Despite evidence demonstrating the positive impact of parental involvement in children's education, youth transitioning from elementary school to middle school are often extended a greater level of autonomy. Parental involvement may decrease, which may pose particular challenges to students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The theoretical framework for this study was Bandura's self-efficacy theory which involves positive self-esteem, coping strength, and persistence toward goals. Bandura's ideas help to clarify why self-efficacy plays a role in parental involvement decisions. Through a multiple case study method, seven parents of middle school youth with ADHD, were interviewed through four open ended questions about self-efficacy as it relates to their decision to assist their youth with homework completion. Data were organized by question and the interview responses were manually analyzed. The coding process included identifying commonalities and differences, analyzing content, and synthesizing and validating themes regarding parental self-efficacy and decision-making experiences. Findings revealed that for parents, frustration with the lack of school communication and homework overload were significant concerns, and although efficacy played a role in the decision to assist with homework, the primary impetus was the desire to save their youth from emotional turmoil and academic failure. Implications for positive social change include the need for proactive communication and collaboration by schools with parents and more middle school programs to support youth with ADHD. Including parents as partners in youth education may ease the difficulty of transition to middle school and help reduce school failure and dropout rates among youth with ADHD.

Studies have shown an increase in student achievement when educational partnerships between families and schools exist. At the elementary school that was the focus of this study, there had once been a thriving family involvement program; however, the number of family-school partnerships had declined in recent years. Students, families, and teachers needed improved knowledge of the types of family involvement programs that everyone would be willing to participate in to increase student learning and achievement. The purpose of this case study was to determine whether the types of involvement currently offered to families at the elementary school matched the types of involvement in which families would be willing to participate. The study also determined which types of involvement teachers were currently providing and which they would be willing to provide. Epstein's 6 types of family involvement were used as a conceptual foundation for this case study. The study used questionnaires, focus groups, and interviews to collect data from 14 teachers and 25 families. The key research question involved determining what teachers and families were willing to participate in to increase partnerships and involvement. Surveys, focus group transcripts, and interview transcripts were analyzed for themes. A data spiral was used to analyze the data, and triangulation and peer review were used to ensure trustworthiness of the findings. By implementing the suggestions from this study, including more communication and family input, the elementary school may form more partnerships with families and the community, which may help to increase involvement and ultimately improve student achievement. This study offers implications for social change by helping create an atmosphere where the school, families, and community work together to help students succeed.

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. 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.

This study investigated a district magnet program that required high levels of actual parental involvement. The district that houses this program uses Epstein's framework of parent involvement to reach out to all families. The research sought to match parent responses with the magnet program expectations and the Epstein framework. Interviews were conducted and completed with twenty-four participants including diverse backgrounds. Particularly sought after were parents from different ethnic groups and gender within two separate middle schools. The research also endeavored to learn how the district school choice program forced parents to navigate their child's enrollment, whether at the elementary school or middle school levels. My findings suggested that the parents in this study fit into more than one framework. During the study, two more frameworks emerged that better place parent engagement with the student choice program along with that of Epstein. My working hypothesis was that a "one size fits all" parent involvement framework does not exist for parents who chose this magnet program. My study suggests that school districts need to reach out to all parents in whatever form works for both parties: the parents and school programs. School districts are charged with developing the flexibility needed to meet families where they are and provide support necessary to sustain higher levels of parent involvement. This action will lead to more success in the familial journey through their child's educational experience.

The purpose of this study was to examine parents’ motivational beliefs for involvement in a Comprehensive School Health approach (locally called Healthy Active Schools, or HAS) at their child’s school. Literature suggests that parents’ role construction and parents’ self-efficacy are the most salient influences on parents’ decision to become involved at their child’s school. Twelve parents involved at two urban public elementary schools were interviewed. Questions were based on Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler’s model of parental involvement (1995, 1997, 2005c). Qualitative multiple case study analysis additionally utilized Penner’s (2002) model of sustained volunteerism and Bandura’s collective efficacy theory (1997, 2000; Goddard, Hoy, & Woolfolk-Hoy, 2004) to clarify findings. Results suggest most parents’ strong active role construction and negative valence grounded their parent-focused role orientation. School case study analysis revealed that the principal’s leadership, the structure of the HAS committee and the school’s climate uniquely influenced parents’ beliefs. Individual parent case analysis revealed four distinct patterns of parents’ motivational beliefs for HAS involvement. Future research is warranted to further examine the decisive impact of parents’ health and prosocial values on their decision to become involved specific to a CSH approach type of involvement. Additional case studies in local schools, school districts and provinces are recommended to illuminate unique contextual influences and the potential for the emergence of collective efficacy; including consideration for parents’ belief construct general invitations from the school would contribute to gaining a deeper understanding within this domain. Finally, the link between parents’ motivational beliefs of empowerment and their sustained motivation for involvement needs to be explored further.

A growing body of research demonstrates the links between parental involvement and students' outcomes. Some benefits of this involvement include improved academic achievement, higher grades, increased attendance, and better social skills (Henderson & Mapp, 2002; Sui-Chu & Willms, 1996; Dryfoos & Knauer, 2004; Coalition for Community Schools, 2003). Despite these benefits, many educators report challenges in engaging parents and community members within the school. The purpose of the research was to explore the processes two school staffs used to facilitate community engagement by utilizing community education practices and, within each individual site, compare to any increase in community engagement at the school. <p>Over the 2006-2007 school year, the researcher spent time connecting with staff members and parents at two schools a suburban elementary school, and an inner-city community school. Through observation, interviews with administrators, focus groups with parents, and focus groups with staff members, the researcher obtained information regarding staff members growth in community engagement, development of community education practices, and the impact of those practices on community engagement in the school. Through analysis of the data, the researcher identified themes, conditions for community engagement, and promising community education practices. <p>Data from observation, focus groups, and interviews demonstrated the importance of leadership, developing relationships with parents, creating a welcoming school environment, focusing staff development on community education, and creating opportunities for staff members and community members to come together, for community engagement to be successful. The research captured the importance of making beliefs and assumptions explicit, and identified how these beliefs can be helpful or harmful in engaging youth, families, and community members. The research study demonstrated that as staff members at Eagle Point School and Sunrise Community School increased their level of understanding of community education and created community education practices, they experienced greater community engagement in their respective schools.

This study attempted to improve upon previous qualitative research by conducting a large scale, quantitative study on the parental experience in special education. 76 parents of children receiving special education services were surveyed regarding their communication with school personnel, the focus of their child’s education, involvement in the IEP meeting, and satisfaction. It was found that parental perception of involvement did not predict active IEP involvement, more communication with school personnel, more satisfaction with services received, or the belief the child is benefiting. An active role in the IEP meeting, though, did predict more satisfaction with the last IEP meeting, more satisfaction with the time the child spends in the educational setting, and the parent believing the child is benefiting. Other findings include the focus of the child’s education changing depending on the age of the child, and that leading the IEP discussion has no relationship to perceived parental involvement or active IEP involvement. Conclusions can be made that parental perception does not result in what is actually happening and that an active parental role in the IEP meeting benefits the child the most.

The purpose of this study was to examine parents’ motivational beliefs for involvement in a Comprehensive School Health approach (locally called Healthy Active Schools, or HAS) at their child’s school. Literature suggests that parents’ role construction and parents’ self-efficacy are the most salient influences on parents’ decision to become involved at their child’s school. Twelve parents involved at two urban public elementary schools were interviewed. Questions were based on Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler’s model of parental involvement (1995, 1997, 2005c). Qualitative multiple case study analysis additionally utilized Penner’s (2002) model of sustained volunteerism and Bandura’s collective efficacy theory (1997, 2000; Goddard, Hoy, & Woolfolk-Hoy, 2004) to clarify findings. Results suggest most parents’ strong active role construction and negative valence grounded their parent-focused role orientation. School case study analysis revealed that the principal’s leadership, the structure of the HAS committee and the school’s climate uniquely influenced parents’ beliefs. Individual parent case analysis revealed four distinct patterns of parents’ motivational beliefs for HAS involvement. Future research is warranted to further examine the decisive impact of parents’ health and prosocial values on their decision to become involved specific to a CSH approach type of involvement. Additional case studies in local schools, school districts and provinces are recommended to illuminate unique contextual influences and the potential for the emergence of collective efficacy; including consideration for parents’ belief construct general invitations from the school would contribute to gaining a deeper understanding within this domain. Finally, the link between parents’ motivational beliefs of empowerment and their sustained motivation for involvement needs to be explored further.

A growing body of research demonstrates the links between parental involvement and students' outcomes. Some benefits of this involvement include improved academic achievement, higher grades, increased attendance, and better social skills (Henderson & Mapp, 2002; Sui-Chu & Willms, 1996; Dryfoos & Knauer, 2004; Coalition for Community Schools, 2003). Despite these benefits, many educators report challenges in engaging parents and community members within the school. The purpose of the research was to explore the processes two school staffs used to facilitate community engagement by utilizing community education practices and, within each individual site, compare to any increase in community engagement at the school. <p>Over the 2006-2007 school year, the researcher spent time connecting with staff members and parents at two schools a suburban elementary school, and an inner-city community school. Through observation, interviews with administrators, focus groups with parents, and focus groups with staff members, the researcher obtained information regarding staff members growth in community engagement, development of community education practices, and the impact of those practices on community engagement in the school. Through analysis of the data, the researcher identified themes, conditions for community engagement, and promising community education practices. <p>Data from observation, focus groups, and interviews demonstrated the importance of leadership, developing relationships with parents, creating a welcoming school environment, focusing staff development on community education, and creating opportunities for staff members and community members to come together, for community engagement to be successful. The research captured the importance of making beliefs and assumptions explicit, and identified how these beliefs can be helpful or harmful in engaging youth, families, and community members. The research study demonstrated that as staff members at Eagle Point School and Sunrise Community School increased their level of understanding of community education and created community education practices, they experienced greater community engagement in their respective schools.

Recent studies show that parent involvement in schools increases students&rsquo / academic achievements, and it has many benefits for parents, teachers, children, schools and the community as a whole. Teachers are one of the most important components of parent involvement and their attitudes toward parent involvement are significant. Unfortunately, all around the world, and especially in Turkey, there are not enough studies measuring various aspects of preschool teachers&rsquo / attitudes toward parent involvement. This study was designed to see whether differences exist in preschool teachers&rsquo / attitudes, who work in public and private schools toward parent involvement, to determine the affects of school type, educational level, graduated program, experience, income, number of students, age group, taking course on parent involvement and preparation to parent involvement by means of course/s, in-service education, sending newsletter, and frequency of sending them on teachers&rsquo / attitudes of parent involvement and to examine whether there were differences in attitudes of teachers with different self efficacy levels. Preschool teachers were asked to complete &ldquo / The Attitudes of Teachers toward Parent Involvement Scale&rdquo / that includes six subscales all of which were supposed to measure the attitudes of teachers toward parent involvement. The subscales included to the study were: teacher beliefs about parental involvement, teacher self-efficacy for teaching, teacher beliefs about parents&rsquo / efficacy for helping children succeed in school, teacher beliefs about the importance of parent involvement practices, teacher reports of parent involvement and teacher report of invitations to parental involvement. The sample of study consisted of preschool teachers working with children between the ages of 3 and 6 and working in public and private schools of Ankara. 169 preschool teachers from public schools and 121 preschool teachers from private schools in Ankara comprised the total sample. The results revealed that there were not significant differences between the attitudes of public and private school teachers with respect to first five subscales. Educational level of teachers was found effective in the attitudes of teachers only for the fourth subscale. The effect of experience, age group of children, and courses taken on parent involvement on attitudes were only reported for the last subscale. Finally, sending newsletters was found to have an effect on attitudes toward parent involvement for the last two subscales and for frequency of sending newsletters, it was reported that there were differences between the attitudes of teachers with respect to second and last subscales. Graduated program, income, number of children, preparation by means of courses and in-service training did not have an effect on teachers&rsquo / attitudes toward parent involvement. The last finding was related to the difference in the parent involvement attitudes of teachers with lower, middle and higher self efficacy. The results yielded that teachers with higher self efficacy held more positive attitudes on the first two subscales than the ones with middle and higher self efficacy. For the last three subscales, no differences were found. Limitations of the present study, implications for practice and finally recommendations for further studies were offered.