Parent involvement in Head Start programs: the role of parent,teacher and classroom characteristics

The purposes of this study were to determine the extent and types of parent involvement in Head Start programs, and to examine the relations between parent participation and family, teacher and classroom characteristics. Parents (n = 1131) and teachers (n = 59) from four Head Start programs participated. Data were gathered through volunteer logs, parent interviews, teacher questionnaires, and classroom observations. The most frequent type of parent involvement activity was helping out in the classroom, followed by attendance at parent meetings. This pattern was consistent across the year (fall or spring), and across total amount of participation (i.e. parents participating one, two, three or more times in the year). Parent employment was the strongest predictor of parent involvement compared to other parent characteristics. Among teacher and classroom characteristics, classroom quality was the strongest predictor of parent involvement. Also, teachers with more years of experience in Head Start had more total hours of volunteering in their classrooms and had volunteers returning more times. Teachers’ reports of the involvement of parents in their classrooms were moderately correlated with volunteer logs, while parent self-reports of their involvement were only modestly correlated with volunteer logs, indicating that teachers may be more accurate than parents when reporting parent involvement activities.     

Spoken language development in oral preschool children with permanent childhood deafness

This article documented spoken language outcomes for preschool children with hearing loss and examined the relationships between language abilities and characteristics of children such as degree of hearing loss, cognitive abilities, age at entry to early intervention, and parent involvement in children's intervention programs. Participants were evaluated using a combination of the Child Development Inventory, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, and the Preschool Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals depending on their age at the time of assessment. Maternal education, cognitive ability, and family involvement were also measured. Over half of the children who participated in this study had poor language outcomes overall. No significant differences were found in language outcomes on any of the measures for children who were diagnosed early and those diagnosed later. Multiple regression analyses showed that family participation, degree of hearing loss, and cognitive ability significantly predicted language outcomes and together accounted for almost 60% of the variance in scores. This article highlights the importance of family participation in intervention programs to enable children to achieve optimal language outcomes. Further work may clarify the effects of early diagnosis on language outcomes for preschool children.     

Understanding barriers to parent involvement in Head Start: a research-community partnership

The present study was conducted by a research institute, The NCJW Center for the Child, in partnership with two Head Start agencies in New York City. The research grew out of practitioners’ concerns about parent involvement in their programs and what barriers may be inhibiting participation. Sixty-eight mothers whose children had completed one year of Head Start were interviewed using the Barriers to Parent Involvement Survey. Results revealed that mothers reported the presence of many difficult life experiences, but few were reported as actual barriers by many mothers. Five out of 20 of these experiences were associated with staff ratings of mothers’ level of participation. Developing ways to address barriers to participation at the Head Start agencies is discussed in light of the research findings. Information about wider application of the survey as well as research and programmatic implications of the results are included.     

Effective Schools and Home‐School‐Community Partnership Roles: A Framework for Parent Involvement

The increased interest in parent involvement as a strategy for school reform stems from two bodies of parent involvement research. One set of studies examined family learning environments; the other investigated the impact on student learning of school‐initiated parent involvement programs. This article reviews these two bodies of research, which have influenced current discussions about home‐school partnerships, shows the relationship between practices of successful home‐learning environments and effective schools research, and uses this relationship to propose a typology of home‐school‐community partnership roles and activities. When the research on effective family practices is combined with effective schools research and placed within a typology of partnership roles, schools have a framework for examining current parent involvement practices and exploring strategies that will enhance student learning both at home and at school.

     

Parents with Intellectual Disability Learning to Parent: the role of experience and informal learning

Parenthood for people with intellectual disability remains controversial. This is so despite current concern about the participation of people with intellectual disability in socially valued roles. Formal parent training is frequently presumed necessary to teach competent parenting. Effective programs require specific skill assessment followed by performance‐based training. Training needs to include modelling, practice, and feedback and to occur in situations where the skill is needed. The role of the informal and naturally occurring context of parenting‐‐the context of everyday family life‐‐has been overlooked. Drawing on an ethnographic study of family life with six parent couples, two central themes on the role of informal learning and experience in parenting are reported. Several ways in which service providers can take account of the experiential nature of learning about parenting are proposed.     

Preferences for parent education programs among low socioeconomic status,culturally diverse parents

This study examined parent preferences, behaviors, and beliefs toward school‐based parent education programs among 395 low income, culturally diverse parents. Parents of different socioeconomic levels reported similar preferences toward parent education events and perceptions of barriers to parent education programs. More differences were noted among parents regarding parenting beliefs and behaviors. Higher educational attainment was associated with more active involvement in parenting events and beliefs more consonant with the parenting programs likely to be offered at school (e.g., those with an Adlerian orientation). Few racial differences were noted after controlling for the differential effects of educational attainment. Implications for developing effective parenting programs are discussed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Teachers’ Beliefs about Parent and Family Involvement: Rethinking our Family Involvement Paradigm

This article seeks to provide insights into the role of teacher beliefs about parent and family involvement in supporting or inhibiting parent and family participation in partnerships related to the well being of child and family. The authors aim to offer positive beliefs and strategies for developing nurturing relations between families and schools.     

Parents’ participation on school councils analysed through Arnstein’s ladder of participation

Although parent school councils are the archetypal arrangement for engaging parents in school improvement planning, their effectiveness is negligible when it comes to building parents’ capacity for and confidence in educational decision-making. Using Arnstein’s ladder of citizen participation, this qualitative case study investigated the nature and degree of parents’ participation on six school community councils (SCCs) in Saskatchewan, Canada. Focus groups and interviews with SCC parent members, and school and district leaders were the chief data sources. In most schools, the SCC structure did not dislodge time-honoured barriers that restricted parents’ influence on extracurricular issues. A conceptual examination of participation affords a process-oriented understanding of parent involvement that complements the existing focus on the factors that impact school council effectiveness as an outcome.     

Voices of Parents and Teachers in a Poor White Urban School

The views of parents and teachers in an elementary school serving a low-income, primarily White, urban neighborhood are presented and analyzed. In-depth interviews reveal the beliefs and hopes of members of each group about the relationship between the school and the families that it serves. Themes of separation between home and school, the function of parent volunteers, structural barriers to more family involvement, friendship between teachers and parents, service to the school, teacher attitudes about parents, and parent attitudes about teachers are explored. Recommendations for the creation of a school environment more encouraging to meaningful parent involvement in the schools are made. Key words include parent involvement and home-school relationships.     

Two studies of low income parents' involvement in schooling

An interview and an intervention study are reported. Interview findings extend research on the positive relationship of parent involvement to school success. That is, although most of the low income families reported low-moderate participation, a postive relationship was found between parent involvement and school adjustment as early as kindergarten. With respect to negative valuing and barrier interpretations of low participation, the data support the latter; all but a few parents reported positive attitudes toward school involvement, while the majority indicated significant barriers. In comparing Latino and non-Latino groups, the former reported more barriers. Within the Latino group, parents whose children had made a good school adjustment indicated the most participation. Non-English proficient parents reported more barriers than those proficient in English but comparable degrees of involvement. In the intervention study, a simple strategy resulted in more treatment than control parents attending a school event. Differences in attendance were related to ethnicity and language.This work was carried out in conjunction with a dropout prevention demonstration project conducted as a collaborative effort of the School Mental Health unit (Janelle Munn, Director) and Dropout Prevention unit (Pete Martinez, Director) of the Los Angeles Unified School District and the School Mental Health Project at UCLA (Howard Adelman and Linda Taylor, Co-directors). Partial support for the project came from the U.S. Department of Education. The authors, of course, assume full responsibility for the contents, but we want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of participating schools and project staff (especially Mary Beth DiCecco and Alison McAlpine). And although she declined author credit, this work could not have been accomplished with the many contributions of Linda Taylor, the project director. We would also like to thank Regina DeWitter, Teresa Gonzales, Kathy Eides and the many other UCLA students who assisted in various phases of the research.     

The Cost-Effectiveness of Adding One Type of Parent Involvement to an Early Intervention Program

The belief that parent involvement is an important aspect of early intervention programs for children with disabilities is widely accepted, but the empirical evidence to support this belief is limited (White, Taylor, & Moss, 1992). Using a randomized experimental design, the present study compared a classroom-based early intervention program with the same program supplemented by a parent involvement component. The parent involvement component consisted of weekly parent meetings focused on (a) training parents to provide additional intervention, (b) providing information on general topics, and (c) providing social support. Outcome data were obtained following intervention and longitudinally on child and family functioning, and on educational outcomes. A cost-effectiveness analysis was completed. With respect to measures of child development and family functioning, there were some small initial effects in favor of the parent involvement group that tended to fade out in later reassessments. However, longitudinal educational outcomes indicate positive effects on child placements and teacher perceptions of the children's functioning in favor of the parent involvement group. The parent involvement component was not immediately cost effective, but may be in the long term.     

University education for all? Barriers to full inclusion of students with disabilities in Australian universities

In Australia, anti-discrimination legislation and government policies have been introduced which aim to facilitate the inclusion of people with disabilities in employment and education. However in the area of nursing, attitudinal barriers persist that effectively hinder the full participation of people with disabilities in nurse education programs. These attitudinal barriers prevail despite such legislative and policy changes, and run counter to changing community views about disability. Normative assumptions about the ideal attributes of nurses appear to influence these attitudes, especially in the area of admission of students with disabilities to nurse education programs per se, and to their participation in the practicum component of nurse education programs. This paper reports on research conducted in Victoria, Australia, by nurse academics and equity practitioners at three Victorian universities, into the barriers facing such students. The research examined the views of undergraduate student nurses, their lecturers and their clinical educators, nurse clinicians, and university disability practitioners about the participation of people with disabilities in nurse education programs. The research also sought to document their responses to a framework, developed through the research that aims to facilitate the inclusion of students with disabilities in undergraduate nursing programs. It did this against a pluralistic and technological milieu that in the researchers' view requires a more diverse mix within the nursing profession.     

A 3-Year Study of a School-Based Parental Involvement Program in Early Literacy

ABSTRACT

Although parental involvement in children's literacy development has been recognized for its potential in helping children develop early literacy achievement, studies of the effectiveness and sustainability of school-based parent involvement programs are not numerous. This study examines the effectiveness and durability of a school-based parent involvement program that was implemented by school staff without external supervision over 3 consecutive years in a public school. Results indicate that implementation of the program was associated with higher levels of children's achievement in foundational literacy competencies. Moreover, the program has sustained over 3 years and actually grew in the levels of parental participation over time. The authors argue that effective and systemic parental involvement programs are possible and can be guided by certain principles of program development and if implemented by a committed teaching staff.     

An Examination of Family-School Partnership Initiatives in Rural Prekindergarten Programs

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the various ways in which families become involved in state-funded rural prekindergarten programs for children identified as being at-risk for later school failure. Participants were 21 teachers/classrooms in prekindergarten programs located in nine rural Illinois communities. Data were collected over an 18-week period on the various parental involvement and family-school partnership strategies implemented by school personnel, and the patterns of parental participation that occurred in response to the different types of initiatives. Findings indicate that wide variations existed in the parent involvement and family-school partnership initiatives implemented across the nine programs. Results are discussed in terms of future research and program development efforts aimed at helping rural early childhood programs establish effective family-school partnerships.     

An Examination of Family-School Partnership Initiatives in Rural Prekindergarten Programs

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the various ways in which families become involved in state-funded rural prekindergarten programs for children identified as being at-risk for later school failure. Participants were 21 teachers/classrooms in prekindergarten programs located in nine rural Illinois communities. Data were collected over an 18-week period on the various parental involvement and family-school partnership strategies implemented by school personnel, and the patterns of parental participation that occurred in response to the different types of initiatives. Findings indicate that wide variations existed in the parent involvement and family-school partnership initiatives implemented across the nine programs. Results are discussed in terms of future research and program development efforts aimed at helping rural early childhood programs establish effective family-school partnerships.     

Family Assessment and Collaboration Building: Conjoined processes

Experience and research have shown that there are several discrepancies between philosophy, research, and practice regarding family involvement in early intervention and the use of family assessment information in determining early intervention goals. This article addresses these discrepancies and presents information to facilitate ideal family involvement in early intervention. Strategies for conducting family assessments while building collaborative partnerships with families are presented. Characteristics which produce effective collaborative partnerships are reviewed. The reality of working with families is presented through two vignettes and, finally, working with families who do not conform to expectations of ideal family involvement in family assessment or collaborative partnerships is discussed.     

Parent involvement in early childhood special education: Opportunities for school psychologists

Increased opportunities for assessment and intervention, consultation, and program evaluation in early childhood education are suggested as roles that the school psychologist should develop to facilitate effective parent involvement in a child's education. A review of the literature on parent involvement in early childhood special education is provided. The current federal guidelines, rationale, definitions of parent involvement, and strategies for evaluating parent involvement are reviewed.     

Selective Parent Participation: Structural and Cultural Factors that Influence School Participation Among Korean Parents

This study examines the process of parent participation for a group of Korean parents in a Korean English two-way immersion program who were labeled “uncooperative.” It adopts Ogbu's cultural ecological theory as the theoretical framework for examining the phenomenon and thus it examines both the environmental as well as the cultural forces that underlie the parents' patterns of participation. Over the course of an academic semester, eight parents and three staff members were interviewed and observed during PTA meetings and other parent involvement events. Findings indicate that the Korean parents practiced “selective participation.” Findings also point to the importance of acknowledging institutional barriers and cultural differences in parents' school participation patterns.     

Moving Toward Family-Centered Early Care and Education: The Past, the Present, and a Glimpse of the Future

Over the past 4 decades, early care and education programs in the United States have struggled to overcome obstacles to active parent and family participation, especially in the wake of recent welfare reform guidelines requiring parents to work outside the home. This article highlights the vision and activities of four Wisconsin Early Childhood Centers for Excellence, which offer family-centered services along with services to young children. Using various strategies, these programs have empowered parents and strengthened bonds between parents and professionals. Their success suggests that new models based on family-centered goals can improve the overall quality of early care and education for young children.