ETEC 542Literature Review

Presentation

Robert Fleck

Designing a School-Based ParentWebpage to Increase ParentInvolvement and Home/SchoolCommunication The literature review discusses how the qualities, benefits, and requirements ofof creating a good website can

perpetuatemore parent involvement, whereby increasing home/school

communication.

What the Literature Says About Parent InvolvementParental participation improves student learning

whetherthe child is in preschool or in the upper grades, whether

or not the family is struggling economically or is affluent, or whether the parents finished high school or graduatedfrom college (Epstein, 1991; Henderson, & Berla, 1994; Liontos, 1992; Reynolds, et al., 1991; Zellman, G.L., & Waterman, J.M.).

The benefits for students when parents are actively involved in schools include:• Higher grades and test scores• Better attendance and more homework completed• Fewer placements in special education• More positive attitudes and behaviors• Higher graduation rates• Greater enrollment in post –secondary education(Clark, R., 1993; Griffith, J., 1996; Dauber, S.L. &Epstein J.L. 1993).

What the Literature Says About Parent InvolvementParents are one available but untapped and undirected resource that teachers can mobilize to help more children master and maintain needed skills for school…This requires teachers’ leadership in organizing, evaluating , and continually building their parent involvement practice (Epstein, 1991).

The strongest support for learning occurs at homethrough positive parenting styles, nightly reading,homework policies, and high expectations. Schools thatmeasure their success in reaching out to parents by the number of volunteers and attendance at workshops andmeetings could be missing valuable opportunities to connect with families (Epstein, J. et al., 1997;

Dornbusch,S. Et al., 1987; Dauber, S., 1993; Comer, J. & Haynes,

N.M.,1992; Zellman, G., 1998).

Problems With Parent Involvement and Home/School CommunicationAlthough research clearly indicates an extreme need for home/school communication in order to increase academic success through parent involvement, there is no clear method for communication.

Epstein (1999) conducted a national survey that found five problematic areas.*initiation of communication*timelessness of communication*frequency and consistency of communication*follow through* And clarity/usefulness of information

Issues and Challenges of Parent InvolvementAccording to Hoover Dempsey et al., 2000, there are five levels of parental involvement:

• Family obligation• Involvement at school• Home education• Decision-making and advocacy at school• Community collaborationAll sorts of logistical issues, such as time,

money,safety, and child care can seemingly prevent a parent from participating in their child’s school.Attitudinal barriers such as uncertainty, dissatisfaction, and communication problems are also important factors. Expectation barriers also play an important role in the level of parentinvolvement.

Advantages of Using Technology

Researchers have found that parents like theconvenience of electronic communicationNelms(2002).

Using web pages and emails to communicate isbecoming increasingly popular with many educators. Hernandez and Leung (2004) noted

thatteachers can provide a service to parents helpingthem become more Internet savvy.

The Internet is an attractive source of information

for parents because of its round-the-clock availability, speed, and enormous range of information (Martland & Rothbaum, 2006)

Summary

With increased availability in today’s society researchers have shown that electronic communication is becoming more frequently used . Many schools are constantly looking for new ways to communicate and increasing parent involvement, by means of E-mail and school web pages. More and more parents are going online to learn about how schools are preparing students for the future. Sooner than we think school and classroom web sites will become the new arena to access information and resources, and a new way oflearning.

References*Clark, R. (1993). Homework-focused parentingpractices that positively affect student achievement.In N.F. Chavkin (Ed.), Families and schools in apluralistic society (pp.85-105), Albany, NY StateUniversity of New York Press.*Epstein, J.L.(1991). Effects of student achievementof teacher practices of parent involvement. In S.B. Silvern(Ed.), Advances in reading/language research: Vol. 5.Literacy through family, community and schoolInteraction (pp. 261-276). Greenwich, CT:JAI Press *Epstein, M.H., & Munk, D.D. (1999). Strategies forImproving Home-School Communication about Homework for Students with Disabilities, Journalof Special Education, 33, 166-177.*Hernandez,S., & Leung, B.P. (2004) Using the internetto boost parent-teacher relationships. Kappa Delta Pi Record,40 (3), 136-138.*Nelms, E. (2002). The effects of a teacher-created web-pageon parent communication: An action research study. ActionResearch Exchange (1), 2.