Date of Award
2001
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Programs for Higher Education
Advisor
Charles Achilles
Committee Member
Charles L. Faires
Keywords
accountability, communication, computer communication, educational intervention, elementary education, Georgia, home-school collaboration, Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, mathematics achievement, open house, parent communication, parent contact forms, parent involvement, parent participation, reading achievement, rural school districts, school improvement, student achievement, surveys, teacher training
Abstract
In 2000, parents were less likely to be involved in school than in the previous decade. Increasing parent involvement may be related to improved student performance and prevention of poor performance in students. This practicum was conducted at 1 elementary school in a small, rural school district to investigate how to increase parent involvement and how that increased involvement would affect student performance in reading and mathematics.
Teachers were surveyed about school needs and identified parent involvement as the needed area of improvement. Parents were surveyed about participation in the school, and a set of strategies was designed to involve parents. Parent involvement was encouraged in school-site and home participation in the practicum intervention. A communication plan was developed. During an open house, parents were given information packets and encouraged to be involved in the students' education during the year. A Parent Contact Form was developed to record parent participation in the school. Two teachers per grade were trained in computer communication. After administration of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, reading and math scores were compared, pretest and posttest.
The researcher analyzed student performance in reading and math when compared to another elementary school (control group) as the baseline (pretest). Posttest scores were also compared. Scores were also compared to the average Georgia data as a benchmark. Parent involvement seemed to make a small difference in student performance in reading and math. As a result of the practicum implementation, parent involvement increased in school, a Parent Contact Form improved accountability for parent participation, and there was a small improvement in student achievement.