St.

Catherine University
SOPHIA
Masters of Arts in Education Action Research
Education
Papers

5-2015

Promoting Parent Involvement

Erin A. Hlavaty
St. Catherine University, [email protected]

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Running Head: PARENT INVOLVEMENT 1

Promoting Parent Involvement

An Action Research Report

by Erin A. Hlavaty
PARENT INVOLVEMENT 2

Promoting Parent Involvement

Submitted on May 21, 2015

in fulfillment of final requirements for the MAED degree
St. Catherine University
St. Paul, Minnesota

Advisor: Jana Morgan Herman Date: ___________________

PARENT INVOLVEMENT 3

Abstract

The purpose of this action research project was to find out parents’ attitudes and desires

to increase involvement opportunities through the home and/or school setting in order to

improve the home-school relationship. Parents of students in a 3-6 year old Montessori

classroom at a private school were asked to complete a parent involvement survey,

attitude scale, and a parent involvement log in order to analyze current parent

involvement. Data showed that the parents desire specific information as events and

parent involvement opportunities occur, given verbally, in writing, and electronically,

rather than an overview of the whole school year given in September. Infusing the

Montessori philosophy of the classroom and school into the home was sought after by all

families who participated in this action research project. Further research could center on

different modes of involvement such as the use of photographs and video, and increased

resources for parents.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT 4

A teacher in a Montessori classroom is responsible for preparing the environment

in a manner that children can explore life on a level of their own understanding. Included

in this preparation, a Montessori teacher must also develop a healthy relationship with

parents to serve the whole child. Parent involvement in a child’s education is a topic of

discussion and research that has varying definitions. According to the article Parent

Involvement in Education: Toward an Understanding of Parents' Decision Making,

“Parents take a more community-centric view that includes keeping their children safe

and getting them to school, whereas teachers define involvement primarily as parental

presence at school” (Anderson & Minke, 2007, p. 311). Olmstead explained the

difference between reactive and proactive involvement as “Reactive involvement in

schooling includes activities such as attending meetings, family activities, or

volunteering. Proactive involvement in children’s learning includes activities such as

helping with homework, staying informed about school events, and following a child’s

progress” (2013, p. 29). Barnyak and McNelly explained parent involvement as

“Teachers play a direct role when parents volunteer in classrooms or are employed as

paid paraprofessionals; teachers play an indirect role when they motivate parents to

participate in learning activities at home with their children” (2009, p. 34). Brock and

Edmunds described parent involvement in the three ways of “(a) creating partnerships

between the home and school, sometimes formally (e.g., when parents share in the

decision-making); (b) the educational role parents provide such as when they serve as

volunteers or instructional aides and (c) parents who attend school events” (2010, p.49).

Epstein described six types of parent involvement: parenting, communicating,

volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and collaborating with the community
PARENT INVOLVEMENT 5

(2011). Parents, teachers, administrators and researchers alike continue to define parent

involvement in varying ways yet one factor remains the same and that is the high level of

importance parent involvement plays in a child’s education.

However parent involvement may be defined, two recurrent models are the

Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler Model, and Epstein’s Parent Involvement Model. The

Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler Model of parent involvement explains the psychological

perspective of parents’ decisions to become involved in a series of five levels. Level one

contains the parental involvement decision, level two contains the parents’ choice of

involvement forms, level three contains the mechanisms through which parent

involvement influences child/student outcomes, level four contains tempering/mediating

variables, and level five contains the child/student outcomes (Tekin, 2011). “There has

been a great deal of research and literature on the effect of linkages between parents’ self-

efficacy and their involvement with their children’s education at home and at school”

(Barnyak & McNelly, 2009, p. 42). By the same token Olmstead stated “Teachers with

higher sense of the importance of family involvement create classroom environments that

provide substantial opportunities for family involvement activities. Parents, in turn, are

likely to respond to such environments and become more involved in their students’

classroom and school” (2013, p. 29).

While the Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler model of parent involvement focuses on

the parents’ perspectives, Epstein’s model focuses more on the educators’ perspectives.

Tekin (2011) defines the six types of parent involvement in Epstein’s model as:

Parenting is helping all families establish supportive home environments for

children as students. Communicating is establishing effective two-way

PARENT INVOLVEMENT 6

communication about school programs and children’s progress. Volunteering is

recruiting and organizing parent help and support at school, home, or other

locations. Learning at home is providing information and ideas to families about

how to help their children at home with their learning. Decision making is having

parents serve as representatives and leaders on school committees. Collaborating

with the community is defined as identifying and integrating resources and

services from the community to improve school programs. (pp. 10-11)

Barnyak and McNelly’s study following Epstein’s model of parent involvement found

that “Teachers beliefs about the impact they have on parent involvement have been found

to be a predictor of teachers’ efforts to encourage parent involvement” (2009, p. 52). This

same model is also dissected into home, school, and community spheres of influence that

increase parent involvement (Olmstead, 2013, p. 29).

Brock and Edmunds defined parental involvement as “the various activities that

contribute to (a) Home School Communication (HSC) and/or (b) Learning at Home

(LH)” (2010, p. 48). Examples of home school communication may include parent-

teacher conferences, work folders, report card pick up days, memos, notices, phone calls,

newsletters, and school information (Brock & Edmunds, 2010). Olmstead outlined

numerous uses for home school communication using technology including school and

classroom websites, voice calling systems, email, parent portals, and social networking

(Olmstead, 2013). Anderson and Minke suggested teacher invitations “had the strongest

relationship with parents’ involvement behaviors” highlighting the importance of home

school communication (2007, p. 319).

PARENT INVOLVEMENT 7

Examples of learning at home may include families being given information on

required skills for students, homework policies, and ways to discuss school work at

home, and skill improvement on homework assignments (Brock & Edmunds, 2010).

Barnyak and McNelly argued that “schools are not the only institutions in society in

which teaching and learning occur. The family is a critical institution in this regard, and

parents are teachers of their children (2009, p. 43). When examining the history of parent

involvement in the United States, parent involvement began in the early 20th Century but

came to the forefront with the introduction of Head Start in the 1960s and 1970s. “The

major notion of parent involvement was that parents know what they want for their

children and thereby should be involved in the school” (Tekin, 2011, p. 1).

While educators commonly recognize the benefits of parent involvement in

schools, many are unable to effectively reach out to families. Parents may be unable to

take time away from work to participate in school functions or activities. Parents may

feel culturally or economically isolated from their school community, and feel

uncomfortable reaching out. Parents may not know how to get involved, or even if they

should. The purpose of my research is to involve parents by offering increased

opportunities for parent involvement through the home and/or school setting in order to

improve the home-school relationship.

Description of Research Process

This action research project was conducted within a 3-6 year old Montessori

classroom in a school that offers Parent/Infant, Parent/Toddler, Transition, Early

Childhood and an Early Elementary Montessori classroom. In my classroom and as a

school overall minimal opportunities for parent involvement are presented but the
PARENT INVOLVEMENT 8

encouragement of donations throughout the year is emphasized repeatedly. Increased

opportunities for parent involvement and the engagement of parents in considering how

that involvement changes their perception of the school, if at all, was the premise for this

action research. The purpose of the research is to increase parent involvement

opportunities through the home and/or school setting in order to improve the home-

school relationship.

My data was collected from multiple sources. To begin my action research, I sent

the notification letter (Appendix A) to parents, who returned the letter with their signature

stating whether or not their data may be included in the research. Out of the 26 families in

my classroom, 20 agreed to be part of the study. One family asked that their data be

removed two weeks into the study due to illness so the data collected is based upon the

remaining 19 families. All parents were eligible to participate in the various parent

involvement opportunities, regardless of their decision on if their data could be included

in the research or not. In the first week, parents were asked to complete a survey

(Appendix B) to help me understand their current knowledge of available parental

involvement opportunities and impacts. The survey helped me to gather information

about whether or not parents were aware of involvement opportunities and if they were

interested in learning more.

All parents were interested in learning more so I examined their outlooks through

a Parent Attitude Scale (Appendix C). In the second week of data collection, current

opportunities for parent involvement were shared verbally and in writing: Parent

Education Night attendance, Blossom Benefit Planning, Blossom Benefit Volunteer,

Blossom Benefit Attendance, Birthday Celebration, Laundry Assistance, Guest Reader,

PARENT INVOLVEMENT 9

Line Time sharing of special interest/job/religion/travel, Supply Supporter, Classroom

Observer, Verbal Inquiry, and Written Inquiry. Along with sharing opportunities with

parents, suggestions from parents were encouraged and documented. Following this

action, the Parent Involvement Log (Appendix D) and Popularity of Types of

Involvement Tally Chart (Appendix E) were implemented and used for data collection.

Through the Parent Involvement Log I was able to track the type of involvement in which

parents chose to participate and answer questions as they were raised. An additional week

of data collection was added due to severely cold weather causing three days of school

closings.

In closing, a semi-structured interview (Appendix F) was conducted with

participants in the action research study. This final method of data collection allowed me

to analyze parent feedback over the course of the study and offered a final opportunity for

collaboration.

Analysis of Data

Overall, parents were happy to be a part of my action research in collaborating to

learn and share ways to improve the home-school relationship through increased parent

involvement. Of the 26 families in our classroom 19 chose to participate in the study

allowing for a sample of 73% of the class.

Based on question one in the initial Parent Involvement Survey, nine of the

families were in their first year at our school and ten families have been a member of our

community for at least one year. Question two indicated that 100% of the families were

aware of parent involvement opportunities in the home and school setting. When asked to

list the opportunities, 100% of the families listed our largest fundraising event of the
PARENT INVOLVEMENT 10

Blossom Benefit, 26.3% listed the opportunity to share a talent, interest, job, religion,

travels, 36.8% listed Parent Education Nights, 5% listed the Garden Committee, and

10.5% listed the opportunity to observe in the classroom. Based on the response of the

involvement opportunities that parents were aware of, gaps are noted in the actual

number who are able or choose to participate in these opportunities versus awareness of

the involvement opportunity (See Figure 1).

20
Number of Parents

18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0 Aware of
Participated in

Parent Involvement Activities

Figure 1. Parent Involvement Survey Results

In order to further examine parent outlooks they were asked to complete a Parent

Attitude Scale using a Likert Scale. Parents indicated a degree of agreement or

disagreement with a series of statements regarding parent involvement. While certain

statements offered clear results of all parents in agreement or all parents in disagreement,

there were other statements with results across the scale from strongly agree to strongly

disagree.

For example, the statement “Our school has opportunities for assisting in

fundraising activities” elicited the response of ten parents who strongly agree and nine
PARENT INVOLVEMENT 11

parents who agree and zero parents with the remaining response of indifferent, disagree,

or strongly disagree. On the other end of the scale, the statement “Our school has a parent

resource center (a place where parents can get information on parenting and school-

related topics)” elicited the response of one parent who strongly agrees, one parent who

agrees, four parents who are indifferent, eight parents who disagree, and five parents who

strongly disagree. The statement “Parents are allotted time for communication with

teachers” elicited responses across the scale. Four parents responded who strongly agree

with the statement, five parents agree, one parent is indifferent, five parents disagree, and

four parents strongly disagree. The wide array of these responses can be seen in Figure 2.

10
Number of Parents

9
8
7
6 Strongly Agree
5
4 Agree
3
2 Indifferent
1
0 Disagree
Opportunities for Resource Center Alloted time for
assisting in communication Strongly Disagree
fundraising
activities
Parent Involvement Statements

Figure 2. Parent Attitude Scale

While the Parent Attitude Scale elicited a variety of helpful responses it was

through further examination of each statement that I was able to receive feedback as to

where further conversation with parents was necessary. Following the implementation of

the Parent Involvement Survey and the Parent Attitude Scale the next step in my research

process was to share opportunities verbally and in writing. Subsequently I began data

collection using the Parent Involvement Log (Appendix D) and the Popularity of
PARENT INVOLVEMENT 12

Involvement Tally Chart in order to document which opportunities were performed (See

Table 1).

Table 1.

Popularity of Involvement

Type of Involvement Tally of Parent Involvement Session

Parent Orientation Meeting Attendance ////////// (10)

Blossom Benefit Planning /// (3)
Blossom Benefit Volunteer /////// (7)
Blossom Benefit Attendance ///////////(11)
Birthday Celebration /// (3)
Laundry Assistance //// (4)
Guest Reader (0)
Line time sharing of special // (2)
talent/interest/job/religion/travels
Supply supporter //// (4)
Classroom Observer // (2)
Verbal Inquiry ////////////////// (18)
Written/Email Inquiry //////////////// (16)
Other: Garden Committee / (1)
Other:

Based on the data in Table 1, the primary means for involvement includes verbal

inquiry and written/email inquiry. Due to the timing of this project, the Blossom Benefit

offered opportunities for involvement. Upon further investigation with parents we noted

that the majority of opportunities for parent involvement offered in our classroom and

school require the parent’s physical presence. The final form of data collection of the

Semi-Structured Interview offered an opportunity for further collaboration with parents.

Through the interview, parents were able to express themselves freely following

the prepared questions as a guide for conversation. Qualitative data was obtained in
PARENT INVOLVEMENT 13

order to serve as a gauge for success with regard to the promotion of parent involvement

opportunities. One common theme present in each interviewee was the pleasure

expressed for the chance to offer input regarding their involvement in our classroom and

their child’s education. A challenge that we continue to face is offering more

opportunities for involvement in the home. Overall, 100% of the parents felt that

participating in this study was a positive experience and felt more connected to the

school. While the degree of connection varied amongst parents a foundation of

communication has been established.

Action Plan

Impact of the action research

The results of the research conducted for the action research project will change

my practice as a teacher. Previously the practice of our school in describing policies

including opportunities for parent involvement was to distribute the parent handbook at a

beginning of the year meeting, ask parents to read the handbook, and sign and return an

insert acknowledging that it has been read. Through the research I have concluded that

the parents desire specific information as events and opportunities occur, given verbally,

in writing, and electronically, rather than an overview of the whole school year given in

September.

Per school policy, communication was to be in writing through a child’s

communication folder that is transported daily. The amount of time it takes to write a

letter to teachers, student absence, and time gap in communication for students who only

attend on Monday/Wednesday/Friday or Tuesday/Thursday are a few of the frustrations

expressed by parents. This previous method of communication did not meet the needs of
PARENT INVOLVEMENT 14

our parents and so a classroom email account has been set up in order to offer an

additional method for communication. Administration has acknowledged the fact that our

school policy regarding communication was out of date and allows each classroom to

make the decision of methods to be used for parent communication. I am thankful for this

action research project in being a source of change in support of our parents.

Infusing the Montessori philosophy into the home was sought after by all families

who participated in this action research project. Parents also expressed the desire for

increased opportunities for involvement both in the classroom and at home. Due to the

majority of families having two working parents, the emphasis on opportunities to remain

connected was proposed through technology. Offering parents the opportunity to see and

experience what the children do each day at school can be conveyed through photographs

and videos in the future. All families in the classroom have signed photo releases and so I

am currently researching options for various sites, programs, etc. to share the glimpse

into our classroom. Until a method is chosen email attachments are being used to share a

minimum of one photograph with each family on a weekly basis. Currently a small

section of our monthly newsletter focuses on a component of the Montessori philosophy

yet some parents expressed the desire for more. Finding a balance of an appropriate

amount of information, what type of information and the means to distribute will be

ongoing.

Potential future action research investigation

Of the 19 families who participated in my action research project all of them

expressed gratitude for the opportunity to express their feelings, thoughts, ideas, and have

their involvement documented, analyzed, taken into consideration, and their voices heard.
PARENT INVOLVEMENT 15

One particular suggestion from a father whose third child is in her second year in my

classroom, was to create a library system of Montessori materials available for

“checkout” by the families. He came up with this idea after attending our parent

education evening last month when observing a lesson we gave to the parents and

connecting with an explanation of the Teens Boards his daughter had recently shared at

bedtime. His feeling is that if the resources were available for families to borrow,

parents/caregivers would have the opportunity to become more involved in understanding

what it is that we do each day with these incredible hands on materials.

Financially and logistically there are certainly many questions that immediately

came to my mind such as: Would the children become disinterested in the classroom

work period with the additional use of materials at home? How much would this cost to

essentially furnish an additional classroom? While I have started a list of my own

questions I have also shared this idea with other parents and colleagues for further

research.

When exploring all options for future action research investigation such as the

suggested use of materials in the home, it is important to consider how authenticity will

be maintained for the use of Montessori materials. As Maria Montessori herself observed,

studied, and analyzed each child’s use of materials to guide individual growth,

Montessori guides are also trained to do the same. Allowing use without the supervision

of a trained adult can lead to the loss of each material’s intended purpose.

Creating a video of specific lessons to share with parents in a resource center

grew out of a classmate’s suggestion. A parent attitude scale was completed for my

project and the particular statement, “CBECC has a parent resource center (a place where
PARENT INVOLVEMENT 16

parents can gain information on parenting and school-related issues and can gather

informally)” received the response of “indifferent” and “disagree” most frequently in

response to having a parent resource center. A resource center does exist in a conference

room through our main office and is filled with books, journals, magazines, lectures,

reference materials, DVDs, VHS, and cds. As the survey demonstrated that parents do

not use the resource center; further research could focus on why parents do not know

about or do not choose to access the available resources. With the opportunity to actively

participate in research with parents, this project showed that action was necessary to

increase parent involvement in the home and school settings. The interests and needs of

the participating parents were taken into account and plans of action for improvements

are being formulated, reviewed, and will be implemented.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT 17

References
Anderson, K. J., & Minke, K. M. (2007). Parent involvement in education: Toward an

understanding of parents' decision making. The Journal of Educational Research,

100(5), 311-323, 328.

Barnyak, N. C., & McNelly, T. A. (2009). An urban school district's parent involvement:

A study of teachers' and administrators' beliefs and practices. School Community

Journal, 19(1), 33-58.

Brock, S., & Edmunds, A. L. (2010). Parental involvement: Barriers and opportunities.

EAF Journal, 21(1), 48-I.

Epstein, J.L. (2011). School, family, and community partnerships: Preparing educators

and improving schools. Boulder, CO. Westview Press.

Olmstead, C. (2013). Using technology to increase parent involvement in schools.

TechTrends, 57(6), 28-37.

Seldin, T. (2006). How to raise an amazing child the Montessori way. New York, NY.

DK Publishing.

Tekin, A. K., PhD. (2011). Parent involvement revisited: Background, theories, and

models. International Journal of Applied Educational Studies, 11(1), 1-13.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT 18

Appendix A

Notification Form

Dear Parents,

As you may know, I am a St. Catherine University student pursuing a Masters of

Education degree. An important part of my program is the Action Research project.

As the teacher of your child in Room 105, I have chosen to research the impacts of
increased outreach to parents and how this might impact their own understanding and
interest in our school. I am very interested in learning more from you about how I can
meaningfully and helpfully include parents in school opportunities going forward.

I will be writing about the results that I get from this research; however, none of the
writing that I do will include the name of this school, the names of any students, or any
references that would make it possible to identify outcomes connected to you. Other
people will not know if you are in my study.

When I am done, my work will be electronically available online at the St. Catherine
University library in a system called Sophia, which holds published reports written by
faculty and graduate students at St. Catherine’s. The goal of sharing my final research
study report is to help other teachers who are also trying to improve their learning
communities.
Previous research has shown that parent involvement can lead to improved
communication and relations between the parents, teachers, and administrators. As well
as developing parents’ understanding of the school curriculum and the teacher’s role, it is
my hope that I can help all parents feel included in our classroom and our school.
If you decide you want to be included in my study, please note that on this form and
return it by February 13, 2015. There is no penalty for not being involved in this
study. In my final report, all information will be aggregated, and no names or
information that would identify you or your child will be included in that report. If at any
time you decide you do not what your data to be included in the study, I will remove
included data to the best of my ability.

Should you choose to participate in this study a wide variety of activities will range from
event planning, volunteering, and observing in the classroom to attending an event.
Participation will vary amongst subjects and can be performed in school and/or at home.
Data will be gathered through a Parent Survey, Parent Attitude Scale, Parent Involvement
Log, and a Semi-Structured Interview. You can expect each data collection technique to
last approximately 5 – 10 minutes to be performed using your preferred method: handout,
email, phone, or in person at school.

If you decide you do not want to be included in my study, you do not need to do
anything. All children will receive the same treatment in my class, regardless of your
decision on this matter.
PARENT INVOLVEMENT 19

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, (773)975-6330 you may ask
questions now, or if you have any additional questions later, you can ask me or my
advisor, Jana Morgan Herman, [email protected], who will be happy to
answer them. If you have other questions or concerns regarding the study and would like
to talk to someone other than the researcher(s), you may also contact Dr. John Schmitt,
Chair of the St. Catherine University Institutional Review Board, at (651) 690-7739.
You may keep a copy of this form for your records.

I do want my data to be included in this study. Please respond by February 1, 2015.

______________________________ ________________
Name of Child Date

______________________________ ________________
Signature of Parent Date

______________________________ ________________
Signature of Researcher Date

I have some questions about this before I decide. Please contact me.

Email or phone number __________________________________

Best dates/time to reach me:______________________________

PARENT INVOLVEMENT 20

Appendix B

Parent Involvement Survey

Please note that completing this survey is totally voluntary. You do not need to complete
this survey. If you want to answer these questions to help me understand parents’ current
understanding of available parental involvement opportunities and impacts, you are
welcome to do so. I will not know who chose to complete this survey and who did not.
Is this your family’s first year at CBECC? YES NO
If so, has your family been involved in another school community? YES NO
If not, how many years has your family been a member of the CBECC
community? ______

Are you aware of parent involvement opportunities in the home and school
setting? YES NO
If so, what opportunities are you aware of? In which opportunities have you
participated in the past?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
If not, are you interested in learning of parent involvement
opportunities? YES NO
PARENT INVOLVEMENT 21

Appendix C
Parent Attitude Scale

Please indicate a degree of agreement or disagreement with each statement.

At CBECC, opportunities for parent involvement are offered.

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

My child is aware of ways I am involved in his/her educational experience.

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

CBECC has a parent resource center (a place where parents can get information on
parenting and school-related topics).

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

CBECC has opportunities for serving as a volunteer in the classroom.

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

CBECC has opportunities for serving as a volunteer outside of the classroom.

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

CBECC has opportunities for participating in school wide activities.

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

CBECC has opportunities for assisting in fundraising activities.

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

PARENT INVOLVEMENT 22

CBECC has opportunities for parent education.

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

Parents are given written information about the goals and objectives of the school’s
Montessori curriculum.

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

Parents are given verbal information about the goals and objectives of the school’s
Montessori curriculum.

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

Parents are allotted time for communication with teachers.

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

Parents are given adequate methods for communication with teachers.

Strongly Agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly Disagree

PARENT INVOLVEMENT 23

Appendix D

Parent Involvement Log

Date: __________

Type of involvement:
________________________________________________________________________

Please share any thoughts/feelings/comments about your involvement:

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Do you have any questions in relation to your experience today?

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
PARENT INVOLVEMENT 24

Appendix E

Popularity of Types of Involvement Tally Chart

Type of Involvement Tally of Parent Involvement Session

Parent Orientation Meeting Attendance

Blossom Benefit Planning
Blossom Benefit Volunteer
Blossom Benefit Attendance
Birthday Celebration
Laundry Assistance
Guest Reader
Line time sharing of special
talent/interest/job/religion/travels
Supply supporter
Classroom Observer
Verbal Inquiry
Written Inquiry
Other:
Other:
PARENT INVOLVEMENT 25

Appendix F
Semi-structured Interview
What are some ways that the school and/or teacher has tried to involve you in your
child’s education at home? At school?

What was that experience like for you?

Does the school provide enough information and help for you to know how to be
involved with your child? (If not, what kinds of things would you like to know more
about?)
What are some of the things you do at home to support your child’s education? What
makes you do these things? (values, beliefs, request from teacher)
Do you have any suggestions for how the school could be more welcoming for parents?
How could the school be more helpful to families or help more parents get involved?