Parent Involvement and Academic Achievement Susan Campbell & Sharon Glasgow EDU Fall 2009

Table of Contents Introduction Statement of the Problem Review of Literature Statement of Hypotheses Method Participants Instruments –Parent Release –Parent Questionnaire –Student Questionnaire

Introduction Research indicates that there are positive academic outcomes stemming from parental involvement with benefits beginning in early childhood throughout adolescence and beyond. (Henderson & Mapp, 2002; Patrikakou, Weisberg, Redding, & Walberg, 2005).

Statement of the Problem As children move up in grades, parent involvement wanes. This research project will attempt to prove that increasing parent involvement will improve children’s academic achievement.

Review of Literature It is a well-established fact that parental involvement is linked to children’s success at school. When parents are involved in their children’s education at home, they do better in school. (Henderson and Berla, 1994) Educators, parents and community partners work collaboratively on action teams and they become engaged in productive ways at school, at home, and the community (Epstein, 2002). The level of parent–school involvement is a better predictor of grades than are standardized test scores (Desimone, 1999).

Review of Literature (continued) When school and home work together collaboratively using a competent approach to education, it can make a huge difference in student achievement (Padgett, 2006). Federal policies such as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2002) mandate parental involvement in education and family-school relations. Theories of parental involvement in education have been based on elementary school students and do not account for early adolescent development (Hill & Taylor, 2004; Hill & Tyson & Bromell, 2009).

Review of Literature (continued) There is no question that parent involvement represents an exceptionally powerful way of making schools more effective, and of dramatically enriching children’s experiences (Walberg, 1984).

Hypotheses HR-1 Parents/caregivers reading for a maximum of 30 minutes five times a week over a six week period will increase the reading scores of 25 students at P.S. X in Brooklyn. HR-2 Helping with homework for 30 minutes, report card grades in Reading and Mathematics will improve.

Pros Promoting parental involvement is a crucial educational policy which is supported by government (Domina, 2005; Knipprath, 2005). Parent involvement can contribute to improved student achievement (Kim O. Yap and Donald Y. Enoki 1995)

Cons Parents are not capable and resourceful to provide effective involvement (de Carvalho, 2001; Domina 2005). Teachers and Administrators may have lower expectations of single parents and those with lower socio-economic status.

Method Participants The proposed sample for this action research project will be selected from a total population of 69 sixth grade students at P.S. X in Brooklyn New York. The population of learners is approximately 75% African American, and 25% Hispanic. Two classes of 25 students will be involved. - Parents of participating students –Teachers and Administration

METHOD Instrument - Parent Release Form

METHOD Instrument - Student Questionnaire

METHOD Instrument - Parent Questionnaire

Reading Changes Lives

References Carey, N., Lewis, L., Farris, E., & Westat, I. (1998). Parent Involvement in Children's Education: Efforts by Public Elementary Schools. National Center for Education Statistics Statistical Analysis Report. Cheung, C., (2009). Evaluating the benefit from the Help of the Parent-Teacher Association to Child Performance. Retrieved October1, 2009 Desimone, L., (1999). Linking Parent Involvement with Student Achievement: Do Race and Income Matter? The Journal of Educational Research, Vol. 93, No. 1 (Sep.-Oct., 1999), pp Published by: Heldref Publications Epstein, J., (2005). A Case Study of the Partnership Schools Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) Model. Retrieved October 20, 2009, from Elementary School Journal, Vol. 106 Issue 2, p Giles, C., (2006).Transformational Leadership in Challenging Urban Elementary Schools: A Role for Parent Involvement? Retrieved September 25, 2009, from Griffith, J., (1996). Relation of Parental Involvement, Empowerment, and School Traits to Student Academic Performance. The Journal of Educational Research, Vol. 90, No. 1 pp Retrieved October 8, 2009, from Henderson, A. T., & Mapp, K. L. (2002). A new wave of evidence. Austin, TX: National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools. Henderson, A. T., & Berla, N. (1994). A new generation of evidence: The family is critical to student achievement. St Louis, MO: Danforth Foundation and Flint.

References Hill, N., and Tyson, D., (2009) Parental Involvement in Middle School: A Meta-Analytic Assessment of the Strategies That Promote Achievement. Developmental Psychology 2009, Vol. 45 NO. 3, Patrikakou, E. N., Weissberg, R. P., Redding, S., & Walberg, H. J. (Eds.). (2005). School-family partnerships: Fostering children’s school success. New York: Teachers College Press. Yap, K., and Enoki, D., (1995). In Search of the Elusive Magic Bullet: Parental Involvement and Student Outcomes, Perceptions of Parent Involvement in Academic Achievement.