Parental Involvement & Teacher Communication Inna Shenker Spring 2011 Mid -term

1. Parental Involvement & Teacher Communication Inna Shenker Spring 2011 Mid-term

2. Method • Participants - six students (2,3,4 graders) • European American parents and 1 student is European born, everyone else is American born • Method is based on parents know personally who gave their consent to work with for the thesis

3. Table Of Contents • Research Design • Threats to Internal Validity • Threats to External Validity • Pre-Test/Survey and Post-Test/Survey • Consent Form & Pre-Test Samples

4. Research Design • Quasi – Experiment Group – Single Group • One group: designated treatment group X, Pre-tested group O, and Post-tested group O • Symbolic Design: OXO • Groups are randomly assigned, because not in a school environment (communication with parents outside the school and know personally)

5. Threats to Internal Validity • History: I will be working directly with the parents that I know personally. Attendance and teaches communication is not a threat. • Maturation: Student may be interested in specific aspects of the project, since it will direct communication with parents.Interest ma vary. • Testing/Pretest Sensitization: The pre-test & survey may have slight affect on the post test and survey. • Instrumentation: 6 week period. Parents will be involved in their child’s education, particularly in math. • Mortality: the rate will mainly stay the same, since I am doing research outside a school with families I know personally. Kids are in grades 2-4

6. Threats to External Validity • Ecological Validity: The study can be done in any environment. Reason: parental involvement is done at home, as well as communication. • Generalizable Condition: This research can be done in any school, state or country around the world. The results may vary depending on the families, culture, children, and type of research done. • Pretest – given out to see how the kids are doing thus-far.

7. Pre-Test and Post Test/ Pre-Survey Post Survey • Pre-Test and Pre-Survey for the students • Post-Test and Post-Survey for the students • Consent forms for parents • Development throughout 5-6 weeks with parents about their involvement with their kids

8. Consent Form/Pretest Samples Dear Parent/Guardian, I am currently a graduate student at Brooklyn College. This semester I am in the process of completing an action research project as one of the requirements for my Research II course. I would like to invite your child to participate in a Comparative Research Study that will be conducted throughout the school year. Therefore, I am requesting your permission to gather data and incorporate the information in the Master’s Thesis. If you decide to allow your child to participate, he she may be required to complete questionnaires, demographic surveys, achievement measurements and participate in possible observations. Through this study, I hope to learn about the impact of single parenting on the educational system. Any information that is obtained in connection with this study and that can be identified with your child will remain confidential and will not be disclosed. The participants will be kept confidential by assuring that all names remain anonymous. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me @ ishenker@yahoo.com or (646)644-6996. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and support. Sincerely, Inna Shenker I give my child permission to participate in the Early Action Research for the school year (20010/2011). Child's Name _____________________________ Parent/Guardian signature ____________________________________ Ex from 4th grade Pre-Test: 7. Brandon marked a point P as shown in the picture. Where is point P located? Mark your answer. A 15.5 B 16 C 14.5 D 16.5 Ex from 4th grade pre-test: 18. Diana collected 10 daffodils, 9 roses and 6 sunflowers from a garden. How many daffodils and sunflowers did Diana collect? Mark your answer. A 25 B 19 C 15 D 16

9. Consent Form/Pretest Samples • Ex from 3rd grade P-reTest: 21. Jason bought 1 foot long fruit rollup. • What is the length of fruit rollup in inches? • Mark your answer. • A 10 inches B 6 inches • C 12 inches D 3 inches • Sample questions from survey: • Do you like it when your parents attend school conferences? • Do you like it when your parents help you with your math homework? • What languages are spoken in the house? • Who helps you wit homework? • How many hours a week or per day do you spend time doing homework or going over an exam with your child? • Is it important for you, as a parent, to have communication with the teacher? Ex from 3rd grade Pre-Test: 23. Jessica went to a fruit shop with her mother. Jessica counted 14 apples, 8 pears, and 12 peaches in their shopping cart. How many fruits did Jessica count? Mark your answer. A 26 B 22 C 20 D 34 2nd Grade Pre-test: Students would write fractions in words and vice versa Ex: write 2/3______ Four/fifths ______ Addition/subtraction: 3+7=____ 15-7=_____

10. Pretest and Post test Prediction

11. Proposed Data Analysis • The chart shows that the students’ performance in math increases due to parental involvements in homework, tests, and in communication. • Therefore, parental involvement in students’ life, homework, and tests helps to increase their knowledge about what is going on in the classroom and what they need help with.

12. References • O’Connor-Petruso, S.A (2010). Descriptive statistics and threats to validity (power point slides). Retrieved from blackboard.