Family Engagement is an imperative practice to ensure sustainable success in schools. Extensive research has been conducted on the effectiveness of family engagement practices in schools. Family Engagement's successes have been acknowledged: however, upon deeper examination of the research, it can be concluded that many family engagement practices are not effective in all schools. This is due to the demographic profile of the schools where research was conducted. This basic qualitative study was conducted at a diverse and rural Title I school. The following research questions guided the study: what family engagement practices do parents, teachers, and administrators indicate the school is implementing? What practices are perceived by parents, teachers, and administrators as effective family engagement practices? What else do parents, teachers, and administrators indicate the school should be doing to support family engagement? Parents were stratified into groups based on their declared race, while teachers were stratified by experience. Two administrators were also interviewed. Data from the interviews were coded and reviewed to see what the stratified groups perceive as successful family engagement practices. Findings from this study indicated that one-and-done family engagement events were the most prevalent method of family engagement. School leaders should consider the variety of these events and involve parents in the planning of such events. Parents also identified communication and relationship building as the basis of strong family-school partnerships. Leaders need to ensure that many opportunities for relationship building exist and a proactive approach is taken regarding communication with families. Participants identified that accessibility to family engagement events was necessary. Leaders must consider the scheduling of such events and increase the variety of times they are scheduled. Participants also identified communication as the most significant need from Country Elementary School. Leaders need to ensure multiple methods of communication are used and language barriers are eliminated. / Doctor of Education / Family Engagement is an important practice to ensure student achievement and overall success of schools. There is already an extensive body of research proving family engagement's effectiveness. However, newer research indicated that not all schools are benefiting from these engagement practices. This is mainly due to the population of students and families at the schools where the initial research took place. This basic qualitative study takes place at a rural Title I school and answer the following research questions: what family engagement practices do parents, teachers, and administrators indicate the school is implementing? What practices are perceived by parents, teachers, and administrators as effective family engagement practices? What else do parents, teachers, and administrators indicate the school should be doing to support family engagement? Parents, teachers, and administrators were participants in interviews to collect data to answer those questions. Findings from this study indicated that one-and-done family engagement events were the most prevalent method of family engagement. School leaders should consider the variety of these events and involve parents in the planning of such events. Parents also identified communication and relationship building as the basis of strong family-school partnerships. Leaders need to ensure that many opportunities for relationship building exist and a proactive approach is taken regarding communication with families. Participants identified that accessibility to family engagement events was necessary. Leaders must consider the scheduling of such events and increase the variety of times they are scheduled. Participants also identified communication as the most significant need from Country Elementary School. Leaders need to ensure multiple methods of communication are used and language barriers are eliminated.

Strategies for Increasing Parental Involvement for Elementary School Students by Amanda N. Compton MEd, University of Memphis, 1991 BS, University of Memphis, 1982 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University August 2016 Students are more successful in school when their parents are involved in their education; This concept is especially true for students living in poverty. The school staff of the elementary school studied in this project study identified the need for improved parental involvement to help close the student achievement gap. In this explanatory sequential mixed methods study, surveys were used to determine the ways parents were involved in their children's education followed by interviews with parents to learn how the school could improve parental participation and family engagement. The research was based on Epstein's model of parent involvement, which includes 6 elements of parental involvement: family obligations, obligations of schools, involvement at school, involvement at home, involvement in decision making, and community involvement. The quantitative phase consisted of 76 parent surveys, and the qualitative phase consisted of 11 parent interviews at the school site. The data were calculated and coded according to the 6 types of parent involvement. From the descriptive statistics used to report the quantitative data, it was evident that all 6 types of parent involvement were important in engaging parents in the education of their children. Communication and learning at home were more of a focus in the qualitative phase of this study. The results showed that schools should plan more effectively to help parents understand how to aid their children at home and to communicate more effectively for purposes of improving student achievement. Professional development will result in positive social change by causing school staff to improve upon the practices they use to engage parents in schools. The improved family engagement will benefit students' academic abilities and social skills.

Florence Nightingale used the principles of patient-centered care as the foundation for nursing practice. Today, patient-centered care delivery is part of the healthcare reform process that extends interprofessionally throughout all settings of healthcare in the United States (U.S.). Patient satisfaction measurement is one primary determinant of effective patient-centered care. The standardized Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey and methods is a nation-wide tool used to measure patient satisfaction. However, this method of patient satisfaction assessment relies on recollections of patients’ hospital experiences and requires accurate memory and recall. This study sought to examine the effect of the memory-experience gap on patients’ perceptions of their hospital experiences and address this research question: Are there any statistical differences between in-hospital and two-week post-discharge perceptions of patient-centered care as measured with HCAHPS patient satisfaction ratings on (a) the composite scores for communication with nurses, communication with physicians, communication about medicines, pain management, staff responsiveness, (b) the individual scores for the hospital environment’s cleanliness and quietness, and the inclusion of patient and family preferences in the plan of care, and (c) the overall global rating score? The design was a non-experimental, prospective, descriptive correlational study. The setting was a 255-bed regional hospital that serves individuals from eight surrounding rural counties in southern middle Tennessee. The case-mix contained diverse individuals with multiple economic, environmental, physical, social and spiritual dynamics. A convenience sample of 82 adult patients ages 26 - 93 represented mainly Caucasian females with mostly cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses who had a minimum one-day stay.

Thesis advisor: Martin Scanlan / As the populations of public schools in the United States grow increasingly more diverse, it is critical for district and school leaders to understand how educators make sense of their responsibility to improve outcomes for historically marginalized students. Culturally responsive practice (CRP) is a framework of beliefs and practices to enhance these students’ success. Additionally, it is well established that family engagement in schools also supports student achievement. This qualitative case study explores the intersection of CRP and family engagement by focusing on two research questions: (1) How do educators understand CRP in efforts to engage families of marginalized students and (2) How do educators enact that understanding in practice? It is part of a larger case study examining understanding and enactment of CRP in a diverse Massachusetts school district. Along with Mapp’s (2013) Dual Capacity Building Framework of family engagement, I apply Maitlis’ (2005) organizational sensemaking theory to data collected from semi-structured interviews, document review and an online survey. Findings reveal that educators understood CRP in regards to family engagement as the need to know students and families and recognize differences in their cultures. Also, educator understanding emanates from both personal and professional experiences including learning from colleagues, students and families. However, educators lack a common definition or understanding of CRP in regards to family engagement. Consequently, family engagement practices vary and tend to be more traditional versus reflective of CRP. This study revealed the need for stronger district direction and support for CRP and family engagement. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2020. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

The majority of research about parent involvement and family engagement indicates a positive relationship between parent involvement and student achievement. However, parent involvement as a useful strategy in education in developing countries is not well known, let alone researched. Until the current study no research has been published specifically about the types and frequency of family engagement in Tonga. This means there is no frame of reference for teachers, administrators and parents in Tonga to evaluate the applicability of existing family engagement research which has been predominantly conducted in developed countries, to schools in Tonga. This research is a descriptive, exploratory study to understand parent involvement in Tonga from the perspective of Tongan parents and teachers. The guiding framework was developed by Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler (1995) who identified three key constructs that influence parents' decisions for involvement -- parent motivational beliefs, invitations to be involved, and life context variables. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to gather and analyze data that were gathered from teachers (n=88) and parents (n=503) during focus groups and surveys at four schools that are owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Tonga. The overarching desire was to understand why parents make the choices they do about the types and frequency of their involvement. Factor analysis and reliability tests supported the use of the selected survey instruments in this study. Some findings were similar to those found in research in developed countries including the way Tongan parents and teachers defined what parent involvement is. Further research could identify parent involvement behaviors that are particularly relevant in Tonga which improve student achievement Although the schools involved in this study are English speaking schools, language did not appear to be a strong barrier or enabler for parent involvement. However, a strong culture of respect and duty was repeatedly mentioned as potentially inhibiting parent involvement. Invitations appear to play a significant positive role in promoting parent involvement and may help mitigate parents' reluctance to participate. Encouraging and training teachers to extend effective invitations to parents which include specific suggestions for involvement may help increase the frequency of parent involvement.

Recently within the juvenile justice system there has been a great deal of attention toward increasing family involvement, with the goal of enhancing the quality of service-delivery for youth active with the justice system and their families, and ultimately achieving better overall outcomes. Many states are adopting new initiatives and policies to improve the involvement and engagement of family members in decision-making, treatment, supervision and overall case management. To date, however, there is little published empirical evidence that demonstrates whether or how such involvement will translate into greater success, increased compliance with treatment and conditions, goal attainment, reduced length of stay/time on supervision, and ultimately lower recidivism rates, for youth active with the juvenile justice system. Furthermore, there is a need to clearly define and operationalize “family involvement” within a juvenile justice context, which has not yet been clearly conceptualized or operationalized in the literature. While there are a few studies that examine family involvement with justice involved youth, these are generally limited to youth in out-of-home placement facilities. With the majority of youth remaining in the community during their involvement with the juvenile justice system, conducting research within a community-based setting is an integral part of understanding family involvement. The current study sought to provide an understanding of how best to measure and operationalize family involvement in a broader juvenile justice context. In addition to developing a working definition of, and framework for, family involvement, this dissertation examined whether or not family involvement influences recidivism. To examine the relationship between family involvement and recidivism from a community corrections lens, the current study used case record data from a random sample of 300 youth referred to the Dauphin County Pennsylvania Juvenile Probation Department in 2010. In Pennsylvania juvenile probation officers are involved with a case from referral to case closing; therefore, in addition to providing a community corrections setting, the juvenile probation department provides the opportunity to measure family involvement from case beginning to end. Employing a longitudinal cohort design, two years of retrospective data were collected for the 97 females and 203 males included in the study sample. Multivariate analyses were used to measure the relationship between various indicators of family involvement and youth outcomes. Findings show that family member presence at court hearings is a significant predictor of recidivism. Youth whose family members missed at least one court hearing were significantly more likely to have a violation of probation filed, to recidivate, and to have a shorter time to rearrest. Additionally, when exploring familial characteristics that may contribute to family involvement, risk assessment results and family member criminal justice history were significantly related to various family involvement measures. This research helps lay the conceptual and empirical foundation for understanding and testing the impact of family involvement, and its findings contribute to the knowledge of the role of family in the juvenile justice system. This dissertation also suggests new areas of research to assess the effects of family involvement on juvenile justice outcomes. These initial findings assist in understanding the nature and impact of such initiatives, and provide important feedback to policy makers and program officials as they continue to shape the role of a family involvement strategy in juvenile justice, with the primary goal of increasing overall youth success and reducing recidivism. / Criminal Justice

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The purpose of this mixed-methods study is to identify major factors that directly affect parental involvement in 21st century schools. This study examined several elements of parental involvement. It calculated the idea of the changing family context and parental involvement, technology and parental involvement, the impact of Cultural Capital and parental involvement, the impact of the Academic Parent Teacher Teams program and parental involvement, and parents’ demographics and parental involvement. Data gathered to inform the research were derived from parent surveys and teachers and administrators interviews. The research examined the relationship between the parental involvement and parents’ perception of the school's accessibility, parents' perception of school's communication, parents’ perception of the school’s climate, parent’s perception of their role in student's learning, teachers’ perceptions of the role of technology, parents’ perceptions of the usefulness of the Academic Parent Teacher Teams (APTT) Program, teachers’ perceptions of the usefulness of the APTT Program, Cultural Capital, and parents’ demographics: level of education, occupation, socioeconomic level, parental structure, ethnicity, and marital status parental. The benefits of the research are to inform educators how to structure programs that will directly assist parents on how to help their children more effectively at home, to reeducate parents on how to unpack standards, and measure the successfulness of a program that helped to bridge the gap between family and school. The surveys and interviews were administered at the elementary school located in Atlanta. The researcher focused this work on studies examining the associations between family, home and school because these associations began emerging as efforts to assess the efficacy of governmental programs and other interventions. In the late 1990s, scholarly attention turned to “community control of schools, especially in the education of low-income children, special education students, and English language learners” (McKenna & Millen, 2013, p. 14). These researchers sought to recommend strategies that would promote parent, family, and community involvement. These areas and these children were considered as the ones that could benefit the most from parental involvement. The results from these studies seek to add more clarity on how educators today can enlighten schools on how to bridge the family and school gap in the 21st century.

abstract: During the winter semester of 2018, I conducted a series of four workshops to teach parents (n = 6) strategies that could be used from home with their fourth-grade struggling readers. This study was situated in an elementary school located in North Las Vegas, NV. I invited students that scored two or more years below grade level, as indicated by the STAR Reading Assessment (a grade equivalency assessment). The purpose of this study focused on how family engagement resulting from the implementation of four small group workshops delivered by the teacher (and researcher) could affect reading performance of students who were below grade level. This mixed-methods action research study was informed by Bourdieu’s Theory of Cultural Capital (1977), Bandura’s Theory of Self-efficacy (1986), and school, family, and community partnership models. Quantitative data included pre- and post-intervention parent surveys, post-intervention student surveys, and pre- and post-intervention student reading assessments. Qualitative data included field notes and post-intervention parent interviews. A repeated-measure t-test found the difference between student pre- and post-assessment to be statistically significant, t(9) = -3.38, p = 0.008. Findings also indicated that parents utilized the skills learned, increased their self-efficacy in regards to family involvement, and overcame obstacles. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2019

Many students who receive Response to Intervention (RTI) Tier II support at an elementary school on the east coast of the United States seldom reach grade level expectations based on end of year assessments. Parents of students who receive RTI Tier II instruction often do not take advantage of the opportunities for involvement at the elementary school. The purpose of this qualitative research was to investigate the perceptions of 34 parents who receive RTI Tier II instructional services about what inspires them to become involved in their child's education at home and at school. This study investigated the opportunities for involvement, recommendations for enhancing opportunities, and how existing opportunities for family involvement meet the needs of families. This study was guided by Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler's model of parent involvement, which states that parent involvement influences student outcomes. Epstein's framework defines 6 types of parent involvement and Vygotsky's theory states that learning is a social activity. A case study approach identified 4 themes: (a) parents preferred to communicate electronically; (b) parents were interested in getting expert advice on specific topics; (c) parents were able to identify problems with the current parent involvement opportunities and provide suggestions on how to make them better; (d) parents perceived community to be made up of the school, the parents, and the town. A policy recommendation was created based on the findings for the school to better assist parents in engaging with their child's learning. The policy includes home visits, weekly progress updates, parent training programs, electronic communication, and a public library-school partnership. This project study promotes positive social change by increasing family engagement at the school ultimately improving academic achievement.