Finding Solutions To Increase Parent Involvement Doc Serena Robinson

Running Head: FINDING SOLUTIONS TO INCREASE PARENT INVOLVEMENT
Finding Solutions to Increase Parent Involvement

Serena Robinson
Arkansas Tech University

I.
Student Information
Name: Serena Robinson

ATU email address: srobinson31@atu.edu
Student T#: T01156115
Current Employer: UCA Cafeteria or (Aramark)
Current Position: Lobby Assistant
I.
Project Site Information
Organization Name: Central Christian Academy

Address (City, State, Zip): 1250 Hogan Lane, Conway, AR 72034
II.
Stakeholders Information
Stakeholders Name: Kayla Cothren

Position/Responsibility: Administration
Email Address: ccasitedirector@gmail.com
Strategy for Meeting with Stakeholders (How often will you meet with your stakeholders to
discuss your project?) Four or five times a week over the phone or email
Background
Central Christian Academy began in 2008 as a ministry to the Central Arkansas area
for families to have a high quality program for their children. They provide preschool
education for children between the ages of 6 weeks-5 years including after school programs
for school age children. Central Christian Academys curriculum focuses on literacy,
character education, language development, Math and Science. The two curriculums that
Central Christian Academy has are Pinnacle and Core Knowledge. They use a hands-on
sensori-motor approach to learning in the classroom.
The Pinnacle is based on the works of Gardner, Piaget and Erikson and it is
published in an easy to use format that includes lesson plan guides, activity enrichments and
long range goals that are linked to key standards. The Pinnacle is offered to infants, toddlers,
2-4 year olds and school age children. There are three parts to the Core Knowledge
curriculum such as coherent, cumulative and content-specific. The coherent side of the core
knowledge curriculum teaches children five subjects such as Science, History, Math, Art and
Music. The cumulative approach provides a clear outline of content to be learned grade by
grade so that knowledge, language and skills build up from year to year. The Content-specific
sequence emphasizes subjects such as language arts, History, Geography, Math, Science and
fine arts. The Pinnacle curriculum is bible based because the teachers at Central Christian
Academy does daily bible lessons each day in circle time and weekly scriptures. Central
Christian Academy is aimed toward equipping children with skills in the five main areas such
as physical, social, spiritual, academic and emotional.
A woman named Louise Hart said a statement regarding parent involvement The
best thing to spend on your children is time. Parents should devote themselves to taking
some time out from their busy schedules and spend time with their children. The parental
involvement activities that Central Christian Academy plans are Thanksgiving Dessert day,
field trip to the pumpkin patch, dads and donuts, moms and mocha, scholastic book fair and
Christmas/Spring musicals. Parents have the opportunity to get involved in PTO, assist as a
homeroom parent or help with special activities at Central Christian Academy including
parent-teacher conferences each semester. Parent involvement is important because they are a
value to the school and volunteers in the classroom.
One federal policy such as the No Child Left Behind Act defines parent involvement
as the participation of parents in regular, two way and meaningful communication involving
student academic learning and other school activities (107th Congress, 2002). A woman
named Nancy Hill defined parental involvement in a different way than the No Child Left
Behind Act policy. She stated that parental involvement in education means parents interact
with their children and the schools to promote academic success (Hill, 2004). Parent
Involvement actually began in nursery schools in the United States from 1920 to 1960
(Tekin, 2011). Parent involvement includes communicating with educators, volunteering at
schools, fostering learning at home, engaging in the decision-making process at the campus
or district level, participating in school and community partnerships. Culture determines an
individuals attitudes, beliefs and actions so some families find it difficult to participate in
school because of the cultural influences. For example, Anglo-American families were more
actively engaged in volunteering at school compared to other ethnicities that only
participated with their children at home (Harold, 1996). If teachers dont learn about their
students cultural backgrounds, then parents may or may not get involved more in the school.
Teachers can use effective communication both verbal and nonverbal, make eye contact,
smile, open doors and pull out chairs for parents to sit in when they have circle time.
Purpose of Project
The purpose of this project is to understand the importance of parent involvement in

early childhood education and to figure out ways to improve parent involvement in
elementary schools. For example, Central Christian Academy is always coming up with new
ideas for parents to get involved. Some of the things that they do with the parents are Moms
and Mochas and Dads and donuts. They always keep their doors open for parents to come in
the classroom and read to their child. They would like to do more things so that parents can
get involved such as Parents Night Outs and Summer activities. Some of the Parents Night
Outs that they could do include taco salad night, ice cream parlor night, family game night,
Make a Wish on a Star night, Reading is Fun night and Moms and Daughters Beauty Salon
including Dads and Social night. The Dads and Social night is where fathers and sons can
have a simple conversation about school and fun activities such as soccer and basketball.
Some of the Summer activities that they could do include going on a hiking trip or bicycle
ride with the children, going to a summer camp such as Camp Solgohachia, taking a trip to
Wild River Country water park and going to a 4H club to do arts and crafts, horseback riding
and gymnastics. Parents need to feel welcome and know that they can volunteer and help
anywhere whether it is the classroom or in the community.
When parents are involved in their childrens education and when teachers and
administrators allow such involvement, positive changes are experienced in student
achievement, student attendance, student attitudes toward school, student motivation for
learning, increase in social skills and a decrease in disciplinary action (Ashby, 2006). There
are three main reasons that influence the involvement of parents in the educational process
(Moles, 1993). The first one is the psychological and cultural factors that are related to
parents and teachers which prevents the establishment and development of the parent-school
partnership. The second one is that the interaction opportunities are limited due to parents
and teachers busy schedules. The last thing is the insufficiency of knowledge and skills of
teachers regarding parent involvement.
Two influential curriculum models such as Reggio Emilia and the Developmentally
Appropriate Practice or DAP advocate a vital role of parental involvement in childrens
learning (Copple, 2009). A man named Epstein classified parental involvement into six
categories such as parenting (nurturing children, giving them guidance), communicating
(talking regularly with school staff about programs and childrens progress), volunteering
(helping with classroom activities), learning at home (helping with homework), decision
making (participating in school decision making) and collaborating with the community
(Epstein, 2010). When parents volunteer at the school, children learn how to communicate
better with adults, parents understand the job duties of teachers and their talents are
discovered by teachers and administrators. There are three psychological constructs for
parents involvement decisions. One is role construction where parents understand their
responsibilities in their childs education. The second one is self-efficacy where the parents
belief about competence is helpful to their childs success in school. The third one is the
general invitations and opportunities for parents to get involved in the classroom.
Parental involvement is defined as parent participation in the educational processes and

experiences of their children. When teachers try to get parents involved in the school, it
builds parent-teacher relationships, teacher morale and a safe environment for parents to
come into the classroom. Parents are resources to the school in that the parents help
chaperone on class field trips, helping with sports activities, participating in school camps,
helping with musical and dramatic plays such as setting up props and making costumes
including volunteering in the school library. The weaknesses in parent involvement are a lack
of written school policies, minimal use of home visits, limited ideas to involve diverse
parents, minimal parent education, less parent support and limited training of teachers for
parent involvement. Teachers fail to include parent involvement for children with special
needs or disabilities whether it is making sure to complete an Individualized Education Plan
or IEP in creating goals and priorities for the future. Parents can write in a home-school diary
where they can communicate with the teachers about any issues or concerns with their child.
Problem Identified
The problem is that there is a lack of parent involvement in both preschools and
elementary schools. For instance, the Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler model of parent
involvement states that parents motivational beliefs, school environment and outside
experiences affect parents decision to be involved in their childs education (Hoover,
Dempsey and Sandler, 2005). For example, Central Christian Academy respects all of their
childrens cultures and their different backgrounds such as Mexican-American, AfricanAmerican and Chinese. Another example could be that one parent may disagree with a
teacher from Central Christian Academy concerning religion such as prayer and how it
should be used more often like during meals and circle time. The last example could be a
parent disagrees with a teacher from Ida Burns Elementary who teaches the students outside
near the playground every day instead of inside the classroom. One more example could be
that a teacher from Central Christian Academy forgets to send important notes with the
children for parents to attend a Valentines Day party at the school. Many preschools and
elementary schools depend on parents to volunteer in the classroom such as being a student
teacher or teacher assistant, participate in fund-raising events such as bake sales and festivals
including other activities (Leviten-Reid, 2010).
Parents instill values such as cooperation, honesty, responsibility, kindness and
compassion including goals and expectations for their children to become better citizens in
life. Parents not only volunteer in the classroom but they complete home based activities
such as helping their child with homework and giving their child feedback on the homework.
For example, a parent of a 5 year old child may help them write their letters or numbers
including teaching them how to read. Another example could be a parent of a 7 year old
could help them with fractions, word problems, decimals and percents. Parents of middle
school children are less involved at home and school compared to parents who are more
involved in childcare centers (Green, 2007). Parents become more involved in their childs
education because they construe the parental role as including parental involvement in their
childs education (Hoover, Dempsey and Sandler, 1995). In other words, parents and teachers
both are considered role models because children look up to them for guidance,
encouragement and support.
There are three main sources that led to conflicts between the principal and parents that
attended the PTO meetings at a suburban elementary school. The first one is the conflict
about the school environment such as parents wanted a warm, friendly and sensitive
environment compared to the principal who wanted an orderly and safe environment. The
second one is the authority of the principal in the planning of events such as the approval or
disapproval of a teacher taking the students on a field trip to the zoo and parents chaperoning
the event. The last one is the lack of communication between teachers, the principal and
parents including minimal training. Around the 20th century, fundraising was considered an
important function of parent groups (Cutler, 2000). The male school administrators banned
parent-teacher groups from participating in fundraising events because it would give the
parents too much authority (Woysher, 2003). Today, parents participate in school events such
as Spring fairs, book sales and cultural assemblies.
Different PTO or Parent Teacher organization activities such as gift-wrap fundraisers,
extracurricular activities and petitions serve as an important function in schools. A woman
named Sarah Lawrence Lightfoot described parent involvement in this statement. The
greater the difference between family, community culture and school norms, the greater the
need for parents and teachers to work hard at knowing one another (Lightfoot, 1978).
Parents and teachers need to work together when it comes to planning events and fundraisers
so that the school is a better place and engaging environment for everyone to be in. One
suggestion for the PTO-principal conflict is that school districts should develop realistic
models of the amount of time principals working in upper middle class communities spend to
interact with parents (Goldring, 1996). Principals could work with teachers to decide
suggestions for how they can make parents feel welcome in the school whether it is reading
to a child or participating in circle time.
10
Research Methods and Procedures
The primary data and information to determine the continuous improvement plan
for the lack of parent involvement will be gathered through parents, teachers, principals and
administration. The survey will ask the opinion of these education professionals. The survey
is included in Attachment A. Individuals asked to complete the survey include parents,
teachers, principals and administration. Phone interviews, additional surveys and
questionnaires will be conducted to determine if parents feel welcome at the school, other
ways they could contribute to the school, different activities that parents like to do with their
children, whether teachers are allowing parents to participate in the classroom including if
they need training in parent involvement. Also, the phone interviews, additional surveys and
questionnaires will be used to determine if principals approve or disapprove of teachers
taking children on a field trip with parents chaperoning the event. Questions asked of parents,
teachers and principals will include those on the survey instrument reflected in Attachment A.
The survey, as reflected in Attachment A will be emailed or given in person for
each parent, teacher and principal including administration to complete. Each person will
return the survey when they are finished with it. Responses from the surveys and
questionnaires will be reviewed, assessed and complied. Phone interviews from a preschool
and elementary school will also be conducted.
The survey and questionnaire will include questions regarding parent involvement.
The survey will consist of teachers and principals opinions about parent involvement
including the questionnaire of parents opinions of their involvement in the school. Some of
the questions for teachers and principals concerning parent involvement will include the
11
amount of training that is required for parent involvement, the principals approval or
disapproval of a class field trip, whether teachers provide a safe environment for parents to
feel welcome in the school, whether teachers use resources such as newsletters, important
notes and boards to advertise different activities and events that parents can participate in,
principals address parents concerns such as how a teacher doesnt respect their childs
cultural background, their childs progress in school or the way a teacher teaches a subject
that is not part of how the parent learned. The questionnaire for parents will include
suggestions of activities that parents would like to do with their children at the school, ways
that parents could volunteer in the community such as bake sales and fundraisers that help
contribute to the school like buying new books for the library, suggestions for how teachers
could do better at involving parents in the classroom and if parents practice traditional culture
such as dances or songs that could be used by teachers in the classroom.
Information from the surveys, questionnaires and phone interviews will be
combined together to determine the answers and possible solutions for the lack of parent
involvement.
Some elementary schools in the lower part of the United States such as California
and Michigan dont have the necessary resources to provide adequate assistance to families
in need of support so parents dont understand whether to get involved or not in the school
(Lawson, 2003). The conventional parent involvement is both school-centered and
individually oriented meaning that there is a one-way relationship between families and
schools where parents are supposed to volunteer for the benefit of the school. This strategy
would not work well for economically poor parents because they lack the necessary
invitations, backgrounds and socio-cultural resources to participate including them
12
advocating for their childs education (Hoover, Dempsey and Sandler, 1997). A school called
Morrison Elementary gave parents a $40 stipend for each week they participated in the parent
involvement program. The different parent activities at Morrison included home visitation
and outreach programs including a student to student mentoring program. When parents were
involved in these activities, the children improved in academic achievement such as high
standardized test scores (Lawson, 2010).
The Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA) reported that in
2008-2009, 31% of students who entered high school in 2005-2006 expecting to graduate had
dropped out (Johnson, 2009). The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) stated
that the national drop-out rate for the United States is 8% with the rates for ethnic minorities
being higher than the rate for Caucasians (NCES, 2009). Even though parent involvement in
schools decreases as children get older, parents should get involved in the earlier stages of
childrens education because it can affect their graduation rates in high school and middle
school (Hill and Taylor, 2004). Parent involvement provides better student school attendance
and academic achievement in school work. Parents that are more involved in the school will
be an educational success for their child at home too. Parents that volunteer in the classroom
have positive attitudes about education and how it is important for their child to be educated
in school. There are three sources of motivation for parent involvement in school such as the
parents beliefs that they can help their child be successful in school, a positive school
climate and perceptions of an invitation from the school and the parents skills, knowledge,
time and energy for involvement (Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler, 2007). Parents want to
make sure that they find every possible way to get involved in their childs education because
it will help them have a better future in life.
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Analysis and Findings
The overall purpose of this study is to determine if parent involvement is being

addressed in the schools. If parent involvement is not being implemented enough in the
schools, then we will find other possible ways to improve parent involvement in the schools.
Parent involvement is important because teachers want to make sure that parents feel
welcome in the schools whether it is smiling, making eye contact with them or telling them
that they look nice today. Teachers want to also make sure that parents and children have a
safe, warm, comfortable and sensitive environment to attend in the classroom. Teachers want
to make sure that parents are participating in the classroom or in the community.
Analysis
The responses to the survey in Appendix A concerning parent involvement were
analyzed to determine opinions held by teachers and parents about involvement in the school.
For example, the teachers and parents at Central Christian Academy were the only two
members that completed the survey on parent involvement. One survey was issued to the
parents and the other survey was issued to the teachers through in person conversations at
Central Christian Academy. There were a total of 5 parents and 5 teachers who completed the
parent involvement survey at Central Christian Academy. The survey for parents and teachers
on parent involvement each had 10 questions for them to complete. It turns out that all 10
questions were answered from the survey with all 5 parents and 5 teachers.
Findings
For the parent survey, the questions were about whether parents were engaged and
welcomed into the classroom environment. The first question was from a scale of 1-5, do
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parents feel that they are involved in their childs classroom. Four of the parents are involved
in their childs classroom except for one parent who is not involved in their childs
classroom. The second question that I asked parents on the survey was about the different
extracurricular activities that they like to do with their child. The choices were hiking,
swimming, playing sports such as baseball, painting a picture, bicycle riding and other. Four
of the parents checked more than one activity such as playing sports such as baseball,
painting a picture and bicycle riding. Only two parents checked one activity such as
swimming, hiking or other. The third question that I asked parents was about the different
ways that teachers inform them of events at their childs school. The choices were email,
telephone, newsletter, school calendar and other. Two of the parents checked all five answers
such as email, telephone, newsletter, school calendar and other which is direct contact with
the teacher. However, only three of the parents said that email and newsletter were the
preferred means of communication for teachers to keep in contact with them. The fourth
question that I asked was the different ways that teachers inform parents about their childs
progress in school. The choices were report cards, parent-teacher conferences, open house,
telephone calls, email and other. Four of the parents checked two or more answers such as
parent-teacher conferences, open house, telephone calls and email. Only one parent circled
other on the question. The fifth question that I asked was about the things that parents could
do to help in their childs classroom. The choices were read books, assist on class field trips,
play games, help hand out snacks and other. Two of the parents checked two answers such as
assist on class field trips and help hand out snacks and the other two parents checked other,
read books and play games. The sixth question that I asked was a short answer concerning
the suggestions that teachers could improve on in providing more extracurricular activities
15
for the school. Out of the five surveys, only four parents from Central Christian Academy
responded to the question stating that they already have extracurricular activities such as tot
and sunshine academy. However, one parent did suggest that they could organize bake sales
and have a food drive. The seventh question that I asked was also a short answer about some
suggestions for how teachers can improve on informing parents about their childs progress
in school. Most of the parents said that they dont really have any suggestions for how
teachers can improve on informing them about their childs progress in school because they
already have parent-teacher conferences. One parent did suggest that they could have a
weekly progress report such as a take home paper of the things that they need to work on
with their child such as homework or behavior. The eighth question that I asked was about
whether teachers respected parents cultural backgrounds. Most of the parents agreed that
teachers have a lot of respect toward their cultural background. The ninth question follows
the eighth question in that it suggests some ways that teachers respect parents culture. The
choices are traditional dance, clothing, food and song. Three of the parents answered the first
four such as traditional dance, clothing, food and song. One parent answered with traditional
dance and one disagreed with the question stated that we are all American. The final question
that I asked the parents was whether they felt welcomed at Central Christian Academy. Most
of the parents agreed that Central Christian Academy is a great school to attend.
The faculty staff survey or teacher survey had questions regarding their opinions
about parent involvement. The first question was whether Central Christian Academy
provided adequate training on the topic parent involvement. Four of the teachers agreed that
there is adequate training for parent involvement. Only one disagreed that there is not enough
training provided for parent involvement. The second question that I asked was about some
16
of the things that teachers do to welcome parents in. The choices were show and tell,
fundraising (festival), open house, book fair and other such as parties and field trips including
parent breakfasts. Most of the teachers checked two or three options such as book fair, other
such as parties and field trips including fundraising events. The third question that I asked
was whether teachers provided enough information for parents such as a newsletter or
handbook. Most of the teachers agreed that they provide enough information for parents such
as an information packet. The fourth question that I asked was whether teachers will address
parents concerns such as their childs progress in school. Most of the teachers had different
suggestions such as handing out a tip card to discuss with parents including parent-teacher
conferences every year. The fifth question that I asked was the different activities or events
that teachers could do at the school. The choices were musicals, cupcake day, carnivals,
games and other such as bible focus and holiday parties. Most of the teachers checked either
musicals, games or other. The sixth question that I asked was whether Central Christian
Academy could change or improve on better satisfying the parents needs such as more
parents becoming teacher assistants in the classroom. Most of the teachers agreed that
Central Christian Academy has an open door policy for parents to come in and help wherever
they can. The seventh question that I asked was about the suggestions that teachers could do
to respect the parents cultural backgrounds. Most of the teachers agreed that they should be
more educated on the different cultures that parents have. The eighth question that I asked
was whether the administration at Central Christian Academy approves of teachers taking
children on field trips as long as parents give their permission. Most of the teachers agreed
that they do get the approval to take children on field trips with parents chaperoning the
event. The ninth question that I asked was what teachers could do to help families get
17
involved in the community. Four teachers suggested different activities in the community
such as inviting them to events, a bulletin board posted about churches and festivals in the
community, weekend activities, and projects for the kids and family. One teacher agreed that
the parents are already involved in community activities. The last question that I asked was
whether there were any suggestions for improving the students childcare experience. Most of
the parents stated that they always try to welcome the students and care for them when they
arrive including provide fun activities for them to do.

Parent Survey: Question 1
Always
Involved
Very
Involved
Somewhat
Involved
Less
Involved
Not Involved
Question 2
18
19
Question 3
Question 5
Question 9
Teacher Survey: Question 2
Question 5
20
21
Recommended Action Plan

Childcare centers such as Central Christian Academy should educate parents
more about getting involved in the schools such as powerpoint presentations about the
importance of parent involvement including pamphlets about things that parents could do to
contribute to the school such as fundraisers (bake sales) and book fair. The fundraisers and
bake sales may cost teachers around $20 or $30. There are three ideas that childcare centers
could do such as Central Christian Academy to help parents participate more in the school
and the community. One is that childcare centers could foster parents motivational beliefs
about the importance of making time for involvement (Hoover-Dempsey, Sandler, 2005).
Parents should make the time to be involved in their childs sponsored events. For example,
at Central Christian Academy, they have TOT and Sunshine Academy for children to
participate in such as gymnastics, cheerleading, basketball and football. The programs such
as TOT and Sunshine Academy cost around $100. The second one is that childcare centers
should be mindful of family time and create student-family activities (Hoover-Dempsey,
Sandler, 2005). The third one is that childcare centers such as Central Christian Academy
should create events that foster parent-to-parent relationships (Hoover-Dempsey, Sandler,
2005). When parents create friendships with other parents, they are more informed about the
events at childcare centers and become involved (Sheldon, 2002). The last thing is that
childcare centers should clearly communicate about involvement opportunities (HooverDempsey, Sandler, 2005). Teachers should receive training from administration or principals
about parent involvement which would not be a necessary cost for teachers.
Teachers can create a school website for parents to better get involved in the
school and community and a school website on parent involvement such as Weebly on Ellen
22
Smith Elementarys website would cost around $40. A woman named Joyce Epstein created
a framework on the six types of parent involvement in schools (Epstein, 2001). The first one
is parenting where teachers help all families establish home environments to support children
as students (Epstein, 2001). Only 87% of families have access to the internet, home computer
and smartphone (Epstein, 2001). The school website has pictures of all the students where
parents can login with their username and password including click on their childs name to
see important events. The second one is communication where teachers design effective
forms of school to home and home to school information about school programs and student
progress (Epstein, 2001). The website has calendar events posted and field trip permission
forms for parents to access. The third one is the idea of volunteering where parents become
volunteers and offer their help and support to the school (Epstein, 2001). The different parent
volunteer opportunities could range from parents chaperoning dances, library assistant,
teacher assistant and lunchtime supervision. Parents can receive information on the website
about local community groups such as the public library, Boys and Girls Club and local
sports clubs. The fourth one is the concept of learning at home where teachers provide
information and ideas about how to help children with homework and other curricular
activities (Epstein, 2001). The website has the class syllabus, class expectations, assignments
and videos to support childrens achievement. The fifth one is the decision making where
teachers include parents in school ideas and information (Epstein, 2001). The Parent Teacher
Organization or PTO including other committees such as the School Site Council, English
Learners Advisory and the Parent Teacher Group are great ways for parents to provide their
opinions such as more computers for the school (Epstein, 2001). The last one is that teachers
23
should provide resources and services for parents to volunteer in the community (Epstein,
2001).
Teachers should display a positive attitude when encouraging parents to
participate in the school. For example, in Chinese schools, parents are assigned by the
teachers to be the coordinators to meet with the teachers regularly to provide information to
the other parents during parent-teacher conferences. Teachers can also arrange home visits
where they visit the child and parents at their home to discuss the different ways that parents
get involved with their child at home such as homework and playing soccer. The different
parent education programs in the United States include the National PTA (Parent-Teacher
Association), Project Head Start, and the Corner School Development programs are
opportunities for parents to participate in the school. The United States Department of
Education provided some suggestions for teachers to create more opportunities for parent
involvement (United States Department of Education, 1997). These include designing parent
involvement around family needs, treating parents as partners in school-wide restructuring
and using school space in a new way such as hanging up a welcome sign, and setting up a
parent resource center (United States Department of Education, 1997).
Teachers should create a school gardening program that is approved by the
principal where parents and children can plant a flower, tree or a pumpkin seed once every
month to better bond with each other. Parent involvement can include parents helping their
child practice reading or literacy skills such as learning sight words and letter-sound
recognition. When parents are involved in their childs education, children have better grades,
attendance and homework completion. Parents become more involved in their childs school
and they are more likely to communicate with school personnel such as teachers and
24
principals about their childs adjustment and behavior in school. Parents can get involved in
their childs school by filling out an IEP or Individualized Education Plan for children with
disabilities to set goals and priorities including knowing their childs strengths and
weaknesses.
25
References
Boyer, R. (2011). Growing minds: Gardening and parent involvement in elementary schools.
Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, Vol. XXL, (2).
Bramesfeld, K. (2013). Parental involvement in a childcare center: Assessing predictors of
school-based involvement. The International Honor Society in Psychology, 18,
(3).
Epstein, J. (2001). Using school websites to support parent engagement. Boulder, CO.
Westview Press.
Gu, W. (2002). New horizons and challenges in Chinas public schools for parent
involvement. Education, 128, (4).
Hornby, G. (2010, March 30). Parent involvement in rural elementary schools in New
Zealand: A survey. J Child Family Studies, 19, 771-777.
Lawson, M. (2010). Social workers roles in facilitating the collective involvement of lowincome, culturally diverse parents in an elementary school. Children and
Schools, 32, (3). National Association of Social Workers.
Lindberg, E. (2014). Final year faculty of education students views concerning parent
involvement. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, 14, (4), 1352-1361.
Malone, D. (2011). Culture: A potential challenge for parental involvement in schools.
International Journal of Applied Educational Studies, 10, (2), 1-13.
Nokali, N. (2010). Parent involvement and childrens academic and social development in
elementary school. Child Development, 81, (3), 988-1005.
Zhang, Q. (2015). Defining Meaningfulness: Enabling preschoolers to get the most out of
parental involvement. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 40, (4).

Appendix
(Phase Two)
Appendix A- Parent Survey
1. On a scale of 1-5, do you feel that you are involved in your childs education?
5- Always Involved
4- Very Involved
3- Somewhat Involved
2- Less Involved
1- Not Involved
2. What kind of extracurricular activities do you like to do with your child?
- Swimming
- Hiking
- Playing sports (baseball)
- Painting a Picture
- Bicycle Riding
- Other
3. What ways are you informed of the events at your childs school?
- Email
- Telephone
- Newsletter
- School Calendar
- Other
4. In what ways are you informed of your childs progress in school?
26

- Report Cards
- Parent-Teacher Conferences
- Open House
- Telephone Calls
- Email
- Other
5. What are some of the things that you do to help in your childs classroom?
- Read Books
- Assist on Class Field Trips
- Play Games
- Help Hand out Snacks
- Other
6. What are some suggestions that teachers could improve on in providing more
extracurricular activities for the school?
7. What are some suggestions for how teachers can improve on informing you about your
childs progress in school?
8. Do teachers respect your culture?
-Yes
- No
9. In what ways do teachers respect your culture?
- Traditional Dance
- Clothing
- Food
27

- Song
10. Do you feel that Central Christian Academy is a welcoming place to be in?
- Yes
- No
28

Appendix B- Staff Survey
1. Do faculty staff provide adequate training for parent involvement?
-
Yes
No
2. What are some things that you do to welcome parents in?

-
Show and Tell
Fundraising (festival)
Open House
Book Fair
Other
3. Do you feel that you provide enough information for parents such as a newsletter or
handbook?
-
Yes
No
4. How would you address parents concerns such as their childs progress in school?
5. What other activities or events could you do at the school?
-
Musicals
Cupcake Day
Carnivals
Games
Other
29

6. Is there anything that Central Christian Academy could change or improve to better
satisfy the parents needs such as more parents becoming teacher assistants in the
classroom?
7. What could teachers do to respect parents cultural backgrounds?
8. Does the administration approve of field trips as long as parents give their permission?
-
Yes
No
9. What can you, as a teacher, do to help families get involved in the community?
10. Do you have any suggestions that could help improve your students childcare
experience?
30

Finding Solutions To Increase Parent Involvement Doc Serena Robinson

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Running Head: FINDING SOLUTIONS TO INCREASE PARENT INVOLVEMENT