This study was designed to examine whether there is an association between the activities suggested by a federally mandated Title 1 learning compact and the reading achievement of at-risk fourth grade students. In addition, the researcher investigated the relationship between specific home and school parent involvement activities and student reading scores. Specifically, connections between reading comprehension achievement and the following parent involvement variables were examined: (1) homework involvement, (2) reading together, (3) monitoring of television viewing, (4) volunteering in the school, and (5) supporting school activities. The subjects used for this study were fourth grade students who were enrolled in a Title 1 reading program. Data for the study was obtained from surveys given to teachers, the Title 1 students, and their parents. Reading achievement scores were obtained from fall and spring administrations of the reading comprehension subtest from the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and the gains between the two measures. Chi square analyses were used to examine whether the levels of involvement by specific parties on the independent variables were associated with different levels of reading comprehension achievement. A second analysis was done with analysis of variance procedures. The study did not find any significant relationships between reading comprehension achievement and the total degree of involvement by all or either parents, teacher, and students on the learning compact. When specific parental involvement variables were examined, however, some differences among the groups emerged. A significant positive association was found between the degree of homework involvement and achievement while a significant negative relationship was found between the level of parental support and reading achievement. Parents' answers to the open-ended questions indicated that almost forty percent (38.8) of them would like less demands on parents or changes made in the school climate. The usefulness of an unidimensional index of parental involvement is called into question and the results are discussed within the context of instructional implications. / Ed. D.

This article is a working paper presenting a network building cooperative project between Umeå University inSweden and Zhejiang University in China. The project focuses on parents’ involvement and home-schoolcollaboration in Sweden and China and has an ambition to entail a set of empirical objectives: (1) to map andcompare the systems, policies, curricula, and resources dealing with home-school collaboration in Sweden andChina at the national level; (2) to identify and analyze the similarities and differences in the definitions, foci,models, practices, and perspectives on home-school collaboration in the two countries at the local level; and (3) toidentify and seek out good examples and models from both countries for communication and interaction amongteachers, parents, and students. Following an introduction to the project design where a comparative case-studyapproach is presented, this article reviews policies and researches concerning home-school collaboration inSwedish and Chinese contexts. Cases from both countries are selected, described, and discussed. Relative issues forfurther study are suggested. / Establishing research network between Sweden and China on cooperation between home and school

Thesis advisor: Eric Dearing / The value of home-school collaboration has been repeatedly touted in psychology and education (e.g., Pomerantz et al., 2007). However, impacts on learning may depend on whether home-school relationships are, in fact, truly collaborative. Indeed, the importance of educators having asset-based partnership attitudes – viewing families as partners who bring strengths to the collaboration, including knowledge, skills, and cultural capital – and the pedagogical skills to make use of these assets has become clear in the literature (McWayne et al., 2022). Yet, many questions remain around how asset-based partnership practices can be supported for teachers working with marginalized and disadvantaged families, especially around teaching early math.The present dissertation study examined preschool teachers’ and families’ uses of early math home-school collaboration kits—Family Math Kits—that were co-designed to build asset-based home-school partnerships in 24 Head Start classrooms in the Boston area. The study aimed to examine implementation testing and correlational indications of kit impact on teachers and families. Four key findings emerged. First, there were large differences in fidelity of implementation both across study sites and within study sites. While site and center leadership was likely critical to some of these differences, teacher and family focus groups also revealed both implementation challenges and opportunities that deserve future attention in the field. Second, despite variability in implementation fidelity, the kits were not only enjoyable for families, but the kits also provided meaningful early math learning opportunities (i.e., uncovering family strengths in their daily lives) that families could communicate with teachers. Third, while teachers were able to learn more about their families (i.e., family strengths) via the kits, challenges remained as to how to best utilize experiences from families in the classroom. Fourth, kits appeared to be positively associated with changes in teachers’ beliefs and attitudes such that teachers who implemented the kits with higher fidelity displayed a trend toward improved attitudes and beliefs (e.g., general pedagogical beliefs to specific beliefs around early math and home-school collaboration), especially around teachers’ math confidence. However, the use of the kits appeared to have somewhat mixed associations with family attitudes and beliefs. Taken together, these study findings underscore the importance and challenges of effective home-school collaboration for early math learning that is strengths-based. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2024. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology.

Parental involvement has a major influence on students' academic and overall success; however, Latino parents tend to be less involved than non-Latino parents. Additionally, Latino students have higher dropout rates than other ethnic groups, and their continued underachievement is of great concern to many educators. The purpose of this study is to better understand Latino mothers' involvement and identify the precursor factors that may influence these mothers' involvement in their children's education. Specifically, the study investigated specific family factors that may potentially impact Latino mothers' involvement at school and at home (i.e., mothers' number of years residing in the U.S., mothers' English proficiency, mothers' level of education, and mothers' mental health). Parental involvement and family factors were evaluated using a demographic parent interview, while mothers' mental health was evaluated using the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). All participants (N = 165) were Latino mothers of children who attended Head Start programs or kindergarten in public schools in five counties in Florida. Hierarchical linear models were utilized to evaluate the relationship between the different family factors and Latino mothers' involvement at school and at home. Results indicated that at school involvement was correlated to some extent with mothers' English proficiency, mothers' education level, mothers' anxiety (panic), mothers' hostility, and mothers' paranoid ideation. Additionally, findings suggested that mothers' English proficiency increased the predicted at school involvement score for the participants. The remainder predictors were not found to be statistically significant; thus further research must be conducted to examine and better understand parental involvement of Latino parents given that these parents are less likely to become involved in their children's education.

This study examined the perspectives that mothers of children with Down syndrome (Ds) hold regarding the most appropriate educational environments for their children. Environments for students with Ds may be classified as inclusive (fully included within a general education classroom with complete access to the general curriculum and typical peers), integrated (self-contained within a general education school, with some interaction with typical peers), or segregated (separate school for students with intellectual disabilities, or InD). A qualitative research design using semi-structured interviews and a follow-up focus group was used to gather thick, rich descriptions of mothers’ perspectives of these different types of settings, including academic (e.g., reading, math) and non-academic (e.g., self-esteem, peer relationships) outcomes for their children. Mothers of children of different ages (N=6) were recruited to allow for examination of how of mothers’ perspectives may change over time or vary with the child’s age. Findings yielded information that can be used to help parents and educators understand mothers’ perspectives on the risks and benefits of different types of educational environments for youth with Ds.

Studien syftar till att belysa hinder för samverkan mellan hem och skola vid förekomst av långvarig problematisk skolfrånvaro i svensk grund- och gymnasieskola, kopplat till neuropsykiatriska funktionsnedsättningar. Med en hermeneutisk forskningsansats och genom tio semistrukturerade intervjuer med dels vårdnadshavare och dels rektorer ger studien en ökad förståelse för fenomenet problematisk hem- och skolasamverkan. Hindren för en god hem- och skolasamverkan sammanfattas i fyra kategorier; Meningsskiljaktigheter i sakfrågan, Kompetensbrist, Organisatoriska förutsättningar samt Bemötande. Studiens resultat tolkas med stöd av Eriksons (2004; 2013) isärhållandets princip och partnerskapsprincip där också Heidegrens (2009) resonemang kring erkännande ger en fördjupad förståelse av informanternas upplevelser av problematisk hem- och skolasamverkan vid omfattande skolfrånvaro och samtida neuropsykiatriska svårigheter. Analysen av det insamlade materialet ger för handen att det vid en problematisk hem- och skolasamverkan, under de studerade förutsättningarna, inte upprättas det Heidegren (2009) och Erikson (2013) beskriver som erkännande. Detta grundar sig i att tillit och förtroende inte ges möjlighet att etableras emellan parterna i samverkan på grund av de olika hinder som beskrivs i resultatets fyra kategorier. / The study aims to shed light on obstacles to home-school collaboration in the presence of long-term school absenteeism in Swedish primary and secondary schools, linked to neuropsychiatric disabilities. With a hermeneutic research approach and through ten semi-structured interviews with partly parents and partly principals, the study provides an increased understanding of the phenomenon of problematic home-school collaboration. The obstacles to a productive home-school collaboration are summarized in four categories; Differences of opinion on the matter, lack of competence, organizational conditions and treatment. The study’s results are interpreted with the support of Erikson’s (2004; 2013) separation principle and partnership principle, where also Heidegren’s (2009) reasoning regarding recognition provides a deeper understanding of the informants’ experiences of problematic home-school collaboration in the case of extensive school absences and neuropsychiatric difficulties. The analysis of the collected material shows that in case of a problematic home-school collaboration, under the conditions studied, what Heidegren (2009) and Erikson (2013) describe as recognition is not established. This is based on the fact that trust is not given the opportunity to be established between the parties in the collaboration due to the various obstacles described in the four categories of the result.

The role of parents in their children’s education presents significant evidence in schools’ academic results, when parental roles in education are given priority. It is noted that parents play a significant role in improving a school’s academic results. The aim of this study was to investigate the techniques utilised by schoolteachers to involve parents in children’s education in selected secondary schools within the Metro-Central Education District, Western Cape. A qualitative research approach was utilised, employing research methods which included face-to-face interviews, reading school polices and going through parents’ meeting minutes. The investigation focused on two secondary schools that were purposefully selected to participate in the study. This investigation revealed that participants in the study overlooked the role of parents in their schools. Therefore, although they involve parents in some school activities, there is a need for training on how the school principals should optimally involve parents in school activities. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management)