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Remote learning and parent engagement during a crisis
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Remote learning and parent engagement during a crisis
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Content
Remote Learning and Parent Engagement during a Crisis
by
Brenna Westerhoff
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
August 2021
Copyright 2021 Brenna Westerhoff
ii
Dedication
To my mom and dad, you are the motivation that propels me to soar each and every day. You
are the reason I am a lifelong learner. All of this was only possible because of your drive, passion, and
joy in creating a wonderful childhood where I could set the highest of goals--aspiring to land on the
moon. Yet, you are always there to help me land softly—whether I need support to get back up again or
a hug to celebrate accomplishments—you are there. Being your daughter is the greatest honor of my
life.
iii
Acknowledgments
I am deeply indebted to the official and unofficial members of my village who continually support me in
my pursuit to grow and learn. None of this would have been possible without the support of my
committee, family, friends, and colleagues.
• Thank you, Dr. Kimberly Hirabayashi, Committee Chair, for your guidance throughout this
process. To my committee members: Dr. Mora-Flores and Dr. Hasan, for your willingness to
serve in my committee and provide invaluable feedback.
• I am grateful to all of the Rossier faculty that I had the privilege of learning from during my
participation in this outstanding program. I am honored that I was a part of such an incredible
experience.
• To Dr. Mutchler and the school district community who was willing to let me conduct this study.
Thank you to the participants who were so trusting and open to share their thoughts, beliefs,
and values.
• To my entire village: my husband, children, parents, grandparents, friends, colleagues, and even
acquaintances. I am sure that when you sign up to get to know me, being a part of my village
was not a part of the job description. There is nothing that I have accomplished in life that you,
my village, did not have an enormous influence on. My successes are not mine alone, but a
collective group effort of the amazing humans that I am eternally grateful to call my village.
• Most importantly, to my life coach, Dawn Gargano, for believing that I could achieve my goals
and for keeping me focused. I am incredibly grateful that I have always had you as a life coach—
just a short drive, phone call, text, or email away. Thank you for always being there for me.
iv
Table of Contents
Dedication ...................................................................................................................................................... ii
Acknowledgments ..........................................................................................................................................iii
List of Tables ................................................................................................................................................. vii
List of Figures ............................................................................................................................................... viii
Abstract .......................................................................................................................................................... ix
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1
Connecting Parent Engagement to Student Success ................................................................................. 3
Importance of the Evaluation .................................................................................................................... 4
Organizational Context and Mission .......................................................................................................... 6
Organizational Performance Status ........................................................................................................... 7
Organizational Performance Goal ............................................................................................................. 8
Description of Stakeholder Groups .......................................................................................................... 10
Stakeholder Group of Focus .................................................................................................................... 10
Purpose of the Project and Questions ..................................................................................................... 11
Methodological Framework .................................................................................................................... 11
Definitions................................................................................................................................................ 11
Organization of the Project ...................................................................................................................... 12
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................................................................... 13
Context of School and Parent Engagement ............................................................................................. 13
History of Parent Engagement in Public Education ............................................................................ 13
Public Policies of Parent Engagement................................................................................................. 15
Shared Responsibilities for Student Success............................................................................................ 16
Defining Parent Engagement .............................................................................................................. 17
Spheres of Influence ........................................................................................................................... 18
Changing Learning Environments and Parent Involvement .................................................................... 19
Virtual Learning ................................................................................................................................... 19
Emergency Remote Learning .............................................................................................................. 20
Impact of Parent Engagement In-Person and Remotely ......................................................................... 22
Academic Achievement ...................................................................................................................... 22
Behavioral Impact ............................................................................................................................... 25
Social-Emotional Impact ..................................................................................................................... 26
Types of Parent Engagement ................................................................................................................... 28
School-Based Parent Engagement ...................................................................................................... 29
Home-Based Parent Engagement ....................................................................................................... 29
Barriers to Parent Engagement ............................................................................................................... 30
Parent Engagement Misunderstandings ............................................................................................ 31
Equity and Access ............................................................................................................................... 32
Specific Parent Barriers ....................................................................................................................... 33
v
Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Influences .......................................................................... 34
Knowledge Influences ......................................................................................................................... 34
Motivation Influences ......................................................................................................................... 38
Organizational Influences ................................................................................................................... 43
Interactive Conceptual Framework ......................................................................................................... 52
Summary .................................................................................................................................................. 54
CHAPTER THREE: METHODS ....................................................................................................................... 55
Data Collection and Instrumentation ...................................................................................................... 56
Participating Stakeholders .................................................................................................................. 57
Survey Sampling Strategy ................................................................................................................... 58
Survey Instrument.......................................................................................................................... 58
Survey Procedures ......................................................................................................................... 60
Document Analysis ............................................................................................................................. 61
Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................................ 62
Credibility and Trustworthiness ............................................................................................................... 63
Validity and Reliability ............................................................................................................................. 64
Ethics ........................................................................................................................................................ 67
Summary .................................................................................................................................................. 68
CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS .......................................................................................................................... 69
Participating Stakeholders ...................................................................................................................... 69
Results .................................................................................................................................................... 70
Research Question #1 ......................................................................................................................... 70
Research Question #2 ......................................................................................................................... 73
Research Question #3 ......................................................................................................................... 85
Summary ................................................................................................................................................ 93
CHAPTER FIVE: RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................................................... 95
Knowledge Influences ............................................................................................................................. 96
Motivational Influences .......................................................................................................................... 97
Organizational Influences ....................................................................................................................... 97
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences ................................................................. 99
Knowledge Recommendations ......................................................................................................... 100
Motivation Recommendations ......................................................................................................... 101
Organization Recommendations ...................................................................................................... 104
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan ................................................................................. 108
Organizational Purpose, Need, and Expectations ................................................................................ 109
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators ............................................................................................ 110
Level 3: Behavior ............................................................................................................................... 112
Level 2: Leaerning ............................................................................................................................. 117
Level 1: Reaction ............................................................................................................................... 118
Evaluation Tools ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..119
Immediately Following the Program Implementation ...................................................................... 119
Delayed for a Period After the Program Implementation ................................................................ 119
Data Analysis and Reporting ............................................................................................................. 120
Limitations and Delimitations ............................................................................................................... 120
vi
Recommendations for Future Research ............................................................................................... 123
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................ 124
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................................. 126
Appendix A: Parent Survey ................................................................................................................... 145
Appendix B: KMO Influences Parent Survey ......................................................................................... 150
Appendix C: KMO Influences Document Analysis................................................................................. 154
Appendix D: Evaluation Instrument ...................................................................................................... 155
Appendix E - Survey Questions for Post-Session Evaluations ............................................................... 157
vii
List of Tables
Knowledge Influences, Types, and Assessments for Analysis ..................................................................... 37
Motivational Influences and Assessments for Analysis .............................................................................. 42
Organizational Influences and Assessments for Analysis ........................................................................... 51
Parent Description of Students Enrolled in the District .............................................................................. 70
Parent Description of Type of School Children are Enrolled In ................................................................... 70
Parent Perception of their Engagement Survey Questions ........................................................................ 71
Parent Attendance at Fall Conferences from 2019 5Essentials Survey ......................................................81
Feedback on District's Strengths for Parent Engagement .......................................................................... 82
Procedural Knowledge for Parent Engagement .......................................................................................... 75
Procedural Knowledge Desired ................................................................................................................... 76
Parent Perceptions about Student Communication ................................................................................... 77
Parent Feedback about Utility Value in Improving Learning for Their Child ............................................... 79
Parent Feedback about Utility Value in Improving Learning for All ............................................................90
Parent Desire to be Involved ....................................................................................................................... 91
Survey Responses about Self-Efficacy ......................................................................................................... 82
Communication Output Topics ................................................................................................................... 87
Parent Comments about Technology Platforms ......................................................................................... 89
5Essentials Survey Questions on Collaboration .......................................................................................... 91
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations .................................................................... 100
Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations .................................................................... 102
Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations .................................................................. 105
Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes ................................................... 111
Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation ............................................................. 112
Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors ........................................................................................ 114
Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program .................................................................... 117
Components to Measure Reactions to the Program ................................................................................ 118
viii
List of Figures
Figure One: Conceptual Framework for Positive and Proactive Parent Engagement ................................ 53
Figure Two: Parent Self-Efficacy Comparisons ........................................................................................... 83
Figure Three: Parent Self-Efficacy (Getting Through to Their Child) ........................................................... 83
Figure Four: Percentage of Personal Invitations ....................................................................................... 101
ix
Abstract
Parents engaged in their child’s schooling directly influence their child’s success and achievement. in
unprecedented crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, a worldwide health concern that required
many schools in the United States to switch to a remote learning situation where students learned
from home, parent participation became a more substantial component of a child’s learning. The
study population included parents or guardians from a Midwest suburban Kindergarten through
twelfth grade school district that participated in remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The
methodology Included quantitative surveys of parents and analysis of public, school district
documents to determine the factors that impact engagement in a child's education. The study’s
findings indicated that parent procedural knowledge, parent self-efficacy, and the utility value of their
involvement are essential contributors to the engagement and the district’s communication,
collaboration, and goal setting. Based on the findings, recommendations are made to close the parent
knowledge, motivation, and organizational influence performance gaps and strategies for the district
to utilize to create better communication and collaboration during both traditional and emergency
situations.
1
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Changing Educational Context: Worldwide Pandemic and Shelter-in-Place Mandate
The adage of parents being their child's first teacher is not a myth. A child still spends between
75% and 85% of their time outside of school (Lucas, 2010). The impact of the valuable time and effort
parents give to enrich their child's education has lasting effects on their educational achievement and
performance. This was amplified during emergency situations where the typical educational settings
were not possible. According to Kim et al. (2018), parents ultimately make most of the critical decisions
that influence a child's education, which is why there is a need for understanding how parents uniquely
engaged with their child during a crisis. Ultimately, parent engagement and student academic
achievement are closely linked (Henderson et al., 2007). Whether involved in the day-to-day activities of
everyday life or responding to a global pandemic, children look to their parents for guidance.
In the Winter of 2020, the world found itself in unexpected circumstances and without a quick
remedy. When this unexpected crisis occurred, schools around the world had to adjust. Because any
kind of crisis can cause a significant restraint to the achievement of Education for All (Bensalah, 2002), in
the 1990s, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) held a World
Education Forum focused on education in emergencies (Sinclair, 2002). According to UNESCO, an
educational emergency is a crisis created by conflicts or disasters that have destabilized, disorganized,
and destroyed the education system (2002). Emergencies are unpredictable, unique, temporary, and
have a staggering impact on populations (Burde et al., 2017).
COVID-19 caused a worldwide pandemic that impacted the education of students around the
world. This virus was a severe, acute respiratory illness that spread significantly quicker than the flu,
caused more severe conditions in the many infected (Center for Disease Control, 2020), and drove an
unprecedented number of hospitalizations and deaths not seen in recent history. COVID-19 sometimes
infected two to three from one infected person that is often displaying minimal symptoms (Fauci et al.,
2
2020). Wuhan is the region of China that first saw the devastating effects of COVID-19 in December of
2019 (Vlachopoulos, 2020) and was the epicenter of this new coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. The
seriousness of this virus arose from the ability of this new coronavirus to kill healthy adults, in addition
to other special populations with existing health problems, including the elderly and people with
previous health concerns (Gates, 2020). The World Health Organization cited the 101,561,219 confirmed
cases, including 2,196,944 deaths as of January 30, 2021 (World Health Organization, 2021).
While the Galva Unified School District was in a county with relatively lower numbers of infected
citizens, the county had 48,145 people testing positive and 677 deaths as of January 2021 (State
Department of Health, 2021). This health emergency's infection rate created an unprecedented need to
which stakeholders had to respond (Hodges et al., 2020). A shelter-in-place mandate restricted social
interactions as well as travel to slow the spread of the virus. Social distancing and other precautions
were placed to reduce the transmission to others (Hodges et al., 2020). Educational institutions are one
of the many establishments impacted by the virus and forced governments and establishments to create
guidelines and precautions to keep everyone safe, impacting how educational institutions ran.
The global scale and speed of the virus's spread placed a significant disruption on the United
States educational system (Vlachopoulos, 2020). The shelter-in-place mandate dramatically impacted
the educational system around the world. The United Nations reported that 1.5 billion students were in
situations where teaching and learning ceased (UN News, 2020). In March of 2020, most states in the
United States mandated a shelter-in-place order, which temporarily stopped the traditional public
school in a shared learning environment and moved all learning to off-site, traditionally called “remote
learning.” When students were unable to learn at a physical school due to social distancing, students
were forced to learn remotely, typically at their home.
Because the pandemic caused a prolonged, unparalleled disruption to student learning, the
educational system had to pivot to other means of providing education and planning for the future
3
quickly. Galva Unified School District determined that emergency remote learning is an opportunity to
support the academic, social, and emotional needs of all of Galva's 5,676 students. Within the context of
COVID-19, Galva Unified School District (and many other school districts in the United States) did not
plan for this unprecedented pandemic. Galva Unified School District, like many other districts, had to
adjust quickly with minimal time and resources. The emphasis for districts like Galva included temporary
access to instruction.
Connecting Parent Engagement to Student Success
Before COVID-19, researchers have investigated parent engagement and its components,
finding many connections to student success. Most recently, Kim et al. (2018) completed a qualitative
meta-synthesis of parent-school relations in developing countries to conclude similar findings—
education provides better life chances, and parents hold a potentially dominant role in supporting each
child's educational achievement. Hill and Tyson (2009), in another meta-analysis, synthesized studies
published between 1985 and 2006 to determine that parent engagement in their child’s education and
achievement were positive and significantly different from zero school-involvement and academic
socialization. Although crises are infrequent, how schools and parents respond during emergencies
impact a student’s immediate behaviors during the emergency and the child’s learning and achievement
in the aftermath of the situation (Kubicek et al., 2008).
Depending on how long an emergency situation lasts, the importance of parent engagement
remains imperative. Parent engagement is one of the influential factors impacting student learning and
a potential factor in accelerating student achievement (Hattie, 2012). According to Kubicek et al. (2008),
the education provided through a child’s parent increases a child’s knowledge and perceptions of
learning, altering their long-term success. According to Castro et al. (2015), it is impossible to reach the
high educational standards of our demanding society without parent support, even in a typical learning
environment. In a longitudinal study of 1,445 children in a traditional in-person school setting, Domina
4
(2005) indicated that children with engaged parents tend to have higher academic success as deemed
through standardized academic testing. Not knowing the long-term impact of COVID-19, the
consequences of remote learning and lack of parent engagement is unknown.
The link between each student's performance (especially during a pandemic) and the impact of
parent engagement makes it a top priority for school districts to strategically plan to engage the parent
in supporting their children during crisis times to sustain or improve individual student performance.
Galva Unified School District has emphasized parent engagement before the pandemic. However, the
introduction of the worldwide health care crisis in March 2020 brought the need for increased parent
engagement more than ever before.
Importance of the Evaluation
Evaluating and improving parent engagement, especially during societal emergencies, allows
school districts to pivot to meet their families' needs. Appraising a school district's implementation of
parent engagement during an emergency where students must learn at home allows all stakeholders to
determine if their efforts and results are sustainable, and more importantly, effective in increasing
student achievement (Ishimaru et al., 2014). The varying depth and breadth of parent engagement
make it imperative that a district prioritizes a means to evaluate parent engagement, reflect on the
results, and improve engagement strategies that are most beneficial for student success during a
pandemic.
This study evaluated the knowledge, motivation, and organizational factors that directly
increased parent engagement that improved the variety of educational success, including academic,
social-emotional, and behavioral success of every student. A child's support system for their education
(including his or her entire immediate family including parents, guardians, and other relatives who are
highly involved in the child’s life) profoundly impacts the child's overall quality of life in adulthood
(Harris & Robinson, 2016). With factors that may limit parent engagement, school districts wish to
5
encourage the most beneficial strategies not to waste the limited time, energy, and resources of
families. A district looking to improve student achievement needs to look at which parent engagement
factors impact their students’ success, so educators can respond accordingly to increase or sustain
parent engagement during situations where students must learn remotely.
The correlational nature of student academic success, including grade point average, course
grades, high school graduation, and attending secondary school, implies that parent engagement is an
untapped resource to help students become more successful earlier in their educational career, creating
a domino effect to boost further achievement (Bryk & Schneider, 2002). Specifically, research correlates
higher parent engagement with higher grade point averages (Chen and Gregory, 2009; LeCory and
Krysik, 2008), higher standardized test scores (Hayes, 2001), and better grades in math and English
courses (Friedel et al., 2007; Sheldon & Epstein, 2005; Sheldon, 2007), better attendance (Chang and
Romero, 2008; Sheldon, 2007) and higher graduation rates (Hiatt-Michael, 2001).
Evaluations of parent engagement programs do not always provide evidence of their
effectiveness (Mattingly et al., 2002). There are varying definitions of parent engagement and a wide
range of what constitutes quality engagement to assess. Additionally, the educational community must
have long term research on parent engagement prior to and during a pandemic. Determining an
accurate baseline for current parent engagement during remote learning is difficult. It then is increasing
difficult to set goals for the future if the pandemic were to last longer than the foreseen circumstances.
There are also inherent limitations in collecting data about parent engagement behaviors, including
sampling bias. The responder and data may not represent the entire population of families and social
desirability bias where participants answer based on what they believe is socially acceptable behaviors
(Ishimaru et al., 2014). The Parent-School and Community Partnerships Bureau (2012) noted many
challenges, including defining engagement within any learning environment; the multiple intersecting
6
areas in which learning occurs; and the difficulty in determining cause and effect to measuring parent
engagement.
More specifically, districts need to reflect on parent perceptions of family engagement is
essential to meet student needs during remote learning better. Schools asked parents to engage in their
child’s education during remote learning, more than schools have ever before. For many families,
staying home during shelter-in-place is an unprecedented demand (Szabo et al., 2020). The parent role
in their child’s learning is still evolving, is not a straightforward issue, and has placed increasing demands
on parents (Hollingworth et al., 2011; Buheji et al., 2020).
With this evolution occurring quickly based on the Center of Disease Control recommendations,
schools and families often did not have time to collaborate and determine what this new remote
partnership could be. After a semester of emergency remote learning, Galva Unified School District was
interested in assessing their parent partnership with the possibility of remote learning continuing into
the fall of 2020. Instead of evaluating parent behaviors, the district determined that they would assess
parent beliefs, opinions, and perceptions. In the long term, stakeholder beliefs offer a means for guiding
behavior (Schultz et al., 2008), so focusing on the foundation of perceptions would create a more
proactive and positive plan for improving the parent engagement partnership when remote learning
situations are deemed essential.
Organizational Context and Mission
Before COVID-19, Galva Unified School District #201 initially set out to create a domino effect
that would exponentially, positively impact student achievement. According to its state report card,
which included data about each school in the state, student enrollment for 2018 included 84% white, 9%
Hispanic, and 5% Asian students. Additional demographic data presented this district as having 5% of
students from low-income families, 2% of students whose primary language is not English, 3% of
students with higher mobility rates, 4% of students with chronic absenteeism, and 13% of students with
7
disabilities (State Report Card, 2020). The district comprises one high school (grades 9-12), two middle
schools (grades 6-8), six elementary schools (grades K-5), and one preschool. The district considers their
town of Galva to be affluent. The median household income is $111,916 compared to the country’s as
$62,843 (U.S. Census, 2019). The town’s unemployment rate from 2015 to 2019 averaged 3.9%
compared to the national percentage of 10.5% (U.S. Census, 2019). The district educates approximately
5,500 students and is in a 23-square mile suburban town in the Midwest.
The school district's stated mission is to help every student become curious, self-directed
learners; creative, thoughtful problem solvers; and adaptive citizens. This mission includes a
collaborative team approach with parents, students, administration, support staff, and teachers all
learning and teaching together. Every stakeholder's primary role includes living the district vision by
empowering and engaging students in creating, collaborating, and thinking critically in preparation for
whatever their future may hold. Within the context of a global pandemic, the district's mission, vision,
values, and goals did not change.
Organizational Performance Status
At the root of this study, the organizational performance problem evaluated the current parent
perceptions of parent engagement during remote learning. Considering parent engagement was of
priority for Galva, not only for in-person learning, but also impossible unforeseen circumstances where
students must learn off-site and remotely from home. The district found itself in this position in the
spring of 2020. Understanding how parents adequately support their children and how parent
engagement leads to success later in life became a significant component for all Galva’s students and
their success during this crisis.
The school district looked closer at parent engagement practices that allow for more flexibility
and autonomy in implementing strategies to support students remotely (Tims, 2020). Galva Unified
School District #201 researched what types of parent engagement was integral for remote student
8
success and what conditions made parents feel more valued and connected as an educational partner.
In 2019, the district reported 100% parent engagement based on parent self-reports on parent
engagement, including conferencing, attending events, and checking progress reports. This piece of data
is deceptive because it does not report the many and varied components of parent engagement.
Knowing that in emergencies, the district must call on support from families more than they have ever
asked for in the past, Galva wanted to accurately track and gain 100% parent engagement and ensure
parents participate in activities and strategies that make a difference in student achievement when
learning remotely.
Organizational Performance Goal
Galva School Unified District established an ambitious goal of 100% parent engagement because
of the emphasis on community, student achievement, and the alignment with the district’s vision of
assuring all students to learn at high levels, creating a thoughtful learning environment, and inspiring
each student to take responsibility as leaders of tomorrow (Sprague, 2017). Galva Unified School District
#201 evaluated their understanding of parent perceptions of their school engagement to create
meaningful partnerships to support learners within a societal environment full of unknowns. This goal
involved developing shared knowledge, processes, and priorities for increased parent engagement
within the district. While the organizational goal of 100% parent engagement was incredibly
aspirational, ultimately, nothing less than 100% engagement would fundamentally influence every
student’s success at Galva.
Within the context of Galva's organizational goal of 100% parent engagement, especially during
the pandemic, the district determined that a short-term plan based on the unexpected circumstances
facing the world in 2020 would still focus on 100% parent engagement. Galva Unified School District
#201 concluded that in the short term, not knowing the length of time the shelter-in-place would
continue, the district needed to continue or improve parent perceptions and satisfaction of Galva’s
9
parent engagement strategies to the same degree as before that of the pandemic (Tims, 2020). With the
ongoing pandemic and not knowing when it would be safe to return to the physical classroom, the
school district identified the need to strengthen the parent and school partnership to improve student
success through collaborative practices and strategies.
Determining if actual parent engagement increased or decreased during the pandemic would
have been impossible. The last time schools closed in the United States was in 1918 with the Spanish Flu
was unavailable (Morgan, 2020), so local or global data to compare the district’s parent engagement
was unavailable. Before 2020, the district did not have an accurate means to collect data on actual
parent engagement. Their data collection to this point included parent perceptions about their
participation and not data of actual engagement. In other conditions, the district could have collected
data about parent behaviors. Still, there were no valid and reliable qualitative or quantitative data
before the pandemic about parent engagement. The most accurate data available to the district was
from attendance at two events—Curriculum Night and parent-teacher conferences. The district
reported 100% parent engagement (State Report Card, 2019), but the district recognized that this was
not a holistic and accurate depiction of parent engagement.
After developing a deeper understanding of parent engagement, the district determined that
parent engagement needed to be redefined, including the many unseen strategies that parents utilized
to support their children’s success. This redefinition ultimately led the district to look at parent
perceptions of their involvement in their specific child’s learning. The study reflected perceptions and
beliefs rather than the actual behaviors of parents. The study based the focus of Galva’s parent
perceptions based on the psychological principle where stakeholder beliefs guide his or her actions in
vague conditions (Schultz, Tabanico & Rendon, 2008), leading to more successful parent engagement
during conditions like traditional in-person learning, as well as remote learning during emergencies. The
district desired to collect quantitative data using pre- and post-surveys about parents’ perceptions and
10
beliefs about their past school engagement in the Spring of 2020 to analyze the results and determine
what parent engagement strategies are needed to be more successful in partnering with parents.
Description of Stakeholder Groups
During the pandemic, stakeholders connected in ways that they have not have in the past. In
Galva, the stakeholder groups included students, families, educators, service providers, instructional
assistants, reading tutors, building administrators, central office administrators, community members,
and the local Board of Education. In traditional in-person learning, classroom teachers, families, and
administrators significantly impacted students' achievement and academic success (Hattie, 2005). The
three stakeholder groups continued to dramatically impact student learning in the remote learning
context in the Spring of 2020.
Stakeholder Group of Focus
During the pandemic of COVID-19, familial involvement transformed more than any other
stakeholder. Their direct and indirect engagement in their child’s learning looked, sounded, and felt very
different from traditional familial engagement in their child’s school a few weeks prior. Since the
immediate parent and guardianship of children can be considerably varied, the study referred to
parents, guardians, or any other adult who plays a significant role in a child’s upbringing as a parent.
Parents play a critical role in a child’s life, and their active engagement was critical during the
2020 pandemic. Families directly influence student performance in both emergency and non-emergency
situations (Lucas, 2010; Tan & Goldberg, 2009). Therefore, the parents at the eight schools (six
elementary and two middle schools) were the focus of this study. By understanding the parents'
knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences, the school district could further improve parent
engagement and its implications for student learning.
While a parent stakeholder goal identified what the parents can do to improve their
engagement, this study did not focus on evaluating parent behavior. This study analyzed how the school
11
district determined their organizational influences that impact parent perceptions of their engagement.
Since this study assessed organizational influences while considering the knowledge and motivation
necessary for parents to be involved, the study focused on the long-term goal of 100% parent
engagement rather than a parent stakeholder goal.
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of this project was to evaluate the school district's implementation of parent
engagement strategies, communication pathways, and parent goals in remote learning situations. For
practical purposes, the study focused on parents, whereas a complete performance evaluation focused
on all stakeholders. The analysis focused on the parents' perceptions in the areas of knowledge,
motivation, and organizational resources regarding parent engagement in schools.
As such, the questions that guided this study are the following:
1. To what extent is the organization meeting its performance goal of 100% parent engagement for
emergency remote learning?
2. What parent knowledge and motivation are required to achieve higher parent engagement in
their child's education?
3. What is the interaction between school culture and parent knowledge and motivation?
Methodological Framework
The primary methodology in this study was a deductive, quantitative design. Reflecting on
parents' knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences (KMO), the study used a modified version
of the stakeholder gap analysis by Clark and Estes (2008). The study included surveys with quantitative
and qualitative questions, allowing for a comprehensive analysis of the research questions and
document analysis of public records available to the Galva community. The diverse data types provided
a complete understanding of parent perceptions about parent engagement during remote learning.
Definitions
12
This section provides definitions of frequently used terms used throughout the research study
and the dissertation.
Crisis: an emergency in which the community has been disrupted and stability is unknown.
Engagement: the act of taking an enthusiastic part in a collaborative effort with shared
ownership in the process with similar goals, shared rights, and transparent responsibilities for educating
children. For this study, engagement is defined as the collaborative relationship between home and
schools. Research refers to engagement also as partnerships, engagement, and involvement.
Parent: a primary caregiver who typically is seen as a person who raises, provides for and cares
for a child. Many children have alternative forms of guardianship, so the parent is too specific for this
study’s considerations. For the purposes of this study, a parent can be a caregiver, including a biological
mother or father, a grandparent, aunt, uncle, older sibling, and other significant adults in a child's life.
Pandemic: an outbreak of a virus or disease prevalent over a whole country or world.
Remote learning: a situation where students lack access to their national and community
education, and districts must rely on students and their families to implement lessons and activities.
Organization of the Project
The researcher organized the study into five chapters. This chapter provides the reader with the
key concepts and terminology commonly found in discussing parent engagement and learning remotely.
Galva's mission, vision, goals, and stakeholders and the initial concepts of gap analysis were introduced.
Chapter Two provides a review of the current literature surrounding parent engagement. Chapter Three
details the methodology, including the choice of participants, data collection, and analysis. In Chapter
Four, the researcher examines the data and results. Chapter Five provides possible solutions, based on
data and literature, for closing the gaps and recommendations for implementation and evaluation of the
solutions.
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CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
This literature review examines the context of parent engagement in the educational system
and its impact on student learning during remote educational settings. The review begins with the
context of parent engagement, followed by the responsibilities shared by schools and families. A
review of the literature concerning the impact of parent engagement on student success follows.
Building upon the discussion of parent engagement impacts, the review continues with a presentation
of school-based, home-based, and remote learning characteristics. Finally, the review examines
barriers to parent engagement. Following the general research literature, the review utilizes Clark and
Estes' (2008) gap analysis framework, specifically, the KMO influences impacting parent engagement.
Context of School and Parent Engagement
Districts need to be mindful of how teams of parents and educators spend their collective time
(Finn & Zimmer, 2012) and the conditions under which educators and parents collaborate and engage,
especially when looking at improving the educator's and the parent's beliefs about parent engagement.
By considering the purpose, history, context, definition, culture, and change process of parent
engagement, the school community can make an incredible impact on the behavior, social interactions,
emotional awareness, academic success, and beliefs of students. The history, context, and policies
shaping parent engagement have been tenuous, and the applied practices and organizational structures
based on decades of research reveal that, as a nation, we still have more to learn.
History of Parent Engagement in Public Education
Surprisingly, public education and parent engagement spurred from a crisis as well. In 1642, a
Massachusetts colony responded to the community's immediate needs and mandated that all towns
with fifty or more children hire a teacher (Hiatt, 1994). The world was changing quickly enough that
citizens needed a systematic way to prepare their children for a new world. Thomas Jefferson argued
that citizens require specific necessary skills to function in a democratic civilization and participate in
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society as active citizens (Hiatt, 1994). This concept of fundamental education for citizenship spread and
eventually led to the creation of local funding. The government's involvement in an individual child's
education became linked due to the purpose of education, functioning in a democratic society, and the
source of the funding to pay teachers (mostly local).
Public education’s beginnings included minimal parent input. In 1860, there was universal public
education with equal educational opportunities for every child, regardless of the ability to pay in every
state (Hiatt, 1994). The industrial factory model of schooling that mimicked many adult working
conditions significantly impacted parent engagement. When workplaces were using young children at
low pay rates for a cheap labor force, compulsory attendance and truancy laws went into effect in 1918
(Hiatt, 1994). This attendance requirement offset the use of low-wage child labor; a child's education
became a more significant role in their development.
Parents also turned over their child's learning to hired professionals because they did not have
the time or expertise to teach their children specific skills to succeed in an ever-changing world.
According to Hiatt (1994), school bureaucratization was the first step in a partnership between schools
and families. While families were not directly in control of their child's academic learning with the
formation of public education, parent engagement in schools continued to grow throughout the years.
The emphasis on increased parent engagement heightened in the 1960s with the war on poverty.
According to Fantuzzo et al. (2013), parent engagement became an integral component of national
programs to assist children from low-income households.
Another big push for engagement came in the mid-1980s when improved education was
necessary for the United States to maintain competitiveness globally (National Commissions on
Excellence in Education, 1983). While not a pandemic, the United States' political front saw poverty. The
country raced to keep up with other countries, as indicators that the current educational system needed
improvements. Parents became more vocal about what schools should offer, demanding more
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individualism, more awareness, and more responsiveness to contemporary social issues (Oostdam &
Hooge, 2013).
Public Policies of Parent Engagement
The historical context creates the foundation for current educational policies and structures.
Federal and state educational policies are an essential lever in existing school reform (Park et al., 2017).
A White House document, entitled A Nation at Risk, was the first of many to connect home life with
school expectations (Gardner, 1983; Grolnick & Slowiaczek, 1994; Hiatt, 1994). The "Coleman Report,"
which was commissioned and published by the U.S. Department of Education in 1966, placed some
blame on the loss of parent interest in education on mothers joining the work force outside the home
(Baquedano-López et al., 2013).
Current educational policies also include: the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), a
reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESSA) of 1965, and the Every Student
Succeeds Act of 2015 (a reauthorization of ESSA). Bempechat and Shernoff (2012) summarized one of
NCLB's six targeted components, stating that this policy required schools to create policies and
processes to engage families in the education of their children. According to Gonzalez-DeHass et al.
(2005), states that want federal funding must comply with these federal mandates, which in the case of
parent engagement include investigating appropriate practices for involving parents in their child's
education. Even within a global pandemic, the United States' policies and guidelines remained in place.
The ambiguity in defining parent engagement comes from the creation of country’s mandates
and regulations. Since its inception, ESSA's goal focused on providing all children significant
opportunities to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education (De Voto & Reedy, 2018); however,
it is up to individual states and local districts to respond accordingly to these policies (Epstein & Sanders,
2006). Challenges arise when these policies define the purpose of parent engagement, but the policies
do not describe what involvement looks like or how it is implemented (Mapp & Kutter, 2013). This
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similar flexibility and ambiguity in defining guidelines for response to COVID-19 was at the state and
local level.
According to the Leadership Conference Education Fund (2016), ESSA's policymakers
understood that those closest to the affected need to be a part of the decision-making to remedy any
situation. Hence, the meaningful inclusion of parents and communities is at the heart of the policies that
guide local districts in determining parent engagement. According to Baquedano-López et al. (2013),
NCLB implied that schools were not doing enough to engage parents from diverse backgrounds.
Baquedano-López et al. (2013) claimed that the normalizing of white, middle-class values created the
current focus on parent engagement through the lens of the school's agenda, rather than how it relates
to the specific community's or family’s needs.
With remote learning as uncharted territory, policies about parent engagement early in the
pandemic were few and far between, especially from the federal government. According to Reich et al.
(2020), state education agencies’ recommendations had three similar themes. These themes included
equity as a priority, instructional guidance on the constraints of home-based remote learning, and clear
communication to all stakeholders about how to appropriately respond during the pandemic.
Shared Responsibilities for Student Success
As a team, parents and educators need to look a variety of engagement strategies to benefit all
spheres of a child's life, mostly when much of their life has been quarantined to their homes. Parent
engagement research shows that schools and parents recognize the importance of shared responsibility
for their children's learning, the identified conditions of meaningful collaboration, and stakeholder
mindsets. These critical elements with actual educator and parent participation are a stark contrast to
reality due to various restrictions such as knowledge, time, and resources (Caspe et al., 2019). The way
school districts integrate parent involvement into schools' design, policies, and practices impact parent
engagement success (Weiss et al., 2018).
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Understanding parent engagement involves critically analyzing the purpose, the context, and
the impact of the processes and outcomes of the parent involvement in a child's learning. A general
theme in most research is that quality over quantity matters most regarding parent engagement (Won
Kim, 2018). Current research studies outline the importance of aligning the processes, common threads,
and critical points to best impact student learning (Daniel et al., 2016; Ferrara, 2009).
Defining Parent Engagement
Title 20 of US Code 7801 defines parent engagement, or parent involvement, as "the
engagement of parents in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic
learning and other school activities" (Legal Information Institute, 1992). While the United Code of Law
defines the components of parent engagement as including communication, the law leaves considerable
ambiguity for other components. These public documents concede that it is the individual right and
responsibility of families to be involved, and these rights and obligations are a social need of the
community.
Other researchers have defined parent engagement as stakeholder groups that work together,
including a systematic and sustained effort on improving learning outcomes (Mapp & Kutter, 2013).
Back in 1989, Cotton and Wikelund argued for thoughtful planning of family engagement for the
community and its children. Bolivar and Chrispeels (2011) claim that by defining parent engagement
elements such as shared beliefs, stakeholder roles, available opportunities, parent engagement reflects
more meaningful and purposeful processes. Therefore, leading to hopefully more substantial results—
higher student academic success. Researchers agree that the definition of parent engagement needs to
refer to coordinated, thoughtful, and collaborative teamwork.
A multidimensional approach to parent engagement would create a more specific definition,
including the teamwork aspect and each parent's rights and responsibilities concerning schooling. The
precision of the definition would communicate the priorities of parent engagement and the more
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significant engagement components that impact student success. Weiss et al., (2018) continued this
work on a definition of parent engagement related to a child's learning and what that engagement
should include. Their findings contained the co-design (by all stakeholders) of a definition that
empowers stakeholders by asking questions, listening, sharing perspectives, and co-creating learning
experiences (Weiss et al., 2018). Goodall and Montgomery (2014) agree that the definition must charge
schools and parents to create partnerships rooted in similar beliefs and attitudes that foster learning.
Spheres of Influence
School engagement needs to emphasize how the different aspects of a child's life impact their
overall growth and success. In his seminal work, Epstein argues that students learn and grow through
overlapping spheres of influence: parent, school, and community (1986). Epstein (1986) concluded that
four types of parental involvement impact student success. Epstein (1986) studied 3,700 first, third, and
fifth-grade teachers, 1,200 parents, 2,100 students, and 600 principals in 82 classrooms in 16 different
school districts. Epstein's (1986) overlapping spheres theory concludes that the three spheres (home,
school, and community) affect student learning. The more these three spheres interact or connect, the
easier it is to get the students to work hard in their role as a student.
Bempechat (1992) supports Epstein's seminal findings and further clarifies that the degree to
which the overlap occurs at school and home, the more a student succeeds. Parent engagement
includes parents' fundamental obligation, school to home communications, parent engagement in the
school, and parent engagement in learning activities at home. Epstein's framework of overlapping
spheres of influence supports the concept that learning occurs anywhere and everywhere, with many
conditions impacting student learning (2019). Children have an advantage in school when their parents
are involved (Epstein et al., 2019).
School and parent engagement must meet the local community's ever-changing needs,
including analyzing these overlapping spheres of influence (Bempechat & Shernoff, 2012). Jeynes (2012),
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in a meta-analysis of 51 quantitative studies of Kindergarten through twelfth-grade, school-parent
involvement programs and the academic success for their students, concluded that parental
involvement programs indicate a correlation between involvement and standardized test scores. The
overlapping spheres of influence in traditional learning environments and remote learning that occurs
during crises parallel each other with a consistent focus on the impact of influence including guidance,
support, and feedback.
Changing Learning Environments and Parent Involvement
Distance learning has become an overarching name for any learning that does not occur in a
traditional classroom setting. Many educational systems have started utilizing various digital learning
management systems (Korkmaz & Toraman, 2020). Some educational institutions have adopted fully
online learning environments, whereas some schools adopted a hybrid model of in school and remote
learning (Tindle et al., 2016). In-person learning has proven to be more effective than online distance
learning, with student outcomes from online learning being less effective than face-to-face instruction
(Heppen et al., 2017).
Virtual Learning
Virtual schooling has several advantages, including its accessibility, convenience, and flexibility
(Torres Colorado & Eberle, 2010). Researchers also cited that learners of online instruction are more
successful if they have well-developed self-regulation strategies and their age ranges from 20 to 50.
Dabbagh (2007) agrees that successful, virtual students were also described as self-motivated, goal-
oriented, and disciplined self-starters. In online learning, traditionally, students must take more
responsibility for their learning because teachers must try to reach them through online platforms,
which requires greater clarity, communication, connections, and problem-solving. Students do not have
the teacher standing right next to them, prompting engagement, giving immediate feedback, and
providing in the moment scaffolding.
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Virtual learning strives to remove barriers to ensure equal opportunities for all students to
access quality curriculum and instruction (Korkmaz & Toraman, 2020). Becoming more and more
popular, virtual schools existed before the pandemic occurred. The educational methodologies and
theories foundational to virtual schools divert from transitional practices, at times relying more on
connectedness or focusing on globalization, technology, and lifelong learning (Korkmaz & Toraman,
2020). Learning conditions at home also depend on a multitude of various variables, including physical
space, resources, distractions, and adult support. Borup et al. (2015) contend that parental engagement
in K-12 learning is critical for student learning in virtual schooling. They also cited that the essential
strategies for parent support in virtual learning included monitoring, mentoring, and motivating.
One significant difference between parent engagement of online learning and traditional public
education includes the more active role in the day-to-day virtual instruction, which translates to a
substantial amount of time from parents (Tindle et al., 2016). According to Tindle et al. (2016), parents'
activities to support virtual schooling include teaching academic content, integrating instructional ideas,
organizing instructional materials, maintaining, and reporting student progress, and troubleshooting
technical issues. Prior to the pandemic, virtual or online instruction was a choice for parents. With the
pandemic, parents were forced into this new learning environment on an “untested and unprecedented
scale” (Burgess & Sievertsen, 2020).
Emergency Remote Learning
Virtual learning was the best solution to continuing education during the COVID-19 pandemic
(Kumar Jena, 2020). The shift to remote instructional delivery models allowed education to continue
even during the pandemic. While remote learning during COVID-19 was reactive in its response, typical
virtual programming usually develops over time (Scanlon, 2011). This temporary access is often more
successful when it includes synchronous activities, rather than asynchronous ones (Hodges et al., 2020).
During the pandemic, educators' instruction focused on quality instruction of literacy, numeracy, and life
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skills instruction rather than the number of content areas covered or assignments given during a
traditional school year (Sinclair, 2002).
Lessons and activities are activity-based, child-centered, and participatory, making parent
engagement a valuable tool. Kagawa (2005) clarifies further by stating that the pedagogy must focus on
exposure, practice, exploration, and collaborative approaches to learn at their appropriate level.
Educators provided ample resources and activities to complete either independently or with parent
support. In partnership with families, educators should use more integrated approaches to student
engagement with previously used curriculum infused with new elements to renew the skills and
strategies to deepen mastery of the core curriculum.
Emergency remote learning fulfills a child's right to education in the immediate response phase
(Mbayo, 2005). The formal definition of remote learning includes a situation where students lack access
to their national and community education (Kagawa, 2005). Emergency remote learning is a legal and
moral obligation (Mbayo, 2005). According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights entitled
"Education for All," not only is education a human right, but it also allows people the ability to access
other rights and freedoms (Sinclair & Borup, 2002). With a crisis appearing very quickly, the typical
planning and preparation time required to implement remote learning well, typically six to nine months,
is not possible (Hodges et al., 2020).
A significant amount of support for a child’s education comes from parents because of their
proximal location during remote learning. Even under fragmented and challenging situation or
environment, parents can respond with flexibility to encourage and support student learning. According
to Hodges et al. (2020), the primary objective in pandemic situations is "not to recreate a robust
educational ecosystem, but to provide temporary access to instruction and supports in a manner that is
quick to set up and reliably available during the emergency." Parent engagement allows student learning
to continue and supports educational institutions' global goal of maintain access to a quality education.
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The parent engagement required during remote learning varied based on the context and
variables in their own lives. Bonal and Gonzalez (2020) report that 23% of their surveyed 39,419 families
lost their job during the pandemic. Of those still working, their study reported that only 21.5% of
parents were able to go to work “normally.” It is important to note that the impact of remote learning,
parent engagement during the pandemic, and COVID-19 on student learning is yet to be researched for
long term effects (Bhamani et al., 2020).
Impact of Parent Engagement In-Person and Remotely
Parent engagement is a malleable state and a predictor of student learning, student
engagement, grades, achievement, retention, and graduation (Skinner & Pitzer, 2012). Researchers
agree that parent engagement impacts student learning in various ways, including academically,
behaviorally, socially, and emotionally (e.g., Epstein et al., 2019; Epstein, 1986; Fan & Chen, 2001;
Henderson & Mapp, 2002; Hoover-Dempsey & Sandler, 1997). Hiatt (1994) cites parent engagement's
positive influence as far back as Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs) in the 1940s. Further synthesis has
shown positive relationships between parent engagement and academic achievement, student
behavior, social-emotional learning, and children's beliefs about school and their ability to succeed.
Typically, engaged students to earn higher grades, drop out at lower rates, have higher attendance,
perform better on tests, and exhibit less disruptive behavior in class (Marks, 2000).
Academic Achievement
Numerous studies cite qualitative and quantitative findings that support the positive correlation
between parent engagement and student learning (e.g., Bempechat et al., 2011; Domina, 2005; Hoover-
Dempsey et al., 2001; Park & Holloway, 2017; Stitt & Brooks, 2014; Won Kim, 2018). Standardized test
measures show academic success (e.g., Bempechat & Shernoff, 2012; Domina, 2005; Hoover-Dempsey
et al., 2001; LaRocque et al., 2011; Park & Holloway, 2017), as well as high tests scores (e.g., Epstein et
al., 2006; Fan & Chen, 2001; Mapp & Kutter, 2013). Jeynes (2007) conducted a meta-analysis of 52
23
studies to determine parent engagement on student academic success. Jeynes concluded that general
parent engagement yielded significant outcomes of .5 to .55 of a standard deviation unit with
elementary parent engagement being a better predictor of achievement than high school participation.
According to Park and Holloway (2017), Mapp (2003), and Olmstead (2013), students whose
parents are highly involved also have a better chance of graduating from high school. According to
Barnard (2004), a student whose parent participated an average of three years or more has a 63% lower
likelihood of dropping out of school, relative to a child whose parent did not participate. Barnard (2004)
developed a 20 year longitudinal study looking at 1,165 students utilizing surveys from parents and
teachers. Students with more parental support in passing classes, executive functioning skills, self-
advocacy, and determination have a higher likelihood of finishing school.
Several studies have suggested that parent engagement also impact a student's academic
performance in various content areas. Researchers found this connection in elementary school reading
and math grades (e.g., Mapp, 2003; Smith et al., 2011; Whitaker & Hoover-Demspey, 2013). Stitt and
Brooks (2014) and El Nokali et al. (2010) demonstrate how parent engagement increases student subject
knowledge in various content areas and receptive vocabulary. This finding was supported by Fantuzzo et
al. (2013), who claimed that parent engagement shows more significant gains in reading, especially
alphabetic knowledge, and in mathematics. Fantuzzo et al. (2013) sampled 527 families in New York
with a forty-two-item survey and concluded positive communication was the most highly correlated to
student success.
The importance of student success or lack of success has implications for students well beyond
their year-to-year success. In a study of over 4,000 students, the Annie E. Casey Foundation found
students who do not read well in third grade are four times more likely to leave high school, either
through failing or dropping out (2011). Currently, 38% of the of the third graders, in the state where
Galva is located are not on track to be well prepared for further academic success in high school and
24
beyond, based on the Assessment of Readiness (State Board of Education, 2018). These numbers
represent in-person learning and do not recognize the impact that learning remotely could potentially
have. According to Kuhfeld and Tarasawa (2020) from the Northwest Education Association (NWEA),
research on seasonal learning and summer learning loss could offer insights that can help educators
understand, plan for, and address some potential impacts of an extended pause to in-person classroom
instruction. Kuhfeld and Tarasawa (2020) also stated that preliminary COVID-19 slide estimates suggest
that learning remotely from March through June potentially impacts students by gaining about 70% of
the reading and 50% of math gains compared to a typical year. To some extent, this represents almost a
year’s loss (or lack of growth) in math.
Academic growth in all grade levels impacts high school graduation, employment opportunities,
lifetime earnings, and skills vital for success later in life (Child Trends, 2016). In a 2006 longitudinal study
of 3,502 students, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that high-school dropouts tend
to lack persistence and are often unable to sustain consistent employment directly after high school
(Finn & Owings, 2006). In 2017, the employment rate was higher for persons with a higher level of
education than for those with a lower level of education—a 13% unemployment rate for someone not
completing high school and a 9% rate for someone with a Bachelor's degree or higher (National Center
for Education Statistics, 2018). With the high level of high school dropouts, lower employment rates,
and limited higher education being considerably discrepant from their peers, educational institutions
need to examine parent engagement because this one influential aspect of a child’s life can significantly
alter his or her overall success. Parent engagement is a positive and proactive means to impact a child’s
entire life. Knowing that the pandemic could affect students in the spheres of influence, the district
must determine what parent engagement could look like during remote learning to support students
reaching their long-term goals.
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Behavioral Impact
Student behavioral engagement is a highly complex construct promoting high student learning
levels (e.g., Bempechat & Shernoff, 2012; Cheung & Pomerantz, 2012; Goodall & Montgomery, 2014;
Park & Holloway, 2017; Williams & Sanchez, 2013). Behavioral engagement is the more visible
component of student engagement, while the other parts may not be visible. Behavioral engagement is
the observable features of engagement, which includes persistence, effort, and participation. According
to Marks (2000), students who are engaged are more likely to learn, find the learning experiences
rewarding, and want to learn more. Behavioral engagement is energized, directed, and sustained action
that is observable through effort, persistence, determination, and perseverance (Skinner & Pitzer, 2012).
Furlong and Christenson (2008) found that only 72% of students indicate that they are engaged in
learning.
The child participating or refusing to participate in remote learning is a significant impact a
parent can influence during a crisis. According to Fredricks et al. (2004), behavioral engagement also
includes the students’ actual conduct, including following rules, adhering to classroom norms, and
avoiding disruptive behaviors. Parent engagement also positively influences homework completion and
the ability to follow social norms. Students with parents who are more actively engaged in their child's
learning show less disruptive behaviors, making it possible for them to learn at higher rates.
Additionally, their behavior does not interrupt their peers' learning (Pomerantz et al., 2007).
Student engagement involves the more visible features of participation and effort, including
attendance and homework completion. Many studies have cited the impact of parent engagement on
student attendance (e.g., Mapp, 2003; Mattingly et al., 2002; Smith et al., 2011; Whitaker & Hoover-
Dempsey, 2013; Stitt & Brooks, 2014). Smith et al., (2011) also assert that parent engagement
profoundly influences student homework completion.
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During remote learning, the impact of parent engagement is most easily visible through student
behavior. The social norms of participating in class (Stitt & Brooks, 2014), persisting on difficult tasks (El
Nokakum et al., 2010), following rules (Pomerantz et al., 2007), and refraining from aggressive behaviors
(Harris & Goodall, 2008) impacted student success in both traditional and remote learning settings.
Parents must manage student behaviors during remote learning because teachers cannot respond in
quick, flexible ways due to the lack of proximity. Behavioral engagement in remote learning remains
connected to cognitive engagement and academic success.
Social-Emotional Impact
Social and emotional learning (SEL) includes how people understand and manage emotions, set,
and achieve positive goals, feel, and show empathy for others, establish, and maintain positive
relationships, and make responsible decisions (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional
Learning, 2019). According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2002), some of the more
significant reasons mentioned for dropping out of school involve social and emotional factors like not
getting along with teachers (35%), not getting along with peers (20%), feeling left out (23%), and not
feeling safe (12%). Zins and Elias (2006) conclude that social-emotional skills and academic achievement
are positively related. Schools that focus on integrated and coordinated instruction with social and
emotional competencies embedded maximize students' potential to succeed in school and throughout
their lives (Zins & Elias, 2006).
Social-emotional engagement involves a student's ability to navigate society and its norms,
which becomes more complicated in a shelter-in-place situation where students must learn how to
develop and practice these skills remotely and usually digitally. A significant component of this social
functioning is self-regulating, including emotional development, reflection, self-control, and
attentiveness (Bempechat et al., 2011). According to Daniel et al. (2016), self-regulation creates the
conditions for academic success by providing a repertoire of strategies students, including executive
27
functioning skills, making it possible to manage their learning behaviors purposefully. The learner
struggles to benefit from their education if something hinders the emotional component of their
engagement during remote learning.
According to Porumbu and Necşoi (2013), parent engagement impacts social functioning and
the formation of acceptable social skills. Bempechat (1992) also asserts that parent engagement in a
child's educational life affects their social development. Parent engagement includes school bonding and
social connections (Daniel et al., 2016). Part of the purpose of education includes work on social
functioning and a student's ability to build relationships with peers and adults (Porumbu and Necşoi,
2013). Emotional engagement provides the cognitive capacity for a learner's brain to engage in the
learning environment's social aspects and experiences.
Motivation is another component of social-emotional learning. Hoover-Dempsey et al. (2005)
noted the impact of parent engagement on psychological conditions, including students' motivation to
learn. Bempechat and Shernoff (2012) explored the correlation of student motivation to the parent's
engagement in their child's education by researching parental homework involvement by collecting data
on 1,270 students in fifth grade and then again in eighth grade from 227 schools. Whitaker and Hoover-
Dempsey (2013) utilized previously published scales to quantitatively synthesize two middle school
parent communities and their beliefs about being actively involved in their child's education. Within this
context, Whitaker and Hoover-Dempsey (2013) also identify motivation as being influenced by a
parent's beliefs concerning their engagement with schools. The critical aspect of motivation that Pekrun
(2011) established one of the critical aspects of motivation are emotions affecting effort, motivation to
persist, strategies for learning, and cognitive concepts. These various emotions are also skills that
students in remote learning situations must rely on. Students must rely on these emotions in remote
learning to effectively participate in both synchronous and asynchronous learning.
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Effort, persistence, and learning strategies also impact a student’s ability to learn during remote
learning. Emotions are fundamentally crucial for human learning and development; they contribute to
learning "such as perception, attention, memory, decision making, and cognitive problem solving"
(Pekrun, 2011, p. 26). Mybayo (2005) asserts that emergency remote learning's primary purpose is to
mitigate the emergency's psychosocial effects. The purpose of remote learning included the following:
a) to meet the psychological needs of children, b) a tool for protecting children in emergencies, and c) a
channel for teaching social-emotional messages vital in crises (Bensalah, 2002). The focus of remote
learning is giving meaning and structure to those affected (Mbayo, 2005). The difficulty lies in the
mutual causation of emotional and academic success. The importance of social and emotional impact on
student success during remote learning is the priority. Pomerantz et al. (2007) assert, as well, that the
more parents are involved in their child's education, the more success that child can have in academics,
behaviors, and social-emotional aspects of their future.
Types of Parent Engagement
Parent engagement strategies utilized at home, school, and remote learning rely on any
partnership's basic foundational practices, including perspective-taking, empathy, consideration,
collaboration, and goal setting. Minke et al. (2014) asserts consistency between the spheres of influence
at school and home that include shared beliefs, personal regard, consideration, understanding,
reciprocity, and accountability create environments in which parent and school partnerships flourish.
Successful parent engagement must also include programming goals and outcomes, organizational
structures, written policies, adequate training, collaborative decision-making, essential tools and
resources, a shared understanding of the culture and context, and a pyramid of opportunities based on
the time and interests of the stakeholders (Caspe et al., 2019; Caspe & McWillems, 2019; Weiss et al.,
2018). All these structures take time to develop. During a global pandemic like COVID-19, educational
institutions struggled to create a plan for parent engagement, while systematically creating a system to
29
engage students in their learning. Educators and parents need to partner in developing empathy,
recognizing restraints, and creating conditions and opportunities to build learning pathways during
remote learning circumstances.
School-Based Parent Engagement
School-based engagement involves supporting students and staff at school to help children in
the community (Weiss et al., 2018). Parent involvement at school can include participating in Parent
Teacher Organizations (PTO), fundraisers, volunteering, supervising field trips, and attending school
events during the day and night (Kohl et al., 2000). Castro et al. (2015) emphasized that parent
attendance and participation in school activities have minimal influence on their individual child's
academics and significantly influence the school's overall success. Within the context of remote learning
and global emergencies, the importance of school-based parent engagement becomes secondary to
home-based strategies.
Home-Based Parent Engagement
Clarifying the difference between school and home-based involvement supports a better
understanding of the purpose of parent engagement, especially for synchronous and asynchronous
student learning at home. Parent engagement strategies at home include modeling, supporting, and
promoting learning strategies. According to Walker et al. (2010), parents can support homework
completion, time management for long term projects, and model study strategies for their children.
Gonida and Cortina (2014) agree that homework is a home-based strategy for parents to engage in with
their children. The researchers studied 282 fifth grade and eighth-grade students and their parents.
Gonida and Cortina (2014) found that home-based parent engagement was most beneficial when
supporting their children in developing autonomy in completing assignments, both the process and final
product. Bempechat et al. (2011) qualitatively studied a diverse group of low socioeconomic status ninth
graders finding that students performed better when parents helped monitor homework, portrayed a
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sense of importance for homework, and prompted questions and suggestions. Goodall and Montgomery
(2014) claimed that the most effective parent engagement strategies occur in the child's home.
According to Harris and Goodall (2008), parent engagement in the home makes the most
considerable difference in student success. Harrison and Goodall (2008) examined parent engagement
in a case study analysis with 20 schools and 314 respondents. The researchers found that parent
engagement in the home who most likely to result in positive outcomes for their child. Parents need to
create a supportive learning environment at home where there is psychological safety for learning and
mistake-making (Garvin et al., 2008). If parents do not realize the impact they can have at home, the
imperativeness of engaging in these activities is marginally beneficial.
In connection to remote learning, parent engagement requires flexible teaching and learning
(Vlachopoulos, 2020). During a crisis, digital tools offer unprecedented opportunities to continue to
impact student achievement, even when educators cannot be in the same location as students to
communicate and collaborate. Williams and Sanchez (2013) asserted that using a broader range of
electronic communications provided more meaningful conversations about student progress, made it
easier for parents to be involved, and combated claims of lack of awareness. According to Weiss et al.,
(2018), there is a wide variety of tools available, allowing families to connect to school in ways not
possible years ago.
Barriers to Parent Engagement
Educational researchers have emphasized that parents' ability to engage in their child's learning
is not straightforward (Hollingworth et al., 2011). Parents have time, resources, and energy restraints.
These restraints, combined with the possibility of an unfriendly climate, other demands, or past
perceptions, can create considerable barriers for parents to engage in their child’s education. The
educational system can seem like a closed system where some stakeholders do not feel welcome or do
not know how to participate (Harris & Goodall, 2008).
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Parent Engagement Misunderstandings
The implicit assumptions of parent engagement create unclear and inconsistent understanding
of what to do to support students (Fan & Chen, 2001). Because schools involve many stakeholders, their
interactions can be a messy web of differing values, beliefs, and purposes. This disjointed web results in
a problem of misalignment in goals for parent engagement, which encourages the power imbalance and
misunderstanding on parents, educators, and at times, students (Won Kim, 2018). Baquedano-López et
al. (2013) contended that these unresolved tensions created by the unequal distribution of power result
in educational approaches that advance a tone of deficit, urgency, and remedy. Parents see the school
as the authority, and the school sees parents in their deficits (Baquedano-López et al., 2013). Parents
feel as though teachers blame parents and make families feel unappreciated (Smith et al., 2011). COVID-
19 had the possibility of heightening this imbalance of perception and power.
According to Hornby and Laefle (2011), parents feel ignorant of schools' curriculum and
processes, creating further engagement barriers. With the pandemic causing quickly changing guidelines
by the state and federal governments to minimize the spread of COVID-19, parents could only react to
the circumstances. In this context, it is not surprising that there is a lack of mutual understanding of
parent engagement during remote learning, which builds barriers and mistrust. The lack of
communication and understanding of perspectives, both educators and parents, leads to inconsistency
in the purpose of school and parent engagement (Kohl et al., 2000). For example, suppose parents
believe success is a performance of skills (i.e., completing an essay with five paragraphs), whereas the
teacher is looking for mastery (i.e., choosing practical word choice to persuade). In that case, both
stakeholders might have misconceptions and frustrations about what the other is explicitly seeking. To
further complicate the problem, all communications had to be remote through various technology
avenues.
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The distinction between school and parent responsibilities have become blurred with society's
greater understanding of how students learn, develop, and engage in schooling (De Wit, 2005). The
differences in how families are involved arose with the lack of consensus on the definition of parent
engagement (Wilder, 2014). Districts need to be very careful to avoid pushing their goals to the
community, especially if the goals are primarily white, middle-class values and expectations
(Baquedano-Lopez et al., 2013). This possible emphasis could lead to parents being passive or
complacent because their perspectives are absent in goal setting and implementation. More
importantly, creating goals without parent input can create intense feelings of displacement, loss of
control, and refusal (Baquedano-Lopez et al., 2013) in the already complex context of the social,
political, and health upheaval of a global pandemic.
If the educational goals align with the parents' values, parents become more willing to support
learning. The different philosophies and beliefs seemingly present themselves as opposing theories, with
the side of power (the school) holding a position of authority and creating boundaries, rather than
opportunities for engagement (Epstein et al., 2019). Parents' roles cannot be narrow and prescribed, nor
can schools fail to acknowledge the potential parents have to offer to schools (Cozier & Davies, 2007).
Parents being offered the potential might look different in traditional and remote learning conditions
and based on family access to technology.
Equity and Access
Unfortunately, unless applied consistently, not all students have the same resources at home or
available to them during a pandemic. Online education has several advantages that allow students to
deepen the core curriculum learning from home without interruptions (Vlachopoulos, 2020). Successful
implementation is only as reliable as the access to technology and the resources needed (Vlachopoulos,
2020). These online educational advantages are accurate only if families have the resources and
technological infrastructure to support synchronous and asynchronous instruction. Utilizing technology
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for remote learning creates accessibility, convenience, and flexibility (Colorado & Eberle, 2010). The
short-term timeframe must include getting technology and access to the internet into all families'
homes.
The wide variety of technological tools allows parents to choose avenues that work best for
them. As of May 2013, 63% of adult cell phone owners use their phones to go online. Murray,
McFarland-Piazza, and Harrison (2015) point out that while there is no one-size-fits-all, most parents
prefer electronic communications in the form of emails, websites, and newsletters. According to PEW
Internet Research Project, as of January 2014, 90% of American adults own a cell phone. Technology
enables parents to receive instant communication, including volunteer opportunities, homework
assignments, and student performance updates (Smith et al., 2011). Technology, most often emails,
allows for short to-the-point messages focused on a specific purpose or goal. If families do not have the
access or the tools, they miss out on communications and collaboration opportunities.
The digital divide creates the most significant difficulty in terms of the resources available. State
agencies recognize that many families do not have access to online options. According to PEW research
(2019), only 56% of adults who live in households that make less than $30,000 have access to
broadband internet. There is no current research indicating how many middle school or elementary
school students do not have a device or broadband internet. Trends point access to these students
facing severe limits to accessing online learning. This "online penalty" hits our particularly vulnerable
and struggling learners (Reich, 2020). Students who tend to do well in a traditional educational setting
also tend to do well remotely online. The struggling and vulnerable students suffer something like an
extended summer slide when learning remotely (Reich et al., 2020).
Specific Parent Barriers
The presence of more parents in the workforce, the fast pace of the modern world, and the
declining value of family have led to a change in parental involvement (Jeynes, 2012). In 2019, 49.4% of
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married couples with children had both parents working full time (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020).
The number of single parents has more than tripled since 1960, and 67% of women with children under
six are employed (Brown et al., 2016). With more parents working full time, the time and energy
impacting their child's academic success have become considerably restricted.
The seemingly ever-present problem of humans—"too little time and too much to do"
significantly impacts parent engagement. From 1979 to 2006, the typical middle-class workweek
increased by 11 hours (Baker et al., 2016). The practical time restraints of work, childcare busy
schedules, and stress from other commitments place more demands on families, possibly already
struggling with limited resources or access (Baker et al., 2016). Horby and Blackwell (2018) added that
language, transportation, and stress can also cause the inability or limited ability to engage with their
child’s learning. The constraints create less flexibility and more pressure for families to prioritize their
time and energy. These constraints existed before the pandemic, during the pandemic, and will continue
afterward. The specific restrictions might change for parents, but the balance of competing needs and
demands of parents, and all stakeholders, will continue.
Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Influences
This review of the current literature focuses on the parents' knowledge, motivation, and
organizational influences required to achieve the district's performance goal of high parent engagement
during remote learning. Each parent's ability to engage in their child's learning impacts the school
district's overall ability to develop and cultivate pathways for every student to experience success.
Knowledge Influences
The attainment and application of parent knowledge is critical for the district to meet its 100%
parent engagement goal during remote learning. Clark and Estes (2008) cite knowledge and skills as one
of the three possible performance gaps that inhibit an organization from meeting its goals. The authors
explain that stakeholders must know how to accomplish their goals, succeed independently, and select
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effective strategies and procedures appropriate to the context. According to Rueda, for change to occur,
a systematic analysis of performance gaps must include necessary knowledge and skill changes and
motivational adjustments (2011). This systematic approach to change includes influencing human
behavior by selecting, analyzing, design, developing, implementing, and evaluating (McGee & Johnson,
2015). Stakeholders can improve the quality or quantity of their performance by closing gaps between
what they know and what they need to know. For any stakeholder to meet their goal, the priority is to
gain the information essential to transfer this new knowledge and apply it.
To measure progress towards the district's performance goal, educators need to identify and
assess the relevant knowledge influences and corresponding knowledge types. Knowledge can include
facts, ideas, concepts, procedures, strategies, and even beliefs (Mayer, 2011). Krathwohl (2002)
identifies four types of knowing including: factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive
knowledge. Factual knowledge refers to specific terminology, details, or elements that one must
understand to solve a problem in a particular area of content. Conceptual knowledge pertains to
abstract "categories, classifications, principles, generalizations, theories, models, or structures" (Rueda,
2011, p. 28). Procedural knowledge includes practical and sequential details. Metacognitive pertains to
the knowledge of one's cognitive processes. By identifying the type of knowledge required, the
organization can determine the kind of support is needed (Rueda, 2011).
This study discussed one primary procedural knowledge influence: parents need to know how to
engage with schools and their students for their academic success. The knowledge influence identified is
critical in enabling parents to be more involved in their child's education, even in unpredictable
situations. Identifying the knowledge type serves as a foundation for determining the appropriate
engagement strategies at home. The knowledge influence that parents need to achieve their
performance goal is knowing what involvement opportunities are available to them at home to support
their child. This procedural knowledge of how to impact student learning, motivation, and performance
36
is essential for parents to fully engage in their child’s education to ensure either further growth or
minimize a “COVID-19 slide” where students’ lose what was previously gained.
Families need to know how to participate in activities and create effective and efficient learning
environments at home. This procedural knowledge impacts a parent's ability to develop optimal
discourse and learning environments to support learning at home. By understanding what families can
do to further student success, parents can either increase or decrease their behaviors that support their
child's needs. According to Bandura (2005), individuals can use knowledge as a guiding principle in
developing strategies to respond to other situations or concepts. This becomes especially true when
responding during a pandemic where past precedent is nonexistent. Parents can utilize this procedural
knowledge to create discourse and environments in which their child can apply skills, strategies, and
knowledge to new situations and contexts.
For parents, knowing how to support their child's academic, behavioral, and social-emotional
performance involves a level of understanding of the procedure of learning itself. Parents do need a
general understanding of elements that make learning easier. When parents know the procedures that a
student’s brain utilizes to learn, it is easier for families to support their child with homework, long-term
projects, and studying. Parents must also understand how the effective use of many cognitive processes
impact learning, including memory, attention, activation of prior knowledge, goal setting, and self-
regulation (Dumont et al., 2012). With this understanding, parents can improve their ability to supervise
their child's task-completion at home actively (Gonida & Cortina, 2014). With parents understanding the
steps and processes to study and complete homework effectively, students can utilize the skills to
complete the task and develop these skills for the future.
Joyce Epstein’s (1986) framework includes six types of involvement: learning at home, which
supports a student’s self-concept as a learner, a positive attitude towards schoolwork, homework
completion, and gains in specific and practiced skills. A general procedural understanding of beneficial
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opportunities at home to support student learning leads to the application of parent behaviors that
support their child in processing concepts, connecting new ideas to prior knowledge, and storing
information in their long-term memory. Parents must understand what they can do to support remotely
and how these activities are beneficial to their child (Jeynes, 2004). Parents can further enhance
optional learning at home by implementing this knowledge in creating opportunities and environments
for observations, modeling, self-regulation, and goal setting.
Table 1 illustrates the knowledge influence essential to meet both the organizational and
performance goal. Additionally, the table categorizes the knowledge type and the associated
assessment mechanism for exploring the stakeholder group's knowledge influence, as discussed in the
previous sections.
Table 1
Knowledge Influences, Types, and Assessments for Analysis
Organizational Mission
The district's mission is to develop and create learning environments that encourage the desire to
learn and the skills necessary to meet each individual's unique academic, personal, physical, and
social needs.
Organizational Global Goal
By August of 2023, each school will have 100% parent engagement.
Knowledge
Influence
Knowledge
Type
Knowledge Influence Assessment
Parents need to
know how to
engage with
schools and their
students for their
academic
success.
Procedural
Likert Survey Questions:
• I know how to supervise my child's homework.
• I know how to communicate effectively with my child about the
school day.
• I know effective ways to contact my child's school.
• I know how to communicate effectively with my child's teacher.
• I can explain things to my child about his or her homework.
• I know enough about the subjects of my child’s homework to help
him or her out.
• I know about volunteering opportunities at my child's school.
• I know about special events at my child's school.
• I have the skills to help my child's school.
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Motivation Influences
Motivation is the internal state that includes initiating and maintaining goal-directed behaviors.
Therefore, motivation comprises interests, beliefs, attributions, goals, and social partnerships (Mayer,
2011). Overall, motivational theories are concerned with stakeholder behavior's energy and direction
(Pintrich, 2003). Stakeholders can strategically accomplish their goals by determining what gets
individuals moving and to which tasks. If a child's education includes active involvement from their
parents these two primary motivational influences are critical. Classifying these influences based on
theory is necessary to determine appropriate approaches to improve motivation.
Along with knowledge, motivation can influence the stakeholders' ability to achieve their
performance goals. Motivation related influences are the second dimension critical to parents
supporting their child's success at school. While the previous section on knowledge focused on engaging
parents in their child’s education, this section examined if parents are motivated to be involved in their
child's learning. Motivation is essential to meeting one's goals. Clark and Estes (2008) discuss motivation
and its implications in creating momentum in stakeholders, keeping the momentum moving, and
determines how much effort to expend. These authors also contend that analyzing the direction,
persistence, and energy one uses supports the stakeholder group in accomplishing their goal.
This section focused on specific motivational constructs: utility value and self-efficacy (both
motivational theories) from among the many existing motivational influences impacting the stakeholder
group. The motivational theories and associated motivational influences provide a foundation for
determining the appropriate methodology for assessing each stakeholder group's motivational
influence. The study needs to align the current research with theoretical foundations with each
motivational influence, corresponding theory, and assessment method.
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Utility Value
The first motivational influence is utility value. Utility value is the perceived usefulness of
motivational influences, such as attainment, intrinsic, and cost value (Wigfield & Cambria, 2010). This
influence falls under expectancy-value theory, where the stakeholders see the value through the lens of,
"Can I do the task?" and "Do I want to do the task?" (Eccles, 2006). The higher the value placed on the
task, the greater the chance an individual will direct their attention, persist in the task, and exert energy.
An individual who believes the task is worth the investment is more likely to be motivated to complete
the goal. This investment is especially true for parents who wish to engage in the educational
environment for their children. Parents need to see that it is worthwhile to engage and support their
children in their remote learning.
Parents need to know the importance of parent involvement in a child's education. Smith et al.
(2011) conclude that students create their views of the nature and purpose of learning through their
parents' lens. Parent participation in their child's education impacts their child's educational beliefs,
sense of personal competence, and the importance of education. In other words, a child forms a
concept of school success around how his or her parents engage in their education (Hornby & Lafaele,
2011).
For parents to actively engage in and support student learning, they need to know that their
engagement significantly impacts their child’s success. Parent engagement influences student learning
through their child's academic achievement, their child's behaviors within the school environment, their
child's social-emotional development, and their child's beliefs about school and themselves (Whitaker &
Hoover-Dempsey, 2013). Bempechat and Shernoff (2012) concluded that motivation, academic
achievement, and parent engagement create a never-ending cycle of success. The process of parent
engagement, academic achievement, and student motivation shape parents' knowledge of the
importance of parent engagement related to their child's education.
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To increase stakeholder's utility value, educators must create relevance within the school
environment so that parents see engagement as worthwhile. Knowing that learning is a behavioral
change, stakeholders must be motivated to embrace the new knowledge and connect it with prior
knowledge. Based on the type of reinforcement or punishment, the individual may or may not find
utility value in the task (Tuckman, 2006). Parents need to see the importance of their child's
involvement in their learning to understand further how their support is required during remote
learning.
Parents need to understand their importance in their child's education and their child’s learning
engagement. In 1989, Cotton and Wikelund synthesized past research and found that parents shape a
student's attitude and beliefs. In 2013, Mapp and Kutter made similar findings. A child's pursuit of future
education, his or her aspirations, as well as his or her commitment to follow these plans are tied to his
or her parent’s engagement (e.g., Cheung & Pomerantz, 2012; Gonzalez-DeHass et al., 2005; Hoover-
Dempsey et al., 2005).
Self-efficacy
The second motivation influence that parents need to support remote learning is self-efficacy.
The belief that they can impact their child's academic, behavioral, and social-emotional learning impacts
their actual success (Anderson & Minke, 2007). Self-efficacy is the stakeholder's judgment of his or her
ability to meet their goals (e.g., Grolnick et al., 1997; Whitaker & Hoover-Dempsey, 2013; Goodall &
Montgomery, 2014; and Daniel et al., 2016). This self-efficacy has a significant impact on the
stakeholder's actual ability to meet those goals (Bandura, 2005). In general, people receive fulfillment
and become personally involved when they feel like the goal is possible. Parents with high self-efficacy
are more likely to welcome challenges and opportunities, even if the tasks are not inherently enjoyable
(Coleman et al., 2000). During remote learning, parental support came across as challenging because
many people have not supported their child in this way before.
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Many parents determine their self-efficacy level about school engagement based on their own
experiences as children in school. According to Mapp (2003), parents reflect, often unintentionally, their
school encounters on their child's school experiences. If parents had a poor experience with schooling as
children, these past experiences could shape their beliefs about their child's school and the importance
of their engagement. This profound influence leads to what Caspe et al. (2019) cite as one of the three
main parent engagement goals—changing mindsets. This critical component changes the parent's role,
so parents understand the flexible one-size-does-not-fit-all-ability for parents to support their child.
Each parent’s self-efficacy enhances or diminished the quantity and quality of their parent’s
engagement in school and learning. If parents did not have support at home when they were kids and
do not have great relationships with their children's schools, their self-efficacy during remote learning
would be challenging and possibly overwhelming.
Parents' self-efficacy, the capacity they must contribute to their child’s education positively,
impacts what they feel is essential, what is necessary for them to do, and what they can do (Harris &
Goodall, 2008). If parents have high self-efficacy in their parent engagement, the likelihood that they
will be involved regardless of the competing demands of life increases (Anderson & Minke, 2007).
According to Anderson and Minke (2007), when parents perceive that their parent engagement has
direct relevance to their child, they become more encouraged to get involved. Feeling capable and
knowledgeable when helping their child with their learning, parents with high efficacy heighten their
children's achievement through helping with schoolwork and communicating with teachers (Kim et al.,
2013).
Parent self-efficacy impacts both the parents' beliefs and behaviors and then reciprocally their
child's (Pomerantz et al., 2007). Self-efficacy is vital for parents in home-based strategies. Bempechat et
al. (2011) confirmed that parents' participation in educational opportunities with their child's learning
impacts their child's efficacy. Parents influence a child's self-regulation and reflection in terms of their
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actions and dedication in creating models and priorities for learning (Daniel et al., 2016). Parents need
to know that their high commitment, including attention, persistence, and energy, is highly impactful
towards their own child's motivation to do well during remote learning. A parent’s perceptions, which
create self-efficacy, establish commitment and satisfaction with their capacity to successfully perform
the tasks related to supporting their child in a remote learning situation. These findings make it vital for
parents to understand that they make a difference with their active engagement in their child's
education.
Table 2 depicts the organizational mission and the global organizational goal and the two
motivational influences and methods to assess them. Additionally, the table identifies the motivational
theory or research area and the associated mechanism for exploring the assumed motivational
influences included for the stakeholders.
Table 2
Motivational Influences and Assessments for Analysis
Organizational Mission
The district's mission is to develop and create learning environments that encourage the desire to learn
and the skills necessary to meet each individual's unique academic, personal, physical, and social needs.
Organizational Global Goal
By August of 2023, each school will have 100% parent engagement.
Assumed Motivation Influences
Motivational Influence Assessment
Parents need to see the value in
conferences, progress reports,
and supporting their child at
home.
(Utility Value)
Likert Survey Questions:
• It is important to stay on top of things at school.
• It is important to communicate regularly with my child’s teacher
and school.
• It is important to help my child with their homework.
• It is important to explain tough assignments to my child.
• It is important to talk with my child about the school day.
• It is important to talk with other parents from my child's school.
• It is important to support decisions made by the teacher.
• It is important to make sure the school has what it needs.
• It is important to make the school better.
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• It is important to volunteer at the school.
• It is important to attend parent-teacher conferences to talk
about my children's learning and behavior.
• It is important to monitor grades using the online parent portal,
also known as Home Access.
• It is important to check my children’s progress reports or report
cards each trimester.
Parents need to believe they are
capable of effectively increasing
their child's academic, emotional,
and social achievement.
(Self-Efficacy)
Likert Survey Questions:
• I do not know how to help my child make good grades in school.
• I make a significant difference in my child’s school performance.
• I do not know if I am getting through to my child.
• Other children have more influence on my child’s grades than I
do.
• I feel successful about my efforts to help my child learn.
• I do not know how to help my child learn.
• I know how to help my child do well in school.
Organizational Influences
Organizational-related influences are the third dimension critical to parent engagement during
remote learning. While the previous sections on knowledge and motivation focused on parents' knowing
what to do, how to do it, and then being motivated to accomplish it, this section examined how the
cultural settings and models impact stakeholder engagement (Rueda, 2011). Clark and Estes (2008)
discuss organizational structures and their implications for creating effective and sustainable change,
emphasizing how the organizational cultures and models support stakeholder involvement.
According to Kezar (2001), social-cognition models of improvement examine change through the
lens of the framing and interpretation of change and the ability to meet the goal. One significant
component of this improvement is analyzing how the organization goes about its daily business
(Schneider et al., 1996). This analysis includes how parents interpret and make sense of their
engagement during remote learning. This organizational lens of examining influences is purposeful and
adaptive, providing a reflective dissonance to analyze the environment in terms of its culture. The
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culture, or the very fabric of the organization's existence, must be changed to create effective and
sustainable change (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001).
Components of Organizational Influences
Organizational influences can include cultural models and cultural settings (Erez & Gati, 2004).
Cultures are always changing in a "non-linear, irrational, nonpredictable, ongoing, and dynamic
process," impacted by cultural settings and models (Kezar, 2001, pg. 50). Cultural models are shared
mental models or beliefs about how stakeholder functions. They are expressed through tools of the
mind, creating invisible and sometimes unnoticed norms and interpretations (Gallimore & Goldenberg,
2001). Cultural settings include where stakeholders accomplish something over time (Gallimore &
Goldenberg, 2001). Cultural models and cultural settings create the school culture with all behavioral,
cognitive, and affective components.
Cultural models and settings articulate an organization's culture by expressing its stakeholders'
values (Van den Berg & Wilderom, 2004). Organizational influence includes the norms, behaviors,
language, expectations, and modes of interaction among stakeholders through culture. This includes
how the world works, how it ought to work, what is valued, and what is ideal (Gallimore & Goldenberg,
2001). Culture impacts the three most potent drivers of engagement, including purpose, identity, and
mastery (Moran & Brightman, 2000). Overall, organizational influences are concerned with the shared
ways of perceiving, thinking, and responding to challenges and change (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001).
Organizational influences are critical to parents' engagement in their child's learning, especially
during emergencies like a pandemic. Each of these influences is categorized into an organizational
context (model or setting). The organizational theories and associated influences provide a foundation
for determining the appropriate methodology for supporting parents and their engagement. Classifying
these influences is necessary to decide on proper approaches and assessment methods to promote
more effective parent engagement during uncertain times. The cultural model of collaboration supports
45
parents' building on what happens at school, with equally crucial at-home modeling, coaching, and
enriching.
Clearly Defined Goals
The first organizational influence that parents need is that the school needs to define goals
related to the vision of parent engagement. The opportunities for commitment, a shared vision, and
collaborative learning are foundational to successful growth (Kezar, 2001). By articulating goals and the
purpose of involvement, schools create a place where both students and parents know the goals and
how to achieve success. The clearly defined and aligned goals also support collaborative decision
making, clarity of communication, and better resource allocation, including time and effort (Kezar,
2001). Parents need to understand the district's vision for parent engagement to best support their child
remotely.
According to Rueda (2011), beliefs and processes primarily drive engagement. Rather than
focusing on school engagement to improve the school or district, parents are looking for ways to
increase their specific child's achievement. Rather than generalizing the collective efficacy of teachers
and parents to increase student achievement as a school, parents are more likely to be involved if the
goals revolve around the view that their engagement positively impacts their child's achievements
(Epstein et al., 2019). The goals of parent engagement during remote learning need to reflect the goals
they have for their child and their success. The organization needs to strategically prioritize
organizational goals to be meaningful to all stakeholders (Rueda, 2011). According to Clark and Estes
(2008), people tend to focus on task completion versus actual attainment of the goals without explicit
and specific goals.
Borgonovi and Montt (2012) loosely define parent involvement as parents' active commitment
to spend time assisting in their children's academics. Parents' participation must be flexible and include
an interactive means to support their child in a way that best helps that child (McCormick et al., 2013).
46
The smaller, more manageable, and actionable the goals are the more likely people develop these
strategies into active commitment (Castro et al., 2015). For students, this includes having high academic
expectations, maintaining communication with the school, and promoting reading habits.
By describing parent engagement as a right and a responsibility, schools can reframe the
purpose to favorably link students seeing themselves as learners at school and home. Each stakeholder
needs to understand other stakeholders' underlying agendas and goals to support the collaborative
nature of the partnership. The more significant influence develops from collective efficacy related to the
larger goals generated and designed together. Parents and teachers need to work together and engage
in actions that work in concert with each other (Bempechat & Shernoff, 2012). According to Williams
and Sanchez (2013), connectivity creates greater parent empowerment and a sense of knowing. Both
parents and teachers appreciate working towards the same goals and having a significant role in setting
these global goals.
The overall goal of parent engagement should have an underlying message that school is a
natural extension of the parent where people support each other; maintain high expectations; develop
caring, collaborative relationships. By creating an organizational foundation that emphasizes partnership
within its goals, all stakeholders can work together to develop joint strategies, rules, guidelines, and
expectations that are constructive and appropriate in supporting each child to live up to their full
potential (Jeynes, 2012).
Ultimately, parents enroll their children in school to improve their quality of life. Parents desire
success for their children and are more than willing to do what is necessary to support their child's
growth (Hornby & Lafaele, 2011). For parents to emphasize the district vision at home, they must begin
with a partnership with educators that includes trust, inquiry, and authentic feedback (Mallory, 2011).
Because children build their concept of what learning and success are through the adults around them,
parents and teachers need to establish shared goals that each stakeholder understands and supports.
47
Parents become engaged when they know their role and their responsibilities in meeting student goals
(Shah, 2009).
Emphasis on Community Collaboration
The second organizational influence that parents need includes feeling that the school values
their involvement as collaborators. Parent engagement must be a collaborative effort between
educators, parents, and community members. Organizations must prioritize the conditions (time and
energy) under which collaboration among professionals becomes the norm (Gallimore & Goldenberg,
2001). These conditions develop standards, expectations, behaviors, and interaction patterns that
promote learning (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). The collective efficacy and the shared vision frame
ability of educators and parents to support their students thoughtfully and successfully. This efficacy,
which builds from the shared belief of the partnerships, creates critical factors that affect the child's
motivation, engagement, learning, and achievement (Schunk & Mullen, 2012).
Communication is essential to any democratic organization, and collaboration is crucial to build
for trust and respect (Miretzky, 2004). Trust builds collaboration. According to Bryk and Schneider
(2002), day-to-day exchanges involving care, openness, and socialization builds trust. Either party can
create relational trust with deliberate actions, including—genuinely listening, acting on personal
integrity, and making the other stakeholder feel safe and secure creates (Bryk & Schneider, 2002).
According to Minke et al. (2014), trust also includes consideration, understanding, reciprocity, and
sensitivity. Mutual trust is essential in building school partnerships. Parents often speak of the
importance of trusting their schools, and this trust is linked to parents' speaking favorably of their child's
education (Rodriquez et al., 2014). Trust is the first step in creating a foundation for building a strong
community with shared norms and goals.
According to Buckingham and Coffman (2014), before parents feel like they belong to a
community, they must think that their opinions matter. Their job as a parent is essential, and that their
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quality involvement is valued. By collaborating and building group consensus and shared understanding
of reality, educators and parents begin to relate to each other, creating a more substantial overlap in the
spheres of influence (Epstein et al., 2019). Stakeholders differ in perspectives, values, ways of thinking,
and limitations. To collectively act for all children's benefit, stakeholders need to come together within
the context of shared goals and desires (Warren et al., 2009). Gordon and Louis (2009) agree, citing the
importance of a core of shared purpose, values, aspirations, and expectations.
Each school team member is a representative of the school and shares the responsibility for
creating positive relationships with the community (Oostdam & Hooge, 2013). Most often, these
interactions are with classroom teachers. These relationships do not form overnight. It takes knowing
and understanding each other's perspectives through the investment of time to create stable patterns
and expectations (Minke et al., 2014). These frequent interactions include informal, random, in the
moment chats, and more formal planned conferences (Goddard et al., 2015). These interactions also
include observing others, making sense of what they see, and reacting to conditions within their
environment. These interactions and the quality of teacher-parent relationships foreshadow enhanced
academic and social-emotional adjustment (Kim et al., 2013).
The human connection and relationships with teachers are even more vital to parents'
willingness to get involved. The five personal characteristics (cooperation, friendliness, respect, trust,
and warmth) have significant positive effects on parents' desire to get more involved (Epstein et al.,
2019). These characteristics are representative of not just positive interactions between teacher and
parents, but also the students. Anderson and Minke (2007) surveyed 351 parents from three elementary
schools. They concluded how parents' values in the school community align closely with caring teachers,
further demonstrating the importance of relationships in supporting student success. According to
McCormick et al. (2013), teachers who are more emotionally supportive interact and engage with
parents in qualitatively different ways than teachers who are less emotionally supportive. Parent
49
observations of teacher qualities are essential in a parent's willingness to collaborate. An educator with
a supportive personality is more likely to excel in building collaborative relationships (Jeynes, 2007).
Proactive and Positive Communication Pathways
The third organizational influence that parents need is proactive and positive communication
pathways. Teachers and schools need to design productive, proactive, and positive school-to-home and
home-to-school communications about school programs and children's progress. Using technology,
educators can inform, provide occasions for parent input, and propose collaborative opportunities even
if they cannot physically be in the school building (Olmstead, 2013). Often, parents receive one-way
communications from the school, informing them rather than engaging with them (Williams & Sanchez,
2013). They are direct recipients of communication rather than a participant in two-way
communication. It is vital for parents to receive information and to provide input. Two-way
communication allows parents and teachers to discuss student progress (LaRocque, Kleiman, and
Darling (2011). Clear communication is fundamental to building a sense of community and purpose.
According to Murray, McFarland-Piazza, and Harrison (2015), positive and proactive
communication between parents is imperative. The communication pathways must include informal and
formal structures that allow for socialization, information dissemination, and soliciting input (Lewis,
2011). The teachers and other educators need to tell the right story, including the purpose of learning,
the student's successes, and why parents are vital to the child's success.
School-wide communication from the administration is most prevalent. Herrold and O'Donnell
(2008) illustrate that 90% of parents receive newsletters, emails, or notes from the school, but
individualized communication from the classroom teacher is much less common. These communications
are typically progress updates, logistics/schedules, and concerns (Farrell & Collier, 2010). While the
school has the primary role of initiating contact, parents feel more comfortable initiating
communication when the climate is welcoming and proactive (Farrell & Collier, 2010).
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By framing communications clearly and concisely, the organization can determine the focus and
highlight the more significant connections to the organization's goals and vision. Lewis argues that no
matter the content, all messages need to amplify the organization's values (2011). This sense of
purpose, provision of messages, and strategic inspiration accelerate positive and proactive pathways for
future communications and changes (Lewis, 2011). Denning argues that a story framed appropriately
creates more effective and efficient communication pathways (2005). Schools and parents must exhibit
value by being open to new ideas, appreciating differences, and including time for reflection (Garvin et
al., 2008). Above all, both teacher and parent feedback and discourse with students need to focus on
learning and accepting students for who they are and their goals (Stone & Heen, 2014).
Teacher-parent communication influence parent beliefs about schools. Walker, Shenker, and
Dempsey's (2010) findings include the importance of affirming parent contributions. In general, parents
are more likely to engage if asked to do so (Shah, 2009). Invitations serve as an important cue to parents
that their engagement matters (and valued and expected). Shah (2009) asserts that asking rather than
what is being asked shapes perceptions of invitations. Reed et al. (2000) maintained, how parents see
themselves as parents, their self-efficacy, and invitations from the classroom teacher accounted for 35%
of the parent involvement variance. Specific teacher invitations had the most substantial relationship
with parent engagement (Reed et al., 2000; Watkins, 1997). According to Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler
(1997), invitations from the child are even more successful.
Direct face-to-face conversations were the most effective in breaking down barriers and
creating collaborative relationships around the student. This communication mode allows teachers and
parents to learn from each other and see what they have to offer (Miretzky, 2004). Personal contact is
seen most often in teacher-parent conferences. Face-to-face meetings where each stakeholder can
observe nonverbal cues support transparent and respectful relationships. To foster a culture of inquiry,
parents and teachers must spend time together (Mallory, 2011). Time (usually in the form of
51
conferences) must be allocated for stakeholders to build trust, make decisions, and build expertise
around the student (Mallory, 2011). Table 3 depicts the organizational mission, the global organizational
goal, and the three organizational influences and methods for assessing them.
Table 3
Organizational Influences and Assessments for Analysis
Organizational Mission
The district's mission is to develop and create learning environments that encourage the desire to
learn and the skills necessary to meet each individual's unique academic, personal, physical, and social
needs.
Organizational Global Goal
By August of 2023, each school will have 100% parent engagement.
Assumed Influences Organizational Influence Assessment
The school clearly
needs to define goals
related to the vision
of parent
engagement.
(Cultural Setting)
Likert Survey Questions:
• Did your child(ren) actively engage in learning?
• Was it possible for you (or someone in your children’s parent) to be
involved in your children's learning?
• Do you want to be involved in your children's learning?
• Were you or someone in your children’s parent actively engaged in
your children's education?
• How was your child(ren)’s overall experience learning?
• How was your overall parent experience supporting your child(ren)’s
learning?
Free Response Survey Questions:
• What are our schools’ strengths in terms of parent engagement?
• How could our schools improve their partnership with parents?
• Do you have anything else you would like to share as we look to
improve?
Document Analysis of the following:
• District Goal Book
• District Presentations
• 5Essentials Survey
Parents need to feel
that the school
values their
involvement as
collaborators.
(Cultural Model)
Free Response Survey Questions:
• What are our schools’ strengths in terms of parent engagement?
• How could our schools improve their partnership with parents?
• Do you have anything else you would like to share as we look to
improve?
Document Analysis of the following:
• School Report Cards
• 5Essentials Survey (Parent and Teacher Responses)
• District Goal Book
• Remote Learning Plans
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The teachers and
school district need
to design productive,
proactive, and
positive school-to-
home and home-to-
school
communications
about school
programs and
student progress.
(Cultural Setting)
Likert Survey Questions:
• I talk to my child's teacher about his or her accomplishments at
school.
• I talk to my child's teacher about his or her difficulties at school.
• I talk to the teacher about how my child gets along with his/her
classmates in school.
• I attend conferences with the teacher to talk about my child's learning
and behavior.
• I talk to my child's teacher about his or her school daily routine.
• I talk to my child’s teacher about the classroom rules.
Document Analysis of the following:
• 5Essentials Survey (Parent and Teacher Responses)
• District Presentations
• Remote Learning Plans
Interactive Conceptual Framework
The conceptual framework, which includes concepts, assumptions, expectations, beliefs, and
theories, was a crucial part of the study (Maxwell, 2013). It summarized the previous research by
providing a theoretical system demonstrating the proposed relationships between the terms, concepts,
models, and ideas (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). It explained the key factors and variables and the
relationships between them (Maxwell, 2013). A theory includes interrelated concepts constructed to
demonstrate a systematic view of an idea, and the theory links together these concepts by proposed
relationships (Maxwell, 2013).
While the conceptual framework was constructed by borrowing components from existing
research, its general theory, coherence, and structure informed the study (Maxwell, 2013). The
conceptual framework's underlying structure created a lens through which to study the phenomena,
utilizing the existing research, research questions, and the problem of practice to formulate a theory
(Creswell & Creswell, 2018). The theory then provided a method to critically examine each idea to
determine if it is valid and useful (Maxwell, 2013). The conceptual framework took this research and
built upon it to provide a context for the data collection, analysis, findings, and conclusions.
53
The conceptual framework addressed both the influences of knowledge and motivation on the
organization and its ability for parents to engage in their child's learning. The stakeholders and their
success are dependent on myriad influences created and supported by the organization (Buchanan et
al., 2005). The KMO factors are separate entities but work together to create an interdependent set of
influences. By paying attention to KMO influences and how each impacts the other, organizations can
continually improve (Kezar, 2001).
The figure below illustrates the influences of KMO, and its impact on parent engagement during
in-person and remote learning situations. Cyclically focusing on KMO influences—reflection, action, and
ownership—correlates to positive change in organizations (Langley et al., 2009). By paying attention to
KMO influences and how each impacts the other, organizations can meet their performance goals
through stakeholder engagement (Kezar, 2001).
Figure 1
Conceptual Framework for Positive and Proactive Parent Engagement
This conceptual framework proposes that parent engagement relies on KMO influences (Clark &
Estes, 2008). The conceptual framework suggests that organizational influences impact parent
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engagement and the parent's knowledge and motivational influences that activate parent engagement.
In this context, success implies continuous active engagement, empowerment, and envisioning (or goal
setting). The byproduct of the appropriate KMO influences is a positive and proactive learning
community. These influences link the priority of active stakeholder involvement in creating a culture of
continuous, positive change (Langley et al., 2009). Whether the stakeholder group is parents, teachers,
or administrators, successful and sustained effort involves the cyclical process of envisioning, engaging,
and empowering all stakeholders (Moran & Brightman, 2000).
Summary
This literature review synthesizes the existing research surrounding parent engagement,
including the purpose and the impact of these practices on student learning. The literature review not
only highlights critical elements associated with parents' knowledge (procedural home-based
engagement strategies), motivation (utility value and self-efficacy), and organizational influence
(clearly defined goals, effective communication pathways, and an emphasis on collaboration) but also
describes the interaction between knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences.
The literature review also analyzed the knowledge (K), motivation (M), and organizational
influences (O) surrounding parent engagement under the conceptual framework of the gap analytical
model (Clark & Estes, 2008). The interaction of knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences
suggested a conceptual framework that shows the relationship between parent KMO influences and
the school's ability to envision, engage and empower stakeholders to participate in the learning
process continuously.
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CHAPTER THREE: METHODS
The purpose of this research study is to evaluate a district’s ability to engage parents in
supporting their children during remote learning during a crisis. Specifically, drawing from Clark and
Estes’ (2008) gap analysis model, this study will include an analysis in the areas of knowledge and skills,
motivation, and organizational resources necessary to reach of 100% parent engagement. The purpose
of the investigation includes both understanding the context, process, and meaning of parent
engagement. The goal of the examination includes describing and understanding how the Galva Unified
School District can improve parent engagement to ultimately increase their academic success. The
methodology included a modified version of the stakeholder gap analysis by Clark and Estes (2008). This
framework reflected the assumed parents' knowledge, motivation, and organizational (KMO) influences
using a deductive, quantitative design. The approach's goal was to evaluate the KMO gaps and how
these KMO influences impact parent involvement in unusual societal situations where remote learning is
necessary.
While a complete performance evaluation would focus on all stakeholders, for practical
purposes the stakeholder will focus on parents in this analysis. The research design, methodology, data
collection, and analysis of this study addresses a specific problem of practice within a unique
educational environment. Due to this specificity, recommendations for improvements and
implementation strategies may prove difficult to transfer to other school districts. Guiding the study’s
design were the following research questions:
1. To what extent is the organization meeting its performance goal of 100% parent engagement for
emergency remote learning?
2. What parent knowledge and motivation are required to achieve higher parent engagement in
their child's education?
3. What is the interaction between school culture and parent knowledge and motivation?
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Data Collection and Instrumentation
This evaluation study utilized a deductive approach to analyze the impact and processes that
create optimal parent engagement. Shaped by the research questions and overall study objectives, a
nonexperimental design approach involved collecting data through surveys and document analysis
(Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Because perspectives and beliefs are not observable, a survey allowed for a
window into these attitudes or beliefs using indicators or components (Robinson & Leonard, 2019). Each
question attempted to measure parents' opinions, ideas, and interpretations of their child's education
engagement. Document analysis of publicly available and anonymous websites further investigated the
conceptual framework and the research questions.
The quantitative study included collecting a strategic set of data; then, the study analyzed each
data set for developing a comprehensive, holistic, and descriptive analysis of associations among
variables. Surveys are valuable due to their ability to collect a wide variety of numerical information
from a broad sampling population (Robinson & Leonard, 2019). The deductive approach enabled an
explanatory investigation to understand stakeholder attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions. The survey also
allowed the researcher to evaluate parent engagement during remote learning to find practical
solutions.
This survey's quantitative portion included an explanatory investigation of the knowledge,
motivational, and organizational influences to create conclusions about parent engagement. The study
required a quantitative approach to collect descriptive, correlational data through surveys of parents'
trends, attitudes, and opinions. This quantitative approach with closed questions allowed for assessing
attitudes and understandings across a large group of people. Survey research further provided numeric
descriptions of the population surveyed and their trends, attitudes, or opinions (Creswell & Creswell,
2018).
57
Ultimately, an analysis of both the culture and the context included understanding how parents
make sense of parent engagement and interpret what they experience. By collecting quantitative data
(with some qualitative data embedded from a few open-ended questions at the end of the survey as
well as document analysis), the study was able to collect, compare, and clarify perceptions, thereby
delivering a richer set of data to describe, examine, decode, and translate the data (Merriam & Tisdell,
2016).
While this study's results may not be generalizable to other settings, it provided a tentative
analysis to understand the nature of stakeholder involvement and to work toward potentially better
results (Stringer, 2008). The research results and subsequent recommendations for improvement
supported the school district's goal of continuously improving student performance through parent
engagement. The following sections illustrate the assessment structure, questions, and instruments
designed to investigate parents' KMO influences.
Participating Stakeholders
The stakeholder group for this study was parents from Galva Unified School District #201. The
parents represented a diverse range of experience, education, and backgrounds. Guided by the general
research questions (Maxwell, 2013), the study focused on selecting where to conduct the research and
whom to include by focusing on the purpose. A large sample size provided more accuracy in the
inferences made within this study, so the entire population of Galva's parents for elementary and
middle schools received a survey about their parent engagement perceptions. The district determined
that high school parents would not be surveyed due to the very different parent engagement practices
for both in-person and remote learning. This extensive sampling made it possible for an in-depth
analysis of the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences (Creswell & Creswell, 2018).
For this study, this deductive study's singular criterion is a survey that included parents from
Galva Unified School District #201. The rationale for this sampling approach was to survey inclusive,
58
typical, and average stakeholders from one school district. The parents had to have a student
(elementary through middle school) who attended one of the eight schools within the city limits.
Narrowing the stakeholder group to one district prioritized evaluating how this district is performing in
terms of parent engagement during remote learning.
Survey Sampling Strategy
The survey method design included the following: a focus on the research questions, rationale
for the data collection tools, purposeful sampling, and data analysis plan (Creswell & Creswell, 2018).
Using surveys included focusing on the research questions to collect and analyze the many views of
parents and how they interpret their role in schooling. Surveys provided a means to solicit many
stakeholders’ opinions toward an issue (Fink, 2013). This sampling of all parents of one district offered
full access to the focus population. This full access also allowed for greater stratification of results and
subgroup analysis. The research study was deliberately selected to provide information relevant to the
study's research questions and goals (Maxwell, 2013). While achieving a 100% response rate was
unrealistic for this dissertation's timing, the sampling aimed for a point of saturation or redundancy
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Survey Instrument
The parent survey protocol collected the parent's perspectives of school and parent
engagement. The survey instrument's design impacted the ability to make conclusions about the results,
so creating questions precisely connected to the research questions was vital (Robinson & Leonard,
2019). The length of the survey established a balance of maximum participation and rich data. The
survey included Likert questions with distinct sets of response options, with a few demographic and
free-response questions. The use of a few free-response questions encouraged respondents to make
interpretations, focusing on their meaning-making and the complexity of the problem (Creswell &
Creswell, 2018). The questions included a balance of experiences, opinions, values, feelings, knowledge,
59
and questions with interpretative, hypothetical, and ideal scenarios. The purpose of the wide variety of
questions provided multiple angles to understand parent perspectives and beliefs about engaging in
their child's schooling. The survey allowed parents to respond with their perceptions of before and
during remote learning.
The survey is an instrument composed of a series of questions, and in this research study, this
included a focus on the KMO influences on parent engagement. The quantitative survey consisted of 62
survey questions correlated to the KMO influences from Clark and Estes' Conceptual Framework (2008).
The survey needed to ensure that each specific question relates to the conceptual framework and
captures the most useful information (Robinson & Leonard, 2019). The researcher reviewed parent
engagement surveys with strong alpha Cronbach scores that discussed procedural knowledge, self-
efficacy, or utility value to create the most valid and reliable instrument. Two published surveys met
these qualifications.
Seventeen of the twenty-six KMO survey questions originated from the Walker, Wilkins, Dallaire,
Sandler, and Hoover-Dempsey’s (2005) Parent Role Questionnaire. Three subscales (self-efficacy,
knowledge and skills, and role construction) from the Parent Role Questionnaire were used in the
current study to investigate the research questions and reflect on the KMO influences.
The knowledge and skills subscale from the Parent Role Questionnaire (PRQ) asked about
procedural knowledge in parent engagement. The PRQ included survey questions that asked parents
how often they engaged in activities that support their child’s learning (Walker et al., 2005). To
substantiate the validity, Walker et al. (2005) used 421 parents to establish an alpha coefficient of .83
for the knowledge and skills subscale. These questions aligned with the current study’s analysis of
parent procedural knowledge of participating in parent engagement strategies.
The PQR had two other subscales that analyzed possible KMO influences for this study. The self-
efficacy subscale from the PQR gathered parent perceptions about self-efficacy. Administered to 495
60
parents, the self-efficacy survey portion of the survey had an alpha reliability of .78. The self-efficacy
portion of the survey was adapted from teacher efficacy scales (Ashton et al., 1983; Dembo & Gibson,
1985). The PQR also included a role construction subscale that looked at utility value. With a sample of
889 parents, The PQR role construction subscale had robust internal consistency with an alpha
coefficient of .8 for the role construction subscale.
Finally, the study was also able to use survey items from the Parent Involvement Questionnaire
– Short Form (FIQ-SF). Seven of the procedural knowledge questions came from one of the three
constructs in the FIQ-SF, home-school conferencing. This questionnaire was grounded in the
developmental ecological theory validated empirically (Fantuzoo et al., 2013). The researchers
systematically tested the FIQ-SF to avoid pitfalls associate with reducing a scale. The development of the
FIQ-SF included 527 parent participants. The FIQ-SF utilized an exploratory focus analysis from a
representative sample of 527 parents drawn from early childhood programs in New York City. The
home-school conferencing construct was highly reliable, with Cronbach’s alpha of .91.
After reflecting on the KMO influences and determining which survey items collected the parent
engagement data needed, the researcher concluded that eight additional Likert and three free-response
survey questions were required to establish a full perspective to answer the research questions. The
added questions were created using standard language and avoiding jargon to make each question
accessible to all stakeholders. While some of these questions supported the organizational influences
analysis, this is not the intended purpose. Most of the data on organizational influence came from the
document analysis portion of the study.
Survey Procedures
The survey was administered through an online link through Qualtrics for three weeks. The
district solicited all parents to participate in this voluntary survey using Qualtrics to distribute and track
the data. An email link reached the district's largest population in the district through normal
61
communication pathways and newsletters. The purpose of typical district communication avenues
included extending invitations to as many parents as possible and providing easy access to the survey.
An email consisted of a description of the research questions and a direct link to the survey itself. Upon
accessing the survey, parents viewed an Informed Consent form, where they can acknowledge that they
have read and agree to the survey's terms and conditions. The survey took parents approximately
fifteen minutes to complete.
Document Analysis
Using documents included focusing on the research questions to cross-check the quantitative
data collected through the surveys. The study consisted of analyzing the school report cards, school
websites, and the 5Essentials survey given annually (see Appendix C). The 5Essentials, from the
University of Illinois, includes perceptions from parents, students, and teachers each year (UChicago
Impact, 2019). The study looked for data saturation to provide information relevant to the research
questions (Maxwell, 2013). The study reviewed the state and school public websites looking for parent
engagement behaviors, perceptions, and beliefs from various stakeholders.
Document analysis is another form of collecting information (Creswell, 2014). In this study, the
researcher analyzed anonymous information made public about parent engagement. The state
department of education gathers information about all schools and posts this information publicly.
Documents are a reliable means to collect data to reveal emerging themes and patterns (Merriam &
Tisdell, 2016). The documents' collection included searching for and identifying the keywords and
phrases to choose documents, printing them, and saving an electronic copy. The inclusion of document
analysis addressed concerns of relying on only one data collection source to gather information on a
stakeholder’s knowledge, motivation, and organizational inferences.
The study included the following criteria in determining which documents could support the
investigation of the conceptual framework and research questions.
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Criterion 1. The first criterion was the subject matter. The documents must include information
that includes parent engagement. Potential information included events, volunteering, fundraisers,
communities, homework, and projects.
Criterion 2. The second criterion was the source of the document. The document must come
from a public, open-access location. The documents must include anonymous information located on
public documents available to all community members.
Criterion 3. The third criterion was the information included in the document. The documents
cannot have any identifiable information about any stakeholders. The documents used in the study must
not include personal information.
Criterion 4. The last criterion was that the date of the document was published. More than five
years old documents were only considered if the information was relevant to current practices or policy.
Data Analysis
The research incorporated quantitative (and some qualitative) data using descriptive statistics.
The survey data and document analysis examined for each knowledge, motivation, and organizational
influence to triangulate the data.
The researcher used descriptive statistics to examine the distribution of responses and Qualtrics,
an online survey tool that captures data from parent surveys. The researcher organized the survey
results to determine every item's mode and compare the percentage of parents who agreed or
somewhat agreed with survey items with those who disagreed or somewhat disagreed. The researcher
determined the mean for responses to these survey questions on specific items with ranked answers.
Where possible, the researcher identified the standard deviations to determine the average levels of
responses. The researcher excluded any missing data or erroneous data not to impact the overall
analysis. The quantitative analysis demonstrated the means, standard deviations, and range of scores
among the data sets.
63
A variety of methodological decisions impacted the analysis and results, so the researcher
carefully reflected on the data analysis process, including data cleaning and coding. Data cleaning
involved the inspection, removal, and correction of the errors or inconsistencies due to inaccurate data
entry. The researcher checked for data errors by completing logic checks, spot-checking, and eyeballing
as strategies (Benson). The researcher coded responses numerically to make data collection and analysis
possible. This process also included replacing, modifying, or deleting incomplete, inaccurate, or
irrelevant data (Pazzaglia et al., 2016).
The study used document analysis to validate some of the data collected through the surveys,
especially organizational influences. Both surveys and document analysis are commonly used in
qualitative research to triangulate data (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The study reviewed analytic memos
created from the document analysis from the school’s and state’s public sources about parent
engagement to frame the study's research questions. Specifically, the researcher analyzed the data
collected about parent perceptions and behaviors regarding the research questions and the conceptual
framework.
The researcher utilized the assumed KMO influences identified in the literature review, and like
the use of "phrases" within the coding process, to guide the discovery of answers to the research
questions. The researcher then open coded, axial coded, and then completed the process by selectively
coding and determining themes and how often these themes presented themselves (Merriam & Tisdell,
2016). This approach is what Merriam and Tisdell (2016) described as "responsive to the purpose of the
research" in that these pre-set categories align with the research questions (p. 212).
Credibility and Trustworthiness
The researcher safeguarded from possible threats to credibility by collecting rich data that was
varied enough to provide a full and revealing picture. The standardized use of a few open-ended
questions on the survey accomplished this larger picture. The researcher also identified and analyzed
64
inconsistent data, rigorously examining both supporting and discrepant data to assess whether it is
necessary to modify the study's conclusions (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Respondent validation also
accomplished this credibility by soliciting feedback on the preliminary or emergent findings from a small
sample of parents from the district (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Threats to validity included researcher bias and reactivity (Maxwell, 2013). According to Maxwell
(2013), the researcher is the filter that all data goes through in qualitative research. The researcher had
thorough training in non-bias information collection, documentation, and reporting. It is impossible to
eliminate the researcher's theories, beliefs, and perceptual viewpoints, but understanding these values
and expectations and how they might influence the conduct and conclusions was vital. Because the
researcher was a part of the studied population, it was essential to understand and minimize influence
by ensuring the lack of leading questions and language within the questions and other communications
connected to the study (Maxwell, 2013).
Validity and Reliability
While all research looks at creating valid and reliable knowledge, this study produced
conclusions in an ethical manner that supports the district in evaluating and possibly improving its
parent engagement during remote learning. The validity, or the degree of accuracy of the measure,
looks at what the item measures against what it is supposed to measure (Robinson & Leonard, 2019).
The primary instrument used in this study to gather data was a survey developed by the researcher. The
self-efficacy prompts came directly from Bandura's seminal work on self-efficacy (1986). Because human
behavior and opinions are not static, researchers find it challenging to produce accurate, credible, and
replicable results. To increase reliability, the researcher needed to ensure that the directions were clear
and there were enough survey questions (Salkind & Frey, 2019).
The validity of the survey is enhanced by using standardized administration, instructions, and
questions. To analyze each question to confirm that it exemplifies the KMO influences, the researcher
65
needed to determine if the question sufficiently addressed the research questions for a particular KMO
influence. The study extensively reviewed each question to ensure accuracy, as well as content validity.
Using face validity or ensuring that the questions measure what they are supposed to measure,
provided that the questions were clear, well-defined, and operational. They needed to be appropriately
aligned, focused, and use parallel or similar language (Robinson & Leonard, 2019).
The study utilized other processes to ensure validity. The study implemented a peer review
process to look at face validity (Do the scores measure what they are supposed to measure?),
concurrence (Do scores correlate to other results?), construct (Do the items measure concepts that are
ultimately useful?), and validity (Salkind & Frey, 2019). The survey piloted with several parents and that
feedback helped drill down to the essential information and clarify any vague language or concepts. The
pilot involved fifteen parents within a two-week window. They reported the survey took less than 15
minutes. Pilot participants did not suggest any changes to survey prompts. The data collected using
surveys included opinions and beliefs only. Parents' information could not be wrong because the
research study focused on perceptions and not behaviors, (Fink, 2013). The researcher triangulated the
data with the quantitative and qualitative results with the KMO influences that guided the study to
further support the qualitative data's validity (Creswell & Creswell, 2014).
Reliability was whether the assessment tool measures something consistently (Salkind & Frey,
2019). The goal included collecting scores on valid instruments from which the researcher can draw
meaningful and useful inferences (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). The survey questions were specific
enough to gather sufficient, descriptive, rich data. Thoughtful instrumentation and procedures ensured
that the conclusions were consistent with the data collected and create reliability (Creswell & Creswell,
2018). The amount of data increased validity by providing sufficient data to supports the conclusions.
When looking at the validity of the actual survey questions, the KMO influences had multiple questions
about each influence, thereby providing reliability in the data collected.
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The questions' relevance and design led responders to either continue or cease with the entire
survey. This relevance made it imperative that the survey instructions included a statement that focused
on stakeholders responding honestly and openly. The survey's design and presentation were another
strategy for creating an acceptable response rate (Salkind & Frey, 2019). Relevance to the responder's
worldview and a commitment to sharing the results increased responder rates. The study included
giving the survey to the entire population, so the sample was not purposefully selected by the
researcher. The researcher provided a brief explanation in an email to describe the research. To increase
reliability, the researcher included consistent instructions and clear survey items with the survey. The
study included peer and expert feedback to evaluate the survey instructions and items for clarity.
Increasing the number of stakeholder responses and questions also supported saturation of the
information collected, thus allowing for generalization of the data. The goal was for a 20% response rate
to reach the data saturation and greater validity and selection bias reduction. Robinson and Leonard
(2019) stated that the number of survey responses contributes to greater validity, allowing for
generalizing the population.
Respondents and non-respondents of surveys could have differed in meaningful ways that can
impact the data collected and the conclusions reached from that data. Whether non-respondents are
unable or unwilling to respond to the survey, the data collected excluded their perspectives, opinions,
and experiences. The current decade of saturated data collection was an essential aspect of reliability
and validity to reflect survey fatigue purposefully. People belong to many different stakeholder groups
and answer surveys often, making it much more challenging to obtain a high response rate (Robinson &
Leonard, 2019). To combat nonresponse bias, the researcher crafted high-quality questions that garner
descriptive and abundant information.
Another strategy to mitigate nonresponse bias included collecting demographic information so
that the researcher could understand whether the data represented the parent subgroups (Robinson &
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Leonard, 2019). It was vital to compare this demographic information with that of the school district to
determine if the sample represents the population. While methods and procedures do not guarantee
validity and reliability, they increased the credibility drawn from any of the data collected.
The use of technology and other electronic tools aided the data collection process and kept the
data confidential (Pazzaglia et al., 2016). It also minimized errors in organizing the survey data
responses, keeping the data secure, and keeping the data anonymous (Pazzaglia et al., 2016).
Ethics
When conducting research studies, the researcher followed ethical principles, including respect
for persons, beneficence, and justice. The ethical principles ensure that all participants can trust the
study's integrity (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Researchers must avoid conflict of interests and be mindful
of moral hazards. By informing all participants that participation in the study was voluntary and
providing each participant with the study's purpose, the researcher demonstrated respect for each
responder (Krueger & Casey, 2009). Through this informed consent, the participants could understand
that they can drop out at any time. Once again, their participation was voluntary, thus enabling them to
be empowered research participants (Glesne, 2011).
The study also did not cause any harm and protected the well-being of the participants, thus
creating a level of beneficence (Vanclay et al., 2013). The researcher kept all documents and data in a
secure, locked location and destroyed the documents at the end of the study. The researcher collected
the data through anonymous surveys to ensure continual confidentiality (Krueger & Casey, 2009). This
security ensured confidentiality so that participants would not face any ramifications from any data
collected. The study used fictitious names to protect the district's identity or stakeholder names. One
final layer of confidentiality was the restriction from discussing stakeholder responses (Glense, 2011).
Because of the delicate nature of parent support in terms of the school district, the researcher
reiterated the participants' ability to withdraw at any time from the study.
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The final ethical principle included justice, particularly in how the selection process for the
participants occurs. The selection process had to be fair and non-exploitive, and the benefits had to
outweigh the costs (Vanclay et al., 2013). The selection process included surveying all parents to create
a representative sample and ensuring diversity in the stakeholder demographics. The selection process
also included ensuring that all voices were heard (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
The researchers utilized anonymous surveys with an online format for data collection to avoid
interest and power conflicts. The researcher needed to continually reflect on her own biases,
recognizing her role and biases as a principal, community member, parent, and former teacher.
According to Merriam and Tisdell (2016), the researcher must be aware of their role and impact on the
participants, including treating participants as people and not an object in a study. As a member of the
organization, especially as a supervisor, it was imperative to identify KMO influences separate from the
researcher's position of power. The researcher needed to uphold ethical standards, articulate, reflect
upon the study's purpose, and reflect on data collection to deter possible confusion.
Summary
The researcher determined the methods of this study to analyze the research questions and
evaluate them. The chapter outlined the data collection and instrumentation, sampling criteria, and
recruitment strategies. The chapter also established how the researcher would check and present
validity and reliability.
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CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS
The purpose of this evaluation study was to examine the degree to which Galva Unified School
District is meeting its goal for strong parent engagement, especially during crises where student learning
is impacted. This chapter presents the findings of the assumed KMO influences where survey responses
and document analysis were used to analyze the knowledge, motivation, and organizational facilitators
and barriers, affecting engagement of parents within the learning of their child. The following research
questions were developed to guide the study:
1. To what extent is the organization meeting its performance goal of 100% parent engagement for
emergency remote learning?
2. What parent knowledge and motivation are required to achieve higher parent engagement in
their child's education?
3. What is the interaction between school culture and parent knowledge and motivation?
Participating Stakeholders
All the school district families with children in the elementary or middle school received an
email inviting them to participate in the survey. Of the potential 1,080 families, 366 parents started the
survey and provided consent; however, only 263 families answered the entire survey. Therefore, the
participation rate was 24%. Like the demographics of the district itself, 95% of respondents identified
themselves as white. Fifty-seven percent of respondents' age ranged between 35 and 44 years old, and
36% of respondents were between 45 and 54 years old. Eighty-six percent of the parents who
responded to the entire survey were female. When analyzing the family dynamics, over 50% of families
had at least two students in a school within the district (Table 3), and 30% of parents have children at
both the middle and elementary schools (Table 4).
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Table 3
Parent Description of Students Enrolled in the District
NUMBER OF STUDENTS ATTENDING GALVA #201 STUDY PARTICIPANTS
1 28% (76)
2 52% (136)
3 18% (50)
4 2% (6)
Table 4
Parent Description of Type of School Children are Enrolled In
TYPE OF SCHOOL THEIR CHILDREN ATTEND IN GALVA #201 STUDY PARTICIPANTS
Elementary School 41% (107)
Middle School 29% (76)
Both Middle and Elementary Schools 30% (80)
Results
Research Question #1: To what extent is the organization meeting its performance goal of 100%
parent engagement for emergency remote learning?
To determine if the district was meeting its goals of continued excellence through a supportive
and involved community, the survey examined the ability of parents to be involved, their overall
experience, parent perception of their involvement, student engagement, and the overall student
experience. Based on the data, the overall parent engagement increased during the pandemic (Table 5).
Before COVID-19, where learning took place in a traditional school building, 69% (181) of parents, when
reflecting upon their experiences before the pandemic, reported being engaged either always or most of
the time. During COVID-19, this parent engagement grew to 77% (202). Parents who perceived their
engagement as “always” increased by 16%.
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Table 5
Parent Perception of their Engagement Survey Questions
WERE YOU OR SOMEONE IN YOUR CHILDREN’S FAMILY
ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN YOUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION?
MINIMALLY
SOMETIMES
MOST OF
THE TIME
ALWAYS
Pre-Pandemic with Traditional Learning Environments 6% 25% 40% 29%
During Pandemic with Remote Learning 6% 17% 32% 45%
With the district's goal of collaborating with the involved and supportive community drawing
upon previous positive experiences, the district has not met its 100% parent involvement goal. Even
within a global pandemic, the district had many strengths that supported high parent engagement. In
cultivating and continuing the tradition of excellence, the district has positively and productively
endured the pandemic in terms of parent engagement and meetings its long-term goal of an involved
and supportive community to support student success.
The data indicated that the school district has a strong foundation for its lofty 100% parent
engagement goal. Previously, the district analyzed its parent engagement based on attendance at Fall
parent conferences utilizing the 5Essentials survey administered to teachers, students, and parents in
the fall of 2019. Table 6 indicates parent perceptions of their attendance at these fall conferences.
Table 6
Parent Attendance at Fall Conferences from 2019 5Essentials Survey
DO YOU ATTEND PARENT
CONFERENCES?
MINIMALLY
SOMETIMES
MOST OF
THE TIME
ALWAYS
Fall of 2018 - 2019 2% 10% 38% 48%
With the more holistic view of parent engagement, the conference attendance data was
determined to lack specificity and connections to other vital engagement strategies to allow for a
detailed analysis of parent engagement. Due to the insufficient data available before this study and the
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changing global dynamic from the pandemic, it was impossible to compare or analyze this data for
improvement. Based on the analysis from the parent’s point of view, the efforts of the district reflect
thoughtful and organized responses based on the changing needs of students, teachers, and parents.
The school district’s ability to respond proactively and flexibly presented a determining factor for parent
engagement and their overall evaluation of their experience supporting their children. The research
study’s data indicated that the district had many strengths to involve parents in their child’s learning.
The open-ended parent responses revealed a general sense of appreciation for the proactive
and flexible way the district continually responded to the global context that student learning was taking
place within. Seventy-four percent (n = 195) of parents that responded to the open-ended question
asking about the strengths of the district in terms of parent engagement, commended the school district
on some aspect of their plans, procedures, and structures implemented to support students and parents
during COVID-19. However, also shared frustrations with at least one aspect of the actual
implementation for the remote learning plan. Table 7 summarizes the open-ended responses by theme.
Table 7
Feedback on District’s Strengths for Parent Engagement
WHAT ARE THE SCHOOLS’ STRENGTHS IN TERMS OF
FAMILY ENGAGEMENT?
PERCENTAGE
Accessibility 1% (4)
Care and Support 2% (5)
Volunteer Opportunities 3% (8)
Events and Activities 9% (23)
Communication 53% (139)
Parents were also able to list additional comments on the study’s survey. Fourteen of the
seventy-two parents included a response that included positive praise for the district’s parent
engagement. Parent responses included statements like: “I have such admiration for our educators and
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administrators during this challenging time. We appreciate them, and we know that we're all trying our
best!” and
I will share that I wasn't happy with the remote learning that occurred from March 13th to early
June. I realize it was unprecedented, but it fell short of expectations. I have been very happy
with the remote learning during at-home days since the start of the fall school year.
The “Back Together” plan from the Summer of 2020 documented the focus of the district on utilizing
feedback from the spring to improve school and parent engagement for the fall (Tims, 2020). The
effectiveness of the district’s organizational response to the pandemic relied heavily on the practices,
procedures, and structures that existed before the pandemic. While not strategically created for a crisis,
the systems and processes implemented for parent engagement established a strong foundation for
continued parent engagement during remote learning. Since this framework existed, parents and
students were set up for success during other educational contexts, like a pandemic.
During COVID-19, the district reviewed their parent engagement to determine if they were
meeting their goals of continued excellence. The survey utilized was able to examine the ability of
parents to be involved, their overall experience, parent perception of their involvement, student
engagement, and the overall student experience.
Research Question #2: What parent knowledge and motivation are required to achieve higher parent
engagement in their child's education?
The survey, including closed and open-response items, identified influences regarding both
knowledge and motivation. Specific survey items were used to identify strengths and needs associated
with parent knowledge and motivation. An analysis of the survey and documents established four
influences, explicitly relating to parent perspectives, beliefs, and opinions. The data analysis
demonstrated strengths and areas of need in the perceived abilities of parents to engage with the
learning of their children and, ultimately, success. Specifically, knowledge and motivational influences
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were established as relative strengths of the parent engagement plan and implementation of the
district.
Knowledge Influence #1 (Procedural Knowledge): Parents need to know how to engage with schools
and their students for their academic success.
Based on the perceptions of parents, procedural knowledge for engaging with the school to
support the success of their children was a relative strength with some subtle procedural concepts as
growth areas. From the assumed influence of procedural knowledge, two concepts emerged to answer
this research question: 1) prior knowledge of parents and 2) knowledge of discussion techniques.
Parents needed to know what home-based activities positively impacted the success of their children.
The change in the learning environment due to the pandemic required parents to change how they
supported their child with assignments.
The data collected from the survey showed evidence that most parents had the past procedural
knowledge to support this need to complete learning tasks at home. Before the pandemic, anything
done at home was considered homework. Within the context of remote learning during the pandemic,
every learning task became homework. Teacher support became more limited, so students relied more
on their parents. Parents had to rely on their past prior knowledge of helping their child before COVID-
19 as a basis for their new procedural knowledge. Out of the 263 parents who responded to the survey,
86% (228) of parents either strongly agreed or agreed that they knew enough about the subject their
child who learning to help them out. Ninety percent (237) of parents reported that they knew how to
supervise homework. Tables 8 details parents' perception of how to support their child(s)’ learning.
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Table 8
Procedural Knowledge for Parent Engagement
TO WHAT DEGREE DO YOU AGREE/DISAGREE
WITH THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS...
STRONGLY
DISAGREE
DISAGREE AGREE
STRONGLY
AGREE
I know how to supervise my child's homework. 0% 10% 58% 32%
I can explain things to my child about his or her
homework.
0%
13%
63%
24%
I know about volunteering opportunities at my
child's school.
30% 52% 15% 3%
I have the skills to help out my child's school. 0% 16% 54% 30%
I know enough about the subjects of my child’s
homework to help him or her out.
0%
13%
60%
27%
When the pandemic occurred, the educational context changed, impacting all stakeholders.
According to the data, the typical procedures that parent used to support their child were still the same.
Parents still supervised homework and helped their children when struggling with specific assignments.
However, the pandemic changed student work conditions, so parents needed to rely more so on their
procedural understanding of parent engagement than ever before. This parent engagement in task
completion included knowing how to explain assignments and specific content for a particular class.
Whether students were learning in a traditional learning setting or at home remotely due to a global
crisis, these procedures did not change. Parents were still called to help with homework completion, and
parents in Galva report having this procedural knowledge.
However, parents also cited, during the pandemic, additional procedural knowledge that would
have been helpful. Task completion and the content areas have not changed. How students managed
their time, how they organized their learning spaces, and how students were motivated in completing
academic tasks did change. With significantly more distractions at home, there were unintended
consequences of remote learning that required more parental support. With the changing landscape
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during the pandemic, parents were required to engage the learning of their child to a more considerable
degree and a different manner. This similar theme aligned with the survey responses about
volunteering, as well. The data suggested that parents did not know what volunteer opportunities were
available. Parents must know what their options are to be able to volunteer. The purpose and
procedures for volunteering looked considerably different depending on the educational context.
Required parent procedural knowledge needed for supporting their child to be successful during the
unprecedented change in their students’ learning environment increased. Parents listed time
management and student organization as priorities when asked on the survey about what kind of
procedural knowledge is desired (Table 9).
Table 9
Procedural Knowledge Desired
FEEDBACK ON PARENT TRAINING PERCENTAGE
How to Help Students with Time Management 41% (108)
How to Help Students Organize their Spaces 40% (104)
How to Motivate Students 33% (87)
How to Use Technology that their Child is Using 29% (76)
How to Help their Child Study 25% (65)
How to Ask their Child Questions to Support Learning 19% (51)
When students attended a physical school building, educators taught students time
management and organizational strategies, supported students in building these skills, and provided
accommodations when needed. During remote learning, students either 1) worked independently while
parents worked, 2) worked independently while parents supported other siblings, or 3) worked with
support from a family member. With all these scenarios, students were not surrounded by multiple
educators who scaffolded, prompted, and provided immediate feedback on these foundational skills
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that impact their ability to complete tasks. Parents indicated on the survey that these areas are
significant enough that they wanted further training to support their child during remote learning.
The primary way of parents supporting students was through verbal communication. This
communication between parents and their children looked very different based on their age and needs.
The data suggested that parents in Galva had the necessary skills to talk to their children about school
and academics. Parents filled a need in supporting students as they processed their learning. While
conversations discussing homework and school around the dinner table each night was an effective
strategy to support student to be successful during non-crisis times, during COVID-19 it provided an
additional way to allow students to consolidate new learning and store it in their long-term memory. A
strength of parents supporting their child during the pandemic was how to talk with their child about
school. Table 10 shows the disaggregated results of parent perceptions about their procedural
knowledge regarding their communication pathways. The data suggested parents agreed, for the most
part, that they knew how to contact the school and specific teachers of their children.
Table 10
Parent Perceptions about Communication
TO WHAT DEGREE DO YOU AGREE/DISAGREE
WITH THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS...
STRONGLY
DISAGREE
DISAGREE AGREE
STRONGLY
AGREE
I know how to communicate with my child
about their school day effectively.
0%
7%
58%
35%
I know how to contact the school. 0% 3% 37% 60%
TO WHAT DEGREE DO YOU AGREE/DISAGREE
WITH THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS...
STRONGLY
DISAGREE
DISAGREE
AGREE
STRONGLY
AGREE
I know about special events. 0% 8% 61% 31%
I know how to contact my child’s teacher. 0% 5% 41% 54%
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Parents responded to the open-ended question about the growth areas of this district by asking
for additional training to support their child during remote learning. Out of the 189 respondents that
chose to respond to the open-ended question about what the school district could improve, thirteen
parents listed a need for additional parent training in procedural knowledge needed during remote
learning. Parents’ responses included statements desiring things like a “parent university covering social
media, curriculum, time management,” “parent workshops on various topics (technology, curriculum,
etc.),” and “strategies to help your child be more structured and organized about learning at home and
homework.”
Procedural knowledge for supporting their child at home was a relative strength with some
subtle procedural concepts as growth areas. Two concepts emerged to answer this research question: 1)
prior knowledge of parents and 2) knowledge of discussion techniques. While most of this procedural
knowledge would have benefited parents outside of remote learning, procedural knowledge became
vital when teachers were not physically available.
Motivational Influence #1 (Utility Value): Parents need to see the value of attending conferences,
reviewing progress reports, and supporting their child at home.
Parents must engage in specific tasks with their children to enhance the learning experience of
their child and ultimately improved their academic achievement. During this research study, the data
collected indicated that the parents value attending conferences, reviewing progress reports, and
supporting their child at home as a strength of the parent partnership with the district. Within the
assumed influence of parent utility value, two concepts emerged around parent motivation to engage in
the learning of their children. These included: 1) understanding the importance of the parent role in the
learning of their children and 2) the importance of personal invitations for parent participation.
It was not enough to describe the task that parents need to do; they must also know the reason
behind the task. If the task was deemed unimportant or not interesting, they become less likely to
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engage in the task (Pink, 2009). Once again, with the change in the educational context and not knowing
how long the current conditions would continue, the utility value (their evaluation of how important it
was for them to engage in the task) of parents was a relative strength. Responses to the survey
questions about utility value (Table 11) suggested parents understood their essential role in supporting
the learning of their children. Less than one percent of parents disagreed with the importance of talking
with their child about school, staying on top of things, and checking progress reports.
Table 11
Parent Feedback about Utility Value in Improving Learning for Their Child
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR SOMEONE
IN A CHILD’S LIFE TO…
NOT AT ALL
IMPORTANT
SLIGHTLY
IMPORTANT
MODERATELY
IMPORTANT
EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT
Talk with my Child 0% >1% 13% 86%
Stay on Top of Things 0% >1% 14% 84%
Review Progress Reports 0% >1% 17% 82%
Explain Tough Assignments 0% 3% 23% 74%
Attend Parent Teacher Conferences 0% 4% 11% 85%
Monitor Grades 1% 4% 25% 70%
Help with Homework 0% 9% 41% 50%
Communicate 0% 13% 43% 44%
While still important, parent responses suggested that they find tasks related to supporting their
child far more critical than tasks associated with supporting learning of all students. Table 12 revealed
parent feedback about various tasks that may or may not directly link back to increasing the
performance or learning of their children.
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Table 12
Parent Feedback about Utility Value in Improving Learning for All
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR SOMEONE
IN A CHILD’S LIFE TO…
NOT AT ALL
IMPORTANT
SLIGHTLY
IMPORTANT
MODERATELY
IMPORTANT
EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT
Supporting School Decisions 0% 5% 31% 64%
Talking with Other Parents 9% 35% 34% 22%
Ensure the School has What it Needs 0% 4% 31% 65%
Make the School Better 0% 4% 31% 65%
Based on the survey, parents perceived the value of home-based activities positively impact the
child’s educational success of their children both during traditional and crises. Overall, parents believed
that specific communication tasks such as viewing progress reports, attending parent conferences, and
monitoring grades are essential (Table 13). The data of the research study indicated that 99% of parents
believed that it was crucial for someone to check progress reports in a child’s life. Similar findings
occurred for talking with their child about school; 99% of parents strongly agreed that it was important
for someone to talk to their child about school.
Table 13
Communication Output Avenues
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR SOMEONE
IN A CHILD’S LIFE TO…
NOT AT ALL
IMPORTANT
SLIGHTLY
IMPORTANT
MODERATELY
IMPORTANT
EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT
Check Progress Reports 0% 1% 17% 82%
Monitor Grades 1% 4% 25% 70%
Talk with their Student about School 0% 1% 13% 86%
Attend Conferences 0% 4% 11% 85%
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Out of the 263 parents who responded to the survey, 99% (260) of the parents either strongly
agreed or agreed that talking with their child, staying on top of things, and reviewing progress reports
are all important for someone in the child(s)’ life to do. Ninety-five percent (249) of parents either
strongly agreed or agreed to the importance of explaining challenging assignments, attending parent-
teacher conferences, and motoring grades. When asking parents if they wanted to be involved in their
children’s learning, 82% stated that they either always or most of the time desired to be involved. Based
on the survey data, the overall parent utility value of their engagement is high. Parents in Galva Unified
School District show similar motivational trends before and during the pandemic (Table 14).
Table 14
Parent Desire to be Involved
DO YOU WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN
YOUR CHILDREN'S LEARNING?
NO
MINIMALLY
SOMETIMES
MOST OF
THE TIME
ALWAYS
Pre-Pandemic with Traditional
Learning Environments
0%
7%
33%
26%
33%
During Pandemic with Remote
Learning
0%
6%
31%
28%
35%
Their overall motivation for engaging with the learning of their children did not change,
suggesting that their overall motivation for engaging in the learning of their children did not change, but
some of the components of motivation (i.e., self-efficacy and utility value) were impacted by the quick
change in the learning environment. Within the assumed influence of parent utility value, two concepts
emerged. These included: 1) understanding the importance of the parent role in the learning of their
children and 2) the importance of personal invitations for parent engagement in supporting their child at
home and attending school events.
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Motivational Influence #2 (Self Efficacy): Parents need to believe they are capable of effectively
increasing their child's academic, emotional, and social achievement.
Parent self-efficacy, or their positive beliefs that they can succeed for the specific task at hand,
impacted their overall motivation to be involved. The data collected indicates that parent self-efficacy is
a strength of the parent engagement plan of the district. From the assumed influence of motivation, the
data revealed positive past experiences affecting a parent’s self-efficacy. In a traditional learning
context, parents knew what is expected. Parents felt successful in their efforts before the pandemic, but
the change in the learning environment impacted their efficacy.
Parents did the best they knew how and wanted to support the learning of their children. The
data collected from the 5Essentials survey included teacher responses about their perceptions of
whether parents doing the best they can. In 2020 and 2019, teachers reported 71% and 77%,
respectively, of all or most parents, are doing their best. Based on the survey from this research study,
parents showed similar reflections before COVID-19. Table 15 reveals the findings that indicate that
parents felt like they made a significant difference in the performance of their children.
Table 15
Survey Responses about Self-Efficacy
TO WHAT DEGREE DO YOU AGREE/DISAGREE WITH THE
FOLLOWING STATEMENTS...
STRONGLY
DISAGREE
DISAGREE
AGREE
STRONGLY
AGREE
I make a significant difference in my child’s performance. 1% 18% 60% 21%
I know how to help my child do well in school. 2% 14% 57% 27%
I feel successful in my efforts to help my child learn. 2% 17% 62% 19%
I know how to help my child make good grades in school. 16% 1% 54% 29%
I don't know how to help my child learn. 27% 54% 15% 4%
I don't know if I’m getting through to my child. 22% 48% 27% 3%
Other children have more influence on my child’s grades
than I do.
33%
54%
11%
2%
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PARENT CHANGE OF SELF-EFFICACY
Pre COVID COVID
85%
82%
77%
72%
KNOWING HOW TO HELP FEELING SUCCESSFUL IN EFFORTS
One hundred and fifty-five (59%) of the 263 respondents responded with strong self-efficacy to
all six questions when reflecting on pre-pandemic conditions demonstrating strong efficacy about their
efforts to support their child. During the pandemic, the data changes drastically. The number of parents
that responded with strong self-efficacy for all six questions dropped to 49% (131 responses). A
significant difference occurred within the three survey items. Figures 2 and 3 illustrate how parents’ self-
efficacy decreased during the pandemic.
Figure 2
Parent Self-Efficacy Comparisons of Strongly Agree and Agree Responses
Figure 3 suggests that 11% of parents felt that they knew if they were getting through to the
child before the pandemic but then lost this self-efficacy during COVID-19.
Figure 3
Parent Self-Efficacy (Getting through to their Child)
PARENT CHANGE OF SELF-EFFICACY
Pre COVID COVID
70%
59%
KNOWING I F THEY ARE GETTING THROUGH TO THEIR CHILD
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When reflecting on knowing how to help their child, 8% of parents felt they no longer were
proficient. Similar findings occurred with feeling successful about their efforts to support their child. This
number dropped by 10%, indicating that their self-efficacy was impacted by the pandemic's conditions.
The changing context around the students’ learning environment appeared to have impacted
the self-efficacy of parents. When the learning environment of their children changed due to the
pandemic, so did parents’ self-efficacy. When parents had not supported their children in this way
before, their self-efficacy dropped. The context of the pandemic had a significant impact on parent self-
efficacy. The data indicated at least 60% of parents still believe that they can positively impact the
success of their child during COVID-19. Factors related to COVID-19 diminished parent self-efficacy in
helping their child in learning remotely. During the pandemic, several parents no longer felt, to the same
extent, capable of supporting their child, felt success in their effort, and knew that they are making a
difference in the education of their children.
The parent knowledge and motivation required to achieve higher parent engagement in the
education of their child during a crisis like a global pandemic includes procedural knowledge of specific
tasks that support remote learning; utility value in their involvement in the education of their child,
including helping with task completion, monitoring grades, attending conferences, and reflecting on
their progress reports; and their self-efficacy and belief that they can make a difference in the academic
success of the child. Drawing from both the study’s survey and the 5Essentials survey, the researcher
was able to conclude that parent engagement during a pandemic relied more so on strategic
conversations that included reflecting on how students were doing, prompting the use of strategies for
task completion, and scaffolding based on the specific needs of their child. The procedural knowledge
needed includes how to have these discussions that lead to better motivation, executive functioning,
and meeting the general logistics required to participate in “school” from a remote location. Parent
utility value and self-efficacy had the potential to change during a change of learning context, but many
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of the past positive experiences they had engaging with the school district and their child created a
strong foundation for parents to adapt and further support the education of their child.
The data analysis demonstrated strengths and areas of need in the perceived abilities of parents
to engage with the learning of their children and, ultimately, success. Parent knowledge and their
motivation had specific strengths and areas of growth, which indicated four influences relating to parent
engagement.
Research Question #3: What is the interaction between school culture and parent knowledge and
motivation?
The survey and analyzed documents identified organizational influences, including cultural
models and settings. Data analysis was used to identify specific strengths and gaps within the cultural
settings and models and revealed topics relating to communication, collaboration, and goal setting. The
data analysis demonstrated inconsistent findings within organizational influences. According to the data
of the study, the district’s goal setting and collaboration in parent engagement was a strength. Within
the overall strengths of the organizational influences, district, school, and teacher communication were
areas of growth.
Organizational Influence #1 (Goal Setting): The school needs to define goals related to the vision of
family engagement.
An organizational influence impacting the school district's cultural setting included how the
district goals aligned to the processes, structures, and guidelines. The organizational influence of goal
setting for the district was a strength during the pandemic and before COVID-19. According to the
district’s website, a key factor to continued excellence and a successful parent partnership is “to draw
upon past successes and strengths to meet the continually changing demands of our modern world. At
the basis of these strengths is a supportive and involved community” (Sprague, 2020).
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In July of 2020, the school district determined the focus would continue to draw upon the
community's strengths to meet the changing needs of students, parents, and teachers and focused on
keeping the community informed and engaged utilizing its “Back Together” plan. This plan documented
the district's focus on providing families with choice in addressing the educational needs and services of
their child(ren). The analyzed documents available to the public through the district’s website also
included the district Board Book entitled “Our Purpose, Our Plans, and Our Goals” (2021). The digital
text outlined the following reiteration of the “Back together” plan where choice was key. “Our Purpose,
Our Plans, and Our Goals” revealed key goals for parent engagement, including:
As our world was introduced to a global pandemic, we faced new challenges that called
on us to re-invent public education as we knew it. Our focus includes improving
communication with the community to foster shared goals, values, trust, and support to
work during the pandemic and throughout the school year to connect with the
community and invite their feedback.
The organizational influence of goal setting during the pandemic and before COVID-19 was a
strength. Through documents analysis and the parent survey feedback, the study analyzed
the district’s parent engagement plan specifically by reviewing goal setting in terms of parent
engagement and keeping stakeholders informed. Communication is the avenue in which the
goals and the process of setting those goals are created.
Organizational Influence #2 (Communication): The teachers and school district need to design
productive, proactive, and positive school-to-home and home-to-school communications about school
programs and student progress.
Two-way communication, particularly at the school and teacher level, was an area of growth for
the district. With words and actions, the district communicated its vision, mission, values, and goals. At
the local level, teachers and administrators can increase the quantity and quality of their
communications. In a general sense of communication, communication is the lynchpin for improving any
stakeholder gaps or organizational structures.
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School districts are no different. Their communication impacts parent knowledge and
motivation. Based on the survey results from the research study, the district has quality input and
output avenues for communication. Tables 12 and 13 reveal the perceptions of the parents in effective
ways to communicate with the district and the district about their child and education. Since
communication is an interactive process, both the knowledge and behaviors of teachers and the
school/district communication perceptions are components of the cultural setting. The 5Essentials
survey reiterated the research findings of the strengths of output avenues, with parents reporting that
school staff makes parents aware of important information and news every time there is an event 63%
of opportunities (with 35% of parents stating this occurred often).
The data presented quality two-way communication as a strength of the district. Two-way
communication included both receiving and providing information. Table 16 also discloses parent
perceptions of whether they communicate with their child’s teacher about their difficulties and
accomplishments.
Table 16
Communication Output Topics
TO WHAT DEGREE DO YOU AGREE/DISAGREE WITH
THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS...
STRONGLY
DISAGREE
DISAGREE AGREE
STRONGLY
AGREE
I talk to my child's teacher about his or her
difficulties at school.
2% 2O% 55% 23%
I talk to my child's teacher about his or her
accomplishments at school.
4% 30% 46% 20%
I talk to the teacher about how my child gets
along with his/her classmates in school.
5%
40%
42%
13%
I talk to my child's teacher about his or her
school daily routine.
6%
41%
40%
13%
I talk to my child’s teacher about the
classroom rules.
8%
44%
38%
10%
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Another tendency to note includes some areas for growth mentioned in the survey's open-
ended response. Twelve percent of parents who responded to the open-ended questions about growth
areas for the district listed a need for more quality two-way communication avenues expressing that
meetings, teacher communications, and administration communications are used mainly as one-way
avenues to communicate to parents rather than with parents. The feedback focused on teacher and
school communication rather than the district communications.
Research (Kegan, 1994; Mezirow, 2000) reveals that organizational effectiveness increases when
there are open communication lines. While both input and output avenues are shown as strengths, 16%
(21) of parents who responded to the open-ended prompts felt that there could be improvements to
these communication avenues, making more opportunities for collaboration rather than solely
distribution of information. Parents require a more in-depth understanding through increased
communication of what to do and when for specific classes and teachers. This understanding is needed
through more detailed communication. For example, a parent suggested:
Perhaps a bit more communication concerning prioritizing assignments and concepts. For
example, it might help parents, especially those helping students at home, to have a better
sense of what assignments will be included for the semester and how much they are worth. A
more detailed syllabus would help parents to better plan and prioritize.
Based on the open-ended responses, parents stated that they need a clearer understanding of each
class, including these procedures to support their child effectively. Since teachers have a significant
amount of autonomy to meet the variety of student needs in their classroom, necessary procedures
(i.e., turning in classwork, participating, deadlines) can vary. Once again, teachers were not physically
available to reinforce these procedures, and parents took on this role. Twenty-six of the parents who
answered with an open-ended response listed a desire to know more detailed logistics for each specific
class, including “events, assignments, learning expectations, how grades work, and instructions.” Each
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student received assignments from many teachers, and open-ended responses of parents indicated that
information for parents needed to be more accessible, including “better organization or explanations of
assignments, upcoming tests, and other homework.” Parent engagement hinged on parents knowing
what to do and how to do it.
A change in global context of education due to the emergency response to COVID-19 required
teachers to change routines and processes for their classes. The specific logistics of any given class can
differ from another class that the same student has or be very different from a sibling. Parents were
then required to know the logistics for each of these classes to support their child in meeting
expectations and focusing their energy on learning and not the procedures needed to make learning
possible.
Parents also expressed an area for improvement for the district impacting parent engagement
was the technology platform that students utilized during remote learning. Out of the 189 parents that
responded to the open-ended survey prompt, 7% (9) of parents stated their frustrations with the district
not utilizing a common platform for all students and teachers. Table 17 illustrates a few of the parent
comments revealing their requests for improving technology platforms' consistency.
Table 17
Parent Comments about Technology Platforms
OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES FROM SURVEY
“Establishing a single platform for assignments rather than using multiple platforms (i.e., Google
Classroom, GMSS Learn, Microsoft Teams.”
“Platforms should be the same. Instructional practices should have district-wide alignment.”
“Too many technology platforms being used by different teachers. It’s setting the kids up to fail.”
“Using a common learning management system for all assignments. Though this has improved
since the spring with the use of TEAMS, some teachers are using multiple platforms, which can
be beneficial. However, instructions and due dates should all be posted in teams.”
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Parents articulated that this lack of consistency made it difficult for parents to be involved and
support their children. If the district's goal involves parent engagement, then the tools for this
engagement need to be simplified, accessible, and easy to use.
Analysis of public documents and the forced and open-ended survey questions uncovered the
need for flexibility and proactive measures during a crisis response. Between March and December of
2020, the district sent out 27 newsletters regarding their educational response to the pandemic. The
district also held 11 board meetings where the main talking point revolved around responding to
students, teachers, and parents' needs during the learning environment change. After each board
meeting, the district sent out additional communications sharing a summary of the board meeting and a
link to the agenda, documents, and a link to watch the entire board meeting. While data was not
collected about the amount of communication from each school building, it is essential to note that
there were additional communications from each school above and beyond the district
communications.
At the school and teacher level, communication was a relative area of growth for the district.
Teachers and administrators can increase the quantity and quality of their communications to focus on
the district’s vision, goals, mission, and values.
Organizational Influence #3 (Collaboration): Parents need to feel that the school values their
involvement as collaborators.
From the assumed organizational influences, school and parent collaboration emerged as
another concept impacting the cultural model or shared beliefs that affect how stakeholder’s function.
The research study found that collaboration with parents was an area of strength. Data was revealed
about parents and school collaboration in the survey (both forced response and opened ended) and
several district documents that are publicly available.
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Parents need to feel that the school values their involvement as collaborators. Eighty-three
percent (218) of parents think that they can collaborate with the district. This is a strong indication that
parents believe that they have a voice to provide valuable points of view to support the learning of their
child and the district. The 5Essentials survey, administered in January of 2020, revealed perceptions of
parents regarding their collaborative beliefs (Table 18). The survey indicated that there is a substantial
group of parents that feel connected with the school or school district feeling like their voice was heard,
they were comfortable sharing their concerns, are offered opportunities to participate in the decision-
making process, and were an important part of improving the school and the district.
Table 18
5Essentials Survey Questions on Collaboration
HOW IS THE DISTRICT PERFORMING IN PARENT
CONNECTEDNESS?
NOT AT
ALL
A LITTLE
SOMEWHAT
TO A GREAT
EXTENT
Your voice is valued at the school. 5% 11% 36% 48%
You are offered opportunities to participate in
making decisions that affect the school community.
3%
13%
53%
31%
Parents are more apt to participate if they have a personal invitation from a teacher or staff
member. Based on the 5Essentials survey, a public document that various districts in the United States
utilize to collect data about their students, teachers, and parents reveals personal invitations to increase
utility value. Galva used this survey with students, teachers, and parents in 2020, 2018, and 2017. Figure
4 shows the results from the parent outreach section of the 5Essentials survey sharing the percentage of
parents who reported that school staff personally invited them to attend events either often or to every
event. In 2020, 95% of parents were invited to events personally, either always or often.
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Personal Invitations
100%
50%
0%
2017 2019 2020
Always Often
Figure 4
Percentage of Personal invitations from Teachers
37%
26%
63%
31%
60%
64%
The district consistently personally invited parents through emails, phone calls, or online
meetings to attend specific events. The 2020 data represents the 12% of the parent population that
responded to the survey. The open-ended response questions from this research study supported
similar findings of personal invitations for participation. Twenty percent of the parents who responded
with an open-ended response indicated this as an area of growth. Parent perception revolved around
personal invitations in supporting their child and their academic success.
Since the research study was conducted during the pandemic itself, the district responses to the
changing needs of students and parents continued. The district sustained quality collaboration. This is
illustrated in the artifacts that are located on the district website. The district sent out a survey at the
end of the summer before the beginning of the next school year when there was a high chance that
remote learning would need to continue. At the next board meeting, the district revealed some of the
changes based on the survey results. These changes included: focusing professional development for
teachers on one specific technology platform, requiring grades for all students to communicate student
growth, options for remote or hybrid learning, and a dashboard on the district’s website with the latest
information and suggestions. Aligning to the research about successful organizations (Schein, 2004;
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Fidishun, 2000), the school district increased its effectiveness in meeting its student and parent needs
when facilitating creating and collaborative problem-solving possibilities.
In the open-ended response question about the strengths of the district concerning parent
engagement, the respondents listed their satisfaction with the teacher and school requests for
participation in volunteer activities, school events, and home activities to support student learning. In
the open-ended responses about areas that the district could improve, respondents commented that
they were very similar to the following: “As a parent, I feel like I should wait for conferences to be
initiated by my student's teacher,” indicating that parents wait until there are invited. In traditional and
remote learning situations, parents base their engagement, importance, and knowledge on the cues set
forth by the school district.
Utilizing Clark and Estes’ KMO gap analysis, the data presented three specific cultural influences:
goal setting, communication, and collaboration that impact the ability of the district to increase or
maintain high parent engagement levels. The data illustrated the complex nature of school districts and
the impact of their processes, structures, and guidelines on how parents engage in supporting their child
and the school’s more significant purpose of assisting all students and their academic achievement.
During the pandemic, this interrelatedness became even more complicated, creating even more reliance
on organizational influences such as goal setting, communication, and collaboration.
Summary
Four research questions guided by Clark & Estes’ (2008) KMO framework provided the context
of the research findings. Questions surrounding knowledge, motivation, and organizational (KMO)
influences drove the design of this study. Various themes emerged within the findings, which reflected
the assumed influences of the study, KMO findings, and recommendations. Based on the data collected,
communication was determined as a need. Procedural knowledge, utility value, self-efficacy, goal
setting, and collaboration were found to be relative strengths, whereas communication, especially
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regarding school and teacher level communication, was an area of growth. Chapter Five interprets
Chapter Four’s findings and provides recommendations grounded in influential, scholarly, and peer-
reviewed research studies.
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CHAPTER FIVE: RECOMMENDATIONS
The purpose of this research project was to evaluate the school district's implementation of
parent engagement structures, policies, and practices in both traditional and emergency situations. The
analysis will focus on parents and the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences that impact
their ability to engage in the learning of their children whether or not they are learning physically at
home or at school. To better understand what the school district was doing to meet its goals, the data
analysis focused on the influences that appeared within the KMO influences.
Chapter Five includes evidence-based recommendations to address the knowledge, motivation,
and organizational gaps that impact a specific school district’s ability to increase and eventually maintain
100% parent involvement in the education of their children with activities and strategies that positively
impact student achievement. Chapter Four's findings revealed a need for a systematic program for
schools to develop essential parent knowledge and motivation through organizational influences.
In particular, the recommendations for each assumed influence were developed from principles
anchored in the research literature. The recommendations were then translated into a proposed
implementation and evaluation plan (through the lens of reaction, learning, behavior, and results)
following the New World Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). The researcher evaluated
each influence and determined whether the assumed influence contributed to the quality and quantity
of parent involvement in their child’s learning.
It is important to note that the recommendations are based on the research study and its
affluent community of stakeholders. It is essential to understand that the findings, results, and
recommendations are based on a community with a median household income of $111,916 and 3.9%
unemployment rate (U.S. Census, 2019). Galva’s median household income and unemployment rate can
be compared the United States with a median household income of $62,843 with an unemployment
rate of 10.5%.
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Knowledge Influences
This study's data revealed that parents have procedural knowledge of the most effective
practices for supporting their child with specific task completion at home (for both traditional and
remote learning settings). There were areas of growth in their understanding of different meaningful
ways to support their child’s success. Interestingly, parents acknowledged these areas of growth and
inquired about training from the school district. Parent strengths included explaining specific
assignments and supervising task completion. An additional knowledge gap identified through data
analysis of the open-ended survey questions was the subject or course's particular logistics. This
included understanding the policies, procedures, and structures that each teacher utilized to teach their
content area.
In a crisis, how and what things get done change. There are different needs, resources,
demands, and parameters. In the global context of education, the pandemic impacted all those things
for teachers, students, and parents. Parents were quick to adapt their prior knowledge of supporting
their child with their schooling and using preexisting communication pathways to build any missing gaps
in their understanding of this new learning format. When the pandemic emerged, the educational
context changed, impacting all stakeholders. With parents relying on their prior knowledge, their
mastery level for skills needed to engage in their child learning was high due in part to their previously
acquired skills in supporting their child, the ability to practice these skills (before the pandemic), and
finally, their ability to understand when and how to use these skills. According to Schraw and
McCrudden (2006), acquiring, practicing, and applying skills is how any stakeholder gains mastery.
Parent engagement in the learning of their child required parent knowledge and the motivation to
engage in these home-based activities. While the home activities might change during a traditional
education year or during a crisis, parent prior knowledge places an important role in understanding why,
how, and what parents can do to support their child.
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Motivational Influences
Two assumed motivational influences were identified for parents in this study. The findings
revealed that parents recognized the utility values of their engagement in the learning of their child.
They have the self-efficacy as a parent, explicitly impacting the success of their child as a learner in both
in person and remote learning situations. This self-efficacy did diminish with the pandemic when they
were learning remotely. While parents did the best they knew how, during COVID-19, the data suggests
that they questioned this belief about themselves. These various influences to increase self-efficacy
include developing people's ideas about their capabilities and reminding them of their previous positive
experiences, vicarious experiences of others, the social environment, and their emotions (Bandura,
2005). According to Bandura, having previous, positive experiences and a strong belief in their abilities
impacts their perseverance and determination (2005). Both persistence and determination became
essential in responding to the unpredictable conditions of a global pandemic.
Organizational Influences
Findings indicated that the school district had many strengths in communication, collaboration,
and goal setting; however, the data suggested some inconsistencies in communication. The district had
various strengths in communicating big-picture items from the district level. Still, parents reported
needing more information at the local level, including at the specific school and teacher levels. The data
indicated inconsistent, varied, and confusing pathways for students and parents to receive and respond
to information from particular teachers, teams, and schools. This communication gap widened during
remote learning. By increasing teacher and school feedback, the district can strengthen is holistic
communication plan further supporting parent engagement with their child’s education in both
traditional and crisis learning situations.
After analyzing data following the data collection, each of the influences was verified as
strengths or gaps. While parent self-efficacy, organizational communication patterns, and parent and
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school collaboration are strengths according to the data, the overall findings suggest recommendations
within these motivational and organizational influences to further increase the percentage of parents
who highly engage with the education of their child. The ultimate goal is that all parents actively engage
in high-quality partnerships with schools when students are learning wither remotely or in person.
Within these areas of strength, the research suggests that parent engagement impacts each child. By
not providing support and training for the parents, the district would not meet its 100% parent
engagement goal. Emphasizing motivational and organizational influences also reinforces effective
strategies for parents to utilize.
If schools and districts would like to increase the quantity and quality of parent involvement in
the learning of their child, the district needs to focus on all KMO influences. While the study suggests
procedural knowledge, utility value, and organizational goals as strengths, a crisis's unprecedented
nature made responding reactively sometimes the only way stakeholders could react. Understanding
that parent engagement is required for students to achieve at high levels (Epstein, 1986), building a
parent engagement program focusing on all aspects of parent engagement (knowledge, motivation, and
organizational structures needed) is vital. Laying the foundation for any crisis is far more beneficial than
waiting for a crisis and then determining the need after the stakeholder struggles. According to Clark
and Estes (2008), effective change efforts ensure that everyone has the resources needed and are
aligned with organizational priorities. With the many unknowns of a pandemic, the school district
needed to respond proactively and flexibly as the needs of each stakeholder group changes based on
the global context.
The ultimate purpose of this parent engagement consists of supporting student engagement,
performance, and achievement. The cultural setting, or the context of the situation, stresses the school
district's beliefs, values, and practices. Galva’s parent engagement goals and how these goals are
communicated and implemented shaped the beliefs and values of their parents. If processes or
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structures feel disconnected to parents, the strong partner partnership could erode over time if the
pandemic continues for a prolonged amount of time. Shared values and beliefs of parents and districts
are built on actions and words—procedures, processes, and structures. While the recommendations are
based on the findings collected during COVId-19, the recommendations enhance parent engagement
and student learning even when not in a crisis.
All KMO influences are included in the recommendations because, ultimately, the 100% parent
engagement goal was based on the importance of their engagement in increasing the success of their
own child. If 90% of parents are engaged and have the knowledge, motivation, and organizational
supports needed to support their children, 10% of students do not have their support for their families.
With the district’s priority of 100% parent engagement, all KMO influences should be highlighted in a
holistic parent engagement plan supporting students in traditional and remote learning environments.
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences
Knowledge Recommendations
This study examined the knowledge influence, and parents need to know what home-based
activities positively impact the success of their child that they could utilize during remote learning. While
helpful during remote learning, the knowledge is also vital when students attend school in person, too.
The discussion regarding the knowledge influence in this study was guided by Schraw and McCrudden’s
(2006) research. They used the information processing model to describe how the brain uses an
information processing system to develop systematic means of memory, cognition, and thinking. It was
assumed that the knowledge influence has a high probability of being identified as a strength. Table 19
summarizes the knowledge influence and recommendations.
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Table 19
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations
ASSUMED KNOWLEDGE
INFLUENCE
PRINCIPLE AND CITATION
CONTEXT-SPECIFIC
RECOMMENDATION
Parents need to know
what home-based
activities positively
impact their child’s
success. (P)
To develop mastery, individuals
must acquire component skills,
practice integrating them, and
know when to apply what they
have learned (Schraw &
McCrudden, 2006)
Provide information about family
engagement that connects with
parents’ prior knowledge.
Provide training to develop parents’
knowledge of homework practices
and student discussion techniques to
support their child’s success.
Increase Procedural Knowledge Through Training
The results and findings of this study indicated that 19.8% of parents need more in-depth
procedural knowledge about home-based activities that positively impact student motivation and time
management, including supervising and explaining homework, whether in remote or traditional
educational settings. The district can focus on parent training on how to support students while
completing homework assignments and how to initiate and sustain conversations about school, classes,
and content. Schraw and McCrudden (2006) found that individuals must acquire component skills,
practice integrating them, and know when to apply what they learned to develop mastery. Training
parents on how to embed strategies in current routines will help parents develop mastery of these new
and improved routines. The recommendation included providing parents with the training and the
information to implement strategic learning strategies when students complete work or study at home.
This procedural knowledge recommendation for training aligns with the information processing theory
selected to meet the need of parents regarding at home practices parents can use to support their
child’s achievement. In alignment with this research, providing parents with a general description of
how children learn, such as automaticity, information processing, and cognitive load theory, supports
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parents in applying strategies at home to benefit their child. Understanding how their child learns helps
parents understand why certain strategies support the academic achievement of their child.
The learner, or in this research study, the parent can quickly access this newly acquired
information because the information in their brain has been organized in a fashion that is quickly
accessible and retrievable in a concise amount of time. Stanovich (2003) described the ability of a
person to fluently apply learned skills effectively and efficiently after developing automaticity through
practice and repetition. This is the ultimate goal of parent trainings—developing skills and strategies
that parents can seamlessly utilize when helping tier children with homework. Automaticity is gained
only through sustained, regular practice (Schraw & McCrudden, 2006). Providing information and
training supports parents in effectively implementing home-based learning activities that positively
impact the success of their child.
Additionally, Clark and Estes (2008) claim that reference guides or documents with tips and
tricks support enhanced retention and application of the newly learned information. The researchers
also suggested the adaptability and potential of combining training and reference guides as an effective
solution for procedural knowledge gaps. Baddeley's (2001) model of working memory suggested
learning occurs when the learner can determine how to process the new information, construct
meaning by making connections based on prior knowledge, and then transfer it to long-term memory.
Using follow-up training documents allows for continued development and transfer of strategies from
long-term to short-term memory, making it possible to build these strategies for procedural knowledge
to daily habits to support their child in learning at home. Whether students are learning at school or
remotely, training parents on supporting homework and talking about school will benefit their child.
Motivation Recommendations
The motivation influences in Table 20 represent the complete list of assumed motivation
influences and their probability of being validated and supporting the organizational goal of increasing
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family engagement. Table 20 also shows the recommendations for these influences based on
theoretical principles.
Table 20
Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations
ASSUMED MOTIVATION
INFLUENCE
PRINCIPLE AND CITATION
CONTEXT-SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS
Parents need to see the
value of attending
conferences, reviewing
progress reports, and
supporting their child at
home.
Include rationales about the
importance and utility value
of the task (Pintrich, 2003).
Include rationales about the importance of
family engagement and the utility value of
their involvement during remote learning and
traditional schooling environments.
Parents need to believe
they can effectively
increase their child's
academic, emotional, and
social achievement.
Set close, concrete, and
challenging goals that allow
the learner to experience
success at the task (Pajares,
2006).
Set concrete goals that allow the parents to
experience success in supporting their child's
academic, emotional, and social
achievement.
Include the Purpose of Family Engagement to Parents to Increase Value Utility
The results and findings of this study indicated that, whether the parent involvement is during a
pandemic or during non-crisis times, 9.13% of parents need better to understand the purpose behind
parent involvement in homework, and 13.31% of parents need a better understanding of the intention
of a school and home partnership with strong communication avenues. A recommendation rooted in
expectancy-value theory was selected to close this motivation gap. Pintrich (2003) found that to have
utility value, parents need the task to include rationales about the importance of the task. This theory
suggests that providing the purpose for an activity or task allows a parent to understand how
completing the task leads to the success of their child. Schools can promote their message of parent
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engagement in the learning of their child by developing an articulate, well-organized campaign that
focuses on the few strategies that the parent training focuses on. In this case, stakeholders will more
likely participate in activities if their tasks are linked to meaningful goals. By understanding the goal,
parents are more eager to support the goal because they have a degree of control about supporting the
goal with what activities (Hoover-Dempsey, 2005).
Mapp (2003) stated that parents need to understand their involvement in the education of their
child. The actions and academic successes of their child provide parents with positive reinforcement to
continue their support. Clark and Estes (2008) further noted that opinions, beliefs, and perceptions are
vital, suggesting that when people have positive thoughts about their ability to do something, they are
more likely to complete the task. Anderson and Minke (2007) conceded that utility value of parents in
their involvement increases their engagement in the education of their child. Therefore, if parents know
the purpose of an activity and determine that activity directly relates to their child, they are more apt to
participate in family engagement activities.
Include Concrete Goals for Suggested Family Engagement Activities to Increase Self-Efficacy
The results and findings of this study indicated that 22% of parents during remote learning did
not believe they were able to effectively increase the academic, emotional, and social achievement of
their child. During traditional in-school learning, this percentage is slightly smaller at 14.59% of parents
not believing that they can make a difference. A recommendation rooted in self-efficacy was selected to
close this motivation gap for both traditional and remote learning environments. Parents with stronger
self-efficacy are more likely to support the learning of their child at home. When parents feel more
confident in their ability to make decisions about the learning of their child, they feel more confident in
the particular decision at that precise moment.
Perceived self-efficacy necessitates concrete and challenging goal-setting that facilitates
successful task completion experiences (Bandura, 2006; Pajares, 2006). This theory suggests that
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providing activities or tasks that parents can find success with will allow parents to feel capable in the
future to enable parents to feel successful in supporting the academic, emotional, and social
achievement of their child. These activities can connect to other areas where parents already have high
self-efficacy, such as time management, dinner conversations, and responding to emails from teachers.
According to Bandura (1997), task-specific self-efficacy is a predictor of a person's behavior.
When there is a specific goal, a stakeholder can direct their behavior towards task completion and
quality. Bandura (2003) further suggested that goal setting and perceived self-efficacy develop
proficiency and even higher self-efficacy. Their commitments to realizing the goals increase their self-
efficacy and how much effort parents put forth in the engagement activity. Family engagement then
relies on the beliefs that parents have about themselves as parents.
Helping parents set concrete goals for themselves in supporting the learning of their child
identifies to parents that the school sees their participation as valuable and believes that they can
accomplish these goals. Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler (1997) stated that the sense of efficacy of parents
for helping their children succeed in school increases if training focuses on developing goals for
behaviors that parents believe they are capable of accomplishing. Schools can create examples of parent
goals—a means to progress monitor if they meet their goals and reminders of the importance of
supporting their children with specific tasks such as homework competition and talking about their
school life.
Organization Recommendations
This study examined the organizational influences the district and schools need to have to
impact student success positively. The discussion regarding the organizational influences in this study
was guided by Gallimore and Goldenberg (2001) framework. They use a gap analysis to determine the
cultural models and settings that support successful change processes. Table 21 summarizes the
organizational influences and recommendations.
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Table 21
Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations
ASSUMED ORGANIZATION
INFLUENCE
PRINCIPLE AND CITATION
CONTEXT-SPECIFIC
RECOMMENDATION
The school needs to
define goals related to the
vision of family
engagement.
Effective organizations ensure
that organizational messages,
rewards, policies, and
procedures that govern the
organization's work are
aligned with or are supportive
of organizational goals and
values (Clark & Estes, 2008).
Ensure alignment of procedures for
parent participation and homework
policies with the goals.
Parents need to feel that
the school values their
involvement as
collaborators.
Build a personal connection
demonstrate their value
(Moran & Brightman, 2000).
Solicit input from as many parent
perspectives as possible.
Increase invitations from students,
teachers, and administration to
participate in student activities
ASSUMED ORGANIZATION
INFLUENCE
PRINCIPLE AND CITATION
CONTEXT-SPECIFIC
RECOMMENDATION
The teachers and school
district need to design
productive, proactive, and
positive school-to-home
and home-to-school
communications about
school programs and
student progress.
Organizational effectiveness
increases when leaders
encourage open
communication lines (Kegan’s
1994 research, as cited by
Mezirow, 2000, p.11).
Use multiple communication
strategies to reach all stakeholders.
Adapt messages to focus on what
different stakeholders’ groups want
and need to hear about events,
programs, student progress, and
communication pathways.
Ensuring Alignment of Procedures and Policies with the District’s Goals
The results and findings of this study indicated approximately 19% of parents do not know how
their parent involvement makes a significant impact on their child. The lack of understanding of the
goals can lead to a possible lack of participation. A recommendation rooted in organizational theory was
selected to close this organizational gap. Clark and Estes (2008) indicated that effective organizations
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ensure that messages, rewards, policies, and procedures align with or support the organizational goals.
This suggested that if the task or communication aligns with the district’s overall goal, parents are more
apt to participate because they know the reason for the task. During COVID-19, the purpose of
education and parent engagement pivoted based on student needs. Districts need to ensure the change
in goals and how to communicate this change in educational goals becomes essential.
This Clark and Estes organizational theory suggests that ensuring alignment of knowledge,
motivation, and organizational structures to enhance the organization’s ability to meets its goals. In
Galva’s case, parent participation and homework policies with goals leads to increased success for their
child and the district. By aligning the policies and procedures of each school to the district parent
engagement goal, parents can see the connection between their specific engagement and the school’s
day-to-day processes that impact their child and their parent engagement. During a crisis such as COVID-
19, the new policies and practices that were never needed before, need to be aligned and
communicated clearly.
Rueda (2011) stated that beliefs and processes primarily drive stakeholder involvement. This
principle suggests that parental engagement increases when they understand the purpose. This is
similar to Kezar’s (2001) explanation of clearly aligned goals that support collaboration and engagement.
By being transparent with goals, districts can encourage parents who are more likely to participate in
decision-making, communication, and investment of time and effort. Williams and Sanchez (2013) also
suggested that schools and families with similar goals increase connectivity, creating greater parent
empowerment and a sense of knowing. It appeared that the literature would indicate that setting
collaborative and transparent goals improves organizational performance.
Involving parents in school events and collecting feedback from all stakeholders.
The results and findings of this study indicated that 83% of parents believe that they can
collaborate and have a voice to provide valuable points of view to support the learning of their child and
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the district. The school district can strengthen the parent engagement partnership by involving families
in the learning process and organizational structures that support learning. Although collaboration is
not an organizational gap, by focusing on collaboration, Galva can utilize this organizational strength to
improve other organizational gap areas by collaborating with all stakeholders for problem-solving,
communicating, and setting goals. A recommendation rooted in organizational theory was selected to
enhance the connection of parents to the district and the learning of their child demonstrating their
value (Moran & Brightman, 2000). According to Moran and Brightman (2000), people are pulled along
by their sense of purpose, desire, and value. The importance of open dialogue and the culture and
purpose of an organization allows for individuals to embed their sense of purpose as a stakeholder.
During COVID-19, the importance of collaboration became more apparent based on the increased
amount of change required to support learners in a new way.
Gallimore and Goldenberg (2001) state that organizations must focus on the conditions that
enhance collaboration as the norm. Collective efficacy must be prioritized, by use of time and energy
for building the district’s vision and the ability to meet the goals of that vision. This is similar to Bryk and
Schneider’s (2002) assertion regarding building trust. The day-to-day collaborative nature of openness,
caring, and socialization develops relational trust where stakeholders feel safe to voice their opinions,
build a shared understanding of core educational structures and build group consensus. It appeared that
the literature would indicate that developing collaborative relationships based on consideration,
understanding, and reciprocity improves organizational performance.
Increase Communication Pathways with Strategic Strategies to Reach Parents
The results and findings of this study indicated that 86.7% of parents need the district and
schools to provide two-way pathways such as parent conferences, phone calls, and emails to
communicate programs and student progress to improve the communication gap. Missed
communication opportunities lead to misunderstanding and a lack of clarity. A recommendation rooted
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in theories of communication was selected to close this organizational gap. Gilley, Gilley, and McMillan
(2009) indicated that organizational effectiveness increases when organizations have open lines of
communication. This suggested that schools can more effectively support parents in engaging with
school programs and the academic, social, emotional, and behavioral progress of their child by
increasing communication. The recommendation to develop multiple strategies (i.e., visual, verbal,
auditory) and channels (i.e., newsletters, social media, email) for communication can further support
the other strategies of this study.
Clark and Estes (2008) stated that when structures, policies, and procedures are aligned and
communicated to all stakeholders, organizational performance increases. In the case of schools and
parents, organizational performance has high stakes for all stakeholders. This mirrors LaRocque et al.
(2011) position in their examination of school communication, indicating that two-way communication
allows parents and teachers to be transparent and involved. Lewis also suggests (2011) that
communication pathways must include various structures that allow for socialization, information
dissemination, and soliciting input. The recommendations of this study also included prioritizing school
and teacher communication pathways. The communication from the district level had multiple avenues,
pathways, and structures. At the building level, parents asked for more timely and elaborated
information to fully support their child at home with task completion and studying.
When the educational system responded to COVID-19, there were not many opportunities for
policymakers, administrators, and teachers to develop clear communication plans to respond to the
ever-evolving changes from the pandemic. Schools and districts can pivot quickly using preexisting
options when an emergency occurs by having strong communication pathways, messages, and avenues
for feedback. It appeared that the literature would suggest the necessity for “bridging the
communication gap” both in times of crisis and typical situations.
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan
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The New World Kirkpatrick model was developed to support professionals with evolving and
changing learning needs (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). This model was applied to evaluate the
implementation plan for this study. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) defined three phases for training
interventions: planning, execution, and demonstration. The planning phase includes the outcomes, what
will be evaluated, and how they will be evaluated. According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016), the
four levels of this planning, implementation, and evaluation model were built in reverse to ensure that
the organizational goals were the priority. These four levels include: 1) reaction described as the leading
indicators and desired outcomes for training, 2) learning described as the participants gained the
necessary knowledge and attitudes, 3) behavior described as participants use what they learned when
they return to work, and 4) results as described as whether the stakeholder's behavioral changes result
in positive change in the desired outcomes or organizational goals.
When determining if parents gained the necessary knowledge, the trainers must monitor,
reinforce, encourage, reward to support the retention of the new learning and the critical behaviors as
defined as the essential behaviors that employees need. These necessary behaviors have the
knowledge, skills, attitude, confidence, and commitment of the learner and are supported through
required drivers or the factors that reinforce, monitor, encourage, or reward the expected behavior. The
New World Kirkpatrick Model presents a structure for implementation and evaluation to ensure change
by including internal and external planned outcomes, critical behaviors, and required drivers.
Organizational Purpose, Need, and Expectations
The worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 during 2019 and 2020 impacted educational systems
worldwide, including the unique role parents play in helping the achievement of their child. Galva, the
study's organization, set out to determine what family engagement looked like in this new era of
education. The district decided to focus on temporary access to education and family engagement
explicitly. Knowing that this would support student and parents need immediately, this focus on parent
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engagement would also support the district’s goal of engaging all stakeholders in the community when
the world is not is a crisis. The ambitious organizational goal of 100% family engagement was the focus
of this study due to the direct influence of families on student achievement and the perceived necessity
of their support during remote learning. While considering the knowledge and motivation necessary for
family involvement, the study focused on the long-term goal of 100% family engagement, rather than
the creation of a goal for parents, and evaluated organizational influences that impact their ability to
reach this goal. This study's expected outcome is a full assessment of family engagement from the
perspective of parents. The recommendations are intended to provide the time, resources, and support
parents need to support the organization in meeting its parent engagement goal both during COVID-19
and when in a traditional learning setting.
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators
There will be several positive internal and external outcomes if Galva can achieve increased
family engagement during remote learning. According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016), results will
include targeted outcomes and leading indicators to assure those critical behaviors are accurately
captured to support planned outcomes. In this study, internal and external outcomes are related to
parents and students. Both groups are actively involved in the learning process, primarily when this
occurs outside of the school setting. The following table represents the external and internal outcomes
representing the results and leading indicators planned for the study. Additional details about the
outcomes, metrics, and methods are included in Table 22.
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Table 22
Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes
Outcome Metric(s) Method(s)
EXTERNAL OUTCOMES
Increased parent
satisfaction of family
engagement activities.
Number of increased positive
responses
Parent survey specifically focused
on parent perceptions of remote
and in-person family engagement
Increased student work
completion with family
support at home.
Student ratio of homework
completion with and without
support
Student survey specifically
focused on remote versus in-
person learning
Increased positive feedback
about family engagement
programming and goals on
social media.
Compliment to complaint ratio on
posts on Facebook, Twitter, and
Instagram
Marketing data collection and
reports utilizing communication
data analysis
INTERNAL OUTCOMES
Increase in educator
positive feedback of student
and family engagement
Compliment to complaint ratio on
family engagement scores
Annual 5Essentials survey results
given to parents, students, and
educators
Improved or sustained
student grades during
remote learning
Number of students that
increased or sustained GPAs as
before remote learning
Learning and teaching report
analysis of grades in core content
areas
Increase in number of
parents participating in the
minimal requirements for
family engagement
Number of family signatures for
family engagement activities
School data collection on concrete
activities in which require a family
signature or visible participation
(i.e., videos or photos)
Increase in number of
engagement activities
offered by the school
Number of activities targeted for
family engagement
Leadership team collection of
activities developed for core
courses that involve family
engagement
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Level 3: Behavior
The New World Kirkpatrick Model identified level three as the most critical phase of evaluating
an implementation plan (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick (2016). The degree to which participants can apply
what they have learned from training to their jobs is known as behaviors (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick,
2016). This critical phase includes critical behaviors, on-the-job training, and required drivers.
Critical Behaviors
According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016), the behavior is the most important precursor to
the improvement process of the organization because critical behaviors are required for the
stakeholders to succeed in their jobs and ultimately lead to organizations meeting their goals. Critical
behaviors must be specific, observable, and measurable. Behavior links what is learned during the
training and the attainment of organizational goals. If stakeholders do not change their behavior due to
the training, the training will likely be ineffective in impacting its objectives (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick,
2016). Table 23 below captures those anticipated and expected behaviors for parents to be successful in
supporting the achievement of their child.
Table 23
Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation
CRITICAL BEHAVIOR METRIC(S) METHOD(S) TIMING
1.Parents open all
newsletters
Ratio of opened
newsletters and emails
Data collection using
electronic tracking system
embedded in newsletter
program
Every other week
2.Parents open
progress reports
and report cards
each trimester
Ratio of opened
progress and report
cards.
Data collection using
electronic tracking system
embedded in the student
information system
Each trimester (three
times a year)
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CRITICAL BEHAVIOR METRIC(S) METHOD(S) TIMING
3.Parents
participate in
online parent-
teacher
conferences in
the fall and spring
Ratio of parents
attending conferences
Survey teachers on parent
attendance
After conferences in
the fall and spring
(twice a year)
4.Parents sign off
on family
engagement
activities
Percentage of parent
signatures on
assignments
Teacher data collection on
each assignment with
signatures
Once a month
Required Drivers
Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) considered required drivers of support as leaders' primary
responsibility to ensure the selected interventions' applicability and resonance. Organizational factors
that support the critical behaviors and help achieve the desired outcomes are required drivers, including
reinforcing, encouraging, rewarding, and monitoring, are. According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick
(2016), active execution and tracking of required drivers are among the most significant indicators of a
program’s success for any initiative. For this study, the required drivers that impact the critical
behaviors' performance are built on the established knowledge, motivation, and organizational
influences. Table 24 details the drivers that support the desired behaviors articulated to meet the
organizational goal of 100% family engagement.
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Table 24
Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors
Method(s) Timing
Critical Behaviors
Supported
REINFORCING
Schools provide job aids and expectations of families for their
involvement
Each trimester 4
Schools create standardized process for parents showing
student support on assignments
Ongoing
4
Teachers utilize similar newsletter platforms for communication Twice a Month 1
District provides small group support for Student Information
System usage
Each Trimester
2, 3
ENCOURAGING
Schools share stories of family engagement in newsletters Once a Month 1, 2, 3, 4
District shares stories of student, parent, and teacher
conferences
Twice a Year
3
Parent peer mentoring from PTO Weekly 1, 2, 3, 4
Leadership team develops guides for teachers to support
students and parent engagement at home
Ongoing
1, 4
REWARDING
Schools formally recognize teachers and parents who have
created innovative ways of collaborating
Once a Month
3, 4
Class competitions for the highest percentage of family
engagement (i.e., opening progress reports, reading
newsletters, attending conferences)
Once a Trimester
1, 2, 3, 4
MONITORING
Student self-monitoring reflection on remote learning Once a Trimester 4
PTO reflection on engagement data Once a Trimester 1, 2, 3, 4
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Organizational Support
Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick’s (2016) model for training and evaluation includes emphasizing
levels three and four as integral to overseeing the goal of the organization. Stakeholders, including
teachers, administrators, and parents, need to have the training and on-the-job supports for
administrators and teachers to communicate, collaborate, and create family engagement activities
effectively. Additionally, each school can support family engagement by providing the time and
resources necessary for teachers and administrators to collaborate online and personally. Creating
recommendations for administrators, teachers, and parents would give both stakeholder groups the
guidelines and suggestions for tried and true, innovative ways for families to engage in learning. The
district also needs to make sure there are comprehensive communication forms about family
engagement strategies and activities. This is required so the district can delineate between lack of
engagement or lack of knowledge of family engagement options.
Level 2: Learning
In the New World Kirkpatrick Model, level two covers what participants will learn from training
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). This level includes both the programming and the knowledge, skills,
attitude, confidence, and commitment of participants. The following sections include an overview of the
proposed program and the goals and recommendations for evaluating the knowledge, skills, attitude,
confidence, and commitment of parents.
Learning Goals
The recommended training program will address the need for parents to know how to engage
with their students to support their education. While Galva Unified School District has a family
engagement program, the proposed comprehensive training program will fill the gaps in parent
knowledge and motivational gaps uncovered during the study. As a result of the training program,
parents will be able to:
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1. Design activities that parents can do with their child at home to support their child
(Procedural)
2. Reflect on their ability to effectively increase the child's academic, emotional, and social
achievement of their child (Metacognitive)
3. Judge the appropriateness of discussion and homework strategies (Procedural)
4. Recall the value of conferences, progress reports, and supporting their child at home
(declarative)
5. Provide advice for other parents on how to support their child’s school (Procedural)
6. Identify strategies to help their child with assignments (Declarative)
7. Reflect on one’s involvement with the education of their child (Metacognitive)
8. Integrate strategies in participation in the "Check & Connect" program as a mentor the
following year (Procedural)
Program
The program is focused on parents whose children are transitioning from one school to another
(i.e., new students to the community, preschool to kindergarten, fifth grade to sixth grade, and eighth
grade to ninth grade). The training program should be implemented in person over several one-hour
sessions spread out over one school year as well as providing an online self-paced option online. By
offering the training over a more extended period in the evening, parents will have more options and
topics that build on one and another. Each session will include direct instruction, discussion, a
collaborative activity, and time for reflection. The training would be led by a combined team of a parent,
a teacher, and an administrator.
The training will focus on the stakeholder goals, information, and examples of parents that have
successfully implemented family engagement strategies. Each evening event will include an activity that
allows the participants to explore concepts and come to their conclusions based on connecting the new
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information to prior knowledge. Each new evening event will connect to the theme of the previous
training and building upon it to discuss the new learning target. The last session will conclude with a
compilation of all learning targets to create a holistic picture of family engagement's promising practice.
Parents would end the training by building a family plan to support all of their children at the various
schools.
The following year would include a “Check and Connect” mentorship with other parents who
have completed the training and successfully implemented strategies at home without support. The
“Check and Connect” would be a program for parents who have completed the training to call and check
in with parents that have just started the program. Job aids and summary videos would be provided
monthly as reinforcers and support for parents who could not make the training events.
Evaluation of the Components of Learning
Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) recommend evaluating multiple learning components,
including the declarative knowledge, procedural skills, attitude, confidence, and commitment of
parents. These components increase the likelihood that parents will create habits and routines around
these family engagement strategies. The specific methods and timing for evaluating each component of
the recommended training are explained in Table 25.
Table 25
Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program
METHOD(S) OR ACTIVITY(IES) TIMING
Declarative Knowledge “I know it.”
Knowledge checks during activities and discussions
(Think - Pair - Share)
During monthly training sessions
Knowledge checks as priming activity Beginning of each session
Procedural Skills “I can do it right now.”
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Pre and post parent self-assessment of engagement
skills (rubric provided by trainer)
Beginning of first session and end of the last
session
Attitude “I believe this is worthwhile.”
METHOD(S) OR ACTIVITY(IES) TIMING
Trainer observations of parents’ engagement
(trainers’ checklist)
During each training session
Confidence “I think I can do it on the job.”
Discussions about questions or concerns
(Exit Tickets)
End of each training session
Pre- and post-assessment of parent confidence End of each trimester
Pre and post parent self-assessment of self-efficacy
End of first session and beginning of the
following year
Commitment “I will do it on the job.”
Pre- and post-assessment of commitment End of the last session of the year
Creation of a personal family engagement plan End of the last session of the year
Level 1: Reaction
Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) describe three categories within level one. These categories
include engagement, relevance, and customer satisfaction. Each of these categories is relevant to
parents as their learning and application from the training sessions. Table 26 outlines how and when
each category will be elevated.
Table 26
Components to Measure Reactions to the Program
METHOD(S) OR TOOL(S) TIMING
Engagement
Parent Participation (trainers’ notes) During each training event
Trainer observations (trainer’s notes) During each training event
Relevance
Parent Opinionnaire At the end of each training session
Brief pulse check-in discussions (trainer’s notes) During the training
Customer Satisfaction
Training Evaluation (survey) End of the last session
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Evaluation Tools
The New World Kirkpatrick Model emphasizes the importance of evaluating all training levels:
reaction, learning, behavior, and results (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). The trainer will evaluate levels
one and two utilizing a formative evaluation checklist during or immediately after the training and a few
months after the training, parents will complete an additional survey to evaluate the impact of the
training. The tools and timing of the elevations are detailed below.
Immediately Following the Program Implementation
Evaluations for levels one and two will focus on formative methods to meet the needs of the
trainees. This intentional choice for formative assessment rather than summative evaluations provides
the trainer feedback to make changes during the training. The recommended evaluation tool included in
Appendix D provides a framework for documenting the necessary training (level two); exhibiting the
newly gained skills, attitude, confidence, commitment, and engagement (level two); finding relevance in
training (level one) and measuring trainee satisfaction (level one). The framework includes a section to
document any barriers and solutions that parents might encounter when implementing parent
involvement strategies and provide insight into additional organizational support needed. This tool aims
to encourage reflection on the part of the trainer to continue improving the training and improving the
success rate of parent engagement.
Delayed for a Period After the Program Implementation
The blended evaluation approach assesses multiple levels of training using the same tool and
makes good use of training evaluation resources and reduces the focus on the less critical level one
items (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). The blended evaluation tool of this study is a survey that parents
will complete several months after the training (Appendix E). The purpose of delaying this feedback
collection includes giving parents time to implement some training strategies and skills. The evaluation
tool uses Likert-like and open-ended questions to evaluate the satisfaction of parents with the training
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and relevancy of the training (level one), parent confidence and commitment (level two), the critical
behaviors and required drivers of parents (level three), and the desired results of the district (level four).
Many questions were adapted from Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick’s (2016) blended evaluation tool.
Data Analysis and Reporting
After the administration of the assessment tools, all key stakeholders should receive the
analyzed data collected. Key stakeholders include those, directly and indirectly, involved in family
engagement. These key stakeholders, directly and indirectly, impact meeting the district’s organizational
goal in 100% family engagement.
The New World Kirkpatrick Model and the Blended Evaluation Model is an integrated
framework for planning, implementing, and evaluating training programs (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick,
2016). The recommendations indicated how the school district might optimize the organizational
structure to support the district in meeting its organizational goal for family engagement. The Kirkpatrick
and Kirkpatrick model identifies results, leading indicators, critical behaviors, drivers, required learning,
and reactions. The evaluation model also provided indicators for determining if parents are making
progress towards 100% engagement. The recommendations of this study were integrated into the
implementation and evaluation plan to assess whether participants are displaying gaps in knowledge
and motivation influences.
Limitations and Delimitations
As with any study, various factors limited this research. Limitations are the elements that are
not in the researcher's control (Salkind & Frey, 2019). These limitations included survey respondents and
their truthfulness. For example, surveys cannot directly measure behavior (e.g., Did a parent attend
teacher-parent conferences?), so these survey questions only provided information about their thoughts
or perceptions of their behaviors (Salkind & Frey, 2019). While the researcher could not control this, the
study supported truthfulness by creating survey questions that encouraged accurate and honest
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responses by reinforcing anonymity of participants and the use of the information to improve parent
partnership structures.
Since respondents are self-selected to participate in the survey, the data gathered cannot
represent all parents. The researcher ensured that strategies are in place to offset such issues, including
a confidential data collection process, member checking, and reflective analysis of the survey questions
based on the research questions, conceptual framework, and KMO influences. The survey questions did
not portray a right or wrong answer. The questions elicited feedback on how the school can better
support their involvement and provides an outlet for their opinions. If the respondent is likely to
respond dishonestly, this inaccuracy of the data becomes problematic. For example, if a survey
respondent believes that they "should have" opened the progress report in January, the parent might
respond in the survey that they did look at it, even if the respondent knew they did not. To deter these
"ought to" inaccuracies, the researcher made the survey transparent using the information gathered to
make organizational decisions that support parents. If respondents believed that their answers would
bring about change, participants were more likely to respond honestly.
One final note to mention includes the district's lack of diversity of parents and the survey
responses. The community included a higher median household income and lower unemployment rate
than the national average. Eighty-four percent of students are white within the Galva Unified School
District. It is important to note that this is significantly different from many of the research studies.
Therefore, it makes it impossible to develop causal relationships that can be generalized to other
schools.
Delimitations occurred due to the decisions of the researcher concerning the methods of the
study, the modified gap analysis design, and approach. Delimitations are the components over which
the researcher controls, including how the research is focused (Nenty & Nenty, 2009). One major
delimitation was the use of surveys alone as a data collection method. Although an interview could
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include more direct questions with the option of detailed answers, the interview time would have been
too lengthy within the limited time available for the program that the study was embedded. The survey
sought to provide ordinal data from the entire group of Galva’s parents. By concentrating on ordinal
data, the survey offers a straightforward way to understand better how parents perceive parent
engagement. The survey data provided a sense of the beliefs and perspectives of the KMO influences
outlined in the conceptual framework.
Another limitation of using a survey included the limited nature of the respondents to clarify or
confirm their responses (Salkind & Frey, 2019), and follow-up is not possible. Given that the researcher
was a stakeholder in a position of power within the district, it was critical to choose stakeholders whom
the researcher does not have authority over and a data-collection method that allows for increased
anonymity. While interviewing parents would have provided more detailed data, the researcher
determined that evaluating the current conditions was the purpose of the study, so the depth of data is
sufficient. The depth of possible interview data was unnecessary.
Another delimitation included the timeframe and ability to gather additional data. As this study
was within an academic degree program, the timeline creates other limitations. Time and practicality
limited the attempts of the researcher to encourage survey participation. The study included a modified
version of the KMO gap analysis based on the times and resources available. Another delimitation was
the number of items in the survey. While it would have been beneficial to ask additional questions, the
researcher had to balance the number of questions and the survey length with the number of survey
respondents. The longer the survey, the more likely people would not finish it (Salkind & Frey, 2019).
The priority was placed on the number of survey respondents so that a large sample size could better
represent the stakeholder population. The number of questions focused on the research questions,
conceptual framework, and stakeholder influences.
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Recommendations for Future Research
Additional studies examining the influences of a pandemic on student learning, parent
involvement, and school communication would provide a meaningful contribution to this body of
knowledge. While research suggests many parent involvement practices that likely improve student
learning during a pandemic, there is a need for additional research specifically addressing parent
involvement during remote learning and contexts of societal crisis.
Several opportunities for future research have emerged from this evaluative study. Additional
studies examining the influences of a pandemic on student learning, parent involvement, and school
communication would provide a meaningful contribution to this body of knowledge. Future research
should analyze other school districts to validate whether the assumed influences hold across various
schools, demographics, and contexts to expand the generalizability of the findings in this study.
Expanding the population size would allow for the use of more comprehensive data collection
instruments – including potentially both more quantitative and qualitative data – yielding richer insights
on the knowledge, motivation, and organization influences.
The effectiveness of the proposed solution set is another area for future research. A follow-up
evaluation study would add credibility to the recommendations, as would implementing and assessing
the suggestions in other schools and districts. As suggested above, future research should also evaluate
other stakeholders beyond parents. The importance of a home-school partnership cannot be
overstated. An analysis of students, teachers, and administration would add multiple perspectives,
including the knowledge, motivational, and organizational influence of each stakeholder group that
could be improved to create a more substantial parent involvement in the learning of their child.
Additional studies examining the influences of a pandemic on student learning, parent
involvement, and school communication would provide a meaningful contribution to this body of
knowledge. Future research should analyze other school districts with a more diverse population in
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terms of household income, unemployment rates, ethnicity, and race to validate whether the assumed
influences hold across various schools, demographics, and contexts to expand the generalizability of the
findings of this study. Expanding the population size would allow for the use of more comprehensive
data collection instruments – including potentially both more quantitative and qualitative data – yielding
richer insights on the knowledge, motivation, and organization influences. Since the research is
nonexperimental, it was impossible to establish genuine causal relationships. This study evaluated the
current parent engagement in one district to provide suggestions for improvement strategies, but this
study cannot be generalized easily to other settings.
Conclusion
Having examined the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences that affect parent
engagement during a crisis such as a pandemic that occurred globally in 2020, it is recommended that
the district follow through with many of the structures and practices already implemented and develop
a program to build the self-efficacy and knowledge-based of parents regarding their engagement in the
learning of their child. This quantitative study revealed that parents, in general, possess some
knowledge of best practices for supporting students, but they are eager for more information. By
providing parents training to increase their knowledge and motivation and implementing school policies
and procedures that support clear goals and collaborative pathways, the school district can capitalize on
parent engagement. By flexibly reflecting on the KMO influences, organizations can ensure that
everyone has the resources needed, and these resources are aligned with organizational priorities (Clark
& Estes, 2008).
Ultimately, parents significantly impact the success of their child, but they may not know this or
possess the skills to support their child effectively. These gaps were exasperated by the unprecedented
global context causing remote learning. COVID-19 has amplified the effects of parent engagement,
which has caused many parents to stress based on their lack of skills or motivation. No matter the
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global, national, or local context, increased or sustain high parent engagement levels rely on the
knowledge, motivational, and organizational influences by thoughtfully analyzing these influences to
create an organizational response that meets the changing needs of stakeholders. To do so, all
stakeholders within a school district can continuously envision strategies to support student learning
further, empower each other to impact student success positively, and engage in strategies to enhance
a student’s overall academic growth.
126
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Appendix A: Parent Survey
The survey should take you about 15 minutes to complete. Please help us learn as much as we can
about how to best support you and your child(ren) in various learning contexts.
Remote Learning
Please indicate the response that most matches how you felt from March 13
th
through June 5
th
.
Exceed
Expectations
Equals
Expectations
Short of
Expectations
Far Short of
Expectations
1. Your child(ren)’s overall experience
learning
2. Your overall parent experience
supporting your child(ren)’s learning
Please indicate HOW OFTEN the following occurred during remote learning.
Always
Most of
the Time
Sometimes Minimally No
3. Did your child(ren) actively engage in learning?
4. Was it possible for you to be involved in your child(ren)'s learning?
5. Do you want to be involved in your child(ren)'s learning?
6. Were you or someone in your child(ren)’s parent actively engaged in your child(ren)'s education?
Please indicate how much you AGREE or DISAGREE with each of the following statements.
(M: Self Efficacy) Strongly
Agree
Agree Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
7. I know how to help my child do well in school.
8. I do not know how to help my child learn.
9. I feel successful about my efforts to help my child learn.
10. Other children have more influence on my child’s grades
than I do.
11. I do not know if I am getting through to my child.
12. I make a significant difference in my child’s school
performance.
13. I do not know how to help my child make good grades in
school.
146
In-Person Schooling
Please indicate the response that most matches how you felt from August 21
st
through March 13
th
.
Exceed
Expectations
Equals
Expectations
Short of
Expectations
Far Short of
Expectations
14. Your child(ren)’s overall experience
learning
15. Your overall parent experience
supporting your child(ren)’s learning
Please indicate HOW OFTEN the following occurred during traditional in-person learning.
Always
Most of
the Time
Sometimes Minimally No
16. Did your child(ren) actively engage in learning?
17. Was it possible for you to be involved in your child(ren)'s learning?
18. Do you want to be involved in your child(ren)'s learning?
19. Were you or someone in your child(ren)’s parent actively engaged in your child(ren)'s education?
Please indicate how much you AGREE or DISAGREE with each of the following statements.
Strongly
Agree
Agree Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
20. I know how to help my child do well in school.
21. I do not know how to help my child learn.
22. I feel successful about my efforts to help my child learn.
23. Other children have more influence on my child’s grades than
I do.
24. I do not know if I am getting through to my child.
25. I make a significant difference in my child’s school
performance.
26. I do not know how to help my child make good grades in
school.
Please indicate how much you AGREE or DISAGREE with each of the following statements.
Strongly
Agree
Agree Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
27. I know how to supervise my child's homework.
28. I know how to communicate effectively with my child about the school day.
147
29. I know effective ways to contact my child's school.
30. I know how to communicate effectively with my child's teacher.
31. I can explain things to my child about his or her homework.
32. I know enough about the subjects of my child’s homework to help him or her out.
33. I know about volunteering opportunities at my child's school.
34. I know about special events at my child's school.
35. I have the skills to help my child's school.
Please indicate how much you AGREE or DISAGREE with each of the following statements.
Strongly
Agree
Agree Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
36. I talk to my child’s teacher about the classroom rules.
37. I talk to my child's teacher about his or her school daily routine.
38. I attend conferences with the teacher to talk about my child's learning and behavior.
39. I talk to the teacher about how my child gets along with his/her classmates in school.
40. I talk to my child's teacher about his or her difficulties at school.
41. I talk to my child's teacher about his or her accomplishments at school.
Please indicate how much you AGREE or DISAGREE with each of the following statements.
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Agree
Strongly
Agree
It is important for someone in a child’s life to…
42. Stay on top of things at school
43. Communicate regularly with the child’s teacher
44. Help their child with their homework
45. Explain tough assignments to their child
46. Talk with their child about the school day
47. Talk with other parents from their child's school
48. Support decisions made by the teacher
148
49. Make sure the school has what it needs.
50. Make the school better
51. Volunteer at the school
52. Attend parent teacher conferences to talk about their
children's learning and behavior.
53. Monitor grades using the online parent portal also known
as Home Access.
54. Check their children’s progress reports or report cards
each trimester.
Please share a little bit about yourself.
55. Which schools do your child(ren) attend? A. Elementary School
B. Middle School
C. Both
56. How many children do you have enrolled in this school district? Select number from a pull-down menu
57. What is your gender? A. Male
B. Female
58. What is your age? Select number from a pull-down menu
59. What is your ethnicity? A. Caucasian
B. African American
C. Latino or Hispanic
D. Asian
E. Two or More
F. Other/Unknown
60. Which of the following impact your ability to be more involved in
your child’s learning and school?
A. Work
B. Transportation
C. Child Care
D. Relevance
E. Timing
F. Health Reasons
G. Other Obligations
H. Nothing Interferes with Our
Involvement
61. Who is the parent/guardian most responsible for managing or
helping your child/children with their remote learning (or
traditional homework for the second question)?
A. Mom
B. Dad
C. Mom and Dad Equally
D. Extended Parent
E. Babysitter
149
F. Sibling
G. Other
62. As a parent, which topics would be most beneficial to learn
about?
1. Motivation
2. Child Development
3. Support Homework
4. Student Skills
5. Student Organization
6. Time Management
7. Technology
8. Instructional Practices
9. Questioning Strategies
10. Goal Setting
11. Self-Concept Implications
12. The Brain (How Thinking and
Learning Work)
13. None
Please share any other thoughts about below.
63. What are our strengths in terms of parent engagement?
At school (August through March)
With remote learning (March through May)
64. How could we improve our partnership with parents?
At school (August through March)
With remote learning (March through May)
65. What resources or supports they feel will help them in a distance-learning format?
66. Do you have any else you would like to share as we improve?
Thank you for taking this parent engagement survey. Your engagement will provide the district with
information relating to remote learning and our more typical learning environments, so we can continue
to grow and improve the way we support students and their families.
150
Appendix B: KMO Influences Parent Survey
Knowledge (9)
Self-Efficacy (7)
Utility Value (13)
Goals (8)
Communication (6)
Collaboration Opportunities (0)
Demographics (5)
Name, Subscale & Alpha
Coefficient
I talk to my child's teacher about
his or her accomplishments at
school.
x Fantuzzo SF (Home-School
Conferencing Subscale)
.91
I talk to my child's teacher about
his or her difficulties at school.
x Fantuzzo SF (Home-School
Conferencing Subscale)
.91
I talk to the teacher about how
my child gets along with his/her
classmates in school.
x Fantuzzo SF (Home-School
Conferencing Subscale)
.91
I attend conferences with the
teacher to talk about my child's
learning and behavior.
x Fantuzzo SF (Home-School
Conferencing Subscale)
.91
I talk to my child's teacher about
his or her school daily routine.
x Fantuzzo SF (Home-School
Conferencing Subscale)
.91
I talk to my child’s teacher about
the classroom rules.
x Fantuzzo SF (Home-School
Conferencing Subscale)
.91
It is important to stay on top of
things at school
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire (Role
Construction Subscale) .8
It is important to communicate
regularly with my child’s teacher
and school.
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire (Role
Construction Subscale) .8
It is important to help my child
with their homework
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire (Role
Construction Subscale) .8
It is important to explain tough
assignments to my child
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire (Role
Construction Subscale) .8
It is important to talk with my
child about the school day
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire (Role
Construction Subscale) .8
151
It is important to talk with other
parents from my child's school
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire (Role
Construction Subscale) .8
It is important to support
decisions made by the teacher
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire (Role
Construction Subscale) .8
It is important to make sure the
school has what it needs.
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire (Role
Construction Subscale) .8
It is important to make the
school better
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire (Role
Construction Subscale) .8
It is important to volunteer at
the school
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire (Role
Construction Subscale) .8
It is important to attend parent
teacher conferences to talk
about my children's learning and
behavior.
x Researcher Created
It is important to monitor grades
using the online parent portal
also known as Home Access.
x Researcher Created
It is important to check my
children’s progress reports or
report cards each trimester.
x Researcher Created
I do not know how to help my
child make good grades in
school.
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire (Self-
Efficacy Subscale) .78
I make a significant difference in
my child’s school performance.
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire (Self-
Efficacy Subscale) .78
I do not know if I am getting
through to my child.
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire (Self-
Efficacy Subscale) .78
Other children have more
influence on my child’s grades
than I do.
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire (Self-
Efficacy Subscale) .78
I feel successful about my
efforts to help my child learn.
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire (Self-
Efficacy Subscale) .78
I do not know how to help my
child learn.
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire (Self-
Efficacy Subscale) .78
I know how to help my child do
well in school.
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire (Self-
Efficacy Subscale) .78
152
I know how to supervise my
child's homework.
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire
(Knowledge and Skills
Subscale) .83
I know how to communicate
effectively with my child about
the school day.
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire
(Knowledge and Skills
Subscale) .83
I know effective ways to contact
my child's school.
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire
(Knowledge and Skills
Subscale) .83
I know how to communicate
effectively with my child's
teacher.
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire
(Knowledge and Skills
Subscale) .83
I can explain things to my child
about his or her homework.
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire
(Knowledge and Skills
Subscale) .83
I know enough about the
subjects of my child’s homework
to help him or her out.
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire
(Knowledge and Skills
Subscale) .83
I know about volunteering
opportunities at my child's
school.
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire
(Knowledge and Skills
Subscale) .83
I know about special events at
my child's school.
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire
(Knowledge and Skills
Subscale) .83
I have the skills to help my
child's school.
x Walker's Parental Role
Questionnaire
(Knowledge and Skills
Subscale) .83
Did your child(ren) actively
engage in learning?
x Researcher Created
Was it possible for you (or
someone in your children’s
parent) to be involved in your
children's learning?
x Researcher Created
Do you want to be involved in
your children's learning?
x Researcher Created
Were you or someone in your
children’s parent actively
x Researcher Created
153
engaged in your children's
education?
Your child(ren)’s overall
experience learning
x Researcher Created
Your overall parent experience
supporting your child(ren)’s
learning
x Researcher Created
What are our schools’ strengths
in terms of parent engagement?
(free response)
X X Researcher Created
How could our schools improve
their partnership with parents?
(free response)
X X Researcher Created
Do you have any else you would
like to share as we look to
improve? (free response)
X X X Researcher Created
Which schools do your children
attend?
X Demographics
How many students do you have
enrolled in this school district?
X Demographics
What is your gender?
X Demographics
What is your age?
X Demographics
What is your ethnicity?
X Demographics
154
Appendix C: KMO Influences Document Analysis
Document
Knowledge (1)
Self-Efficacy (0)
Utility Value (0)
Goals (7)
Communication (36)
Collaboration Opportunities (19)
Demographics (1)
Location
School Report Cards
X X
State Board of Education
Website
5Essentials Survey
• Parent Responses
• Teacher Responses
X
X
X
X
X
State Board of Education
Website
District Goal Book
X
X
School District Website
Handbooks
• Elementary School s
• Middle Schools
• High School
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
School District Website
District Presentations:
• Communication's Updates
• Communication Department
• Communication Awards
Article
• Remote Learning Plan
• Remote Learning Update
• Q&A for COVID-19
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
School #1
• Who We Are
• Mission and Vision
• Principal’s Welcome
X
X
X
X
School Websites
155
Appendix D: Evaluation Instrument
In addition to providing informal, live feedback during each session, parents will also complete a
survey with Likert scales at the end of each workshop session. The survey will include several questions
for each of the bottom levels within the New World Kirkpatrick Model.
Level 1: Reaction
Strongly
Agree
Agree Disagree Strongly
Disagree
Engagement ● I participated in the group activities in
the training session to practice
homework strategies.
● I actively engaged in the group
discussions about family engagement.
Relevance ● I found the discussions and activities
applicable to how I can support my
children academically.
● I found the concepts and ideas
appropriate for the age of my child.
Customer
Satisfaction
● Overall, the workshop session was
worth my time and energy.
● The parent session supported me in
learning parenting strategies to support
my child.
Level 2: Learning
Strongly
Agree
Agree Disagree Strongly
Disagree
Declarative
Knowledge
● I understand the purpose of family
engagement.
● I can explain this new information to
another parent.
Procedural
Skills
● I understand the suggested steps to
help my child with their homework.
● I can log on and check my child’s
grades and assignments.
156
Attitude ● I believe that this training impacted
how I see my role in helping my child
learn.
● The workshop positively changed
how I feel about homework.
Confidence ● This training helped me build my own
confidence in supporting my child
academically.
● After this session, I feel more
confident meeting with my child’s
teacher to discuss my child’s
progress.
Commitment ● I would like to be a part of the “Check
and Connect” program next year.
● I am excited to try some of these
strategies with my child.
157
Appendix E - Survey Questions for Post-Session Evaluations
In addition to providing informal, live feedback during each session, parents will also complete
an online survey including Likert scales a few weeks after the end of the entire series of workshop
sessions. The survey will include several questions for each of the levels within the New World
Kirkpatrick Model.
Strongly
Agree
Agree Disagree Strongly
Disagree
Reaction ● What I learned in the family
engagement workshop has been very
valuable to implement strategies at
home to help my child learn.
● I would suggest this training to other
parents.
Learning ● I have been able to implement the
strategies with my child that I learned
in the workshop to support my child
with homework.
● I remember most of what the training
talked about.
Behavior ● The training has changed how I help
my child with homework.
● I regularly reflect on how I can use a
variety of strategies to support my
child in completing homework.
Results ● This training connects to the overall
success of my child and their learning.
● I see my use of strategies that I use
from the workshop impacting my
child’s grades.
Abstract (if available)
Abstract
Parents engaged in their child’s schooling directly influence their child’s success and achievement. in unprecedented crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, a worldwide health concern that required many schools in the United States to switch to a remote learning situation where students learned from home, parent participation became a more substantial component of a child’s learning. The study population included parents or guardians from a Midwest suburban Kindergarten through twelfth grade school district that participated in remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The methodology Included quantitative surveys of parents and analysis of public, school district documents to determine the factors that impact engagement in a child's education. The study’s findings indicated that parent procedural knowledge, parent self-efficacy, and the utility value of their involvement are essential contributors to the engagement and the district’s communication, collaboration, and goal setting. Based on the findings, recommendations are made to close the parent knowledge, motivation, and organizational influence performance gaps and strategies for the district to utilize to create better communication and collaboration during both traditional and emergency situations.
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Asset Metadata
Creator
Westerhoff, Brenna
(author)
Core Title
Remote learning and parent engagement during a crisis
School
Rossier School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education
Degree Program
Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)
Degree Conferral Date
2021-08
Publication Date
07/28/2021
Defense Date
06/08/2021
Publisher
University of Southern California
(original),
University of Southern California. Libraries
(digital)
Tag
OAI-PMH Harvest,pandemic,parent engagement,remote learning
Format
application/pdf
(imt)
Language
English
Contributor
Electronically uploaded by the author
(provenance)
Advisor
Hirabayashi, Kimberly (
committee chair
), Hasan, Angela (
committee member
), Mora-Flores, Eugenia (
committee member
)
Creator Email
bwesterhoff@geneva304.org
Permanent Link (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC15640546
Unique identifier
UC15640546
Legacy Identifier
etd-Westerhoff-9908
Document Type
Dissertation
Format
application/pdf (imt)
Rights
Westerhoff, Brenna
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texts
Source
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(contributing entity),
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cisadmin@lib.usc.edu
Tags
pandemic
parent engagement
remote learning