THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT AND STUDENT

ACHIEVEMENT IN READING AND MATHEMATICS ON THE FLORIDA

COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT TEST: A QUANTITATIVE APPROACH

by

Nohemy Paz

MICHAEL LOOS, PhD, Faculty Mentor and Chair

LISA MCKENNA, PhD, Committee Member

JAMES RUBY, PhD, Committee Member

David Chapman, PsyD, Dean, Harold Abel School of Social and Behavioral Sciences

A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Capella University

November 2011

© Nohemy Paz, 2011

Abstract

The purpose of this quantitative research study was to investigate the relationship between

student achievement on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test in reading and mathematics

and parental participation at school family night workshops, where parents, accompanied by their

children, learn strategies to implement during the FCAT. This study investigated whether the

academic achievement of children in standardized tests was influenced by their parents’

participation in FCAT related functions. The research design was an ex-post facto design. Data

were analyzed using a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The study took place in a

public middle school in Florida. During the 2009-2010 school year, XYZ Middle School served

students from diverse ethnic backgrounds, including 125 White students, 225 Black students,

442 Hispanic students, 28 Asian students, and 15 multi-racial students. Of the 835 students, 444

were male and 391 were female. The school is located in a low socioeconomic community. The

sample used was a convenience sample because the researcher is employed as a teacher at the

selected location and has access to school’s records. There were 200 participants in total in this

study. Those 200 participants were 100 students/families that participated at family night FCAT

workshops and 100 students who did not participate at family night FCAT workshops. The

results of the Tests Between-Subject Effects showed a positive relationship between math and

reading. Math had a higher F value (19, 702) and reading (2,850); therefore the overall model is

significant because of math, p<.001. Wilks’ Lambda distribution: F(2,188) = 10.403. The math

scores for the students whose parents attended the school family night workshops were higher

than students whose parents did not participate F(1, 189) = 19.702, p < .001. Their reading

scores were not as high as expected; however, they were higher than the scores of the students

whose parents did not attend the workshops F(1, 189) = 2.850, p < .001. The null hypothesis was

rejected at alpha = .05. In conclusion, students whose parents were involved in School Family

Workshops did score higher in reading and math FCAT than students whose parents did not

participate at the SFW.

iii

Dedication

This dissertation is dedicated to God for keeping me strong and healthy, to my mother

who keeps on blessing me from heaven, and who always encouraged me to become “Dr. Paz,”

and last but not least, to my three angels on earth who are my reason to be, my daughters,

Natalie, Nicole, and Nayelie.

iv

Acknowledgments

I would like to acknowledge my mentor, Dr. Michael Loos for all of his support,

guidance, and encouragement throughout this process, along with Dr. Ruby, Dr. Auxier, and Dr.

McKenna. Without their support, the completion of my dissertation would not have been

possible. Thank you so much Dr. Loos, Dr. Ruby, Dr. Auxier, and Dr. McKenna! Also, special

thanks to my friends and to the principal of my school for their endless support during the

completion of my dissertation.

v

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments iv

List of Tables viii

List of Figures ix

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1

Introduction to the Problem 1

Background of the Problem 2

Problem Statement 6

Purpose Statement 7

Research Questions 8

Rationale and Significance of Study 10

Nature of Study 11

Definition of Terms 13

Assumptions and Limitations 14

CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 16

Introduction 16

Theoretical Framework 20

Review of the Critical Literature 24

Environmental Effects on Student Achievement 24

vi

Parental Involvement 26

Ethnicity’s Effect on Parental Involvement and Student Achievement 30

Summary 31

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 33

Introduction 33

Evaluation of Viable Research Designs 34

Description of Research Design 36

Sampling Procedures 37

Data Collection Procedures 40

Data Analysis Procedures 41

Assumptions and Limitations of the Research Design 43

Internal and External Validity 44

Expected Findings 45

Ethical Issues 46

Summary 47

CHAPTER 4: DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS 49

Introduction 49

Description of the Sampled Data 49

Presentation of Data and Results of the Analysis 50

Research questions 59

vii

CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 64

Discussion of the Results 64

Conclusions 66

Recommendations 69

REFERENCES 72

APPENDIX A. TABLE OF RANDOM NUMBERS FOR THE 100 SCORES OF STUDENTS IN ATTENDANCE AT SCHOOL FAMILY WORKSHOPS. 78

APPENDIX B. TABLE OF RANDOM NUMBERS FOR THE 100 SCORES OF STUDENTS

WHO NEVER ATTENDED SCHOOL FAMILY WORKSHOPS. 83

viii

List of Tables

Table 1. Combined Frequency for All Students Who Took The FCAT 2009-2010 50

Table 2. Combined frequency for all students who took the Reading FCAT 2009-2010 51

Table 3. Combined Frequency Distribution of All Students in Sample FCAT Math Scores 2009-2010 52

Table 4. Frequency for All Students Whose Parents Did Not Attend Family Night Workshops

2009-2010. 53 Table 5. Frequency Distribution of 2009-2010 FCAT Reading Scores for All Students whose

Parents Did Not Attend Family Night Workshops 53 Table 6. Frequency Distribution of 2009 -2010 FCAT Math Scores for All Students whose

Parents Did Not Attend Family Night Workshops 54 Table 7. Frequency for All Students whose Parents Attended Family Night Workshops 2009-

2010 55 Table 8. Frequency Distribution of 2009-2010 FCAT Reading Scores for all Students Whose

Parents Attended Family Night Workshops 55 Table 9. Frequency Distribution of 2009 -2010 FCAT Math Scores for All Students whose

Parents Attended Family Night Workshops. 56 Table 10. Tests of Between Subjects Effects 57 Table 11. Tests of Between Subjects Effects 58

ix

List of Figures

Figure 1. Reading scores for students whose parents attended the workshops 61

Figure 2. Reading scores for students whose parents did not attend the workshops 62

Figure 3. Math scores for students whose parents attended the workshops 62

Figure 4. Math Scores for students whose parents did not attend the workshops 63

1

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Introduction to the Problem

In a society where contemporary families are highly diverse, there are single parents,

females as providers, parents with dual careers, same-sex couples, parents with joint custody,

and stepfamilies (Eshleman & Bulcroft, 2006). The members most likely to be greatly affected

are the children, who may be confused with so many concurrent changes (Eshleman & Bulcroft).

Eshleman and Bulcroft posited that family structure has changed in many ways and that such

changes have affected children emotionally as well as intellectually. McNamara (2000)

suggested that adolescence is a stressful time where children go through intellectual, social,

physical, and psychological changes.

This research implements Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory of development,

also known as “bioecological systems theory.” This theory looks not only at a child’s

development in relation to his/her immediate environment, but also at the interaction with the

community and society as well (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). This theory implies that the

microsystem, as well as the macrosystem, relate conversely to the behavior of children, and as a

consequence to their academic performance (Bronfenbrenner). The microsystem involves the

structures with which the child has direct contact; it encompasses the interactions a child has

with his/her surroundings including family, school, neighborhood, or childcare center (Berk,

2000). The macrosystem is comprised of cultural values, customs, and laws (Berk).

In a stage development from childhood to adolescence, it is important to consider the

micro and the macro systems of the child (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). Bronfenbrenner added that the

transition from childhood to adolescence involves a need for independence, but at the same time

2

a need for a parental figure. Bronfenbrenner continued by stating that children going through the

transition into adolescence are trying to discover who they are. They are trying to define their

own personalities, and in such transitions, they are exposed to peer pressure, bullying, and even

drugs as they try to fit in and to act “cool” (Bronfenbrenner).

Academic achievement regarding scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test

is very important for children and schools. Schools in turn have become creative in order to

motivate parents and children to participate in school functions. School functions at XYZ Middle

School offer refreshments, prizes, child-care, and educational activities that teach caregivers

strategies to implement with their children at home while cooking, cleaning, or simply while

driving the child to sports practice. It was expected that the educational activities offered during

school family workshops would diminish students’ stress by building confidence during the

FCAT, and that children would be able to succeed.

FCAT scores are expressed as single numbers, such as 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Success on the

FCAT means a score of 3, 4, or 5. A score of 3 on the FCAT is a satisfactory passing score. A

score of 4 is a very good score, and a score of 5 is an outstanding score. Any score less than 3 on

the FCAT is a failing score. The variables studied in this research were parental participation at

school family workshops (students/families who participated and students that did not

participate) and student achievement in reading and mathematics on the Florida Comprehensive

Assessment Test (FCAT).

Background of the Problem

A plethora of research has been conducted concerning limited parental involvement due

to the family socioeconomic status, family structure, family background, gender, ethnicity,

3

homework help at home, and academic achievement (Baker & Soden, 2000; V. Lee &

Croninger, 1994; Tocci & Englehard, 1991; Zimilies & Lee, 1991), but no research has been

conducted in relation to parental involvement in school family workshops, where parents,

accompanied by their children, learn strategies to implement on the Florida Comprehensive

Assessment Test (FCAT). Researchers have attempted to delineate the correlation between

parental socioeconomic status, family structure, parental help with homework, and academic

achievement (Baker & Soden, 2000; M. Lee & Croninger 1994; Tocci & Englehard, 1991;

Zimilies & Lee, 1991). Factors such as a harmonious/supportive family structure and

communication among family members at home have been found to play a crucial role in the

academic achievement of adolescents (Tillman, 2007). Further, family structure, and the extent

to which parents discuss school issues and attend school functions, have been associated with

higher adolescent academic achievement (Jeynes, 2005). These factors are but a few that have

been studied in an attempt to identify and explain the spurious variables at play in the academic

development of children. Jarrett (2003) conducted a study on the experiences of low-income

African-American adolescents to help promote broader understanding of their development.

Jarrett found that African-American teens who grow up with poor parents and in impoverished

neighborhoods experienced a range of ecological, situational, social, and familial factors that

differentiated their development from White middle-class youth.

Bronfenbrenner (1979) showed that there are external forces, such as the exosystem

which contains the larger social system such as parent-workplace schedule, that affect the life of

the child even though the child does not have a direct relationship. As Bronfenbrenner’s

ecological theory suggests, child development is influenced by a number of external systems that

act simultaneously to influence and guide development (Bronfenbrenner). He surmises that a

4

toddler sits at the center of a series of circles representing micro-systems, meso-systems, exo-

systems, and macro-systems, where the parental relationship represents an exo-system with high

influence (Darling, 2007). Therefore, the role of the parent as a development agent and/or

catalyst is vital to the overall development of children.

Bronfenbrenner’s exo-system construct has underscored much research into the academic

achievement of children across the nation (Darling, 2007). Variables such as race, class, socio-

economic and family structure of the students and their family units have been compared against

the students’ achievement in order to find a relationship, in an attempt to explain what affects

student performance positively (Darling, 2007). One study by Tillman (2007) compared the

academic achievement among adolescents in stepfamilies and adolescents living with biological

single-mother families. Results indicated that living in a stepfamily does not benefit youth, and

can in some way disadvantage them, even when compared to their peers in single-mother

families (Tillman). Yet another study indicated that when parents get involved in their children’s

education by asking them what they learned at school, and encouraging them to narrate and

explain in detail their experiences for the day, children tend to perform higher academically

(Jeynes, 2005). Additionally, a study conducted by Carranza, You, Chhuon, and Hudley (2009)

indicated that the acculturation level to students’ academic achievement may be due to parents’

level of education and adolescents’ time in the United States.

Although these studies have not directly addressed the correlation between parental

involvement and student academic achievement, their findings have isolated parental

involvement related to education level, and expectation in some instances, as an important

variable in the academic development and performance of children. The limited published

research on the correlation between parental involvement and student academic outcomes,

5

particularly in standardized state tests, indicates a gap in the literature that this study attempts to

address. Using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory as its theoretical underpinning, this study

attempt was to highlight the importance of parental participation in school functions, such as

school family night workshops and how such active participation relates to the children’s FCAT

scores.

Moreover, this study holds particular significance for counselors, educators, school

administrators, and parents in the State of Florida, where the study was conducted. The present

study provides evidence that demonstrates the relationship between parental involvement at

school family workshops and children’s scores in reading and math on the FCAT. Education

professionals within the state at the county and school level may find the study results beneficial

when creating and implementing intervention programs for students who are predicted at the

lower end of proficiency scales. Additionally, the results of this study can be used as a way to

increase parental involvement in every child’s education to increase student achievement on the

FCAT.

This study was conducted with 200 students in a public middle school in Florida. The

participants of this study were children between the ages of 11-15 years. Using quantitative

methods; MANOVA, students’ FCAT scores were measured against parental participation in a

school-sponsored educational strategy session; Family Night Workshops. It was hypothesized

that the children of parents who participated at the school’s sponsored family night workshops

are more likely to have higher FCAT scores than students whose parents did not attend the

workshops.

6

Problem Statement

Finding novel, engaging and effective ways to increase the academic performance of the

nation’s student population has been problematic, and an earnest endeavor, for School Boards

across the nation. The State of Florida has adopted the National No child Left Behind policies in

an effort to ensure that Florida’s teachers are of the highest caliber and a high level of student

instruction (Florida Department of Education, 1997). Out of this policy, a myriad of research-

driven programs, interventions and pedagogical strategies have emerged, aimed at increasing

student academic proficiency. Yet, since its inception, student scores on the Florida

Comprehensive Achievement Test have not increased significantly, a fact that remains troubling

to both educators and legislators (Florida Department of Education, 1997). National discourse on

education in both the academic and popular press has identified many variables within the

education system that may be causal, from teacher qualification to student-teacher ratio, from

teacher apathy to the lack performance-based measures. However while these factors are in fact

causal in some part, they do not represent definitive dependent variables acting on student

academic performance. Student academic achievement is spurious by nature.

One factor that has remained silent in the education debate at the academic and popular

level was the effect of parental involvement on student achievement. A review of the literature as

part of the preparation for this study has revealed a gap as it relates to studies that look solely at

the correlation between student achievement on standardized tests like the FCAT and parental

involvement. A myriad of literature has been published on topics such as parental socioeconomic

status, family structure, homework help at home, academic achievement (Baker & Soden, 2000;

M. Lee & Croninger 1994; Tocci & Englehard, 1991; Zimilies & Lee, 1991), and strategies to

increase schools’ parental participation (Jeynes, 2005). However, further research is needed

7

concerning the relationship between parental attendance to school family workshops, and the

effect of the attendance and participation at such workshops on the students’ achievement in

reading and mathematics on the FCAT.

Since the FCAT was designed to assess students’ understanding and comprehension of

the Florida’s Sunshine State Standards from grades 3 to 10, and it is utilized as the main

approach to the A-Plus accountability program, satisfactory performance should be emphasized

both at school and at home (Florida Department of Education, 1997). Comprehensive studies

need to be conducted concerning school family workshops —provided in a collaborative

atmosphere where parents, children, and teachers in a classroom work together to help students

learn FCAT strategies through hands-on activities— and children’s achievement in reading and

mathematics on the FCAT.

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of parental participation in school

activities, such as school family workshops, on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test

(FCAT) for middle school students. This study investigated if the academic achievement of

children in standardized state tests was influenced by their parents' active participation at school

family workshops. This study determined if attendance to school family workshops correlates

with the FCAT scores of students. This study helps to increase awareness of the important role

the FCAT plays in the life of each individual child. Overall, the FCAT has become the most

important form of assessment in the State of Florida. Hence, it is necessary to identify strategies

that help students improve their academic knowledge and retention both in reading and

mathematics early in the school year.

8

Research Questions

Questions

The following research questions were addressed in the study:

R1. What is the relationship between reading and math FCAT scores of students whose parents

were involved in School Family Workshops?

R2. Do students whose parents were involved in School Family Workshops score higher on the

reading and math FCAT than students whose parents did not participate at the SFW?

These are considered quantitative questions because they investigate the relationship

between variables and require the verification of information through statistics to support the

outcomes (Creswell, 2009). Since this study included caregivers who attended the family night

academic workshops, which involves participation in hands-on activities, study/learning skills,

and reading and mathematics test-taking strategies; the expectation was that such children score

higher on the FCAT than those children whose parents did not attend the family night

workshops. Data including caregivers’ attendance at workshops were analyzed and compared to

the children’s scores on the FCAT. If a positive relationship was discovered, a topic for further

research could be whether such relationship was due to the content of information delivered at

such workshops and the implementation of the strategies practiced at home, or due to the natural

level of academic intelligence of children.

As noted by Neuman (2003), research questions are interactive and can be formulated

after developing hypotheses. Sproull (2002) added that research questions ask if a relationship

exists between the variables of the research study. Hypotheses predict a relationship between the

variables in research. Research questions need to be specific and presented in ways that are

observed through evidence (Rubin & Babbie, 2005). In this research study, the independent

9

variables (IV) are parents attending or not attending school family workshops. During the

workshops, participants learn to relate subject content in reading and mathematics to daily life

experiences. For example, students read traffic signs and look for the meaning of words they do

not understand in the dictionary or they find the meaning to unknown words through context

clues by observing the driver. Workshop participants also learn to analyze the shapes of traffic

signs and at home, how to read and measure ingredients while cooking among other

mathematical applications.

Overall, school family workshops teach participants study/learning strategies to

implement and reinforce children’s learning at home. The dependent variables (DV) in this study

are students’ standardized scores in reading and math on the FCAT. If a positive relationship

was found once the data were analyzed, other factors that could be considered for further

research in a qualitative study could be children’s academic interest and effort to learn by

interviewing parents and children. It is possible that children’s scores in the FCAT were higher

because the children decided to work harder on their own, and not necessarily because their

caregivers worked with them individually at home.

Hypotheses

Hypotheses

The following hypotheses related to the above research questions of this study were:

Hypothesis Ha: There will be a relationship between reading and math FCAT scores of students

whose parents were involved in School Family Workshops.

Null hypothesis Ho: There will be no relationship between reading and math FCAT scores of

students whose parents were involved in School Family Workshops.

10

Hypothesis Ha: There will be a difference between the FCAT academic achievement of the

students of parents who participated at FCAT preparatory activities (school family

workshops) and the students whose parents never participated.

Null hypothesis Ho: There will be no difference between the FCAT academic achievement of

the students of parents who participated at FCAT preparatory activities (school family

workshops) and the students whose parents never participated.

Topics that were taken into consideration in the literature review were:

1. Socioeconomic status of the family

2. Family structure

3. Communication between caregivers and children concerning academics

Rationale and Significance of Study

A significant amount of research has been conducted concerning parental socioeconomic

status, family structure, parental help with homework, and academic achievement. However,

research is needed to investigate the relationship between parental involvement in school

activities relating to the family and interactive workshops, and children’s scores in reading and

mathematics on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). There is no literature

stating the importance of parental participation in school functions, such as school family night

workshops, and how such active participation relates to the children’s FCAT scores.

Comprehensive studies are needed to discover the relationship between parental involvement at

school family workshops and children’s scores on the FCAT. The participants of this study were

children between the ages of 11-15 years. This study was conducted with 200 students in a

11

public middle school in Florida. This study provides counselors, educators, school

administrators, and parents with research concerning the relationship between attendance to

school family workshops and FCAT scores. The overall benefits of this study are that counselors,

teachers, and school administrators— who create and implement intervention programs at

schools to increase parental participation in the support process to increase student achievement

on the FCAT—could take into consideration the findings of this study.

Nature of Study

The study’s methodological approach was quantitative and followed a causal-

comparative design also known as an ex-post facto design study because the participants

completed the workshops during the 2009-2010 school year (Glatthorn & Joyner, 2005). This

study investigated the correlation between parental involvement at family workshops and

children’s performance in reading and mathematics on the FCAT, which is a standardized state

test. Data were analyzed using a MANOVA. The results of the analysis were used to draw

inferences about the correlation between the groups.

The correlation between attending family workshops at the school with the child’s FCAT

scores was to discover a positive relationship in the scores of the children whose parents attended

the workshops in comparison with the children of the parents who did not participate at the

workshops. Variables such as illnesses, work conflicts, family and personal issues, etc. that

interfered with attending family workshops were not relevant as attendance was not equivalent to

commitment, but rather an assumption that attendance makes a positive difference when the

child takes the FCAT. Data from a South Florida public school were collected and analyzed to

demonstrate if there was a relationship between the variables.

12

The independent variables (IV) of parents’ attendance at school family workshops were

measured by selecting 100 families that attended the workshops and 100 students that did not

attend the family night workshops. The principal of the school made this selection so the

researcher did not have any contact with students’ names. The researcher provided the principal

with a table of random numbers so she could pull the scores for those 100 students from the

school family workshops attendance records. The other 100 students were also randomly

selected by the principal. Once the names of the students in attendance at family night workshops

were removed, the principal pulled the scores for those 100 students that never attended school

family workshops. Since the researcher was using extant data and was not interested in knowing

who was scoring what, the names of the participants were not needed. The 200 FCAT scores

were provided to the researcher by the principal of the school.

Data were analyzed to show the relationship between assimilation of the content of

activities delivered during workshop sessions and the children’s scores in reading and math on

the FCAT. This study is relevant to the field of counseling because parents, as well as children,

need guidance on how to react when changes occur (Eshleman & Bulcroft, 2006). Counseling

would allow parents to realize the importance of being involved in the life of their children,

especially if changes in the family structure have taken place at such critical developmental stage

in the life of the child (Eshleman & Bulcroft). This study provided educators and parents with

research concerning the relationship between parental participation at school family workshops

and students’ performance in reading and mathematics on the FCAT. The overall benefits of this

study are that counselors, teachers, and school administrators— who create and implement

interventions programs at schools to increase parental participation in the support process to

13

increase student achievement on the FCAT—could take into consideration the findings of this

study.

Definition of Terms

For the purpose of this study, the following terms were defined:

Academic achievement: Competency in scholastic pursuits based on the percentage of

items answered correctly for each objective on the FCAT (Klein & Keller, 1990).

FCAT : The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. This test was designed to

determine whether children achieve minimum competency in reading, mathematics and language

usage as determined by the Florida State Department of Education; the FCAT measures the

content specified within the strands, standards, and benchmarks of the Sunshine State Standards

(Florida Department of Education, 1997).

Strategy: Strategy is defined as the reading behavior or reading plans that students

implement to comprehend or achieve the learning objective (Boling & Evans, 2008).

Sunshine State Standards (SSS): The Sunshine State Standards is Florida’s curriculum

framework that provides guidelines for what students should know and be able to do in each

subject at each grade. The FCAT SSS was custom designed by the Florida Department of

Education to measure how well Florida students are meeting the SSS benchmarks in reading,

mathematics, writing and science (Florida Department of Education, 1997).

14

Assumptions and Limitations

Assumptions

In order to conduct this study, the researcher assumed the following:

1. There was measurable parental involvement at school XYZ.

2. That parental involvement was defined as involvement in school XYZ’s Family night.

3. That teaching sessions led by teachers at school XYZ, where parents and students learn

test-taking strategies, aided the students on the FCAT.

4. That the parents and students could learn these strategies.

5. That the teachers teaching these strategies were trained and highly qualified in teaching

these strategies.

6. That these strategies have been tested and proven as appropriate skills needed for

passing the FCAT.

7. That parents and students voluntarily participated in these strategy-teaching sessions

and that they were motivated by the increased chance of the student passing the

FCAT.

8. That the study population was representative of the population of students and parents

at school XYZ.

9. That all of the students were going to be present during the week of testing and take

the FCAT.

Limitations

The limitations of the study were related to the external validity. A limitation could have

been the sampling method of the study. The researcher assumed that all of the students were

going to be present during the week of testing. However, some students did not have a math or

15

reading FCAT score and the reasons could vary, from being sick throughout the whole week of

testing to relocating. Using a purposive sample made no pretense of identifying a specific subset

of members (Leedy & Ormrod, 2005). The narrow selection criteria of participants; parents of

children at school XYZ who took part in school sponsored strategy-teaching sessions, coupled

with very specific setting of participants could also be considered a limitation. However, school

XYZ offers service to a diverse community, thus, making it possible to generalize the findings of

the study to a broader population of students and parents within the District and state. The

researcher was able to generalize the data with the caveat that there were extraneous variables

such as age, gender, race, demographic, and socioeconomic differences in other groups that are

different than the selected school. Additionally, the results of the research were time-bound and

limit generalizing about the phenomenon under study both past and future. In response to these

limitations, the findings of the study were only discussed in relation to the study population and

what implications these findings had for those specific groups. Moreover, the study may be

replicated at other similar institutions to ascertain if the findings of the research occur in other

instances, thus adding to the reliability of the study.

16

CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

This chapter presented national and international research findings on parental

involvement and academic achievement. This chapter also considered internal and external

factors contributing to parental involvement in school academic activities.

Research that investigates the correlation between parental involvement in school

sponsored programs like Family Nights, utilized in specific Title 1 public schools, and student

outcomes on the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT) has not been published to

date. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to discover if parental participation at school

family workshops—where parents, accompanied by their children, learn strategies to implement

on the FCAT—had a positive effect on the students’ FCAT scores as compared to those students

whose parents did not participate at school academic workshops. This study investigated if the

academic achievement of children in standardized tests was influenced by their parents’

involvement at school family workshops.

In a society where contemporary families are highly diverse, such as single parents,

females as providers, dual careers, same-sex couples, joint custody, and stepfamilies, the ones

most likely to be affected are the children who may be confused with so many simultaneous

changes (Eshleman & Bulcroft, 2006). Cancio, West, and Young (2004) suggested that when

caregivers choose to invest time in their child’s education, the benefits are unlimited, both

intellectually and academically. Eshleman and Bulcroft documented that family structure has

changed in many ways and that such changes have affected children emotionally as well as

intellectually.

17

According to Hart and Teeter (2002), public education in America is facing high levels of

scrutiny and data driven decisions are made, centered upon the academic achievement of

students on standardized state tests. Hart and Teeter suggested that seventy-three percent of

adults support testing student achievement and holding school administrators and teachers

accountable for such achievement. Glasser (1998) on the other hand, posited that it is a must for

teachers to help the students to become more responsible for their learning. Glasser added that

teachers can also help parents understand the parent-child dynamic involved in the academic

achievement of children.

Holding schools accountable for student learning has caused major nationwide changes in

the internal capacity for instruction (Elmore & Fuhrman, 2001). Hence, individual states have

concluded that school and curriculum decisions must be made on current and relevant data

(Hanson, Burton, & Guam, 2006).

Research shows that when parents are involved in the education of their children,

educators, students, parents, schools, community leaders, and society in general benefit

(Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Kohl, Lengua, & McMahon, 2002; Shaffer, 2009). The Georgia

Department of Education (2005) reported that parental involvement is an issue that continues to

develop as more educators try to encourage parents to participate in the education of their

children. Studies by Shaffer (2009) and Bronfenbrenner, (1979) demonstrate that family and

community connections have specific positive impacts on reading and mathematics. According

to the Georgia Education Legislation (2005), federal funds have been made available to support

activities and programs used by the school to help increase parental involvement. However, a

more recent report by the U. S. Department of Education (2007), documents that the purpose has

not yet being met, and that school administrators must determine the most effective means of

18

overcoming barriers to engage parents in the education of their children. Schools must take into

consideration that a high percentage of students come from a single-parent household, families of

low socio-economic status, homes where English is a second language, or poor achievement as

part of the family history (The Georgia Graduate Coach Training Manual, 2008).

A study conducted by Roby (2004) found out that the lower the parental involvement, the

lower the student attendance. Therefore, the result tends to be lower academic achievement.

According to Roby, the Ohio Legislature utilizes the Ohio Proficiency Test (OPT) as a state

mandated measure of student learning and accountability of the state’s public schools. Roby also

suggested that if parents do not get themselves actively involved, and monitor their children’s

attendance to school, academic achievement is difficult to increase. Coutts (1998) emphasized

that high attendance rates yield higher test averages, and higher test scores indicate effective

schools.

The State of Alabama recognizes the importance of research-based instructional

strategies and training teachers to utilize such strategies effectively (Alabama Department of

Education, 2005). However, after analyzing the 2004-2005 school data, LeFevre (2004) stated

that 470 schools in the State of Alabama still continue in the school improvement plan due to a

lack of student academic achievement. As an extra effort, the State of Alabama has implemented

the Parent Information and Resource Center of Alabama (PIRCA) to assist parents in low

performing schools understand the Alabama accountability system. The goal is to implement

local parent involvement activities with the purpose of improving student achievement at their

school (Alabama Department of Education, 2005).

An international comparison of indications of risk Listed by The National Commission

on Excellence in Education (1984) to show reasons to be concerned about education in America

19

reveals that American students were never first or second on 19 academic tests. In addition,

when American students were compared to other industrialized nations, they were last seven

times (The National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1984). Consequently, the United

States Department of Education (2002) concluded that it was necessary to mandate Schools

Improvement Plans (SIP) in all Districts and schools that do not meet the designated academic

standards.

This study is relevant to the field of counseling because parents, as well as children, need

guidance on how to react when changes occur (Eshleman & Bulcroft, 2006). Counseling would

allow parents to realize the importance of being involved in the life of their children, especially if

changes in the family structure have taken place, and to realize the effect of such involvement in

their children’s academic achievement (Eshleman & Bulcroft). Georgiou and Tourva (2007)

conducted a study to examine the link between the parental belief that their involvement matters

and the propensity to actually get involved. It was found that this link exists. Further, it was

shown that this belief was grounded in the parents’ attributional system (Georgiou & Tourva).

If the results of the present study turned out to support the belief that it is indeed the

parent and child communication, and participation in interactive school family workshops that

make a positive difference in the academics of children, counselors would have to work harder

and place more emphasis at persuading caregivers to attend such school workshops. Counselors

would have to show caregivers results from recent studies, and motivate them by informing them

of the take-home hands-on projects, refreshments/food, prizes, and child care for younger

siblings.

20

Theoretical Framework

The theoretical framework of this study was grounded in the theories of Bronfenbrenner

(1979) and Epstein (2001). Building on Bronfenbrenner’s theory of bioecological systems and

their influence on child development, Epstein’s theory of overlapping spheres of influence

extends and integrates ecological, educational and sociological perspectives on social

organization and interactions (Conrad & Serlin, 2006).

Bronfenbrenner (1979) indicated that there are external forces such as the exosystem,

which contains the larger social system such as parent workplace schedule, that affect the life of

the child even though the child does not have a direct relationship. Bronfenbrenner suggested

that the ecological theory of development demonstrates that the microsystem, as well as the

macrosystem, relate conversely to the behavior of children and as a consequence, to their

academic performance.

Building on Bronfenbrenner and social interaction theories, Epstein’s theory emphasizes

the need for reciprocal relationships of parents, educators and community partners to identify

common goals for students’ academic achievement and to appreciate each other’s contribution to

student development (Conrad & Serlin, 2006). In Epstein’s view, the most beneficial dynamic in

the collaborative partnership of child development, particularly in the education of children, is

that primary actors; parents and teachers, understand the roles that each play. She stated that

through their interactions, parents, educators, and community partners establish social ties and

exchange information that accumulates to improve children’s school and learning experiences

(Conrad & Serlin). The theory of overlapping spheres of influence have been used mainly to

evaluate school and District programs of family and community involvement (Conrad & Serlin)

providing information on the effectiveness of these collaborative programs on student academic

21

achievement (Conrad & Serlin). This theory has also been used to evaluate and provide the

theoretical underpinning of studies involving teacher development, school leadership and teacher

understanding of shared responsibility in student learning and how this affects their pedagogical

techniques (Conrad & Serlin).

A plethora of research has been conducted concerning limited parental involvement due

to the family socioeconomic status, family structure, family background, gender, and ethnicity;

homework help at home, and academic achievement (Baker & Soden, 2000; V. Lee & Croninger

1994; Tocci & Englehard, 1991; Zimilies & Lee, 1991). However, no research has been

conducted in relation to parental involvement at school family workshops—where parents,

accompanied by their children—learn strategies to implement on the Florida Comprehensive

Assessment Test (FCAT).

Researchers have attempted to delineate the correlation between parental socioeconomic

status, family structure, parental help with homework, and academic achievement (Baker &

Soden, 2000; V. Lee & Croninger 1994; Tocci & Englehard, 1991; Zimilies & Lee, 1991).

Factors such as, a harmonious/supportive family structure and communication among family

members at home have been found to play a crucial role in the academic achievement of

adolescents (Tillman, 2007). Further, family structure and the extent to which parents discuss

school issues and attend school functions have been associated with higher adolescent academic

achievement (Jeynes, 2005). These factors are but a few that have been studied in an attempt to

identify and explain the spurious variables at play in the academic development of children.

Jarrett (2003) conducted a study on the experiences of low-income African-American

adolescents to help promote broader understanding of their development. Jarrett found that

African-American teens that grow through adolescence with poor parents and in impoverished

22

neighborhoods experienced a range of ecological, situational, social, and familial factors that

differentiate their development from White middle-class youth.

As Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory suggests, child development is influenced by a

number of external systems that act simultaneously to influence and guide development

(Bronfenbrenner, 1979). He surmises that a toddler sits at the center of a series of circles

representing micro-systems, meso-systems, exo-systems, and macro-systems, where the parental

relationship represents an exo-system with high influence (Darling, 2007). Therefore, the role of

the parent as a development agent and/or catalyst is vital to the overall development of children.

Bronfenbrenner’s exo-system construct has underscored much research into the academic

achievement of children across the nation. Variables such as race, class, socio-economic and

family structure of the students and their family units have been compared against their student

achievement in order to find a relationship, in an attempt to explain what affects student

performance positively. Tillman (2007) conducted a study that compared the academic

achievement among adolescents in stepfamilies and adolescents living with biological single-

mother families. Results indicated that living in a stepfamily does not benefit youth, and can in

some way disadvantage them, even when compared to their peers in single-mother families

(Tillman). Yet another study indicated that when parents get involved in their children’s

education by asking them what they learned at school, and encouraging them to narrate and

explain in detail their experiences for the day, children tend to perform higher academically

(Jeynes, 2005). Further, a study conducted by Carranza, You, Chhuon, and Hudley (2009)

indicated that the acculturation level to students’ academic achievement may be due to parents’

level of education and adolescents’ time in the United States.

23

Although these studies have not directly addressed the correlation between parental

involvement and student academic achievement, their findings have isolated parental

involvement, education level, and expectation in some instances, as an important variable in the

academic development and performance of children.

The limited published research on the correlation between parental involvement and

student academic outcomes, particularly in standardized state tests, indicates a gap in the

literature that this study attempts to address. Using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory as its

theoretical underpinning, this study attempts to highlight the importance of parental participation

in school functions such as school family workshops, and how such active participation relates to

the children’s FCAT scores.

Additionally, this study holds particular significance for counselors, educators, school

administrators, and parents in the State of Florida, where the study was conducted. The present

study provides evidence that demonstrates the relationship between parental involvement at

school family workshops and children’s scores on the FCAT. Education professionals within the

state at the county and school level may find the study results beneficial when creating and

implementing interventions programs for students who are predicted at the lower end of

proficiency scales. Moreover, the results of this study can be utilized as a way to increase

parental involvement in every child’s education to increase student achievement on the FCAT.

This study was conducted with 200 students in a public middle school in Florida. The

participants of this study were children between the ages of 11-15 years. Using quantitative

methods; MANOVA, students’ FCAT scores were measured against parental participation in a

school-sponsored educational strategy session; Family Night Workshops. The FCAT scores were

examined by finding the mean, median and modal scores of each group. The researcher

24

compared individual scores as related to the mean score and the statistical package used to

examine MANOVA was SPSS (v19.0). It was hypothesized that the children of parents who

participated at schools sponsored family night workshops are more likely to have higher FCAT

scores than students whose parents did not attend the workshops.

Review of the Critical Literature

A myriad of studies about student success on the FCAT have been conducted since the

FCAT became the most important form of student assessment in the state of Florida (Baker &

Soden, 2000; Conrad & Serlin, 2006; Jarrett, 2003; Jeynes, 2005). However, studies including

the significance of parental involvement at schools family workshops and students’ FCAT scores

need to be conducted and published. For example, there are many studies investigating the

relationship between parental involvement and homework, parental attendance of PTA meetings

and students’ academic improvement, reading to and with children at home to help them improve

academically, socioeconomic status and academic performance, the consequences of retention,

teaching style and students’ motivation (Baker & Soden, 2000; V. Lee & Croninger, 1994; Tocci

& Englehard, 1991; Zimilies & Lee, 1991), but specific research is needed to investigate the

effect of parental attendance at school’s family workshops on students’ FCAT scores.

Environmental Effects on Student Achievement

Madyun and Lee (2010) conducted a study based on an ecological perspective to examine

the contextual effects of neighborhood ethnic density and neighborhood disadvantage on the

academic achievement of Hmong immigrant youth. They reported that research has constantly

explored neighborhood disadvantage by focusing on neighborhood socio-economic status (SES),

neighborhood crime, or racial-ethnic diversity. M. Lee and Madyun (2009) posited that

25

neighborhood poverty has been constantly reported as the main indicator influencing child

development in the social disorganization literature. However, research based on social

mobilization perspectives has suggested positive neighborhood mechanisms in disadvantaged

neighborhoods (Lamborn & Nguyen, 2004; Rankin & Quane, 2000). Rankin and Quane noted

that people residing in poor neighborhoods tend to participate more in community activities

when faced with neighborhood disorganization.

Schieman (2005) suggested that neighborhood disadvantage may actually encourage a

community to mobilize its limited socioeconomic resources to deal with its social

marginalization. For instance, Hmong ethnic communities are characterized by their unique

culture, which consists of both nuclear and extended family members under the heading of one

surname (Keown-Bomar, 2004). Some researchers have noted that Hmong ethnic communities

provide mutual socio-economic assistance and define the social relationships (Vang & Flores,

1999; Watson, 2001). According to S. J. Lee (2001), it is such mutual socio-economic support

that brings informal social control for Hmong children. Madyun and Lee (2010) reported that

contrary to other ethnic communities residing in poor neighborhoods, children from Hmong

ethnic communities tend to succeed because they are collectively supervised by the community

and they understand that the academic success of one child is viewed as the collective success of

the entire community. Children from Hmong ethnic communities also feel safe and free of stress

(Madyun & Lee).

An important issue that needs additional research is the environment in which children

live and how such environment affects them as individuals (Pittaro, 2008). It is crucial to

mention the often forgotten children of incarcerated parents (Pittaro). Pittaro stated that children

of incarcerated parents are confronted with abandonment, loss, and attachment issues. He noted

26

that many children face the real possibility of being cared for by extended family or the foster

care system, which could perpetuate existing anger and resentment issues toward the

incarcerated parent. As a result, such loss can have consequences that can lead to feelings of

shame, social stigma, weakened ties to family, poor school performance, increased delinquency,

and increased risk of abuse or neglect (Pittaro). Pittaro further stated that additional research is

needed regarding the long-term effects of incarceration that most likely contribute to negative

intergenerational patterns of criminal behavior, and advancing the cycle of self-destructive

behaviors for both parent and child.

Parental Involvement

Parental participation in school academic activities, such as parents’ nights, has often

been associated with students’ academic success (Jeynes, 2005). There is research supporting the

overarching belief that parental involvement is a recommended component in helping student

achievement and specifically in standardized tests (Comer, 1988; Epstein, 1995; Simon, 2000;

Sheldon, 2003). Over the past three decades, many researchers have highlighted the important

role that parental involvement plays in student’s academic achievement (Epstein, 1991;

Fehrmann, Keith, & Reimers, 1987; Henderson & Berla, 1984; Marjoribanks, 1979; Muller,

1993; Simon, 2000; Steinberg, Lamborn, Dornbusch, & Darling, 1992; Stevenson & Baker,

1987; Van Voorhis, 2000).

Additionally, research has revealed that the level of parental involvement is affected by

spurious factors such as socio-economic status, educational attainment of parents and the out of

home employment of mothers (Lareau, 1989; Muller & Kerbow, 1993; Stevenson & Baker,

1987; Useem, 1992). However, the extent to which these spurious variables affect parental

involvement is subsumed by parental beliefs and perceptions about education and parental

27

expectation (Hoover-Dempsey & Sandler, 1997; Epstein, 1995; Simon, 2000). The work of these

researchers demonstrates that there is a direct correlation between how parents perceive their

roles in their children’s education, their expectations of their children’s educational experience

and their children’s actual engagement and outcomes in education (Sheldon, 2003).

A study conducted by Oyserman, Brickman, and Rhodes (2007) suggested that lack of

parental school involvement is associated with lower grades and less school-house appropriate

behavior. Oyserman, Brickman, and Rhodes examined a 2-year follow-up clinical trial that

included 239 participants, and the results concluded that school-based interventions could

moderate the negative effect of low parental school involvement. The results of their study

support the emphasis on the importance of parental school involvement concerning children’s

academic success. Even though much research has been conducted to examine school functions

and academic achievement, no research has been conducted concerning the direct relationship

between attendance to school family night workshops and individual students’ FCAT scores.

Research is needed to investigate the impact of parental school involvement in school family

workshops on students’ standardized tests, such as the FCAT.

Researchers have emphasized the significance of parental involvement in improving the

academic achievement of students and how schools can promote the participation of parents

(Hoover-Dempsey & Sandler, 1997; Shepard & Carlson, 2003; Cordry & Wilson, 2004). Yet

those studies have focused mostly on parenting, communicating, decision-making, volunteering,

learning at home, and collaborating with the community (Epstein, 1996). None of those studies

or any other studies have emphasized the investigation of the implementation of school family

workshops—where parents/caregivers can be in a school classroom utilizing concrete materials

28

to learn strategies through hands-on activities—to help their children at home and to cause a

positive difference in the FCAT scores of their children.

A study conducted by Gibson and Jefferson (2006) indicated that parental involvement

could help children achieve higher grades through monitoring of their daily activities and school

progress, and by providing quality parental interactions. Gibson and Jefferson pointed out the

importance of parents’ attendance at workshops offered on Saturdays to help parents learn

strategies that lead to a positive self-concept in their children. However, Gibson and Jefferson

did not compare the effects of such attendance to any standardized test, nor did they mention if

parents were in the company of their school-aged children. Their study suggested that further

research on parents’ and adolescents’ perspectives of parental involvement concerning quality

versus quantity is needed.

Findings have suggested that a large proportion of parental involvement in many families

occurs at home; therefore, Grolnick, Benjet, Kurowski, and Apostoleris (1997) suggested that

schools might increase effective parental involvement by focusing strongly on helping parents

understand what they can do at home to help their children learn. Additionally, Grolnick, Benjet,

Kurowski, and Apostoleris noted that parental involvement can also be improved by providing

an atmosphere that makes parents feel welcome, knowing that their children and school want

their participation. Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler (1995) added that when parents feel that their

active participation makes a positive difference in their children’s educational outcomes, they

choose to be more involved. McDermott and Rothenberg (2000) conducted a study on parents’

involvement. The results of the study indicated that even though many suggestions have been

made regarding strategies to motivate parents to participate in school activities, some parents

choose to withdraw from such activities. According to McDermott and Rothenberg, parents

29

choose to withdraw from school activities because they think the school is racist and does not

represent the values of low-income minorities.

One variable that research reveals to have a significant effect on parent involvement is

the role of teachers and the parent-teacher dynamic (Sheldon, 2003). Researchers Balli,

Wedman, and Demo (1998); Simon (2000); Van Voorhis (2000) stated that teacher out-reach to

parents had the greatest effect on parental involvement. These researchers found that teacher

encouragement (Sheldon, 2003) created an atmosphere of trust for parents, where parents

perceived teachers as their partners in their children’s education and actively sought out educator

input as a resource (Sheldon). As a result of this type of intervention as Sheldon stated,

caregivers feel comfortable and capable of promoting their children’s education and are likely to

become actively involved in helping their children succeed at school (Sheldon).

Sheldon identified the schools’ role in parental involvement and suggested that school

outreach to involve families in children’s education is an important strategy for increasing the

number of families involved and improving educational achievement outcomes of children

(Sheldon, 2003). Sheldon’s assertion is based on Epstein’s theoretical framework that identifies

six types of involvement that schools need to activate in order to create high quality programs

that increase parental involvement and ensure student achievement (Sheldon). The six types of

involvement identified by Epstein’s theoretical framework are the following:

1. Parenting: helping all families to establish supportive home environments for children.

2. Communicating: establishing two-way exchanges about school programs and

children’s progress.

3. Volunteering: recruiting and organizing parental help at school, home, or other

locations.

30

4. Learning at home: providing information and ideas to families about how to help

students with homework and other curriculum-related materials.

5. Decision making: having parents from all backgrounds serve as representatives and

leaders on school committees.

6. Collaborating with the community: identifying and integrating resources and services

from the community to strengthen school programs (Epstein, as cited in Sheldon, 2003).

Although there have been few studies that examine the relationship between school

programs targeted at increased and quality parental involvement and student outcomes on

standardized state tests, Sheldon (2003) indicated that student academic achievement is

positively influenced by parental involvement specifically in the use of practices to increase

students’ math skills and in students’ language arts and science homework. Further, Sheldon’s

study found that schools’ efforts to meet challenges to family and community involvement

significantly predicted performance on achievement tests, even after controlling for school

characteristics (Sheldon).

Ethnicity’s Effect on Parental Involvement and Student Achievement

Abd-El-Fattah (2006) conducted a study on the effects of family background and parental

involvement on Egyptian adolescents’ academic achievement and school disengagement, and

discovered that the most important predictor of school disengagement is the level of parents’

education. Research has suggested that cultural norms may influence parents’ belief about

teaching and learning (Abd-El-Fattah). Researchers have indicated that some minority groups,

such as Hispanic parents, might not become involved in their child’s education because they hold

the school as the only responsible entity for instilling academic knowledge (Delgado-Gaitan,

1993; Chavkin & Gonzalez, 1995). According to Martinez (2003), Hispanic students do not

31

receive advice from guidance counselors about the variety of resources available for them to

succeed and often feel discriminated by counselors and administrators. In an effort to increase

school involvement, XYZ Middle School implemented family workshops at night, including

refreshments and child-care for the younger siblings, so parents accompanied by their school-

aged children could participate in interactive activities with at least two teachers per classroom.

Summary

This study attempted to determine the impact of parental participation in school activities

such as school family workshops—where parents, accompanied by their children, participate in

hands-on activities and learn reading and mathematics test-taking strategies among other study

skills—on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) for middle school students.

Further study is needed to determine if parental participation in school academic activities has

any impact on the students’ FCAT scores in reading and mathematics. FCAT data were utilized

to determine grade level performance criteria for students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.

Overall, the FCAT has become the most important form of assessment in the State of Florida;

hence, it is necessary to identify strategies that help students improve their academic knowledge

both in reading and mathematics early in the school year.

Georgiou and Tourva (2007) conducted a study to examine the link between the parental

belief that their parental involvement in school activities matters and the propensity to actually

get involved. They found that this link exists, but they reported that there is a significant

difference, by gender and place of residence, in the participation of parents. The majority of the

parents participating in the study (207 out of 313) were female; their average age was 36.7, and

169 of them resided in urban areas (Georgiou & Tourva). The participants in Georgiou and

32

Tourva’s study were required to have at least a university degree, and their family income was

above average compared to local standards. They used the Parental Attributional Scale (PAS)

and the Parental Involvement Scale (PWAS) to collect the data for their study.

Findings from the literature have indicated that being well academically educated and

possessing an above average family income could influence the active participation of parents in

school activities (Georgiou & Tourva, 2007). Taking prior findings from literature into

consideration, XYZ Middle School has found it necessary to motivate low-income parents to

participate in school activities by designing school workshops for the family. The purpose of this

study is to investigate the impact of parental participation in school family night workshops on

the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) for middle school students.

33

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

Introduction

The study’s methodological approach was quantitative and it followed an ex-post facto

design study because the participants completed the workshops during the 2009-2010 school

year (Glatthorn & Joyner, 2005). This study investigated the relationship between parental

involvement at family workshops and children’s performance on the FCAT, which is a

standardized state test. The data were analyzed using a MANOVA. The results of the analysis

were used to draw inferences about the correlation between the groups.

Glatthorn and Joyner (2005) concurred that a study looking for the possible causes of a

phenomenon is following a causal-comparative design also known as an ex-post facto design.

The proposed quantitative, non-experimental study investigated if there is any relationship

between parental involvement at school family workshops and children’s scores on the Florida

Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). Leedy and Ormrod (2005) suggested that researchers

who approach a study from the logical positivist approach develop questions, variables,

hypotheses, and methods before the study begins and these would remain constant throughout

the study. Logical positivism seeks to explain and make predictions that can be used to develop

theories that can be generalized to other populations (Leedy & Ormrod). Moreover, positivists

propose that one reality exists and that it is the researcher’s job to discover that reality (Leedy &

Ormrod). When framing a research study with student achievement as a focus, the ontological

assumption of logical positivism allows the use of previous research studies to develop a list of

possible variables associated with the subject (Leedy & Ormrod). The framework for the current

study was based on assumptions from prior studies investigating the relationship between

parental involvement in school activities and student academic achievement. The independent

34

variables (IV): parents attending or not attending school family workshops, and how such

participation affects students’ scores in reading and math on the FCAT were the focus in this

study.

Evaluation of Viable Research Designs

This study followed a quantitative approach. This study determined if there is any

relationship between parental involvement at school family workshops and children’s scores on

the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Glatthorn and Joyner (2005) indicated that a study

looking for the possible causes of a phenomenon is following a causal-comparative design also

known as ex-post facto design. This study addressed the relationship between parental

involvement at school family workshops and children’s performance on the FCAT, which is a

standardized test.

Since the current study consisted of investigating the relationship between parental

attendance at school family workshops and FCAT scores, and the study analyzed and presented

the results generating specific numerical outputs, the most appropriate approach to follow was a

quantitative approach. According to Bordens and Abbott (2008), a quantitative theory involves

the definition of the relationship between its variables and constants in a set of mathematical

formulas. The researcher’s decision on choosing a causal relationship was based on the

assumption that parental attendance at school family workshops influences students’ FCAT

scores. Bordens and Abbott stated that in the case where one variable influences another, the

relationship is considered to be causal. However, Bordens and Abbott also added that it is not

until the actual study is conducted, particularly in the hypothesis-testing phase, that the validity

of the explanation takes place based on the results.

35

Overall, due to the nature of the study, which is to investigate if there is a positive

relationship between the parents’ attendance at school family workshops and students’ FCAT

scores, the methodology chosen was an ex-post facto design because the participants completed

the workshops during the 2009-2010 school year (Glatthorn & Joyner, 2005). Glatthorn and

Joyner suggested that the identification of the problem and the choice of methodology should be

seen as interactive processes, with each influencing the other. Causal-comparative studies

determine the possible causes of a phenomenon (Glatthorn & Joyner). The present study

investigated if the students’ FCAT math and reading scores improved because of parental

attendance at school family workshops offered at night, and caregiver/child implementation of

those strategies and tactile activities at home. The study compared the FCAT scores of students

whose parents did not attend the school family workshops with the FCAT scores of students

whose parents did attend the family workshops.

Since this study was calling for a causation, parental attendance at school family

workshops, and implementation of strategies learned at such workshops at home, causes students

to score higher on the FCAT, it was assumed that correlational research was not possible.

Correlational studies may show a direct relationship between two variables but cannot prove

causation (Glatthorn & Joyner, 2005). However, as stated by Bordens and Abbott (2008), it is

not until the actual study is conducted that the validity of the explanation takes place. The study

was not descriptive because, as the term implies, no conclusions about relationships can be

drawn; in a descriptive study, the purpose is to describe a phenomenon (Glatthorn & Joyner).

Experimental research assigns subjects to experimental and control groups in a random manner;

in the quasi-experimental design, no use of a control group or random assignment is practiced

(Glatthorn & Joyner). Therefore, based on the selection of subjects for this study, it was

36

considered that the most appropriate research design to use was the causal-comparative or ex-

post facto design.

Description of Research Design

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between parental

participation at school family workshops and students’ FCAT scores. This study investigated the

hypothesis that the academic achievement of children on standardized tests such as the FCAT, is

influenced by their parents’ participation at school family workshops. Data were analyzed using

a MANOVA. The results of the analysis were utilized to draw inferences about the correlation

between the groups.

Since the current study consisted of investigating the relationship between parental

attendance at school family workshops and FCAT scores, and the study analyzed and presented

the results generating specific numerical outputs, the most appropriate approach to follow was a

quantitative approach. According to Bordens and Abbott (2008), a quantitative theory involves

the definition of the relationship between its variables and constants in a set of mathematical

formulas.

Bordens and Abbott (2008) stated that in the case where one variable influences another,

the relationship is considered causal. However, Bordens and Abbott also added that it is not until

the actual study takes place, particularly in the hypothesis-testing phase, that the validity of the

explanation occurs, based on the results. The present study investigated if the students’ FCAT

scores improved because of parental attendance at school family workshops offered at night, and

caregiver/child implementation of those strategies and interactive activities at home. The study

37

also compared the FCAT scores of the students whose parents did not attend the school family

workshops with the FCAT scores of the students whose parents did attend the family workshops.

Sampling Procedures

The study originated in a public middle school in Florida. During the 2009-2010 school

year, XYZ Middle School served students from diverse ethnic backgrounds, including 125 White

students, 225 Black students, 442 Hispanic students, 28 Asian students, and 15 multi-racial

students. Of the 835 students, 444 were male and 391 were female. The school is located in a

low socioeconomic community.

The sample used was a purposive sample because the researcher is employed as a teacher

at the selected location and therefore, has access to students, their families, and school’s records.

The amount of bias that could interfere with the internal validity of the study and ethical issues

due to the researcher employed as a teacher at the selected school were lessened by involving the

principal of the school in the data collection process, and by reporting the data, as presented by

the school administrator, in an objective manner. The principal of the selected school agreed to

provide the researcher with the data necessary to conduct the study. The researcher teaches sixth

grade students only. The data utilized in the present study were the 2009-2010 data, which means

that none of the present (2010-2011) sixth grade students were included in the study. Data were

analyzed using a MANOVA because a MANOVA is the most parsimonious method to analyze

data that include multiple variables.

There were a total of 200 participants in this study. The steps to follow in the selection

process were the following:

38

The researcher provided the principal of the school with a list of 100 random numbers

that correspond to families that participated at family night FCAT workshops and another list of

100 randomly selected numbers of students whose families did not participate at family night

FCAT workshops.

The principal of the school suggested that the approximate maximum number of

students/parents in attendance at family night FCAT workshops during the 2009-2010 school

year was 150. Therefore, the random sample selected was from 1 to 150. The attendance log

utilized was the one with maximum attendance at family night FCAT workshops. Attendance

logs are in numerical order and students/caregivers sign in as they come in; logs are not

organized by grade level. The reading and mathematics FCAT scores of the students whose

family participated at family night FCAT workshops were listed by the principal, not the name.

The following steps were followed to create the random tables and to give all 835 2009-

2010 students equal opportunity to participate in the study. First, the researcher selected the

random table for the 100 students/families that attended family night workshops during the 2009-

2010 school year. According to the principal of the school, the log with the highest number of

attendees was 150. Therefore, the selection for this random table had to include numbers 1-150.

The researcher divided 150 by 100; the result was a decimal, then the decimal was

rounded up to 2.

The researcher selected every second student in the list of 150 students (e.g. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10,

… 150). Since the study required the participation of 100 students from the family night FCAT

workshops and every second student in the list equaled a total of 75, the other 25 were selected

from the 75 students remaining.

39

The researcher divided 75 by 25, and the result was 3. The researcher then selected every

third student from the remaining 75 students in the list. For example, the second, fourth, …

students in the list were already selected; therefore, the third student from the remaining 75

attendees was attendee number five, then number 11, 17, 23, 29, … 149.

The 100 selected pupils/caregivers who participated at family nigh FCAT workshops

were removed from the pile of FCAT scores of 835 students and became a group by itself. The

total amount of students who attended the selected middle school during the 2009-2010 school

year was 835.

Once those 100 students were removed, the remaining 685 students in the second pile of

FCAT were numbered by the principal of the school from 1 to 685. Those are the students who

did not participate at the family night FCAT workshops. The 100 participants from the random

sample selected from the list of students/caregivers who did not participate at the family night

FCAT workshops were from 1 to 685.

The reading and mathematics FCAT scores of the students whose family did not

participate at family night FCAT workshops were listed by the principal, not the name.

The following steps were followed to create the random table for the 100 students who

never attended family night FCAT workshops during the 2009-2010 school year.

The researcher divided 685 by 100; the result was a decimal, then the decimal was

rounded up to 7.

The researcher selected every seventh student in the list of 685 students. The 100 students

that participated at school family night workshops were removed. This list included only the 685

students that did not participate and listed students from 1 to 685. To illustrate, this random

sample included student number 7, student number 14, then 21, 28, 35, … 679. Since the study

40

required the participation of 100 students whose families did not participate at the family night

FCAT workshops and every seventh student in the list equaled 97, the other 3 students were

selected from the 585 students remaining.

The researcher divided 585 by 3, and the result was 195.

The researcher then selected every 195th student from the remaining 585 students in the

list. For example, counting from 1 to 585, the selected students were student number 195, student

number 390, and student number 585.

A comparison of FCAT scores between students/caregivers who participated at family

night FCAT workshops and those who did not so participate was made to investigate the

difference between the two groups. The response to the research questions and to the hypotheses

was provided.

The researcher utilized extant data only and she did not know the identity of individual

students or their corresponding FCAT scores. This selection process ensured the reliability and

validity of the study because the researcher did not know the identity of the participants. Data

were used solely for comparison purposes. Since the researcher was using extant data and was

not interested in knowing who was scoring what, the names of the participants were not needed.

The 200 FCAT scores were provided to the researcher by the principal of the school.

Data Collection Procedures

As stated above, the researcher is employed as a teacher at the selected location, and had

the Official Approval of the School Board and the Capella University IRB approval to obtain any

necessary data for the conduction and completion of the study. Official IRB approvals were

required before any data collection. The principal had the existing data, the 2009-2010 FCAT

41

scores and the attendance records at family night workshops, on file and provided that data to the

researcher as soon as the IRBs were approved. The school’s Title I Department makes sure that

every student and parent/caregiver sign the attendance sheet at the entrance before attending the

workshops.

The independent variables (IV) of parents’ attendance or not attendance at school family

workshops were measured by selecting 100 families that attended the workshops and 100

students that did not attend the family workshops. The principal of the school made this selection

so the researcher did not have any contact with students’ names. The researcher provided the

principal with a table of random numbers so she could pull the FCAT scores for those 100

students from the school family workshops attendance records. The other 100 students were also

randomly selected by the principal. The researcher provided the principal with a table of random

numbers so she could pull the FCAT scores for those 100 students whose parents never attended

school family night workshops. Once the principal removed the names of the students in

attendance at family night workshops, the principal pulled the scores for those 100 students that

never attended school family workshops. Since the researcher utilized extant data and was not

interested in knowing who was scoring what, the names of the participants were not necessary.

The 200 FCAT scores were provided to the researcher by the principal of the school.

Data Analysis Procedures

For the current study, data from a public middle school were collected and analyzed to

demonstrate the relationship between the independent and the dependent variables using a

multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). In the proposal, the researcher thought that an

independent sample t-test would be the best method to analyze these data to assess between-

42

group differences; however during the data collection and analysis process, the researcher

discovered that the MANOVA would be a more appropriate analytic technique since there was

likely a moderate to strong relationship between the FCAT reading and FCAT math scores for

each student.

An extension of ANOVA, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) allows

researchers to simultaneously analyze two or more related dependent variables while controlling

for the correlations among them. If the dependent variables are not related then there is no need

to perform a MANOVA, rather separate ANOVAs for each (unrelated) dependent variable

would be appropriate. For the current study MANOVA was the analytic technique utilized as it

was hypothesized that there is a relationship between reading and math FCAT scores of students

whose parents were involved in School Family Workshops. Once the data were analyzed, the

next step was to determine the direction and strength of such relationship using a bivariate

correlation. The MANOVA allowed the researcher to then look at the relationship between the

independent variables (parents attending the student workshop and parents not attending) and the

dependent variables (student standardized scores on FCAT math and reading). No post-hoc tests

were needed, as there are only two levels of the independent variable. All tests were run with

alpha = 0.05 and were performed using SPSS (v19.0).

The FCAT scores were examined by finding the mean, median and modal scores of each

group. The study’s methodological approach was quantitative and it followed an ex-post facto

design study because the participants completed the workshops during the 2009-2010 school

year (Glatthorn & Joyner, 2005). This study investigated the relationship between parental

involvement at family night workshops and children’s performance on the FCAT, which is a

43

standardized state test. The results of the analysis were used to draw inferences about the

correlation between the groups.

Due to the emphasis placed on parents’ participation in school functions, it was expected

that the results were going to demonstrate a positive relationship. The results of the study

demonstrated such relationship with facts. Possible additional factors/variables that could

contribute to such difference, if there is any, were acknowledged and recommended for future

research.

Data sources:

1. Attendance records to family night workshops

2. Standardized test scores

Assumptions and Limitations of the Research Design

Some assumptions made in this research proposal were that all the participants remained

at the same school at least for the duration of the study, which was from October 2009 to March

2010 considering that workshops began in October 2009 and students took the FCAT in March

2010. In addition, if parental participation was low, further research may be needed considering

the reasons for the lack of participation. For example, a parent might work at night, work two

jobs, not speak English, or think that attending school activities is not important. It was assumed

that the variables in this analysis of data were the appropriate variables for the current study. The

findings were based solely on the collection of data from students in one school. Additional

research may be conducted including other schools in the county or in the state. Glicken (2003)

stated that the researcher must be fair and objective, and inform or suggest other possible reasons

contributing to the relationship of the variables being studied.

44

Internal and External Validity

There are some possible variables that possible interfered with the internal validity of this

study such as a family moving out of the school boundaries and failing to report the current

address to the school administrators. Additional threats to the internal validity of this study

included data collection processes, and students’ personal interest in education. For instance,

students may have scored high on the FCAT because they care about their own education and

place school-work as a priority. Standardized testing is an important assessment to the Florida

school system. The FCAT provides educators, parents, and legislators with an overview of

students’ mastery of the educational standards outlined by the State of Florida (Florida

Department of Education, 1997).

This system is a criterion-referenced assessment and includes performance-oriented items

(Florida Department of Education, 1997). The FCAT is administered in grades three through ten.

Students seeking a standard diploma from a public school in the State of Florida must provide

evidence of academic mastery by passing the FCAT (Florida Department of Education, 1997).

The researcher tried to lessen the impact of potential threats and the amount of bias to the

internal validity of the study by using specific processes. For example, the independent variables

(IV) of parents’ attendance or not attendance at school family workshops were measured by

selecting 100 families that attended the workshops, and 100 students that did not attend the

workshops. The principal of the school made this selection so the researcher did not have any

contact with students’ names. The researcher provided the principal with a table of random

numbers so she could pull the FCAT scores for those 100 students from the school family

workshops attendance records. The principal also randomly selected the other 100 students. Once

45

the principal removed the names of the students in attendance at family night workshops, the

principal pulled the scores for those 100 students that never attended school family workshops.

Since the researcher utilized extant data and was not interested in knowing who was scoring

what, the names of the participants were not required. The 200 FCAT scores were provided to

the researcher by the principal of the school.

Overall, the amount of bias that could interfere with the internal validity of the study and

ethical issues was lessened by including the principal of the school in the data collection process,

and by reporting the data in an objective manner. Even though the researcher’s intention was to

remove any possible bias from the study, it is impossible to be completely bias-free due to the

researcher being a teacher, and a single-mother of three daughters attending a public high school.

However, the researcher tried to lessen the amount of bias by collecting the data from the

principal of the school and by using a MANOVA. The researcher teaches sixth grade students

only. The data utilized in the present study were the 2009-2010 data, which means that none of

the present (2010-2011) sixth grade students were included in the study.

Expected Findings

The expected result of this study is that parental participation at school family workshops

makes a positive difference in the education of children as indicated by improved performance

on the FCAT. During the workshops, parents/caregivers, accompanied by their children,

participate in hands-on activities, learn reading and math test-taking strategies by relating

subject-content to daily life experiences, and learn study skill strategies. It was expected that

students of parents who participated at FCAT preparatory activities (school family night

workshops) would register higher FCAT academic achievement than students whose parents

46

never participated. The FCAT scores were examined by finding the mean, median and modal

scores of each group. The researcher compared individual scores as related to the mean score and

the statistical package used to examine MANOVA was SPSS (v19.0).

Ethical Issues

This study addressed the relationship between parental involvement in school family

workshops and students’ academic achievement in the FCAT; therefore, access to school’s

official records was necessary. Official approvals from the Internal Review Board (IRB) at the

School Board and from Capella University were obtained before the collection of any data. As

suggested by Leedy and Ormrod (2005), several methods need to be taken into consideration to

ensure the confidentiality and privacy of the participants. First, only authorized and designated

school personnel has access to the data. Second, the records of the participants are to be kept in a

secured location by the researcher. Third, the students were assigned a number to protect their

identity, and the name of the school was not revealed.

The chosen theoretical approach considers the whole person including the economic

situation, family structure, neighborhood, work, and anything possible affecting the well-being

of the individual (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). The ecological theory of development is applicable to

any individual; the individual could be male or female, child or adult, poor or rich

(Bronfenbrenner). The ecological theory of development does not discriminate against anyone’s

values, beliefs, psychological well-being, or sources of stress and conflict (Bronfenbrenner). It is

applicable to any culture; therefore, because the personal belief is that a human being is affected

by both, the micro and the macro systems, the ecological theory of development is the one that

best fits the personal interest of treatment (Bronfenbrenner). Attendance to many workshops,

47

reading many books and articles, and working with groups of different socioeconomic and

cultural backgrounds have influenced significantly in the choice of the above-mentioned theory.

The amount of bias that could interfere with the internal validity of the study and ethical

issues was lessened by collecting the data from a school administrator and by reporting it in an

objective manner. The researcher teaches sixth grade students only. The data utilized in the

present study were the 2009-2010 data, which means that none of the present (2010-2011) sixth

grade students was included in the study. Data were analyzed using a MANOVA. A MANOVA

is the most parsimonious method to analyze multiple variables.

Concerning the ethics of working with diverse populations, the American Counseling

Association (2005) stated that clients have the right to translation if they have a different primary

language. The ACA added that clients must be informed of the confidentiality and privacy

involved in any study; clients’ private information cannot be requested unless it is beneficial to

the counseling treatment. Furthermore, counselors must be sensitive and honest in order to earn

the trust of the client (ACA). The type of communication involved must be culturally sensitive

considering the cultural background of the client (ACA). The counselor must be knowledgeable

about the cultural background of the client before beginning a treatment (ACA). Most important

of all, the counselor must respect the client’s rights, and respect the client’s point of view (ACA).

Summary

This study sought to determine the impact of parental participation at school family

workshops on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) for middle school students.

Further study was needed to determine if parental participation in School Academic Workshops

has any impact on the students’ FCAT scores in reading and mathematics. FCAT data is used to

48

determine grade level performance criteria for students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.

Overall, the FCAT has become the most important form of assessment in the State of Florida;

hence, it is necessary to identify strategies that help students improve their academic knowledge

both in reading and mathematics early in the school year.

49

CHAPTER 4: DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Introduction

Chapter 4 presents the results of the investigative study to examine the relationship

between student achievement on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test in reading and

mathematics and parental participation in school family workshops, where parents, accompanied

by their children, learn strategies to implement during the FCAT.

Description of the Sampled Data

This study took place in a public middle school in Florida. The school is located in a low

socioeconomic community. During the 2009-2010 school year, XYZ Middle School served

students from diverse ethnic backgrounds, including 125 White students, 225 Black students,

442 Hispanic students, 28 Asian students, and 15 multi-racial students. Of the 835 students, 444

were male and 391 were female. There were a total of 200 students in this study. 100

students/families that attended family night workshops and 100 students who never participated

at school family night FCAT workshops during the 2009-2010 school year were randomly

selected.

The sample used was a convenience/purposive sample because the researcher is

employed as a teacher at the selected location and therefore has access to students, their families,

and school’s records. The amount of bias that could interfere with the internal validity of the

study and ethical issues due to the researcher employed as a teacher at the selected school was

lessened by involving the principal of the school in the data collection process, and by reporting

the data, as presented by the principal, in an objective manner. The principal of the selected

school agreed to provide the researcher with the data necessary to conduct the study. The

50

researcher teaches sixth grade students only. The data utilized in the present study were the

2009-2010 data, which means that none of the present (2010-2011) sixth grade students was

included in the study.

Presentation of Data and Results of the Analysis

For the current study the total sample size was N=191, due to 9 participants missing data,

with group one, students who never attended family night workshops, (n = 98) and group two,

students/families who attended family night workshops, (n = 93) having approximately the same

number in each group. Levenes test of homogeneity was not significant meaning that variances

of the groups had (approximately) equal variances. Descriptive statistics were first run on all

variables and can be found in tables 1-11.

Table 1. Combined Frequency for All Students Who Took The FCAT 2009-2010

Reading Math _________________ _________________ N Valid 191 191 Missing 9 9 Mean 2.75 2.82

Std. Deviation 1.066 1.147

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Table 2. Combined frequency for all students who took the Reading FCAT 2009-2010 Scores Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent

Valid 1 31 15.5 16.2 16.2

2 38 19.0 19.9 36.1

3 77 38.5 40.3 76.4

4 38 19.0 19.9 96.3

5 7 3.5 3.7 100.0

Total 191 95.5 100.0

Missing System 9 4.5

Total 200 100.0

Note. Scores - FCAT scores levels 1 through 5 with 1 being least proficient and 5 being most proficient; Frequency – number of students who achieved at each level of FCAT reading score; Valid & Cumulative percentage – the percentage of each student achieving at each level.

52

Table 3. Combined Frequency Distribution of All Students in Sample FCAT Math Scores 2009-2010

Scores Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent

Valid 1 34 17.0 17.8 17.8

2 30 15.0 15.7 33.5

3 76 38.0 39.8 73.3

4 38 19.0 19.9 93.2

5 13 6.5 6.8 100.0

Total 191 95.5 100.0

Missing System 9 4.5

Total 200 100.0

Note. Scores - FCAT scores levels 1 through 5 with 1 being least proficient and 5 being most proficient; Frequency – number of students who achieved at each level of FCAT reading score; Valid & Cumulative percentage – the percentage of each student achieving at each level.

53

Table 4. Frequency for All Students Whose Parents Did Not Attend Family Night Workshops 2009-2010. Reading Math _______________ _________________ N Valid 98 98 Missing 2 2 Mean 2.62 2.48

Std. Deviation 1.0 1.1

Table 5. Frequency Distribution of 2009-2010 FCAT Reading Scores for All Students whose Parents Did Not Attend Family Night Workshops

Scores Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent

Valid 1 16 16.0 16.3 16.3

2 24 24.0 24.5 40.8

3 41 41.0 41.8 82.7

4 15 15.0 15.3 98.0

5 2 2.0 2.0 100.0

Total 98 98.0 100.0

Missing System 2 2.0

Total 100 100.0

Note. Scores - FCAT scores levels 1 through 5 with 1 being least proficient and 5 being most proficient; Frequency – number of students who achieved at each level of FCAT reading score; Valid & Cumulative percentage – the percentage of each student achieving at each level.

54

Table 6. Frequency Distribution of 2009 -2010 FCAT Math Scores for All Students whose Parents Did Not Attend Family Night Workshops Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent

Valid 1 25 25.0 25.5 25.5

2 20 20.0 20.4 45.9

3 37 37.0 37.8 83.7

4 13 13.0 13.3 96.9

5 3 3.0 3.1 100.0

Total 98 98.0 100.0

Missing System 2 2.0

Total 100 100.0

Note. Scores - FCAT scores levels 1 through 5 with 1 being least proficient and 5 being most proficient; Frequency – number of students who achieved at each level of FCAT math scores; Valid & Cumulative percentage – the percentage of each student achieving at each level.

55

Table 7. Frequency for All Students whose Parents Attended Family Night Workshops 2009-2010

Reading Math _________________ ________________ N Valid 93 93 Missing 7 7 Mean 2.88 3.18

Std. Deviation 1.121 1.083

Table 8. Frequency Distribution of 2009-2010 FCAT Reading Scores for all Students Whose Parents Attended Family Night Workshops

Scores Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent

Valid 1 15 15.0 16.1 16.1

2 14 14.0 15.1 31.2

3 36 36.0 38.7 69.9

4 23 23.0 24.7 94.0

5 5 5.0 5.4 100.0

Total 93 93.0 100.0

Missing System 7 7.0

Total 100 100.0

Note. Scores - FCAT scores levels 1 through 5 with 1 being least proficient and 5 being most proficient; Frequency – number of students who achieved at each level of FCAT reading score; Valid & Cumulative percentage – the percentage of each student achieving at each level.

56

Table 9. Frequency Distribution of 2009 -2010 FCAT Math Scores for All Students whose Parents Attended Family Night Workshops.

Scores Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent

Valid 1 9 9.0 9.7 9.7

2 10 10.0 10.8 20.4

3 39 39.0 41.9 62.4

4 25 25.0 26.9 89.2

5 10 10.0 10.8 100.0

Total 93 93.0 100.0

Missing System 7 7.0

Total 100 100.0

Note. Scores - FCAT scores levels 1 through 5 with 1 being least proficient and 5 being most proficient; Frequency – number of students who achieved at each level of FCAT math scores; Valid & Cumulative percentage – the percentage of each students achieving at each level.

57

Table 10. Tests of Between Subjects Effects

Source Dependent Variable Type III Sum of Squares df Mean Square F

Corrected Model math 23.596a 1 23.596 19.702

reading 3.208b 1 3.208 2.850

Intercept math 1529.942 1 1529.942 1277.477

reading 1445.637 1 1445.637 1284.379

Group math 23.596 1 23.596 19.702

reading 3.208 1 3.208 2.850

Error math 226.352 189 1.198

reading 212.730 189 1.126

Total math 1771.000 191

reading 1659.000 191

Corrected Total math 249.948 190

reading 215.937 190

Note. The results of the Tests Between-Subject Effects showed a positive relationship between math and reading. Math had a higher F value (19, 702) and reading (2,850); therefore the overall model is significant because of math, p<.001.

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Table 11. Tests of Between Subjects Effects

Source Dependent Variable Sig. Partial Eta Squared

Corrected Model math 000 .094

reading 000 .015

Intercept math 000 .871

reading 000 .872

Group math 000 .094

reading 000 .015

Error math

reading

Total math

reading

Corrected Total math

reading

Note. a. R Squared = .094 (Adjusted R Squared = .090); b. R Squared = .015 (Adjusted R

Squared = .010)

Descriptive statistics of the dataset were analyzed to determine the overall outcome of

FCAT scores in regards to a correlation between family attendance and non-attendance at family

night FCAT workshops. The results of the Tests Between-Subject Effects showed a positive

relationship between math and reading. Math had a higher F value (19, 702) and reading (2,850);

therefore the overall model is significant because of math, p<.001. Wilks’ Lambda distribution:

F (2,188) = 10.403.

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Research questions

R1. What is the relationship between reading and math FCAT scores of students whose parents

were involved in School Family Workshops?

R2. Do students whose parents were involved in School Family Workshops score higher on the

reading and math FCAT than students whose parents did not participate at the SFW?

Regarding research question one, ‘What is the relationship between reading and math FCAT

scores of students whose parents were involved in School Family Workshops?’ a

bivariate correlation was run between FCAT reading and FCAT math for each group. The

relationship between the two variables across all groups was significant at r = .587, p < .001.

This relationship validates the usage of the MANOVA to answer subsequent research

questions. The null hypothesis was rejected at alpha = .05.

Regarding research question two, ‘Do students whose parents were involved in School

Family Workshops score higher on the reading and math FCAT than students whose parents did

not participate at the SFW?’ Students’ math scores for those whose parents did not attend the

workshops (M = 2.48, SD = 1.1) and for those whose parents did attend the workshops (M =

3.18, SD = 1.08) and their reading scores (M = 2.62, SD = 1.0 and M = 2.88 and SD = 1.12,

respectively) were different. The math scores for the students whose parents attended the school

family night workshops were higher than students whose parents did not participate F(1, 189) =

19.702, p < .001. Their reading scores were not as high as expected; however, they were higher

than the scores of the students whose parents did not attend the workshops F (1, 189) = 2.850, p

< .001. The null hypothesis was rejected at alpha = .05. Students whose parents were involved in

60

SFW did score higher in reading and math FCAT than students whose parents did not participate

at the SFW. Histograms for each group can be seen in Figures 1-4.

Hypotheses

The following hypotheses related to the above research questions of this study were:

Hypothesis Ha: There will be a relationship between reading and math FCAT scores of students

whose parents were involved in School Family Workshops.

Null hypothesis Ho: There will be no relationship between reading and math FCAT scores of

students whose parents were involved in School Family Workshops.

Results indicate that most of the students whose parents attended the school family

workshops scored higher; thus rejecting the null hypothesis. Students’ math scores (M = 3.18,

SD = 1.08) were higher, F(1, 189) = 19.702, p < .001. Reading scores (M = 2.88, SD = 1.12)

were not as high as math, but demonstrated a positive relationship between their participation at

SFW and their reading scores, F (1, 189) = 2.850, p < .001.

Hypothesis Ha: There will be a difference between the FCAT academic achievement of the

students of parents who participated at FCAT preparatory activities (school family

workshops) and the students whose parents never participated.

Null hypothesis Ho: There will be no difference between the FCAT academic achievement of

the students of parents who participated at FCAT preparatory activities (school family

workshops) and the students whose parents never participated.

Results do demonstrate a difference between the math scores for those students whose parents

did not attend the workshops (M = 2.48, SD = 1.1) and for those whose parents did attend the

workshops (M = 3.18, SD = 1.08) and their reading scores (M = 2.62, SD = 1.0 and M = 2.88 and

61

SD = 1.12, respectively). The math scores for the students whose parents attended the school

family night workshops were higher than the math scores of students whose parents did not

participate F(1, 189) = 19.702, p < .001. Their reading scores were not as high as expected;

however, they were higher than the scores of the students whose parents did not attend the

workshops F (1, 189) = 2.850, p < .001. The null hypothesis was rejected at alpha = .05.

Students whose parents were involved in SFW did score higher in reading and math FCAT than

students whose parents did not participate at the SFW.

Histograms for Family Night Workshops attendees and non-attendees and their FCAT

scores

Figure 1. Reading scores for students whose parents attended the workshops

Mean = 2.88 Std. Dev. = 1.121 N = 93

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Figure 2. Reading scores for students whose parents did not attend the workshops

Mean = 2.62 Std. Dev. = 1 N = 98

Figure 3. Math scores for students whose parents attended the workshops. Mean = 3.18 Std. Dev. = 1.083 N = 93

63

Figure 4. Math Scores for students whose parents did not attend the workshops

Mean = 2.48 Std. Dev. = 1.105 N = 98

64

CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Discussion of the Results

The data suggest that attending school family night FCAT workshops had a major effect

on math scores but not in reading. However, please note that there were many variables that were

not accounted for in the present study. Those variables will be addressed in the

recommendations section.

The results of the Tests Between-Subject Effects showed a positive relationship between

math and reading. Math had a higher F value (19, 702) and reading (2,850); therefore the overall

model was significant because of math, p<.001. Wilks’ Lambda distribution: F (2,188) =

10.403.

A bivariate correlation was run between FCAT reading and FCAT math for each group

(attendees and not attendees to family night workshops) to find out the relationship between

students’ reading FCAT scores and students’ math FCAT scores. The results showed a high

relationship between the two variables across the groups at r = .587, p < .001. This relationship

validates the usage of the MANOVA to answer the research questions. The null hypothesis was

rejected at alpha = .05.

This study was conducted with 200 students in a public middle school in Florida. The

participants of this study were children between the ages of 11-15 years. Using quantitative

methods; MANOVA, students’ FCAT scores were measured against parental participation in a

school-sponsored educational strategy session; Family Night Workshops. It was hypothesized

that the children of parents who participate at the school’s sponsored family night workshops are

more likely to have higher FCAT scores than students whose parents do not attend the

65

workshops. The results suggest that parental participation in FCAT preparatory activities (SFW)

does have a positive impact on students’ FCAT academic achievement.

These results demonstrate that the Epstein’s theory that identifies a reciprocal

relationship between parents, educators and community partners; based on a common goal for

students, has a positive affect on student achievement (Conrad & Serlin, 2006). The intervention

strategy used by XYZ Middle School brought together the primary ‘actors;’ parents and teachers

and community partners in response to the need of increasing student achievement and allowed

these actors to establish social ties and exchange information; arming them with information,

strategies and knowledge that enriched and extended the learning environment beyond the school

room (Conrad & Serlin). Further, the study results substantiate the importance of collaborative

partnerships in education and its affect on the learning and academic achievement of the students

(Conrad & Serlin). XYZ Middle School intervention activated and incorporated the types of

involvement that Epstein’s theory promotes as advantageous to child development; helping all

families to establish supportive home environments for children and establishing two-way

exchanges about school programs and children’s progress. Additionally, the intervention strategy

aids in recruiting and organizing parental help at school, home, or other locations; providing

information and ideas to families about how to help students with homework and other

curriculum-related materials, and identifying and integrating resources and services from the

community to strengthen school programs (Epstein, as cited in Sheldon, 2003).

That the study results indicate a possible positive affect on student learning as a result of

collaborative academic interventions such as the one utilized by XYZ Middle School, not only

affirms Epstein’s theory on the influence of overlapping spheres but underscores the centrality of

Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory in child development, particularly in child education.

66

Bronfenbrenner assertion that the children sit at the center of a series of circles representing

micro-systems, meso-systems, exo-systems, and macro-systems, where the parental relationship

represents an exo-system with high influence, when juxtaposed with the study results is validated

(Darling, 2007). XYZ’s collaborative intervention places the student/child at the center and

acknowledges the high influence that the parental relationship has on the child’s development.

Moreover, the study highlights the importance of exploiting the centric circles of

influence in a child development by equipping parents with the skills and knowledge needed to

help their children in their academic development. By assigning parents and teachers the role of

co-educators, two circles of influence - the exo-system and macro-system are activated in a

positive direction to influence the academic achievement of the student/child. As both Epstein

and Bronfenbrenner’s theories suggest, the role of the parent as a development agent and/or

catalyst is vital to the overall development of children and the study results depict how relevant

these theoretical precepts are to the child development and education.

Conclusions

The State of Florida has adopted the National No child Left Behind policies in an effort

to ensure that Florida’s teachers are of the highest caliber and a high level of student instruction

(Florida Department of Education, 1997). Out of this policy, a plethora of research-driven

programs, interventions and pedagogical strategies have emerged, aimed at increasing student

academic proficiency. Yet, since its inception, student scores on the Florida Comprehensive

Achievement Test have not increased significantly, a fact that remains troubling to both

educators and legislators (Florida Department of Education, 1997). National discourse on

education in both the academic and popular press has identified many variables within the

67

education system that may be causal, from teacher qualification to student-teacher ratio, from

teacher apathy to the lack performance-based measures. However while these factors are in fact

causal in some part, they do not represent definitive dependent variables acting on student

academic performance. Student academic achievement is spurious by nature.

One factor that has remained silent in the education debate at the academic and popular

level is the effect of parental involvement on student achievement. A review of the literature as

part of the preparation for this study has revealed a gap as it relates to studies that look solely at

the correlation between student achievement on standardized tests like the FCAT and parental

involvement. A myriad of literature has been published on topics such as parental socioeconomic

status, family structure, homework help at home, academic achievement (Baker & Soden, 2000;

V. Lee & Croninger 1994; Tocci & Englehard, 1991; Zimilies & Lee, 1991), and strategies to

increase schools’ parental participation (Jeynes, 2005). However, the researcher found that

further research is needed concerning the relationship between parental attendance to school

family night workshops, and the effect of the attendance and participation at such workshops on

the students’ achievement in reading and mathematics on the FCAT.

Since the FCAT was designed to assess students’ understanding and comprehension of

the Florida’s Sunshine State Standards from grades 3 to 10, and it is utilized as the main

approach to the A-Plus accountability program, satisfactory performance should be emphasized

both at school and at home (Florida Department of Education, 1997). XYZ Middle School

implements an evening program that other schools in the area do not implement, to help students

succeed in the FCAT. XYZ provides school family night workshops in a collaborative

atmosphere where parents, children, and teachers in a classroom work together to help students

learn FCAT strategies through hands-on activities. This study was conducted to investigate if

68

there is a positive relationship between school family night workshops and student’s

achievement in reading and mathematics on the FCAT and found that there was indeed a positive

affect as a result of this intervention.

In this research study, the independent variables (IV) are parents attending or not

attending school family night workshops and the dependent variables (DV) are students’

standardized scores in reading and math on the FCAT.

The results of the current study document that there is a positive relationship between

students of parents who participated at school family workshops and the students’ academic

achievement in reading and mathematics on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test

(FCAT). Results indicate that there is a difference between the FCAT academic achievement of

the students of parents who participated at FCAT preparatory activities (School Family

Workshops) and the students whose parents never participated.

The outcome of the study shows that the math scores for those students whose parents did

not attend the workshops (M = 2.48, SD = 1.1) and for those whose parents did attend the

workshops (M = 3.18, SD = 1.08) and their reading scores (M = 2.62, SD = 1.0 and M = 2.88 and

SD = 1.12, respectively) were different. The math scores for the students whose parents attended

the school family night workshops were higher than the math scores of the students whose

parents did not attend F(1, 189) = 19.702, p < .001. Their reading scores were not as high as

expected, but they were higher than the scores of the students whose parents did not attend the

workshops F (1, 189) = 2.850, p < .001. The null hypothesis was rejected at alpha = .05.

Students whose parents were involved in SFW did score higher in reading and math FCAT than

students whose parents did not participate at the SFW.

69

In summary, the school family night workshops at XYZ Middle School are definitely

assisting students to be successful in the FCAT and therefore, to succeed not only academically,

but emotionally and intellectually as well.

Recommendations

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of parental participation in school

activities, such as school family night workshops, on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment

Test (FCAT) for middle school students. The results of the study demonstrate a positive

relationship between the academic achievement of children in standardized state tests and their

parents' active participation at school family night workshops.

The present study provides evidence that demonstrates the relationship between parental

involvement at school family night workshops and children’s scores in the FCAT. Education

professionals within the state at the county and school level may find the study results beneficial

when creating and implementing intervention programs for students who are predicted at the

lower end of proficiency scales. The FCAT preparatory program at XYZ Middle School shows a

positive correlation between parental participation at school family night workshops and FCAT

scores. The results of this study can be used as a means to increase parental involvement in every

child’s education to increase student achievement on the FCAT. These results imply that the

partnership between parents, schools, educators and community is vital to the positive academic

development of students. In an era where teacher performance is viewed as causal to lower

student academic performance and debates surround increasing teacher accountability by

pegging salary to student performance; one variable has remained silent – the role of the parent

and other influencing factors in creating an environment conducive to academic achievement and

70

growth. Further, that strategies that promote the centrality of Epstein’s and Bronfenbrenner’s

theories on child development are underplayed and underutilized by educators in their attempt to

increase student academic achievement indicates, as signaled by the study results, that a more

collaborative approach to teaching and learning are key to shifting the prevailing paradigms on

education.

A topic for further research could be whether the positive relationship between parental

participation at school family night workshops and students’ high scores in reading and

mathematics on the FCAT was due to the content of information delivered at such workshops

and the implementation of the strategies practiced at home, or due to the natural level of

academic intelligence of children. Other factors that could be considered for further research in a

qualitative study could be children’s academic interest and effort to learn, by interviewing

parents and children. It is possible that children’s scores in the FCAT were higher because the

children decided to work harder on their own, and not necessarily because their caregivers

worked with them individually at home.

Additionally, variables that could be taken into account in a future study are the reasons

for parents not to attend school sponsored activities and the welcoming atmosphere of the school.

Finally, a study utilizing a larger sample and including more than one middle school—

if other schools begin implementing this program—in the comparison process would definitely

add to the literature.

Overall, the study findings suggest that further research is needed on the affect of such

interventions that involve equipping parents with hands-on pedagogical strategies to help their

children’s academic achievement. To increase the validity of these findings, school districts

should attempt to replicate this study at other school locations. By doing this, the findings would

71

be triangulated and the true validity determined. By instituting the same type of Family Night

Workshop at other schools in the district, the overall affect of this intervention could be

determined and the affect of other spurious variables, that may have been at work exposed.

Nevertheless, the study’s findings hold specific implications for the field of counseling.

Educational counseling is an important component of the schoolhouse, playing a vital role as

liaison between parents, teachers and students. Educational counselors are mandated to help

students who maybe struggling to achieve academic standards required for promotions and are

required to use interventional strategies to help these students improve their academic

performance. Parental involvement in the child’s academic life is an important vehicle that

educational counselors try to assess and improve as a part of the student’s educational plan.

Therefore, the results of this study offer the educational counselor another vehicle that may be

offered to parents and students alike as a part of their education improvement plan. Being able to

offer parents a school based program that teaches parents proven ways to address some of the

deficiencies that their child may have, will empower parents to be strong change agents in their

child’s education. If knowledge is power, then having the knowledge of the strategies that

Teachers use within the classroom to teach children the skills they need, places parents at an

advantageous position. Moreover, parents will have the opportunity to meet and create

partnerships with their child’s Teachers based on a common goal of improving the student’s skill

base.

72

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Appendix A: TABLE OF RANDOM NUMBERS FOR THE 100 SCORES OF STUDENTS IN

ATTENDANCE AT SCHOOL FAMILY WORKSHOPS 2009-2010

Reading FCAT Score Math FCAT Score

002 5 5

004 2 3

006 3 4

008 3 4

010 4 3

012 2 2

014 2 3

016 3 5

018 4 2

020 4 4

022 4 4

024 4 5

026 2 3

028 2 2

030 3 3

032 5 3

034 1 1

036 3 3

038 3 3

79

040 4 4

042 3 3

044 4 4

046 1 1

048 3 3

050 1 3

052 3 3

054 3 3

056 3 3

058 2 3

060 2 3

062 4 3

064 3 3

066 3 4

068 3 4

070 4 3

072 3 4

074 1 3

076 1 1

078 4 5

080 1 2

082 1 4

084 3 4

086

088 1 1

80

090 3 4

092 3 4

094 3 1

096 4 5

098 3 3

100

102 1 2

104 1 2

106 4 4

108 2 2

110 3 5

112 2 2

114 4 4

116 4 4

118 3 3

120 2 4

122 3 3

124 5 5

126 3 3

128 4 4

130 4 4

132 1 2

134 3 4

136 3 2

138 3 4

81

140

142 3 3

144 1 1

146 3 1

148 2 3

150 4 3

005 3 3

011 3 3

017 4 5

023 4 4

029 3 3

035 4 4

041 2 3

047 3 3

053

059 2 3

065 3 3

071 2 3

077 5 5

083 1 4

089 3 3

095 1 1

101

107 5 4

113 4 3

82

119 4 5

125 4 3

131 3 3

137

143

149 1 1

83

Appendix B: TABLE OF RANDOM NUMBERS FOR THE 100 SCORES OF STUDENTS

WHO NEVER ATTENDED SCHOOL FAMILY WORKSHOPS 2009-2010

Reading FCAT Score Math FCAT Score

007 3 3

014 3 2

021 3 3

028 2 1

035 3 3

042 3 3

049 3 1

056 3 3

063 3 1

070 3 3

077 3 3

084 3 3

091 3 2

098 3 2

105 3 2

112 2 2

119 3 4

126 1 3

133 2 3

84

140 3 3

147 1 1

154 3 4

161 1 1

168 1 1

175 1 3

182 3 3

189 3 1

196 5 4

203 2 1

210 1 1

217 4 5

224 2 3

231 3 2

238 2 3

245 2 2

252 4 5

259 1 1

266 3 2

273 3 3

280 3 4

287 3 2

294 2 3

301 2 1

308 3 3

85

315 4 3

322 4 4

329 3 4

336 1 2

343 2 2

350 1 2

357 4 4

364 1 1

371 2 1

378 2 3

385 1 1

392 2 3

399 3 2

406 2 3

413 3 4

420 3 2

427 4 4

434 2 1

441 5 1

448 4 4

455 4 3

462 3 1

469 4 3

476 1 1

483 2 3

86

490 2 1

497 2 3

504 2 3

511 4 3

518 4 4

525 4 3

532 3 4

539 2 2

546 3 3

553 1 2

560 2 1

567 4 4

574 3 3

581 3 3

588 3 1

595 3 3

602 1 1

609 4 5

616 3 2

623 3 2

630 2 3

637 1 1

644 3 3

651 1 2

658 2 3

87

665 3 2

672 3 3

679

195 2 1

390 4 1

585