1. By Camille Wilson Cooper And Christina A. Christie
Evaluating Parent Empowerment: A Look at the Potential of Social Justice Evaluation in Education
By Camille Wilson Cooper
And
Christina A. Christie
Presented By Dorothy Poirier

2. District Parent Training Program
Evaluation of a Parent Education Program
Southern California School District
UCLA Outreach Evaluation Team
Qualitative Case Study
Responsive Evaluation Approach
Social Justice Evaluation Model

3. California Based Laws Resolution SP-1 Proposition 209
Eliminated race, gender, and ethnicity in student admissions
Proposition 209
Abolished state affirmative action policy

4. The Parker Unified School District
Low-income, working class families
80% Latino
20% African American
Vietnamese, Filipino, and White
Low standardized test scores
Title I school district

5. Overview of the DPTP 13 week program, 2 days a week
Parker teachers/parent graduates teach classes
Free meals and child care
$150 stipend upon completion
Conferences/workshops
UCLA’s DPTP director
Parent director/parent site coordinator
Group action plans

6. Participants in the DPTP
Six schools in Parker District
236 program participants
92% Latina mothers
Mexico and Central America
Spanish as first language
Low % high school completion
12 Latino fathers
6 African American mothers

7. Evaluation Design and Methods
Fall 2000-Winter 2001
Qualitative Evaluation Approach
Purposive sampling techniques
Designed interview and observation protocols
21 interviews with stakeholders
10 % parents interviewed
Field observations
Data was analyzed and coded

8. Evaluation Findings Classroom instruction Advocacy Educational events
Math, social studies, English
Advocacy
Action plans
Educational events
Coordinate/facilitate programs
Expanding the curriculum
Safe and supportive environment

9. One parent’s view:
The program offers parents “a great opportunity to develop leadership” and also learn about “parents’ rights, students’ rights, how to help with the school, [and] how to grow up learning district and state guidelines.”

10. Parent Participation and Leadership
Developing action plans
Seven groups of five parents
Groups proposed concerns
Addressing the issues
Increased involvement and power
Leadership opportunities

11. Program Effectiveness
Provided new sources of knowledge
Increased self-confidence
Safe and supportive environment
Produced volunteers

12. Parent Power vs. Parent Involvement
Varied notions of parent empowerment:
A parent director explained, “I think it really empowers [parents] to feel better about themselves. I think each day they’re opening up more and more and asking more questions, and getting help with the math and reading. They really want to learn and they really want to help.”
Parker’s superintendent admitted that district officials and some school principals felt threatened by the success of the DPTP. He suggested that UCLA offer more information to Parker’s employees to help “remove threats of [parents] taking over the district.”

13. Evaluation Conclusions
The program enriched parents and contributed to school improvement.
The DPTP’s goals were not clearly defined, nor were program’s methods of achieving it’s goals.
Many mothers were re-evaluating conventional gender roles.
Since the evaluation, the parents are more active and vocal.

14. There was a reluctance by district officials to fully support and increase the program’s funding.
The district and school administrators’ commitment may be influenced by their perception that the DPTP parents are a threat.
The collaboration between the university and the district is an important part of the DPTP.

15. Implications for Educators and Evaluators
What can educators and district administrators do to empower parents?
What is important for them to consider when establishing partnerships with parents?
Why was the social justice evaluation technique more in line with the goals of the District Parent Training Program?