Building on research that has focused on understanding how peers contribute to students' engagement, this dissertation explores the extent to which peer group influences on students' engagement may add to and be contextualized by qualities of the relationships they maintain with their teachers and their parents. To focus on how each of these adult contexts work in concert with peer groups to jointly contribute to changes in students' engagement, the two studies used data on 366 sixth graders which were collected at two time points during their first year of middle school: Peer groups were identified using socio-cognitive mapping; students reported on teacher and parent involvement; and teachers reported on each students' engagement. In both studies, models of cumulative and contextualized joint effects were examined. Consistent with models of cumulative effects, peer group engagement, parent involvement, and teacher involvement each uniquely predicted changes in students' engagement. Consistent with contextualized models suggesting differential susceptibility, peer group engagement was a more pronounced predictor of changes in engagement for students who experienced relatively low involvement from teachers. Similarly, peer group influences on changes in students' engagement were stronger for students who experienced relatively low involvement from their parents. In both cases, these peer effects were positive or negative depending on the engagement versus disaffection of each student's peer group. Both studies also used person-centered analyses to reveal cumulative and contextualized effects. Most engaged were students who experienced support from either both teachers and peers, or both parents and peers; the lowest levels of engagement were found among those students who affiliated with disaffected peers who also experienced either their teachers or parents as relatively uninvolved. Both high teacher and high parent involvement partially protected students from the motivational costs of affiliating with disaffected peers. Similarly, belonging to engaged peer groups partially buffered students' engagement from the ill effects of low teacher and parent involvement. These findings suggest that, although peer groups and teachers and parents are each important individually, a complete understanding of their contributions to students' engagement requires the examination of their joint effects.

Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2012 / The School Governing Body as the executive authority of every school has the role to govern the finance of the school efficiently, effectively and economically. It has to formulate financial policy and understand financial legislation framework in particular Public Finance Management Act, 1999, Procurement Policy and South African School Act, 1996. The problem in this study is to investigate the skills of the School Governing Body in the handling of school finances, its ability to formulate and implement school base financial policies and its implementation of South African Schools Act, 1996 and Public Finance Management Act, 1999.

This study is an historical study of parent participation in school level decision making, particularly in curriculum issues, in relation to the Victorian Government policies of Devolution through the 1980s. It was conducted as a case study of one rural secondary school, examining how the role of parents in the school�s curriculum development and associated decision making structures may have changed during the decade from the early 1980s to the early 1990s. Three conceptual models were established, which served as analytical frameworks for the field data: a Theory model of how school level participation could operate, a Policies model deriving from the expectations of the major Government policies of the time, and an Historical model based on research and analyses of practice in Australia and overseas. The findings indicate that little effective parent participation developed or took place in the school over the period under study. Major contributing factors identified are the lack of policy direction and official mechanisms, especially in implementation of change, the definition of appropriate participant roles, the culture of traditional authorities in education (teacher in the classroom, principal in school processes and bureaucracy in administration), and the local factors of community attitudes and demographic profile. While the local factors are significant, it is concluded that the policies did not provide sufficient direction or mechanism to overcome the entrenched culture of traditional authorities in schooling. Changes in practice were directed more by the influence of specific personalities in single situations than any development of general attitude or institutional structure.

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Families with serious and/or chronic child protection risks often have complex personal and social issues. Statutory child protection services must manage escalating child protection reports with limited resources. Addressing families at immediate risk often takes precedence over comprehensive family assessment and planned intervention, so the child protection issues in the lower priority families persist, and child protection reports continue. The Montrose Home-Based Family Assessment Program assesses Department of Community Services registered families who are at risk of child removal because of chronic and/or severe child protection issues. Using an ecological perspective, the Montrose team conducts a five day comprehensive assessment in the family's home and community, and develops a caseplan to address child protection risks and family support needs. The assessment is voluntary, and the family is encouraged to participate in identifying the child protection issues and developing solutions. The primary goal of this study is to compare child protection outcomes, three years after referral, for 100 families who participated in a Montrose Assessment, and 100 Comparison Group families. The research questions also explore the relationship between demographic, family, parent, child and child protection service factors and child protection outcome. Outcome is measured by Family Outcome, Children's Outcome, Legal Status, Children's Placement, subsequent Child Protection Reports and Substantiated Child Protection Reports, and Type of Abuse. The results suggest that home-based family assessment is a cost-effective model that can measurably reduce the likelihood of further abuse, court intervention and out of home care even for complex, high risk families. The study also identifies specific child, parent and child protection service related variables that are significantly associated with child protection outcome. These findings have major relevance for current child protection policy and practice, and also for broader social policy that impacts on high risk families.

Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 76 pages. / Thesis (Ed.S.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: The purpose of this research study was to analyze school psychologists' perspectives on 27 parent involvement and empowerment activities focused upon improving students' school success. A sample of 36 school psychologists from high and low minority schools in a large urban school district rated the degree to which they believed the activities should be offered to parents and the extent to which they were feasible to implement over the next five years. The activities rated highest for offer and feasibility by psychologists at both high and low minority schools were related to information dissemination and one-to-one meetings. The activities rated lowest for offer and feasibility by psychologists at both high and low minority schools were related to systems change and time-intensive programming. Psychologists' mean ratings for offer were generally higher than their mean ratings for feasibility of implementation. / ABSTRACT: However, the mean ratings for offer and feasibility at high minority schools tended not to be different from those ratings at low minority schools. Time was rated as the biggest barrier to implementation at both high and low minority schools, with current work responsibilities a close second. It is suggested that moving away from the traditional role of assessment and placement and towards prevention and intervention might reduce, if not eliminate, the time and current work responsibilities barriers and allow more school psychologists to implement home-school collaboration. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Parental participation in parent training programs is necessary for success in behavioral parent training. Prior literature has demonstrated probabilistic reinforcement as an effective intervention for improving a wide variety of behaviors. In the present study, a probabilistic reinforcement program (i.e., lottery) was implemented in order to evaluate its efficacy as part of a behavioral parent training program. The behaviors targeted for increase included attendance, participation, homework completion, and performing role-plays or completing in-class assignments for two 10 week Tools for Positive Behavior Change courses. Participants earned lottery tickets for each of the dependent measures, and drawings took place at the end of each class. An alternating treatments design was employed to determine any differences in performance on the dependent measures between baseline and lottery sessions. Results showed that participants attended and participated more with parent training under the conditions of a lottery compared to baseline class sessions although the effect was minimal; furthermore, this effect was observed more clearly for one of the two classes. Further research is needed to explore the effect of a lottery intervention on parent participation in parent training programs.

This is an investigation explaining the relationship between the home environment and mathematics performance of 12 grade eight students from a high school in Durban, South Africa. One of the data collection methods was a 25-question test, based on the TIMSS test, namely a TIMSS equivalent mathematics test. The test was analysed and its relation to the South African syllabus, the students' familiarity with the type of questions and the multiple-choice mode of answer used in the TIMSS study, was investigated. The test scores were also used to identify high performing and low performing students to be interviewed about their mathematical, personal and home backgrounds. A student questionnaire was administered to these selected students as a basis for the interviews. An in depth one on one interview and records of the students' achievements in grade 7 and grade 8 in languages and mathematics, as well as school family records were used for the analysis. The life stories of the six high performing and six low performing students were then constructed and analysed with respect to: their achievements in mathematics and language; their home backgrounds; how their mathematics performance is affected by their home environments; and the effect of parental involvement in their lives. Finally research findings from the interviews on the home lives and experiences of the 12 grade 8 students from a high school in Durban are presented. Implications are put forward and recommendations made. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2006.

The purpose of this study was to investigate a program model in which parents and adolescents examine personal values, career decisions and plans. The subjects were visually impaired students enrolled in regular secondary school and their parents. Twenty volunteer adolescents with visual impairments and their parents from 18 school districts in the province of British Columbia participated in the study. The program consisted of four Partner’s Program (Cochran, 1985) booklets: a parent guideline manual, activity self-exploration exercises, career decisions framework, and a planning workbook designed to facilitate parent involvement in career development activities. Two special career reference publications which described a variety of occupations and necessary adaptations and technical devices designed for individuals with visual impairment were also included. These materials were presented in audio tape, large print and braille. Adolescent subjects and their parents were randomly assigned to two experimental groups. Each group received materials and were given five weeks to complete the program. The Career Decision Scale (Osipow, 1976), Parent Adolescent Communication Scale (Barnes & Olson, 1982), and Career Salience Scale (Greenhaus, 1971, 1977) were employed. All participants were interviewed following the program. A multivariate analysis of variance was computed, and the combined five dependent variables were significantly affected between groups upon completion of the program by the first group. The combined dependent variables were significantly affected again with the second group upon completion of the program. Examination of effect sizes for each dependent variable attributed the differences to gains in measures of career planning and career salience and a decline in career indecision. The effects on the measures of communication were inconclusive. The results indicated that students in both experimental groups confirmed their career choices and became more aware of personal career values. The subjects felt they were encouraged to plan and prepare for a career, explore options, and consider their visual disabilities. Career planning was deemed important by all participants. The importance of work and career were confirmed for participants. Students’ attitudes improved with confirmation of plans and career alternatives. The effects of the program in career development of adolescents with visual impairments and the importance of parent-student communication were positive. The comments of the parents suggested that they had acquired understanding of their child’s career choices.

This study explores the factors that promote parental involvement at a secondary school in Kwa-Zulu Natal. The study was conducted with twelve learners from grades 10 to grade 12, six educators and six parents. The theories on parental involvement that guided the study were the ecological theory of Bronfenbrenner and the role theory. The methodology used to obtain data were interviews with learners, teachers and parents. The literature review looked at the extent of parental involvement, the barriers experienced by parents and the benefits of parental involvement. The literature also looked at views of how parents can be encouraged to become more active in schools. The qualitative method was utilized to determine the factors promoting parental involvement. The focus group was used with the learners and the semi structured interviews was used with the teachers and parents. Themes were formed using the collected data that was organized and analyzed The findings of the data showed that there is a need for greater parental involvement. Parents and teachers agreed that there are certain barriers that prevent parents from becoming more involved in the education of their children. There is a need for a concerted effort amongst parents and teachers to communicate and work as a team for effective teaching and learning to take place. Schools need to consider that parents face problems and they need to work with parents to overcome these barriers. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes and perceptions of parents through an assessment of their feelings concerning parental notification polices. Participants in this study were selected from a sampling pool of parents that were members of parent associations at 64 college and university campuses throughout the country identified as having a parental notification policy.The project consisted of 5 parents from midwestern universities that were asked a variety of questions concerning: the child's collegiate development, benefits of parental notification, the role of the federal government, and financial dependence stipulations.The interpretation of qualitative data revealed that parents were in favor of parental notification policies and saw the implementation of these policies as a positive step by universities to utilize parental involvement in curbing student misconduct. / Department of Educational Studies