Characteristics of Highly Engaged Parents in Low Income Urban Schools

1. Characteristics of Highly Engaged Parents in Low Income Urban Schools An Action Research Project By Gary A. Proulx ED 7202- Fall 2010

2. Table of Contents • Introduction • Statement of the Problem • Review of Related Literature • Statement of the Hypothesis • Method • Participants (N) • Instrument(s) • Experimental Design • Procedure • Results • Discussion • Implications • Appendices • Consent Form • Parent Survey • Demographic Survey • Parent Survey # 2 • Correlation Graphs • References

3. Introduction • Noticed something different about the behavior of the parents in the enrichment class. • Parents showed up, signed forms, & returned phone call; students came dressed in their uniform, homework done, effort was there. • What makes these parents so unique?

4. Statement of the Problem • At PS X, when parents are not directly engaged in the their child’s education, the student’s level of achievement suffers. • However, when parents show regular and ongoing support and concern about their child’s studies, their child tends to embody that same sense of care and ownership over their own education.

5. Review of Related Literature • “If parental love is truly present…that caring attitude will translate into concrete expressions of love at home, and will have a positive effect on the child’s learning,” (Theorist Albert Bandura ) • “When parents come to school regularly, it reinforces the view of the child’s mind that the home and the school are connected,” (Horvat, Weininger, & Laureau) • “Lack of parental involvement is one of the biggest problems facing our public schools today,” (Desimone, Epstein, Hill, Ladson-Billings) • “There are many reasons for developing school, family, and community partnerships…the main reason is to help all youngsters succeed in school and in later life,”(Joyce Epstein )

6. Statement of the Hypothesis • HR1: By investigating and identifying the common characteristics of highly engaged parents from PS X, the researcher will share those characteristics with administration, colleagues and parents, to catalyze increased parental participation.

7. Method: Participants • Parents of children in the 5th grade Enrichment Class at PS X in Brooklyn, New York • 22 Students: 14 girls (8 Black, 6 Latino), 8 boys (4 Black, 4 Latino). • 3 Parent Surveys between February 2010 and November 2010.

8. Method: Instruments • Researcher created surveys. • Initial survey during “Open School Night,” (Oct. 2010). • Demographic survey (Oct. 2010). • Follow-up survey during “Parent/Teacher Conferences,” (Nov. 2010). • Used the Likert Scale.

9. Method:Experimental Design • Pre-experimental design, one-shot case study • Symbolic design: XO • Threats to internal validity included: history, instrumentation, mortality, & selection-maturation. • Threats to external validity included: ecological, selection-treatment interaction, multiple treatments, experimenter effects, Hawthorne effect, and placebo effect .

10. Method: Procedure • Surveys were given to parents when they came into school for “Open School Night.” • A second survey was created using the top responses from the first and given to parents on “Parent/Teacher Conferences.” • Surveys were correlated with student’s NYS test scores. • The action researcher was able to identify at least fourcharacteristics of highly engaged parents and correlate those characteristics with formative test scores.

11. Results Correlation of rxy + 0.708 Correlation of rxy + 0.749

12. Results Correlation of rxy + 0.735 Correlation of rxy + 0.447

13. Discussion • East New York: 87,000 residents with a yearly median income of just over $24, 000. • 34% are living below the poverty level. • Only 9% of the total population have a Bachelor’s degree or higher • The home environment has a powerful effect on what children and youth learn and is considerably more powerful than the parents’ income and education in influencing what children learn in the first years of life. • When parents are not involved the students lack focus, drive, and have an attitude that seems predestined for failure.

14. Implications • Why are these students so highly motivated to learn? Is it instinctual? Or is it a combination of parental involvement and a personal desire to succeed? Whatever the combination, we must work to figure it out and find a way to motivate all parents in under-performing communities to get involved. • We have to find a way to share these methods with all parents so that the children have a strong foundation at home, no mater what home they go to. • Additional research is needed to identify additional characteristics. • More time is needed to study the findings and deliver training to all parents.

15. Appendices • Consent Form • Parent Survey • Demographic Survey • Parent Survey # 2 • Correlation Graphs

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