The purpose of this research study was to (a) analyze perceptions of parent involvement across raters (i.e., seventh grade students versus their parents) and across ethnicity (i.e., African American versus European American), and (b) examine how perceptions of parent involvement are related to academic achievement. A subsample of archival survey data collected in one central Florida school district was analyzed for the current study. Findings revealed a positive but weak relationship between students' and parents' perceptions of parent involvement regardless of ethnicity. Significant differences were found in the perceived levels of involvement by ethnicity, even when controlling for SES. In general, there was a positive but weak relationship between perceptions of parent involvement and student academic achievement regardless of ethnicity and while controlling for SES. It is suggested that the weak relationships between parent involvement and student achievement found in this study may be due to the types of items used in the surveys, which focused on limited aspects of parent involvement (e.g., PTA membership and help with homework). Further research exploring how the construct of home-school collaboration is best operationalized among diverse groups of families is needed.

No description available.

The aims of this study were to explore parents’ and teachers’ perceptions of what music therapy entails and what value it has for children with autism. In so doing, limitations in providing information about music therapy were identified. The context for this study involved Unica School for Autism in Menlo Park, Pretoria. Unica is a Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) that provides specialised education for learners with autism between the ages of 3 and 18 years. Music therapy has been offered at Unica by both qualified music therapists and supervised music therapy students since 1995. This study was conducted within the qualitative research paradigm and, as such, sought to understand perceptions of, rather than ‘prove’, the value music therapy has for children with autism. Data collection took the form of 6 semi-structured interviews. The interviews were transcribed and data were coded, categorised and organised into themes. These themes then formed the basis for addressing the research questions. The findings of this study show, firstly, that direct contact with the music therapist, music therapy public presentations, and witnessing musical end products such as performances are the primary influences on parents’ and teachers’ perceptions of music therapy. Parents and teachers have some understanding of the objectives of music therapy. The findings show, secondly, that the parents and teachers have limited understanding of how music therapy works. This includes a lack of knowledge about clinical musical intention, intervention and the music therapy process. Finally, the findings show that parents and teachers at Unica hold music therapy in exceptionally high esteem. They are able to identify its value for children with autism in a number of areas, particularly in terms of social development and development of self, which relate directly and peripherally to the diagnosis of autism. The participants also recognise the lack of awareness about music therapy outside of the Unica environment, and express a wish for all children with autism to receive music therapy. Copyright / Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Music / unrestricted

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004) mandated schools engage parents in their child’s educational planning. Despite schools’ adoption of various strategies to promote parent engagement, parents’ perceptions about these strategies, especially among those whose children are at the secondary transition age, are often overlooked. To examine parents’ perceptions of 23 previously documented parent engagement strategies, we conducted a cross-sectional online survey with 642 parents of youth with disabilities (ages 14–21) in the United States. Overall, participants reported that parent engagement strategies were moderately helpful in promoting parent engagement. Parents of color reported lower scores for perceived helpfulness than their non-Hispanic White counterparts. Top-rated strategies included making time when parents have questions and communicating strategies clearly; however, this varied by race/ethnicity. Findings highlighted the need to address racial disparities in parent engagement strategies and the importance of school-parent collaboration/communication.

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of parents and teachers regarding effective parental involvement with elementary students based on Epstein et al.'s (2009) 6 typologies of parental involvement. The population consisted of 77 teachers in a particular east Tennessee school district and the parents of 889 students enrolled in kindergarten through 6th grade. Parents and teachers were asked to indicate the effectiveness of 4 activities within each of the 6 parental involvement categories: parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and collaborating with the community. Parents and teachers were asked to rank each activity numerically with 1 indicating not effective and 5 indicating highly effective. A ranking of 2, 3, or 4 indicated an activity between not effective and highly effective. In a separate section, parents and teachers were asked to rank the 5 most important activities from a list of specific parental involvement activities. Findings indicated that parents and teachers in this study have some similar views and some differing views regarding effective parental involvement. Parents and teachers in this study shared similar perspectives by ranking the top 5 specific parental involvement activities from a list of 10 specific activities. Parents and teachers used a Likert scale to indicate the effectiveness of activities from Epstein et al.'s (2009) 6 typologies: parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and collaborating with the community. The t-test indicated significant differences in the perceptions of parents and teachers regarding effective parental involvement in 5 of the 6 typologies. ANOVA and post hoc analysis revealed significant differences among the parent population based on age, education level, gender, and race. No significant differences were identified among the teacher population based on the 4 demographic areas examined: age, education level, teaching experience, and gender. This study revealed that parents and teachers surveyed had some similar perceptions and some differing perceptions regarding effective parental involvement, but both groups identified communicating as the most important typology from Epstein et al.'s (2009) 6 major types of involvement.

Bullying is a pervasive and disruptive issue in the schools (Stockdale, Hanguduambo, Duys, Larson, & Sarvela, 2002). It has been shown to have serious negative consequences for students who are frequently targeted, including lower academic achievement, lower self-esteem, and more interpersonal problems in adulthood compared to their non-targeted peers (Eisenberg & Aalsma, 2005; Olweus & Limber, 1999; Rigby, 2003; Smokowski & Kopasz, 2005; Yoneyama & Rigby, 2006). However, when parents are engaged as active members of the school community, significant benefits accrue for children, educators, and parents. Such benefits include improved grades and test scores for students, greater job satisfaction among teachers, and decreased likelihood that children will be involved in bullying behaviors (Christenson, 1996; Spriggs, Iannotti, Nansel, & Haynie, 2007). Despite the important role parents play in their child's success in school, there is little research concerning parents' perceptions of bullying behaviors in schools. This research project surveyed parents in order to understand their perspectives regarding bullying prevalence, type, and intervention efforts taking place in schools. This was done through a survey administered at a statewide Parent Teacher Association Conference in Provo, Utah, in May 2008. Because attendees at the conference were assumed to be fairly involved in the local schools, the results of this study were expected to represent the perceptions of parents who are involved in the school community. The findings indicated that almost half (42.9–48.1%) of these parents are hearing their child report about verbal and relational bullying at least once a week. Parents noted that they are personally intervening in bullying situations approximately once each school year. Parents responded that they believe students are most at-risk for being bullied between classes, during break periods, and after school, as well as on the playground, on the school bus, and in the hallways, bathrooms, and school cafeteria. Overall, parents rated the most frequently used interventions as somewhat effective in combating bullying in their child's school. Such interventions included counseling or talking with the bully, suspension, and time-out for the bully following an incident.

The purposes of this study were to (a) describe parents' perceptions of what paraprofessionals are doing for and with their child in inclusive situations and (b) to compare the perceptions of parents to what is actually happening in the classroom. Ten parent and child pairs agreed to participate in this study. The parent and child pairs were chosen on the basis of their child's special education eligibility. The parents were interviewed using a structured interview guide. Children were observed in their general education classroom three times with each observation lasting one hour. A total of thirty observations were conducted. Each parent interview was analyzed for themes individually. Those themes were then compared between interviews in a cross-case analysis. Collective themes were developed from the cross-case analysis. Those themes were then compared to the classroom observations. The classroom observations were analyzed in connection to themes that had emerged from the cross-case analysis. It is imperative to note that the results of this study indicate that the use of paraprofessionals may actually hinder the goals of inclusion. The observed results matching parent perceptions to classroom observations are actually counter to what parents believe to be happening and, importantly, do not meet the guidelines for least restrictive environment (LRE) mandates. The results of this study will assist administrators in providing education to students with moderate to severe disabilities within the general education classroom and within the LRE mandates. Utilizing individual paraprofessionals to support one child in a general education classroom is an expensive intervention. Given the potential for enormous financial burdens upon school districts as well as questions regarding efficacious management and use of paraprofessionals as proposed by this study, administrators must use caution in assigning individual paraprofessionals to support. It is recommended that school administrators work with general and special education teachers and parents to define and refine the role of the paraprofessional, thus meeting LRE requirements and promoting fiscally responsible use of interventions.

No description available.

The number of African-American students studying a foreign language has continually persisted to be low (National Center for Education Statistics, 2009), thus eliminating them from the benefits gained from the study of foreign language. This study explores the experiences of African-American students in a partial Spanish Immersion Program (SIP) in Central Kentucky from their parents’ perspectives. Data were collected via a survey and a focus group. Findings revealed that data gleaned from the focus group corroborated responses from the survey. Moreover, themes from content analysis of the qualitative data arose as to why parents chose to continue or discontinue their child(ren) in the SIP including varying levels of academic achievement, social integration in the program and the perceived lack of cultural responsiveness from school staff. The researcher’s initial intent was to use Tinto’s (1993) theory of student departure to discuss how his model could transfer to this K-12 partial immersion setting and show how parallels could be drawn. Results from data analysis led the researcher to develop her own Parent Perception Continuation Model (PPCM) as it was determined that in the K-12 partial immersion setting, it was not a question of student persistence, but rather the parents’ decision about student continuation. Subsequently, the PPCM discusses the process that parents use to make the decision as to whether their child(ren) will continue in the SIP once enrolled which includes a discussion about reasons for enrolling, completion goals, student program experiences, integration and outcomes. Findings from the study can be used by school districts and administration for planning and policy making when attempting to capitalize on effective academic and social practices that influence whether a student continues in a partial immersion program through his/her high school graduation. In addition, K-12 systems can also use these findings to address the concerns raised by the parents of African-American students who discontinued the program in an effort to increase program graduation rates among this demographic.

No description available.