This study investigated views, beliefs, and values about extracurricular activities of two sets of parents, Korean immigrant parents and American U.S. born parents, both groups of middle or higher class socioeconomic status with above college degrees. By examining how parents perceive their own involvement in their children’s extracurricular activities and how differently parents of recent immigration from Korea or of established European American descent become involved with their children’s activities, parents’ motivation and their role emerged using self-determination theory as a basis to explain the internalization underlying self-determined motivation. Participants in this study were 31 parents (approximately10 each from 3 activity groups) associated with three extracurricular activities for young children. This study used a mixed-methods approach. First, the degree of to which parents perceived their involvement based on parental support or pressure, the two factors from Anderson et al. (2003), were surveyed. Second, semi-structured face-to-face interviews were used to elicit in-depth information from three parents for each activity, selecting them based on their responses to the survey. The findings suggested that parents expect their children to find their own interest, build competence, and ultimately acquire autonomy by engaging in extracurricular activities. In terms of cultural differences, the results revealed that though there are cultural differences in their involvement, these parents were aware of possible gaps and strove to close these gaps to help their children. / text

There has been growing interest among parents, teachers, researchers, and policymakers in better understanding children’s school readiness and the precise mechanisms by which early care and education programs promote these early skills. Two key, but understudied, mechanisms include preschool instruction and parenting practices. The present study used the Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) 2006 cohort and examined whether gains in young children’s (n = 2,308) math, literacy, and behavior problems over the Head Start year were predicted by increased stimulation across children’s homes and school using structural equation modeling. Net of all other factors, parent learning support was uniquely associated with lower levels of behavioral problems and greater math achievement. Although there were no direct effects of parent involvement on child outcomes, the effects of parent involvement on children’s math and behavior were mediated through parent learning support. Children also demonstrated reduced problem behaviors when they received greater teacher instruction. However, the observed benefits for math achievement and reduced problem behaviors appear to be stronger when young children receive stimulation across both the home and school contexts. These findings have implications for children’s early problem behaviors and achievement, suggesting that parenting practices and teacher instruction are important avenues that can promote young children’s early skills. For optimal academic and behavioral outcomes, however, greater effort needs to be coordinated across children’s home and school settings. / text

The purpose of the study was twofold, first to create an example of a parent training for parents of adolescents and second to explore the effects of a parent training on different dimensions of parent-adolescent relationships and communication skills of parents of adolescents. The participants of this study were the parents of 9th and 10th grade adolescents from two different lycees in Ankara / METU Foundation School and Deneme Lycee. 10 volunteer parents (mothers or fathers) from METU Foundation School and 11 parents from Deneme Lycee participated in that study as the members of the experimental group. In this study, an experimental design with treatment and control groups and 3 measurements (pre, post and follow up) was used. The 5-session training for parents generally consisted of activities aimed at developing their communication skills and their relationships with their children. The program mainly focused on social skills for parents to develop better communication and improve the satisfaction of parents and also to help parents improve their parenting skills. Data were collected through qualitative and quantitative methods. In order to assess the effects of training on parents, instruments called Parent Success Indicator and Communication Skills Evaluation Scale were used in the study. Moreover, an openended evaluation form was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the training. In order to explore the differences between experimental and control groups, two way repeated measures of analysis of variance was used. The results revealed no significant differences between groups, however, the qualitative findings indicated that the parent training in this study helped parents to develop positive interaction with their children.

Education reform efforts in the last fifteen to twenty years at the state and federal levels have provisions for family/community involvement in the schools based on beliefs that partnerships lead to higher student achievement and better outcomes for students, parents and teachers. These requirements have embraced the concept of parent and community involvement in various forms including some aspects of school governance. The Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993 included this concept of participatory governance with the establishment of local school councils (LSC). The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe the function and influence of local school councils on school improvement and to provide a better understanding of the role of parent/family and community involvement in those efforts. Data was gathered over a nine month period in three elementary schools in different communities through observation of school council meetings; interviews with various members of the school community, and review of relevant materials. Results of data analysis showed that the function and influence of local school councils on school improvement, and the impact of parent and community involvement on school council function were related to the overall culture of the school. Parent involvement in the school and parent influence on the work of the school council was strengthened by the relationship with the parent organization and other parent involvement activities in the school. The attitude and commitment to parent involvement present in the school culture, as well as, the efforts to recruit parent and community members with the resulting parity in membership also influenced the work of the school council. The results mirrored previous research that showed inconsistencies in the implementation of school councils across the country, that the evidence of their influence on school improvement has been limited, and that schools with existing parent involvement activities before the initiation of school councils had more positive influence on school improvement. Recommendations for further research in family-school relationships, training and oversight of school councils, training for educators, and the allocation of more state and local resources to support school improvement efforts are discussed.

Η σχέση οικογένειας και επαγγελματικής ανάπτυξης του ατόμου έχει αναφερθεί από πολλές έρευνες. Τα χαρακτηριστικά, ο τρόπος λειτουργίας της οικογένειας και οι σχέσεις που αναπτύσσονται μεταξύ των μελών της επιδρούν –άμεσα ή έμμεσα- στην διαμόρφωση της αυτοαντίληψης και της ταυτότητας του ατόμου, διαμορφώνοντας παράλληλα και την συμπεριφορά του ατόμου κατά τις διαδικασίες λήψης απόφασης. Κομβικό σημείο στη ζωή των εφήβων αποτελεί η λήψη επαγγελματικής απόφασης. Ο ρόλος των γονέων στις διαδικασίες αυτές παρουσιάζεται στις περισσότερες έρευνες υπό τους όρους των κοινωνικών, οικονομικών και δημογραφικών χαρακτηριστικών τους. Σκοπός της παρούσας έρευνας είναι η διερεύνηση των απόψεων των γονέων για την ικανότητα λήψης απόφασης των παιδιών, όπως επίσης και του περιεχομένου των συζητήσεων τους με τα παιδιά τους που άπτονται της επαγγελματικής επιλογής. Οι απαντήσεις των γονέων και των μαθητών υπέδειξαν την διαφοροποίηση των μαθητών ως προς τις σκέψεις και τα συναισθήματα τους κατά την διάρκεια αυτών των συζητήσεων, τη διαφοροποίηση των γονέων ως προς την εμπιστοσύνη που δείχνουν στην ικανότητα των παιδιών τους να λάβουν αποφάσεις και την ανάγκη των γονέων για να αναπτύξουν δεξιότητες που θα διευκολύνουν την επικοινωνία με τα παιδιά τους. Τέλος γίνεται μια προσπάθεια να προταθούν ορισμένα χαρακτηριστικά που θα πρέπει να εμπεριέχει ένα μοντέλο παρέμβασης με την εμπλοκή των γονέων στην συμβουλευτική διαδικασία / The relation between family and individual career development has been reported by many researchers. The family’s characteristics and its way of operation and the relations developed between its members affect - directly or indirectly- the individual’s selfconcept and identity, shaping at the same time its decision-making behavior. The career decision constitutes a nodal point in the life of adolescents. The role of parents in these processes is stressed by most researches under the spectrum of their social, economic and demographic characteristics. The aim of the present research is the investigation of the opinions of the parents regarding the decision-making ability of their children, as well as the content of their discussions with their children, that are related to the career choice. The answers of parents and students to the questionnaire have indicated a) the differentiation of students in terms of their thinking and feeling during these discussions, b) the differentiation of parents with respect to the confidence they show in their children’s ability of to make decisions and c) their need to develop skills that will facilitate the communication with their children. Finally, an attempt is made to identify certain characteristics that an intervention model may include, in order to allow the parents’ involvement in the counseling process.

abstract: Parent involvement in their children’s education has been a frequently sought after and highly regarded component in education that has repeatedly been identified as a significant influence that contributes to children’s success in school. Historically, Latino parent involvement has been markedly low in the United States. Researchers’ interest in Latino parents’ involvement in their children’s education has been spurred by this low level of involvement coupled with reports of significant differences in educational achievement between Latino students and students of other ethnic backgrounds. Perceptions of self-efficacy and role construction have been identified as motivators for parent involvement. The purpose of this action research study was to examine the relationship between the Espacio Iluminado Parent Engagement Program as a nontraditional Latino parent involvement opportunity and parents’ perceptions of self-efficacy and role construction as it pertains to supporting the education of their children. The foundation of the program was developed utilizing Third Space Theory (Bhabha, 1994) to generate a framework that had the potential to serve as a model for future parent involvement programs that validated the knowledge of diverse cultures and discourses and encouraged a mediation of the two. Participants’ ratings of Role Construction and Self-Efficacy were significantly improved after their involvement in the parent program. Participants also felt strongly that the program was personally valuable and useful. Future direction might include a longitudinal study to track the academic progress of children of the participants. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2017

abstract: Parent involvement is a concept that is used to describe the ways schools attempt to connect with parents for the educational benefit and support of students. Schools engage in strategies and invest in programs to increase parents’ involvement at and with the school, employ personnel to support parents, and develop workshops aimed at supporting parents’ understanding of academic content as well as to develop partnerships between parents and teachers. The purpose of this study was to investigate how parents viewed themselves as partners with their children’s teachers and what they believed their roles were in their children’s education. This qualitative study was conducted through interviews with parents who were recommended by school staff as having above-average or below-average involvement. Ten parents in a low-income public school in the southwestern United States were selected for an initial interview, and four of those ten were chosen as focal parents for additional rounds of interviews. All three rounds of interviews took place over a four month period in the spring. The interviews were used to document and analyze how parents viewed themselves and the roles they have in their children’s schooling. The findings from this study illustrate the similarities in behavior, attitude, and self-view between parents recommended by school staff as having above-average and below-average involvement. Additionally, this analysis describes how effective partnerships between home and school (including current teachers, former teachers, and school support staff) can help support parents as lifelong advocates for their children. When parents are intentionally made to feel vital as partners in their children’s schooling, their confidence in their ability to support their children’s education is strengthened. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Administration and Supervision 2017

abstract: The signing of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001 created a need for Title 1 principals to conceptualize and operationalize parent engagement. This study examines how three urban principals in Arizona implemented the mandates of the Act as it pertains to parent involvement. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to examine how principals operationalize and conceptualize parent involvement as they navigate barriers and laws particular to the state of Arizona. This study sought to understand issues surrounding parent involvement in Title 1 schools in Arizona. The beliefs and interview dialogue of the principals as it pertains to parent engagement provided an understanding of how urban principals in Arizona implement the aspects of No Child Left Behind Act that deal with parent involvement. The research study concluded that parents have community cultural wealth that contributes to the success of the students of engaged parents and that cultural responsive leadership assists principals with engaging parents in their schools. The research concludes that a gap exists between how parents and principals perceive and construct parent engagement versus what is prescribed in No Child Left Behind Act. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ed.D. Electrical Engineering 2012

A criança estabelece as primeiras relações com a família e é com ela que aprende a maior parte de seu repertório comportamental. A partir do início da vida escolar, a escola também passa a exercer papel importante de agência educacional. A maneira como se desenvolve a relação entre escola e família pode alterar o resultado que todos os envolvidos podem obter deste contato. Torna-se, portanto, importante investigar como se dá essa relação. Além disso, a escola, em especial o professor, pode liderar um processo que tem como objetivo aumentar o envolvimento desta instituição com as famílias dos alunos. Tais considerações norteiam este trabalho, cujo objetivo foi avaliar se a participação de professores em uma intervenção baseada no ensino e na aplicação da análise funcional aumenta a frequência com que esses profissionais emitem comportamentos de comunicação com os responsáveis pelos estudantes. Participaram da pesquisa três professoras de Ensino Fundamental I (P1, P2 e P3) de uma escola pública da Grande São Paulo. O delineamento utilizado foi o de linha de base múltipla entre sujeitos. Os comportamentos dos professores foram avaliados semanalmente por meio de um checklist que avaliou seu autorrelato sobre a frequência de emissão de comportamentos que dizem respeito à comunicação com os responsáveis de seus alunos. A pesquisa foi realizada na escola em que as professoras lecionam, sendo que cada uma delas participou de seis encontros os quais se propuseram a ensiná-las a fazerem análise funcional dos seus próprios comportamentos, dos de seus alunos e dos pais destes. Em função das diferenças entre as educadoras no que se refere aos efeitos da participação nos encontros sobre os comportamentos de comunicação, os resultados obtidos não foram conclusivos. A participante P1 aumentou a emissão de comportamentos da classe comunicação com os pais após a participação no estudo. Quanto à P2, não foi possível analisar seu comportamento. P3 teve uma leve diminuição na emissão dos comportamentos desta classe. Apesar disso, o estudo permite compreender variáveis relevantes para melhor entendimento acerca do envolvimento parental com a escola. Traz também discussão sobre a dificuldade de se realizar pesquisa em análise do comportamento aplicada na comunidade / Children establish their first relationships with family and is in this context that they learn most of its behavioral repertoire. From the beginning of school life, school also exercises an im-portant role as an educational agency. The way the relation between school and family devel-ops may alter the result that all the involved people may obtain from this contact. Then, it becomes important to investigate this relation. Besides, the school, especially the teacher, may lead a process that aims to enhance the involvement of this institution with students families. These considerations guide this work, which objective was to evaluate if the partici-pation of teachers in an intervention based on the teaching and application of functional anal-ysis of behavior enhances the frequency in which this professionals emit communication be-haviors with the people responsible for the students. Three public elementary school teachers (P1, P2 and P3) were the subjects of this research. The experimental design was multiple base-line between subjects. Teachers behaviors were evaluated weekly with a checklist that eval-uated teachers self-report of the frequency of emission of behaviors of communication with their students families. The study occurred at the school where the participants work and each one of them participated of six encounters where it was aimed to teach the how to ana-lyze functionally their own behavior, their students and their parents. The results found were inconclusive about the effect of the participation in the study on the communication behav-iors, since participants behaved differently. Participant P1 increased the emission of behavior of the class communication with parents after enrolling in the study. It was not possible to evaluate Participant P2s response to participating in the study and P3 showed a small de-crease in frequency of behaviors in this class. Besides these results, the study helps under-stand relevant variables in parent involvement

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / John A. Hortin / This study focused on migrant parent involvement in the educational experience of their children. Specifically, the study investigated parent involvement in the domains of (1) Community Setting, (2) School Setting, (3) and Home Setting, and its relationship to student achievement in reading and mathematics assessments. Research has clearly indicated that parent involvement in the education processes of children is a critical facet to their academic success. Nevertheless, research has also indicated that parent involvement programming in educational institutions has been structured to address a stable, middle class, language and culturally homogeneous patron. Given the dynamics that impact migrant families, districts that are heavily impacted by migrant families must ameliorate parent involvement programming to address the unique needs of migrant families and their children. The participants in the study comprised 51 migrant families. The response rate for participation in the study consisted of 25% of the total migrant population within the school district. Data were gathered through a survey and an interview. Four research hypotheses were identified and tested. The procedure employed to test the strength of the relationship between the individual domains and the scores was the Pearson's Product-Moment Correlation. Additionally, a two-tailed test was used as the procedure for all hypotheses tested. The results indicated that there was not a significant relationship between the domains and student achievement scores. Nevertheless, there was variability among the students' achievement scores despite the level of involvement demonstrated by the parents. Therefore, based on the range of scores, student success was not predicated on the level of engagement that parents demonstrated on the survey. Other factors accounted for the academic success or failure of the student. These factors may have included constraints such as teacher training and dispositions, the level of second language development that the child possessed, and the resiliency of the student. Nevertheless, for students within the same family, where one student scored extremely high and the other child scored extremely low, parent involvement could have been the deciding variable that could have assisted the low scoring child succeed academically, if the parent training had taken into consideration the factors that impact migrant families.