of this study and recommendations for future
research are also discussed.
Findings
The findings of this study suggest that establishing a strong personal connection with
parents is of primary importance for school leaders in influencing parent engagement within their
school community. The leadership practices identified by parents to have the most impact on
their engagement included emphasizing the individual, creating an inviting sense of community,
fostering motivation, developing a shared sense of purpose, and school leadership. The findings
are consistent with the central tenets of transformational leadership, which are establishing a
shared purpose, motivating followers, fostering capacity building, and reorganizing the culture of
the school (Avolio & Bass, 1988; Leithwood & Riehl, 2003). Additionally, parent perceptions
revealed that parent engagement can be influenced by school leaders when school leaders
demonstrate attention to the needs of their students, parents, and community members and when
they provide parents with opportunities for individual development and growth. Lastly, interview
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data from both parents and principals affirmed the role of the school leader in encouraging the
organization to value and support parents. Findings further suggest that school leadership fosters
a strong commitment to parent engagement at the school site and organizational level.
Leadership Practices and Strategies
Research question one focused primarily on understanding the leadership practices of
transformational leaders and how those practices influence and promote parent engagement.
Specifically, research question one asked, What practices and strategies are employed by
successful transformational leaders with high levels of parent engagement within their school
communities? Qualitative data analysis related to research question one revealed five common
themes across all eighteen parent participants. From the findings, the leadership practices and
strategies identified as the most prominent in influencing parent engagement are outlined below.
The first finding that emerged is the practice of school leaders emphasizing the individual
and intentionally developing strong personal relationships with parents. Of the 18 parent
participants, all 18 parents spoke about the importance of establishing strong personal
connections between parents and the school leader. Overall, parents overwhelmingly felt that
emphasizing the individual connection between parent and school leader was a contributing
factor in influencing parent engagement and, in turn, their motivation to become actively
involved parents. Additionally, parents associated feeling seen, heard, and valued by the school
leader when there was a personal connection with the school leader. This finding of emphasizing
the individual and building relationships between school leaders and parents is consistent with
the work of Northouse (2022), which affirms the role of leaders in creating a connection with
their followers to raise the level of motivation of followers.
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The second finding that emerged related to research question one identifies the practice
of creating an inviting sense of community as an essential factor for parents in influencing their
engagement with school-based leadership. Parent ratings regarding their perceptions of the
school culture as being inviting to parents was overwhelmingly positive as, of the 18 parents, the
average rating was 9.58 out of 10. Triangulation of observation data further supported this
finding as the principal actively engaged with parents on a personal level, encouraged parent
participation, and parents were actively engaged in the meetings. In consideration of parent
engagement, it is essential to note that feeling connected to the school and feeling as though they
are part of the school community does play a role in influencing parent engagement.
Additionally, this finding echoes the belief that the actions of a school leader are influential in
creating a sense of community that is inviting for parents. The emergence of this theme aligns
with the findings from the Barr and Saltmarsh (2014) study in which they found that the
attitudes, communication, and leadership practices of school leaders as perceived by parents play
a crucial role in fostering parent engagement.
The third finding that emerged validates existing literature on fostering motivation as a
crucial attribute of transformational leadership (Avolio & Bass, 1988; Leithwood & Riehl,
2003). From the parent interviews, one significant belief resonated amongst the group.
Specifically, parents believe that school leaders must intentionally foster parent motivation to
encourage their participation. Parents shared that leaders can foster motivation by helping
parents understand how their participation contributes to the overall success of the entire school
community. The two principals who spoke on the importance of encouraging parents to see the
impact of their contributions echoed this finding. It further affirms the existing literature on
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transformational leadership as a leadership approach that emphasizes fostering motivation to
achieve a common goal (Northouse, 2022).
Interview responses from parent and principal participants revealed the significant role
that school leadership plays in creating a sense of purpose to foster parental engagement. Like
fostering motivation, developing a shared sense of purpose was also noted as a finding related to
research question one. Developing a shared sense of purpose is a key attribute in motivating
parents by giving meaning to their participation (Northouse, 2022). Furthermore, consistent with
the work of Bass and Avolio (1994), idealized influence occurs when a leader helps their
followers develop a vision and mission to accomplish the work together. As such, idealized
influence is considered an important attribute of transformational leadership (Bass & Avolio,
1994). The triangulation of observation data and principal interview responses supported this
finding. The observation data collected from the SOC meeting highlighted the principal’s
intentional efforts to explain the data and connect it back to the purpose of the meeting and why
parent feedback was important. Similarly, principal interview responses further acknowledge the
practice of framing the why in connection to meaningful parent engagement. These findings
reveal that parents believe that a shared sense of purpose is an effective strategy to promote
parent motivation and engagement, which is a significant consideration for school leaders to
acknowledge.
The final finding related to research question one offered a perspective on the impact of
school leadership practices. A common theme in the findings above is the actions of the school
leader and the specific practices employed by school leaders in their attempts to foster and
influence parent engagement. Of the 18 parent participants, all 18 parents consistently reiterated
the impact of the leader’s actions in influencing their engagement. Parent interview responses
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highlighted the importance of leaders developing strong personal connections with parents,
creating an inviting sense of community, fostering motivation, and a developed sense of purpose.
Parents acknowledged that these are intentional practices adopted by effective school leaders
with high levels of parent engagement. Furthermore, this finding is supported by the work of
Bush (2011) and Giles (2006 and 2007), who assert that leaders whom parents perceive as
welcoming, inclusive, and supportive of parents can positively influence parent engagement.
Similarly, Leithwood et al. (2010) have emphasized the role of transformational school leaders
as vital to improving parent-school relationships.
Most notable, findings from research question one provided an understanding of
transformational leaders’ leadership practices and how those practices influence and promote
parent engagement. A consistent key finding related to research question one was the impact of
school leadership practices on influencing parent engagement. Undeniably, key findings from
research question one suggest transformational leadership to be an effective approach in
influencing parent engagement and, more importantly, affirms that school leadership matters.
Parent Perceptions
Research question two sought to understand parents’ perceptions and how their
perceptions influence parent engagement. As such, research question two asked, What do parents
perceive as the transformational leadership factors that encourage their participation in schoolbased parent meetings/committees within urban school communities? Qualitative data analysis
related to research question two produced two significant findings. Based on parent perceptions,
the first finding emphasized leaders being attentive to the needs of parents, students, and the
community as an essential factor. The second finding focused on follower development,
specifically, how school leaders supported the growth and development of parents as a
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significant factor in encouraging parent participation in their school community. Both findings
are consistent with existing literature from Barr and Saltmarsh (2014), who found that school
leaders’ attitudes, communication, and leadership practices as perceived by parents played a
crucial role in fostering parent engagement.
The first finding emphasized attentiveness to the needs of the individuals as an important
factor in encouraging their participation in school-related events. Parent perceptions of the
leadership factors that encourage their participation were consistent amongst the participants.
Sixteen out of the eighteen parents emphasized a personalized approach and school culture
environment where the leader demonstrates attentiveness and responsiveness to the needs of the
individual, whether the student or parent. Although the other two parents identified high
expectations for academic achievement from school leaders as an initial factor, they
acknowledged that ultimately, at the core, it is about the school leader supporting the success of
all students. This finding is supported by the work of Bass and Avolio (1994), who identified
individualized consideration as one of the key factors of transformational leadership, where
Individualized Consideration is observed in the leader’s action when they support and attend to
the needs of each follower by providing mentorship and feedback to support the growth of the
follower. Furthermore, this finding aligns with the work of Watson and Bogotch (2015), who
encourage school leaders to be responsive to the needs of parents to promote parent participation.
The second finding related to research question two identified follower development as
an important factor for parents in encouraging their participation in school-related events. Of the
eighteen participants, nine parents participated as school site committee members, fourteen
parents participated in the monthly coffee with the principal meetings, and twelve participated in
parent empowerment workshops. Although the type of involvement varied among the
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participants, all eighteen participants agreed the participating in these events supported their
personal development. Personal development consisted of becoming more aware of school
operations, becoming informed of the programs and supports available to them, developing a
sense of empowerment, and developing stronger parenting skills. More specifically, follower
development was categorized into two themes: learning how to contribute to school
improvement efforts and learning how to be more supportive parents to their children. This
finding is consistent with the findings of Jasis and Ordoñez-Jasis (2012), who found that parent
engagement increased when their participation became more meaningful and aligned to their
parental roles and experiences. From this study, it became evident that parent participation
became meaningful and aligned with their parental role as their involvement allowed them to
grow as parent representatives and as parents themselves. In connection to school leadership, this
is an important consideration in ensuring that school leaders provide parents with opportunities
that support their development.
Influencing an Organizational Culture
Research question three asked How do transformational school leaders build an
organizational culture that influences parent engagement? Specifically, research question three
focuses on how leaders can promote an organizational culture that fosters and values parental
engagement. Interview responses from parents and principal participants were essential in
producing three central findings: the role of the principal in encouraging the organization to
provide support services to parents and families, providing parent support through a dedicated
staff role, and involving parents in the decision-making process. These findings exemplify the
leadership practices that promote a culture that values parental involvement at the school site and
at the organizational level as well. Furthermore, these findings are supported by Barr and
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Saltmarsh (2014), who assert that principals play a transformative role in changing the culture of
the school and organization by creating opportunities for parents to be involved and advocating
on their behalf.
The first finding emerged from parent interview responses as they affirmed the need for
school leaders to serve as advocates on behalf of parents to ensure that they have the needed
support. Among the parent participants, twelve out of the eighteen parents participated in parent
empowerment related workshops. From the anecdotes shared by the twelve parent participants, a
priority for parents was receiving support from the school and the organization to help them
learn how to support their child and their schooling experience better.
Parents strongly believe that school leaders can encourage the organization to provide the
needed support services for parents and families. These findings are consistent with Eddy and
VenDerLindent (2006), who assert that school leaders can serve as change agents. Furthermore,
findings from the Barr and Saltmarsh (2014) study also reiterate the role of principals in
changing the culture of the school by creating opportunities for parents to be involved.
The second finding emphasized the importance of providing parent support through a
dedicated staff role as a tangible way of valuing and appreciating parent involvement.
Throughout the interviews, parents consistently expressed immense gratitude for the support
provided by the parent support coordinator role established to support all parents across both
schools. Parents spoke about how they felt supported through the various resources, programs,
and supports made available by the parent support coordinator. Similarly, the principal responses
also emphasized the impact of the parent support coordinator in providing support to parents and
as a way to demonstrate the emphasis given to parent engagement within the organization.
Northouse and Lee’s (2022) research supports these findings in their argument that
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transformational leadership is a complex phenomenon where leadership occurs within the
context of groups and drives the group to attain common goals, which in turn can propel growth
within an organization. Additionally, school leaders serve as change agents who can help an
organization move in a new direction by calling upon the team members to become part of the
change process (Eddy & VanDerLinden, 2006). Taken together, interview responses related to
research question three suggest that school leaders do, in fact, play a significant role in building
an organizational culture that influences parent engagement.
Limitations
Although the findings from this study support existing literature regarding
transformational leadership and parent engagement, the current study is not without its own
limitations. First, generalization, given the sample size and specific sample population, is
limited. This study included eighteen parent and two principal participants of two specific charter
school sites. As such, the sample size of this study is too small and specific to make
generalizations. Second, given that parent and principal participants are from charter schools, a
much larger and broader sample size is needed to distinguish whether any different findings
would emerge from parents and principals of district public schools. In addition, parent
participants consist of parents who are already actively engaged. Therefore, a limitation is the
lack of data available to understand the perceptions and beliefs of parents who are not actively
involved. Another limitation of this study is the internal validity, given the reliance on selfreported responses from parents and principals. Most of the findings are based solely on the
parent interview responses of the eighteen parent participants and the two principal interview
responses. Triangulation of findings through the collection of observation data and two interview
groups supported the validity of this study’s findings. Nonetheless, the purpose of this study was
111
to gain a deeper understanding of the intersectionality of transformational leadership and parent
engagement, and although caution should be taken before generalizing, this study still provides
rich descriptive findings that lend themselves to applicability and contextual implications for
practice.
Implications for Practice
This study examined the relationship between transformational leadership and parent
engagement, specifically how transformational leadership practices can serve to influence parent
engagement. Findings from this study identified three main themes related to the implications for
leadership practices. The first implication for practice is the need for school leaders to be explicit
and intentional in their leadership approach to foster and maintain strong school-parent
relationships. The second implication for practice calls for school leaders to be attentive to the
needs of parents and offer support to address them. The third implication for practice by school
site principals highlights leaders’ power to influence the organizational culture to value and
support parent engagement. The identified implications inform school leaders at the site and
organizational level as they provide valuable insights regarding the leadership practices that
influence parent engagement.
Intentional Leadership
The findings from this study suggest that transformational leadership can be an effective
approach in influencing parent engagement and, more importantly, affirm that school leadership
does matter. A synthesis of the current research findings indicates that school leaders should
employ the following transformational leadership strategies and practices to improve parent
engagement in their schools: establishing a strong personal connection with parents, emphasizing
the individual, creating an inviting sense of community, fostering motivation, and developing a
112
shared sense of purpose. Findings from this study indicated the practices above and strategies as
key attributes of effective leadership. Study findings suggest that the leadership attributes of
transformational leadership support leaders in encouraging, inspiring, and motivating parents to
work collaboratively to create and facilitate meaningful change toward improvement.
Considering these findings, an implication for practice for school leaders is the need to be
explicit and intentional in their leadership approach to foster and maintain strong school-parent
relationships where parents feel seen, heard, and valued by school leaders.
As such, school site principals must examine their leadership practices related to how
they foster and maintain strong school-parent relationships. Additionally, school site principals
must examine how they create a culture of care and cultivate a sense of belonging and
connection for parents. It is important to note that establishing strong rapport and a culture of
belonging requires intentionality. More so, leader intentionality is needed in parent outreach and
recruitment efforts to promote parent engagement. In addition, school leaders should consider the
types of opportunities offered to parents for engagement, especially in light of the post COVID19 pandemic era and leveraging technology to provide more access and opportunity for parent
participation, even if done so virtually. School leaders who intend to strengthen parent
engagement within their school community are encouraged to be reflective, self-aware, and
proactive about their leadership practices and how they influence parent engagement.
Overall, intentional leadership focused on collaboration is needed to transform schools.
Through effective collaboration with parents, school leaders can address complex challenges
and enhance the educational experience for all students. By establishing educational partnerships
with parents, school leaders will promote parent engagement and create opportunities for parent
leaders to empower other parents to become active participants (Jasis & Ordonez-Jasis, 2012).
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As echoed by the findings of this study, building a culture of collaboration requires fostering
trust, promoting open dialogue, and establishing structures and processes that facilitate
meaningful engagement among all educational partners, specifically parents and families as
educational partners.
Leader Attentiveness to the Needs of Parents
A recurring theme amongst all eighteen parents as they spoke about their perceptions
regarding their relationship with the current school leader was that of parents asserting the need
for school leaders to be attentive to their needs as parents. The study findings highlighted the
critical role that school leaders have in understanding parent perspectives and soliciting
meaningful input from parents to better understand their needs. School site leaders can
proactively offer support and resources to support their development and growth by
understanding their needs. Therefore, the second implication for practice calls for school leaders
to be attentive to the needs of parents and offer support to address them.
To be attentive to the needs of parents, school leaders must consider how they will solicit
meaningful feedback from parents, either through surveys, interviews, and/or parent meetings.
By establishing a formal process for collecting parent input, school leaders can examine the data
received to inform decisions about supports, programs, and resources needed to address the
needs voiced by parents. Furthermore, regarding school improvement efforts, soliciting parent
input is essential to include parents in the decision-making process. Thus, creating opportunities
for parents to share their input further affirms parent perceptions of feeling seen, heard, and
valued by school leaders.
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Leaders Influencing an Organizational Culture
The third implication for practice by school site principals highlights leaders’ power to
influence the organizational culture to value and support parent engagement. Specific to the
study findings, leaders play a vital role in encouraging the organizational culture to value and
support parents. Interview responses from parents and principal participants were essential in
producing three central findings: the role of the principal in encouraging the organization to
provide support services to parents and families, providing parent support through a dedicated
staff role, and involving parents in the decision-making process. These findings exemplify the
leadership practices that promote a culture that values parental involvement at the school site and
at the organizational level.
At the core of transformational leaders, Burns (1978) argued that transforming leaders
cannot only bring about change at the individual level but more importantly and notably, for
cultural change within an organization. Findings suggest that school principals play a
transformational role in changing the organization’s culture regarding parent engagement by
creating opportunities for parents to be involved, seeking parent input, and including parents in
the decision-making process. Additionally, school site principals can serve as advocates and
agents of change to encourage organizational leaders to prioritize parent support roles within the
organization. Of greater importance, school leaders should consider how they can use their voice
and power to transform the organizational culture where parents are perceived as equal
educational partners.
Future Research
Extensive literature on transformational leadership exists, especially in relation to
promoting school and student achievement improvement. However, this study’s literature review
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noted a need for further research on transformational leadership in relation to parent engagement.
As such, this study sought to understand the transformational leadership practices that influence
parent engagement to drive school improvement efforts and enact organizational change within
their school communities. While this study made notable contributions and provided additional
insight with regard to understanding how transformational leadership can influence parent
engagement, further research is still needed. Three areas for future research are recommended.
The first recommendation for future research is to further investigate how parent engagement can
meaningfully drive change to disrupt educational inequities. Although the findings of this current
study revealed invaluable insight into understanding how transformational leaders can influence
parent engagement and organizational change, a noted area of need for continued research is
understanding how parent engagement can aid school leaders in addressing educational
inequities and propel school reform. Research on the impact of parent engagement on school
reform is still an existing literature gap that needs to be further explored. It would benefit future
researchers and school leaders to understand how parent engagement can support school reform
in response to the urban education crisis of underachievement, especially for underrepresented
and underserved students. By developing a better understanding of the impact of parent
engagement in disrupting educational inequities, additional and significant implications for
practice may be brought to light.
While this study intended to provide a deeper understanding of transformational
leadership related to parent engagement, there is a need to strengthen the generalizability of this
study’s findings. As such, a second recommendation for future research is to expand this study’s
methodology and sample size. Specifically, a recommendation for future research is to utilize a
quantitative analysis approach to investigate the relationship between transformational leadership
116
and parent engagement to provide generalizable results. Furthermore, a quantitative approach
utilizing survey data may lend itself to a large sample size of parent and principal participants.
Similarly, participants can be asked to complete a multifactor leadership questionnaire to
measure transformational leadership characteristics identified by the participants. As such, a
quantitative approach can be instrumental in generating generalizable results that further inform
implications for school leadership practice.
Although Epstein’s framework provides an extensive list highlighting the six types
of parent involvement styles and associated practices, it may be worthwhile to consider
whether any other type of involvement is needed given the ever evolving nature of parent
involvement, especially post pandemic era. Of specific importance is consideration for how
parents can aid school improvement efforts serving as advocates and agents of change.
Involving parents in the decision-making process is vital to promote school improvement
efforts, however, being involved in decision making and being an advocate for change may
be perceived differently by parents. As such, future research may consider examining parent
perceptions regarding the existing six types of involvement and whether there are any
additional recommendations for future consideration.
Conclusion
While many studies have demonstrated the positive effects of transformational leadership
and school achievement outcomes, this study further provided an in-depth understanding of the
impact of transformational leadership. Specifically, this study sought to contribute to the current
literature on transformational leadership while expanding our understanding of how
transformational leadership influences parent engagement. Study findings suggest that school
leadership does matter. Of greater consideration, this study underscores the importance of school
117
leadership and the influence on parent engagement. Parent perspectives affirmed the role of the
school leader in either encouraging or discouraging their willingness and motivation to actively
participate in school-based meetings. Similarly, findings also affirm the role of school leaders in
influencing an organizational culture that values and empowers parents as an educational partner.
Findings from this study echo the vital role of school leaders in creating a school culture and
community that fosters strong parent-home relationships. School leaders who understand the
relationship beween transformational leadership and parent engagement can leverage this
knowledge to intentionally influence parent engagement within their school communities.
In summary, this study found that transformational leadership practices foster and
promote parent engagement and organizational change. The qualitative findings of this research
provide greater insight and detail into how successful transformational leaders can improve
parent engagement within their schools. Furthermore, this study identified several leadership
strategies and practices that were essential to school leader efforts to influence parent
engagement. Research findings indicate that school leaders should employ the following
transformational leadership strategies and practices to improve parent engagement in their
schools; developing strong personal connections with parents, creating an inviting sense of
community, fostering motivation, developing a sense of purpose, being attentive to the needs of
parents, and advocating on behalf of parents to provide the needed supports to promote their
growth and development. Findings further suggest that intentional transformational leadership
practices matter in influencing parent engagement and organizational change. Although this
study offers school leaders valuable insight into the implications for practice, future research
should consider how school leaders can leverage parent engagement to facilitate school
improvement efforts and disrupt educational inequities. Now more than ever, intentional
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transformationl leadership is needed to influence parent engagement and propel school
improvement efforts to disrupt the existing educational inequities in urban schooling.
119
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Appendix A: Informed Consent and Information Sheet
University of Southern California
Rossier School of Education
3470 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, CA 90089
INFORMATION/FACTS SHEET FOR EXEMPT NON-MEDICAL RESEARCH
Leadership Matters: The Role of Urban School Principals as Transformational Leaders in
Influencing Parent Engagement to Disrupt Educational Inequities
You are invited to participate in a research study. Research studies include only people who
voluntarily choose to take part. This document explains information about this study. You should
ask questions about anything that is unclear to you.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study is to provide insight into understanding the leadership practices of
transformational leaders and how those practices influence and promote parent engagement and
organizational change within their school communities to disrupt educational inequities.
Specifically, this study seeks to examine and understand parents' perceptions in relation to the
school leadership transformational practices that encourage their engagement in school-based
parent meetings and school improvement efforts. This study is unique in that it focuses on parents’
perceptions with regard to transformational leadership, which is an issue that has not been widely
explored. The findings in this study might also be beneficial and relevant for other school leaders
and organizations seeking to influence parent engagement and school improvement efforts.
PARTICIPANT INVOLVEMENT
If you agree to take part in this study, you will be asked to participate in a 45-60 minutes structured
one-on-one interview either in person or via video conference, depending on your availability and
preference. All interviews will be audio-taped. You do not have to answer any questions you do
not want to during the interviews. If you do not want to be taped during the interview, handwritten
notes will be taken. Your responses will be anonymous and confidential. You will also be asked
to participate in the observation data collection part of this study which includes being observed
as you participate in a school site meeting.
ALTERNATIVES TO PARTICIPATION
Your alternative is to not participate. Your relationship with your school leader will not be affected
whether you participate or not in this study.
CONFIDENTIALITY
--------will be the Principal Investigator of this study. Any identifiable information obtained in
connection with this study will remain confidential. Your interview responses will be coded with
a false name (pseudonym) and maintained separately. You will have the right to review and edit
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the audio recordings or transcripts of the one-on-one interviews. All audio-tapes related to this
study will be destroyed once they have been transcribed. The transcripts will be stored on a
password protected computer, which only the Principal Investigator can access.
The members of the research team and the University of Southern California’s Human Subjects
Protection Program (HSPP) may access the data. The HSPP reviews and monitors research studies
to protect the rights and welfare of research subjects.
INVESTIGATOR CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have any questions or concerns about the study, please contact the following individuals:
Principal Investigator
Johanna Knight-Birseno
Primary Contact Phone Number: 323-371-6445
Primary Email: knightbr@usc.edu
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Rudolph Crew
crew@usc.edu
IRB CONTACT INFORMATION
University Park Institutional Review Board (UPIRB), 3720 South Flower Street #301, Los
Angeles, CA 90089-0702, (213) 821-5272 or upirb@usc.edu
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Appendix B: Interview Cover Sheet
Name of Researcher: Date of Interview:
Name of Interviewee: School:
Authorizer’s Contact Information:
Interview start time: Interview end time:
Introduction
Hi, thank you for meeting with me today. My name is ------ and I am a student researcher at the
University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education. I am conducting a study on the
leader’s role in promoting parent engagement as such I greatly appreciate your time and
willingness to participate in the interview and in this study.
Before we begin the interview, I would like to revisit the purpose of this study and the interview
agreements previously outlined in the signed consent form and study information sheet provided.
As a reminder, the purpose of this interview is to better understand the perspectives of parents
with regard to the leadership factors that influence their participation in school-based parent
meetings/committees. You were chosen to participate as you are a parent of a student attending
an urban school within South Central, Los Angeles, and you participate in your child’s school
site parent/committee meetings.
Given your participation as a parent in a school site meeting/committee, your perspective is
really valuable to the study, and I want to assure you that the nature of the questions are intended
to help me better understand your perspective and that there are no right or wrong answers to
these questions. I will be talking to multiple parents to learn more about their perspectives as
well.
During our interview, I will ask questions about your opinions and experiences as a parent and a
participant in the school site committee meetings. If any question makes you uncomfortable, you
are free to let me know if you prefer not to answer. Although your experiences and opinions will
be used as part of the findings of this study, I want to reassure you that this interview is
anonymous as I will not use your name or the name of the organization in the study, and a
pseudonym will be used to protect your confidentiality.
To ensure that I capture your perspective accurately, I would like to record the interview. The
recording is solely for my purpose to capture your responses and will not be shared with anyone
outside the research team. May I have your permission to record this interview?
The interview should take approximately 45 minutes. Do you have any questions about the study
before we get started?
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Appendix C: Interview Protocol
Introduction Questions:
First, I would like to start by asking you some questions about yourself. Is that Ok?
1. What is your name and do you have a preferred name or pronoun you would like for me
to use?
2. How many children do you have? And what are their ages?
3. As a parent, what are your educational aspirations for your child/Children?
Thank you for sharing.
I would also like to hear about your child’s educational experiences:
4. Tell me about your decision to enroll your child at their current school.
a. Has your child attended any other type of school (public, private, charter) that is
different from their current school?
b. How do you feel your experiences at your child’s current school compare to your
child’s previous school?
i. With regard to their academic achievement?
ii. Social experiences?
c. Suppose I was a new parent at the school, what advice would you have for me?
In thinking about your experiences with your child’s current school:
5. On a scale of 1-10, how likely do you feel the school is inviting to parents, with 10 being
very inviting and 1 not inviting at all? And, can you tell me why you selected that specific
rating?
a. As a parent, can you share about an experience where you felt welcomed or
unwelcomed as a parent stakeholder?
6. Now, tell me about your experiences and participation in school-related events.
a. Which school site committee meetings do you participate in? and for how
long?
b. What motivated you to participate in school-related events?
c. What prompted you to participate in the committee meetings?
I’d like to hear more about your participation with the school-based events.
7. What have been your experiences in the school-based meetings?
a. If someone asked you if you believe you play an important role as a parent
representative, what would you say to them?
b. What contribution(s) do you believe you have made in the school site meetings?
i. Have these meetings been helpful in meeting the needs of your child? or
the needs of the school community? How so?
ii. What changes have you observed in helping the school address
inequities?
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c. Has anything about being a school parent member representative been
disappointing or not gone well? If so, would you be willing to share a little bit
about that with me?
iii.What would make them better for you personally?
I’d also like to you ask you some questions about your perspectives of and experiences with the
school site leadership team, specifically the principal.
8. Suppose you were on the hiring committee for a new Principal, what would you be
looking for?
a. What do you think makes a great Principal at a school?
b. What characteristics do you associate with a great school leader?
c. What type of relationship should a great leader establish with students?
d. What type of relationship should a great leader establish with parents?
e. If you could create the ideal principal who promotes parent engagement, what
essential characteristics would that person have?
9.Tell me about your experiences with the current school leader.
a. What are some things they do well as a principal?
b. What are some things they don’t well as a principal?
c. Can you share an interaction you had with the principal that resonated the most
with you? And why?
d. Has the Principal made a personal connection with you? If yes, can you share
why. If no, what would help to establish a better relationship for you personally?
10. Considering your decision to participate as a parent member, what actions and
behaviors by the principal encouraged or discouraged your participation, if any?
a. What has your principal done/not done to encourage your engagement as a
parent?
i. Do you believe the principal makes parents feel welcomed and
encouraged to participate in school events? If so, what have you observed
to believe so.
b. What role, if any, does your principal play in relation to parent engagement?
c. What role do you believe the principal should play in relation to parent
engagement?
d. How does your principal support parent’s learning about their role in
advocating for school improvement?
e. How can principals empower parents as valued stakeholders?
11. Now, we are going to switch gears and talk about the larger organizational culture.
When I say “organizational culture,” I am referring to the often unstated norms and
values that govern how the staff interacts with others. As we think about the culture of the
organization at (insert district name), how does the organization value the input of
parents?
a. How does the organization encourage parent engagement, if at all?
137
b.In some school districts, parents will say that their participation is unwelcomed,
have there been any times when you didn’t feel heard by anyone at (insert district
name)?
c. Can you give me an example of a time when someone from the district made
you feel heard or welcome? How did that impact you?
d. In your opinion, how do principals create an organizational culture that values
parent engagement?
i. How can principals encourage the organization to perceive parents as
valued stakeholders?
12. What other insight would you like to share about our conversation about principals
promoting parent engagement today that I might not have covered, if any?
a. Is there anything that I should of asked you that I didn’t.
Closing Comments:
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and experiences with me today. I really
appreciated the time you have given me today and your candid responses. If anything you shared
with me should not be included in the report, please let me know. If I find myself with a followup question, can I contact you, and if so, is email ok? Again, thank you for your participation.
Have a great rest of your day.
138
Appendix D: Observation Protocol
Concepts from Conceptual Framework ( Look fors during the observation).
• Parent Engagement → Parent Participation
o What type of participation is observed (passive or active)?
o How often do parents participate in making comments, asking questions, etc.?
o What type of comments are made by parents?
o What is the nature of the comments- agreement, positive praise, complaints,
providing feedback?
• Leadership Styles → Leadership Strategies employed by the Principal during the
meeting.
o How are parents encouraged to be active participants?
o What opportunities are offered to parents to give feedback?
o What types of interactions does the Principal have with Parents?
o Does the Principal create a safe and welcoming space for parents?
o How are comments made by parents received by the Principal?
·
Mapping of the space
.
Observation Notes
Notes:
Descriptive (low inference notes)
Interpretive elements (observer comments) are bolded
Post Observation Researcher Reflection
.
Abstract (if available)
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Asset Metadata
Creator
Knight-Briseno, Johanna
(author)
Core Title
Leadership matters: the role of urban school principals as transformational leaders in influencing parent engagement to disrupt educational inequities
School
Rossier School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education
Degree Program
Educational Leadership
Degree Conferral Date
2024-05
Publication Date
05/13/2024
Defense Date
04/17/2024
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