DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 400 930 PS 024 413

AUTHOR Akimoff, Kimberly G.

TITLE Parental Involvement: An Essential Ingredient for a
Successful School.
PUB DATE May 96
NOTE 29p.; Master's Thesis, Dominican College.
PUB TYPE Dissertations/Theses Masters Theses (042)
Reports Research/Technical (143)
Tests /Evaluation Instruments (160)

EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.

DESCRIPTORS *Academic Achievement; Elementary Education; *Family
School Relationship; Parent Influence; *Parent
Participation; *Parent School Relationship; Parent
Student Relationship; *Parent Teacher Cooperation;
Performance Factors; Private Education; *Student
Behavior; *Teacher Attitudes; Teacher Expectations of
Students

ABSTRACT
This study examined how teachers in a Christian
school in the North Bay, California, area, perceive the academic and
behavioral performance of students whose parents are involved in the
school compared to the performance of students whose parents are not
involved. Parental involvement includes parents attending
parent-teacher conferences, open houses, classroom activities and
events; keeping in touch with the teacher through phone calls and
notes; volunteering in the classroom; and being a guest speaker.
Parents also demonstrate their involvement by reviewing the child's
schoolwork, reading with the child, and monitoring the child's
academic progress. Behavioral performance refers to the student's
ability to interact socially with other students and to comply with
teacher expectations. Seven kindergarten through sixth-grade teachers
(Caucasian female) in a Christian school were asked to fill out
questionnaires and to answer interview questions regarding the
importance of parental involvement. The results of the study
indicated that parental involvement is essential in helping children
achieve optimum success in school, both academically and
behaviorally. The results suggest that parental involvement should be
encouraged in the classroom and at home for a number of reasons,
including: (1) parental involvement sends a positive message to
children about the importance of their education; (2) parental
involvement keeps the parent informed of the child's performance; and
(3) parental involvement helps the school accomplish more. The
appendices contain the letter of invitation to participate in the
study, the questionnaire, the questionnaire results, and the
interview questions. (AA)

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Parental Involvement: An Essential Ingredient for a Successful School

Running Head: Parental Involvement

By
Kimberly G. Akimoff

A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Dominican College Department of

Education in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Master in Science in Education: Curriculum and Instruction

PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND

DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL
HAS BEEN GRANTED BY

i<ve(\\Ick G
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INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)

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May, 1996

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 Parental Involvement 2

Abstract
It has been noted that parental involvement plays an important role in a child's
academic and behavioral success. The purpose of this study is to show the
relationship between parental involvement and the child's academic and
behavioral success. Elementary teachers were asked to fill out questionnaires
and answer interview questions regarding the importance of parental
involvement. The results were similar to other studies done on parental
involvement. This study has found that students whose parents are involved,
tend to do better both academically and socially compared to their peers whose
parents are not involved.
 Parental Involvement 3

About the Author

Kimberly Akimoff is a teacher at a Christian school in Northern California.
She has a background in elementary education and psychology. She completed
her Masters of Science degree in Curriculum and Instruction at Dominican
College in San Rafael.
She chose the topic to link parental involvement with the child's academic
and behavioral performance because she noticed a difference in academic success
among students in her classes. She wanted to find out if parental involvement
had any effect on the child's success.
 Parental Involvement 4

Parents who read no books cannot expect schools to make their children
enthusiastic readers, and parents who watch television every moment
of every evening cannot expect their children to prefer spending their own
evenings doing homework. Regardless of the quality of your children's
schools and teachers, your children's academic performance will
ultimately reflect their intellectual life at home.
- H. G. Unger

5
 Parental Involvement 5

Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the following people for their support and
encouragement in this research: Dr. Barry Kaufman for his help and support of
this study and Dr. Madalienne Peters for her help, support, encouragement, and
for taking the mystery out of statistics and research for me. I would like to thank
my co-workers for being willing to participate in this study. I would also like to
thank my parents and family for their encouragement and understanding
throughout the entire research process. Without their help this would not have
been possible.
 Parental Involvement 6

Table of Contents

I. Title Page 1

II. Abstract 2

III. Acknowledgements 5
IV. Table of Contents 6
V. Introduction 7
VI. Statement of the Problem 7
VII. Rationale 7

VIII. Background and Need 8

IX. Review of the Literature 8
X. Methodology 15

XI. Results and Discussion 17

XII. References 22
XIII. Appendix A: Letter of Invitation to Participate 23
XIV. Appendix B: Questionnaire 24
XV. Appendix C: Questionnaire Results 26
XVI. Appendix D: Interview Questions 27
 Parental Involvement 7
Introduction
It has been noted in the literature and generally accepted that parents who
are involved with their children's education tend to have children who do better in
school. A parent's view of education has an effect on a child's view of school.
Parents who take an active part in their children's education usually have
children who are self-confident, socially adjusted, and tend to excel academically.
Statement of the Problem
Do students whose parents are involved in their education perform better
academically in school than students whose parents are not involved in school?
Academic performance, for the purpose of this study, is measured by report card
grades and teacher observations.
This study examines how teachers in a Christian school perceive academic
and behavioral performance of students whose parents are involved in schools
with students whose parents are not involved in school. The term involvement
includes parents helping in the classroom, spending time with the child daily
working on schoolwork, projects and so on. Parents also demonstrate their
involvement by reviewing the child's schoolwork and monitoring academic
progress. Behavioral performance refers to student ability to interact socially
with other students and comply with teacher expectations regarding acceptable
classroom behavior. This study examines the role parental involvement plays in
a child's educational success.
Rationale
Research has found that in order for students to achieve success, schools
need the support of parents (Hepworth Berger, 1991). From the time of birth the
child is constantly learning new things. The parent is the child's primary
teacher until the child enters school, usually at the age of five, when a second
teacher is introduced to the child. From that point on the child has two primary
 Parental Involvement 8
teachers offering guidance and training. If the child is getting mixed messages
from home and school, the child will soon be confused and begin to doubt one of
the teachers. However, if the parents are involved in the school, and take an
active part in their child's education, the child will receive a consistent message
that school is important. The child will take pride in school work and feel a
heightened sense of self-worth.
Background and Need
Greenwood and Hickman (1991) have found that parental involvement does
play a key role in students academic success. Research has documented that
contributions of parental involvement have had positive outcomes. According to
Greenwood and Hickman the outcomes have been:
1. higher academic achievement;
2. student sense of well-being;
3. student school attendance;
4. student and parent perceptions of classroom and school climate;
5. positive student attitudes and behavior;
6. student readiness to do homework;
7. increased student time spent with parents;
8. better student grades;
O 9. higher educational aspirations among students and parents;
10. parent satisfaction with teachers (Greenwood, 1991, pp.279-280).
Hypothesis
It is hypothesized that if school personnel and parents work together then
children are likely to experience success in school.
Review of the Literature
A review of the literature addresses the areas of parental involvement, the
I
role(s) each person plays, the child's success, both academically and behaviorally,
 Parental Involvement 9
the importance of parental involvement and the effect of parental involvement in
school success.
Parental Involvement
Parental involvement includes attending parent-teacher conferences, open
S
houses, classroom activities and events, keeping in touch with the teacher
through phone calls and notes, volunteering in the classroom, and being a guest
speaker for the class. Parental involvement also goes beyond the boundaries of the
school and into the homes where parents are willing to help their child with a
homework assignment, or read to their child or have their child read to them.
Researchers have tried to classify the types of parental involvement and
have identified six types of parental involvement; the parent as teacher of their
own child, classroom volunteer, paid paraprofessional, learner, decision maker,
and audience (Greenwood, 1991). "A two-part distinction emerges between
(a) those parent activities aimed primarily at strengthening the overall school
program and only indirectly toward helping the parent's own child (e.g.,
advisory, volunteering, fund raising, and advocacy activities); and (b) those parent
activities that involve assisting one's own child (e.g. helping with homework,
meeting with teachers, and attending school events)" (Greenwood, 1991, p.281).
The role of parental involvement has shifted over the years from parents involved
in helping the whole school program to parents helping their own child.
Parental involvement can range from helping a child on a homework
assignment to serving on the school board. The more a parent becomes involved
the more likely the child will succeed both academically and socially. Research
has also shown that the sooner a parent becomes involved with the school the
more likely the child is to succeed.
 Parental Involvement 10
The Teacher's Role
Teachers play a vital role in parental involvement. Research has found
that teachers who believe in their own teaching effectiveness are more likely to
include parents in the following areas; parent-teacher conferences, parent
volunteering, parent tutoring, parent home instruction, and parent support.
Socioeconomic status of the schools was also a good predictor of parent
involvement. The higher the socioeconomic status of the school the higher the
0
rate of parental involvement, the lower the socioeconomic status of the school the
lower the rate of parental involvement. All elementary teachers at one point or
another involve parents in parent-teacher conferences and in messages sent
0 home through the child. Teachers learn how to conduct a parent-teacher
conference and how to effectively communicate with parents. However, there are
other types of involvement where parents may need some encouragement to
become involved.
In "How To Talk So Kids Can Learn" (1995), Faber and Mazlish tell a story
about a teacher in a small town, who is determined to get parents involved in
school. At the first PTA meeting of the year only a handful of parents show up
and the teacher starts questioning the school's parent-teacher communication
efforts. Researchers recruit two teachers and a few parents to plan monthly
activities, each month bringing in a few more people to help. As the parents
realize the school staff wants them to become involved, the PTA membership
grows. The teacher found out that some of the parents could not read. This led to
organizing a reading class for the parents, which turned into a full adult
education program. The students saw their parents studying at night, and as a
result, were encouraged to try harder in school. The last PTA meeting of the year
was completely full. A teacher taking the initiative and encouraging parents to
get involved can change a school.
 Parental Involvement 11
The role of the teacher is to communicate with the parents, and to actively
encourage parents to become involved with helping in the classroom, helping
their child at home, becoming involved in the Parents Club, sitting on the school
board, helping plan fund raisers, and so on.
The Parent's Role
The role of the parent is as a nurturer and educator. The parent is the
child's first educator. Research has shown that children whose parents are
actively involved in their education do better in school. Parents can choose to
become directly involved in what will help their child or become involved on a
greater level where their child is helped indirectly. Parents need to take an active
part in their child's education, whether it be helping with a homework
assignment or helping out in the classroom. Parents need to be visibly involved so
their child can see them helping out and taking an active part in the school.
Research has shown that teachers and parents who work together result in
"children's significantly increased levels of self-esteem, motivation to learn,
improved academic attitudes, and higher levels of reading achievement" (Rioux,
1980, p.222). It also helps students develop a respect for the school, individual
rights, and property rights.
According to "What Did You Learn in School Today?" (1991), educators are
encouraging parents to become more involved in their children's education. It is
a call to parents to take control at home and make sure their child is getting
enough sleep, eating a well balanced diet, not watching too much television, and
monitoring their child's homework. Parents need to encourage their child to
work harder when they bring home poor grades and not blame the teacher or the
school.
Parents who read no books cannot expect schools to make their
children enthusiastic readers, and parents who watch television
 Parental Involvement 12
every moment of every evening cannot expect their children to
prefer spending their own evenings doing homework. Regardless
of the quality of your children's schools and teachers, your
children's academic performance will ultimately reflect their
intellectual life at home (Unger, 1991, p.7).
Parents need to be careful about their opinion of school. School,
unfortunately, is not a pleasant memory for everyone. It is common knowledge
that some people hated school because of a certain teacher, or some of the subjects
taught did not make sense to them, or they were picked on in school by either a
teacher or fellow students. It is very important to avoid passing a negative view
onto your child. Some parents may be afraid of school; the classroom or the
principals's office brings up bad memories. Parents need to be encouraged to
overcome these fears and become involved.
The Child's Role
The role of the child is to see the parents and teacher working together for
what is best for the child. The child can sense if the parent and teacher do not
agree, and then may choose to take sides.
The child's academic and behavioral success depends on the role the parent
and teacher play. The child has a greater chance of achieving success if the
parent is actively involved. Research has shown the younger a child is when the
parents get involved the greater the chance of receiving optimum success.
Children are great imitators- what they see their parents do they most likely will
do also.
History
Parental involvement has been around since the beginning of time. As
stated in The Elementary School Journal (1991), in ancient cultures parents were
the nurturers and educators of their children. Children were taught at home
 Parental Involvement 13
until formal education outside of the home was introduced as early as 3787-1580
BC. Children were seen as the future, "the bearers of the culture" in Greek
societies. During the Middle Ages infancy lasted from birth to seven years,
during those seven years children were taught by their parents. At the age of
D
seven, they were expected to act as miniature adults. By the seventeenth century,
John Amos Comenius and John Locke recognized the importance of children's
interaction with parents and care givers. During this time childhood began to be
lb
viewed as a special time in life. Rousseau, and Pestalozzi, are where we get the
foundation for todays emphasis on parental involvement. Rousseau described
children as "needing freedom to grow untainted by society," and he admonished
D
mothers to "cultivate, water the young plant before it dies. Its fruits will one day
be your delights....Plants are shaped by cultivation and men by education"(Berger,
1991, p.211). Rousseau did not practice what he wrote about, but Pestalozzi read
D Rousseau's work and used his principles on raising his own children. Pestalozzi
saw the mother as the child's first educator. "As the mother is the first to nourish
her child's body, so should she, by God's order, be the first to nourish his mind"
ID (Hepworth Berger, 1991, p.211).
Contemporary Theories
During the nineteenth century three theories of child rearing came to the
ID United States. According to The Elementary School Journal (1991), there were
the Calvinist which required strict guidance by the parents and obedience by the
child. The second theory stated that children were basically good and was based
on the ideas of Rousseau, Pestalozzi, and Froebel. Froebel felt parents played a
vital role in childhood education. With his kindergarten movement here in the
United States came an emphasis on parental involvement. The third theory came
from John Locke who viewed children as influenced by their environment.
Parent involvement in schools was started by middle-class parents who believed
 Parental Involvement 14
children were basically good. The use of kindergartens had two roles: 1. to start
the child on the pathway to education, and 2. to train new immigrants and lower-
class families the culture of their new country and parenting skills. The Parent-
Teacher Association was founded in 1897 and, along with other organizations,
offered parenting classes and support for parents. By the 1920's there were
twenty-six parent organizations. By the 1930's parent education courses were
being offered by the schools. During the depression, nursery schools were added
to the school system.
In the 1940's parent education continued to grow, despite World War II.
Child care services were set up to allow mothers to help with the war effort.
Between the 1930's and 1940's the social health of children became important.
The 1950's was a time of recovering from the war. Schools were consolidated and
children had to travel farther to get there. Parental involvement decreased as
school administrators became more authoritative. Three major changes took
place in the 1960's. Head Start was established in 1965 after research showed that
early childhood education helped benefit the child's development. Head Start
offered three ways for parents to become involved and empowered parents to help
make decisions. Cultural diversity also emerged during this decade. The third
change was that the whole family should be offered support.
During the 1970's, parents were included on boards in federally funded
programs. Public Law 98-199 "provided for parent training to increase the
effectiveness of parents working with the staff of their child's school" (Hepworth
Berger, 1991, p.215). During the 1980's books and articles were published giving
parents suggestions for participation. Programs were developed to help the
families reinforce at home what the child was learning at school.
 Parental Involvement 15
Looking Towards the Future
The 1990's hold a new challenge. The problems of today are different from
those in the past. We have teenagers raising their own children, homes where
both parents work, single parent homes, families living below the poverty level,
and modern day technology that reduces the number of jobs available to the
unskilled. Parent involvement needs to go beyond the role a parent plays. Parents
need to be encouraged to participate in child raising classes, especially those who
are poor or very young parents.
The effect of parental involvement will be evident over the next few years.
Children are the future of this nation. In order for this nation to continue to grow
and flourish, schools and parents must concentrate more on working together for
the children's education. The review of the literature shows that children whose
parents are involved achieve more both academically and socially. Both parents
and teachers must work together to offer a continuing education and support for
children of all races and economic backgrounds. Teachers cannot accomplish
this task on their own, and neither can parents. Working together we can
continue what was started back in ancient cultures. "No school can properly
educate your children without your full cooperation as a parent" (Unger, 1991, p.
7). The child has parents as educators for a lifetime. The twelve years spent
in school are the years that shape the child both academically and socially,
therefore it is vitally important that parents be involved throughout this entire
process. Once a child turns eighteen and graduates from high school it is almost
impossible to reshape education to what the parent wanted the child to learn.
Methodology
Human Subjects Consideration
To ensure the protection of the rights of human subjects, this research
study adhered to the ethical standards of the American Psychological Association
 Parental Involvement 16
(APA, 1994). Prospective subjects were informed of the general matter of this
study, its basic purpose, rights to confidentiality, and researcher's availability to
answer questions before, during, and after this study. Names of the subjects were
not used, and prospective subjects agreed to participate in this study. The
opportunity to learn the results of this study were made available. Participants
could withdraw at any time.
Subjects
The subjects are seven elementary teachers from a Christian school in the
North Bay. They are all Caucasian female teachers who have been teaching for at
least five years, and are all in their forties. Five of the subjects attend the church
that sponsors the school, the other two subjects attend churches of the same
affiliation. Six of the subjects are married and have children. Five subjects have
children that attend the school they work for, one subject has children that attend
a public school, and one subject has no children. The subjects all have valid
California credentials.
Fellow teachers served as subjects. Each subject was given a brief
description of the study and the option of participating. The grade levels range
from kindergarten through sixth grade. Seven of the eight teachers at the school
agreed to participate.
Materials
The instruments used in this study are a twenty item questionnaire and
seven interview questions. The questionnaire addressed teacher perceptions of
the role of parental involvement. Similar statements are restated in order to get a
consistent response from the subjects. Several questions were directed toward the
impact of single parent households on school achievement.
The interview questions were designed to create an overall picture of how
6
teachers perceive parental involvement and the effect they have on a child's
 Parental Involvement 17
success in school. There is no right or wrong answer to these questions. The
questions were left open-ended to find out what other issues the subject perceives
to affect parental involvement and the effect it has on a child's success.
Results and Discussion
The results from the questionnaire and interview questions showed that
parental involvement is important. Of the twenty questionnaire statements, two
were answered the same, nine were all a form of agree, either strongly or
slightly, two were all a form of disagree, either strongly or slightly, and seven
varied from strongly agreed to strongly disagreed.
All of the subjects strongly agreed that parent - teacher communication
plays an important role in student success at school. All subjects slightly
disagreed that parents who do not take an active interest in their child's education
produce children who do well in school.
The subjects all agreed in some way that parent volunteers in the
classroom are helpful; students whose parents are involved get along better with
other children; a positive attitude in the parent produces a positive attitude in the
child; children do better in school, both academically and behaviorally if their
parents are actively involved; parent and child attending school functions together
helps to develop school spirit; parent attitude towards education affects the way a
child perceives school; and parent support of the teacher has a positive impact on
academic performance and student behavior. The subjects all disagreed in some
way that well adjusted children come from a one parent home and that
parent/teacher communication does not affect student's academic and behavioral
performance. The subjects' responses to the following ranged from strongly
agreed to strongly disagreed: well adjusted children come from a two parent
home; students with no parental involvement are disruptive in class; children
whose parents are not involved do poorly in school; children whose parents help
 Parental Involvement 18
out in the classroom tend to do better academically and socially; parental
involvement produces children who do well in school; non-parental involvement
produces children who do well in school; and children whose parents spend time
with them doing homework, do better academically in school.
The interview questions were similar in some areas and varied by grade in
other areas. Kindergarten and sixth grade had the highest percentages of parent
involvement. Parental involvement in kindergarten ranged from going on field
trips to helping out with special projects in the classroom, while in the sixth
grade parent involvement ranged from helping out with field trips to parents
coming in and talking about their jobs. The percentage of parents helping were
lower for first through fourth grades. One of the reasons for this could be parents
of kindergartners are new to the school experience and want to help out in their
child's school, and parents of sixth graders realize this could be the last year to be
really involved in their child's schooling before moving on to junior high school.
The subjects encourage parents to become involved in their child's
education through constant communication. Most of the teachers encouraged the
parents to get involved at Back to School Night. The teachers have sign up sheets
for parents to volunteer to help in different areas including helping out in the
classroom, correcting papers, coming along on field trips, teaching a skill to the
class, a talk about their occupations, or helping with special projects. One of the
subjects said she "gets the kids excited and hopefully they will pass that on to the
parents- have kids want their parents there when we do special things or go
places." Most teachers send home a monthly calendar of events in the classroom
or a weekly update on how the child is doing. If a child is doing poorly, teacher
initiated phone calls or notes are used to keep in contact with the parents. All of
the subjects agreed that constant communication is a major key in encouraging
parents to become involved.

19
 Parental Involvement 19
Academic Performance
The academic performance of children whose parents are involved usually
is better, however there are a few exceptions. In the lower grades children whose
parents are involved do average or better in their work. They are more careful
with their work and more capable of getting work done. In the upper grades it is
not as clear cut. Two subjects said that they did not see a difference at all
regarding parental involvement, but that it depended more on the child's
personality. One of the subjects said that several parents that help out have
students who are low academically. Parental involvement at the upper grade level
is due in part to parents knowing that their child is struggling and want to help
their child do better. In general it helps the child academically when parents are
involved. As one subject said "Parents who are aware of their child's daily work
tend to be more supportive and follow up more on paper re-dos, and so on."
According to the results of the interview questions, the academic
performance of children whose parents are not involved is usually average or
below. However, some do well because of self-motivation. The competitive spirit of
the child and the learning capacity of the child can enable the child to be
successful in academics even though the parents are not involved. One of the
reasons for parents not being involved is because they work; children who are in
daycare from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. do not do as well in school. When
students are struggling academically, parental support is a key issue and
involves willingness to help with work. Usually, parental help and awareness
will bring up the grades.
Behavioral Performance
The behavioral performance of children whose parents are involved is
usually better, however, there are exceptions. The difference is parents are
usually supportive and willing to help remedy the situation or problem. Students
 Parental Involvement 20
tend to be better listeners, more obedient and do better work. Support from home
is a key issue. Consistency between home and school in regard to behavior
expectations is also important. According to one subject "If the parent is involved
and aware, the child usually behaves better knowing that the parent will follow-
up." There are always exceptions.
The behavioral performance of children whose parents are not involved is
likely to be lower and these children tend to cause more problems. The ones who
II
are a constant problem or cause more problems are the ones where parents work
long hours and are so busy that they either do not notice or just do not care. Some
students are less interested in school and do not really care if they behave well or
not. "If a parent shows no active involvement in their child's education, there can
be a problem with the accountability of the child's actions."
Parent Involvement
Parent involvement in the classroom should definitely be encouraged. If a
child does not have parental support, it is going to affect them for life. Parents
need to know what is going on in the classroom and what better way to find out
than by volunteering in your child's classroom. Volunteering in the classroom is
not for every parent though; some children are too dependent on parents working
in the classroom, and this can be detrimental to their learning.
III Parental involvement at home tends to be a real strength providing
communication between the classroom and the home. Communication is the big
key in home involvement. Dinner conversations should include what happened at
school that day and what they learned. Attitudes regarding school can be picked
up by the student and parents taking an active interest in their child's education
convey to the child that school is important. Parental involvement should be
encouraged in the classroom and at home for a number of reasons: 1. sends a
 Parental Involvement 21
positive message to child about the importance of his education; 2. keeps the
parent informed of child's performance; and 3. helps the school accomplish more.
The results of this study show that parental involvement is an essential
ingredient for a successful school. Schools and homes working together will help
the child to achieve optimum success in school and to perform better both
academically and behaviorally. Even though this study was small and biased, the
results mentioned here can be applied to any school situation. Represented in this
study is just a small section of the entire school population, many people hold
other views than the subjects that were used for this study. Parental involvement
can help in any school here in the United States, whether it be an inner city school
or an elite private school, children need to know that their parents perceive school
as being important enough to become involved.
 Parental Involvement 22
REFERENCES
American Psychological Association. (1994). Publication Manual of
American Psychological Association (4th ed.). Washington, DC: author.
Faber, A.; Mazlish, E. (1995). How To Talk So Kids Can Learn. New York:
Simon and Schuster Inc.
Greenwood, G.E.; Hickman, C.W. (1991). Research and Practice in Parent
Involvement: Implications for Teacher Education. The Elementary School
Journal. v.91. #3.
Hepworth Berger, E. (1991). Parent Involvement: Yesterday and Today.
The Elementary School Journal. v. 91. #3.
Rioux, W. (1980). You Can Improve Your Child's School. New York: Simon
and Schuster Inc.
Unger, H.G. (1991). "What Did You Learn In School Today?". New
D York/Oxford: Facts On File.
 Parental Involvement 23
Appendix A
LETTER OF INTRODUCTION
Dear Study Participant

This study is about the effect parental involvement has on a student's

academic and behavioral performance.
The information collected will be used by Kim Akimoff as part of the
requirement for the degree of Master of Science in Education at Dominican
College of San Rafael, California. Participation by adults is completely voluntary
and all information collected will be reported in group totals. You are free to
decline to participate at any time during the study.
There should be no physical or psychological risks associated with
participation in the study. If you have any questions, problems, or discomfort
with the study, please contact the researcher immediately at (415) 485-3287.
The results of the study will be posted on a bulletin board by the School of
Education office and at a separate location at your school site. All responses will
be kept confidential which no one will see except for the researcher and the
advisors. One year following the study the information will be carefully destroyed.
You may keep this cover letter for future reference. If you choose to participate,
please leave the attached slip in the box in the office.

Thank you in advance for your participation.

Sincerely,

Kimberly G. Akimoff
(415) 485-3287
 Parental Involvement 24
Appendix B
QUESTIONNAIRE
Please rate the following questions from 0 to 5. Circle the answer that best describes what you see to
be true in your classroom. The questionnaire should take no longer than 15 minutes to fill out.
Thank you for your help with this study.
0 = not applicable 1 = strongly agree 2 = slightly agree
3 = agree 4 = slightly disagree 5 = strongly disagree
1. Parent volunteers in the classroom are helpful to the teacher.
0 1 2 3 4 5
2. Students whose parents are involved with their education get along better
with other children. 0 1 2 3 4 5
3. A positive attitude in the parent toward education will produce a positive
attitude toward education in the student.
0 1 2 3 4 5
4. Children who are well adjusted in school come from a one parent home.
0 1 2 3 4 5
5. Children who are well adjusted in school come from a two parent home.
0 1 2 3 4 5
6. Students whose parents are not involved with their education are
disruptive in class. 0 1 2 3 4 5
7. Parent volunteers in the classroom are helpful to the students.
0 1 2 3 4 5
8. Children whose parents take an active interest in their education do better
both academically and socially.
0 1 2 3 4 5
9. Parents who attend school functions with their children, help their children
develop school spirit.
0 1 2 3 4 5
10. Parents who are not involved in any way with their child's education produce
children who perform poorly in school.
0 1 2 3 4 5
 Parental Involvement 25

11. Parents who do not take an active interest in their child's education produce
children who do well in school.
0 1 2 3 4 5
12. Parent's attitude toward education affects the way a child perceives school.
0 1 2 3 4 5
13. Children whose parents help out in the classroom tend to do better both
academically and socially.
0 1 2 3 4 5
14.Parents who are involved in school activities, clubs, etc. produce children
who do well in school.
0 1 2 3 4 5
15. Parents who do not spend time with their children doing homework, produce
children who do better academically in school.
0 1 2 3 4 5
16. Parent - teacher communication does not affect student academic or
behavior performance.
0 1 2 3 4 5
17. Parent support of the teacher has a positive impact on student
academic performance.
0 1 2 3 4 5
18. Parent support of the teacher has a positive impact on student
behavior in the classroom and on the playground.
0 1 2 3 4 5
19. Parent - teacher communication plays an important role in student
success at school.
0 1 2 3 4 5
20. Parents who spend time with their children doing homework, have
children who do better academically in school.
0 1 2 3 4 5

26
Questionnaire Results 'Sub 'act 1 'Subject 2 :Subject 3 Subject 4 'Subject 5 ',Subject 6 Subject 7
i i
1 1

.1 3i 31 11 2
1. parent volunteers In classroom are helpful I
i I
1 i i I
I 2
2. students whose parents are Involved gel along better with other children 2i 2i 3 2
t i
/ i 1 ! I
31 1 1 1 2
3. positive altitude In parent positive attitude In child II

5 4 4 4 5 5
4. well adjusted children come from a 1 parent home

4 4 4 2 3 3 3
5. well adjusted children come from a 2 parent home

2 5 4 2 2 51 3
6. students with no parental Involvement are disruptive in class

3 2 3 2 11 1i 2
7. parent volunteers In classroom are helpful to students

2 3? 3, 1
8. children do better In school, a & b, if parents are actively Involved 2
1

1 1
3 1
9. parent/child attending school functions help develop school spirit
31
3 SI 1
10. childion whose parents are not Involved do poorly In school 2 4

4 4 4 41 al 4
11. children whose parents are not involved do well In school

1 1 1 11 21
12. parents altitude toward education enacts the way a child perceives school

3 4 3 4 23 3
13 children whose parents help out In the classroom tend to do better aSs

3 4 4 4 3
14. Parental Involvement - children who do well

5 4 5 5 4 2
15 non parental Involvement children who do well In school

5 5 5 4
16. parent/teacher communication does not &foci student eitt performance

1 1 3 11 1
1
17. parent support of the teacher has a 4 Impact on academic performance

31 t4 1
18. parent support of the leacher has a + Impact on student behavior

1 1 1
1 1 1
19. parent/teacher communication plays art important role in student success

2 2 1 2
20. children whose parents spend homework time with parent do better acaden

27 28
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
 Parental Involvement 27
Appendix D
Interview Questions
The following questions should take no longer than 45 minutes to answer.

1. What percentage (approximate) of parents actively help out in your classroom?

How are they involved in the classroom?

2. How do you encourage parents to become involved in their child's education?

3. Describe the academic performance of children whose parents are involved.

4. Describe the academic performance of children whose parents are not involved.

5. Describe the behavioral performance of children whose parents are involved.

6. Describe the behavioral performance of children whose parents are not

involved.

7. What is your view of parent involvement in the classroom, at home, etc.? Is it

something you think should be encouraged? discouraged?
 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT (OERI)

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