Parents & Families Group Final Write-Up

Sarah Coffey, Danielle Cristal, Abby Drish, Jaimie Duffek, Jared Harlan, Ken Matt Martin, Jessica Reisig,
Christine Setsodi, Alex Sohlen, and Audrey Sova Parents & Families Group PR Research
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
During a semester of conducting primary research, the target audience was parents and families of high school students in the state of Iowa, rural and urban. We originally planned to target uninvolved parents and families, however this proved rather difficult. As an alternative, we chose to gauge perceptions of what an uninvolved parent is. Initial research began by finding secondary data consisting of previous studies conducted on parental involvement and dropout rates. We collected data through several paths: an intercept survey in both a rural and urban location, a focus group and two conference calls. The goal of this research was to gauge perceptions of parents and their level of involvement as it relates to their students academic success, primarily graduating high school. The focus group was two hours in length and the conference calls were each one hour in length. The purpose of the conference calls was to have similar conversations with families and parents in locations outside the Greater Des Moines area. The same questions were asked when conducting the conference calls and focus groups, with the exception of questions naturally sparked by the conversation. Participants in both the conference calls and focus group were from a combination of urban and rural school districts. We accounted for the perceptions and opinions of other individuals in these areas through intercept surveys. The data gathered was rather enlightening, as we were able to spend time speaking in-depth with parents discussing issues they believed affect high school students today. Familial involvement, student accountability and responsibility of the school system were all addressed. Communities in Schools (CIS) devotes a lot of time and resources to encourage parental and community involvement. We believe that our research investigates a realm of this issue that may not have been looked into before: the reasoning behind uninvolved families and parents and the implications of this lack of involvement. Through this research we have provided CIS with findings of the perceptions of involved and uninvolved parents and the implications these have on a students academic success and graduation from high school. We recognize that information gathered from the conference calls and focus group cannot be projected onto the larger population, however, some of the issues raised and further addressed in our recommendations provide CIS with a starting point to further conduct research and potentially target programming to these areas. We anticipated that targeting parents and families who were uninvolved would be difficult. Parents typically wont admit they are not involved in their childs life, and furthermore the concept itself is rather complicated to define. To the best of our abilities, we addressed all facets of involvement, from eating dinner with the family to joining a booster club, and found that parents believe involvement is most important in the home. The conversations at home had parents acting as catalysts for information and actions taken on their childs behalf. All of this, parents believe, has a direct effect on whether or not the student graduates high school.
Sarah Coffey, Danielle Cristal, Abby Drish, Jaimie Duffek, Jared Harlan, Ken Matt Martin, Jessica Reisig, Christine Setsodi, Alex Sohlen, and Audrey Sova Parents & Families Group PR Research
METHODS
Primary research, in the form of intercept surveys, was conducted at two grocery stores in different locations: Des Moines and Colfax, IA. Studies at these locations were conducted at Dahls on Monday, Nov. 14, 2011 from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Research in Colfax, IA took place on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011 from 5:30 to 7:15 p.m. at Shugars Super Valu. The locations were chosen based on their urban and rural location. Des Moines, the urban location, had a population of over 200,000 during the 2010 census, whereas the rural location, Colfax, had a population of just over 2,000. The intercept survey was designed to collect data about the perceptions of both an involved and uninvolved parent or family member and the implications this has on a students high school academic success, as well as determining who is at fault for a students failure to graduate from high school (Appendix 4). The focus group was held on Monday, Nov. 14, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. It was conducted at the Essman/Research facility, located at 100 East Grand Suite 340 in downtown Des Moines. It was two hours in length and consisted of six people: four from urban school districts and two from rural school districts. Out of the six participants, four were women and two were men. The questions used were the same as in the conference calls, however, the questions were asked in a different order which sparked unique conversations (Appendix 4). A few questions from the intercept survey were also incorporated in both the focus group and conference calls to create more in-depth conversations. Two conference calls were conducted at Drake University in order to reach families and parents of students that lived outside the Des Moines area, particularly in rural areas. Nine female participants dialed in to a toll-free number on Monday, Nov. 14, 2011; five for one call and four for the other. Both calls lasted approximately one hour. The first conference call had representation from Baxter Community School, City High School, Pekin Community High School and Solon High School. City High School was the only urban high school in this call. The second call had participants with children from Carlisle High School, City High School, Prairie City Monroe High School, Van Meter Community School and Clear Creek Amana High School. Carlisle and City High School were the two urban schools in this call. The participants were asked several questions to better understand what involved and uninvolved parents are and also to gain perspective on at-risk students and programs that would serve these students best (Appendix 4).
INTERCEPT SURVEY RESULTS

A total of 90 responses were collected for the intercept survey: 64 in Des Moines and 26 in Colfax. While these surveys gave us insight into the goals of our research, it should be noted that the findings do not accurately represent the entire populations in these cities, so statistically significant conclusions cannot be drawn. In both Des Moines and Colfax, respondents believe that eating dinner with your family has the most positive influence on childs education. They believe the next most influential aspect to a childs academic success is the knowledge of the parent(s) or family member regarding the childs academic obligations. Attending extracurricular activities was ranked as the third most influential factor and finally, a parent or family member being involved in a school-affiliated parental organization ranked last. A high percentage of participants in both Des Moines and Colfax expressed the belief that the involvement of a parent(s) or family member has a direct effect on their students graduation from high school (Figure 4.7). This was agreed upon by 98 percent of the participants in Des Moines and by 92 percent in Colfax. Of the Des Moines respondents, only 12.5 percent were parents of children currently enrolled in high school. These respondents were 55 percent female and 45 percent male, with the majority being at the age of 45 and older. When asked how parents can stay involved or engaged with their childs education, communication was a common theme. Twenty-six percent suggested more or better communication would be helpful to increase involvement among parents and family members. Sixteen percent suggested parents become involved through planned events or activities. More than 12 percent of respondents thought parents could be more involved just by simply having more time to spend with their children if they were not confronted by economic factors. This could include financial constraints forcing the parent or family member to work long hours. Among the Colfax respondents, 23 percent had a child currently in high school. These respondents were 58 percent female and 42 percent male, with the majority being 35 to 64 years old. A common theme among this population was that parents could stay involved or engaged in their childrens lives by spending more time together. Twenty-seven percent indicated this in their response to the open-ended survey question, What do you think could be done to help parents stay involved/engaged? Thirty-two percent of the respondents believed that the student is primarily at fault when they fail to graduate high school (Figure 4.8).
Figure 4.1. Overall percentages of parental involvement with their childs education and the direct effect it has on whether the child graduates from high school. Data is based on 90 respondents from rural and urban locations. Ninety-seven percent of respondents reported that a parents involvement in their childs academic life had a direct effect on whether or not they graduate from high school.
Figure 4.2. Overall percentages of individuals at fault if a student does not graduate high school. Data is based on 90 respondents from rural and urban locations. Thirty-two percent of respondents believe the student is most accountable if they fail to graduate. Eight percent said that they feel each situation is unique, so they could not pick one person who is most at fault. Twenty-eight percent would place the majority of the blame on the parent(s).
FOCUS GROUP RESULTS

Table 4.3. Focus group participants spoke in detail about three themes: family structure, communication and personalized learning. Each theme was broken into three more specific categories based on discussions with the focus group subjects. Family Structure A. Definition of involved and uninvolved parenting. B. Family as the catalyst C. Economic factors Communication A. School - Parent B. School Student C. Parent Student Personalized Learning A. Alternative learning paths B. Adviser program C. Peer programming to cross social barriers
Family Structure
Three ideas repeatedly emerged during the conversation with focus group parents: degrees of involvement, the essential role that families provide in a childs education, and external economic factors. These ideas formed categories underneath the umbrella of family structure.
Figure 4.4. Amongst focus group participants, family structure was brought up the most in terms of what an uninvolved parent or family member is in comparison to an involved parent or family member. The role of a strong family in the childs education was also discussed, but to a lesser extent. The teacher to student relationship was also discussed in less depth. Definition of involved and uninvolved parent A critical part of our data revolved around the definition of involved versus uninvolved parenting. In an effort to not incorrectly segment these publics, we thought the best way to define this was to ask parents and family members how they perceived the terms. When asked about involvement, Urban Mother 2 said, Its hard to imagine not being involved at all. I dont know how you could not be involved when they come home every day with something to tell you or show you. This elicited a number of nods in agreement from all of the focus group participants. Throughout the conversation, it quickly became apparent that the six individuals would define themselves as involved in their childrens educational lives. They grounded this belief in their day-to-day conversations at home with their respective children, as well as acting as an advocate on behalf of their children. 7
Two of the women, Urban Mothers 1 and 2, opened up and shared stories of the issues that have arisen with their children in the school system. Both of these women had one child that performed well, and then another that seemed to be lagging in the classroom. They self-defined their children as at-risk, meaning they thought that it was a possibility that their children would not graduate high school. Both of these women went on to share stories of everything they have done to advocate for their kids within the school systems. They felt involved, in both the conversations had at home, and also through talking with teachers and administrators to ensure that their children were staying on task. Family as the catalyst Regardless of the way involvement is defined, parents across the nation agree that involvement is critical to a childs success in high school. A study that conducted a number of focus groups and a representative survey of 1,006 parents across the nation and found not only do parents have high aspirations for their children and concerns about how they will fare in a rapidly changing world, but they also believe their involvement in their childrens education is a critical component for their childrens success, (Bridgeland et al., 2008). Our group of parents asserted several times how influential a students relationship with their family is to their education. They believe that the root of ensuring a childs success begins with the family as a catalyst. If youve got a very strong family support system, you have parents that are pulling for you every day of the week; that can overcome a lot of obstacles, said Urban Father. The power of the family was also expressed when asked if it is the parent or schools responsibility to be more involved. Rural Father stated, As a parent, its your job to reach out to the school. Ultimately, I think it starts with the parents. The other parents nodded in agreement. Economic factors Participants felt similarly about the way they were engaged in their own childrens life, but were quick to mention that some parents did not have enough time to fully engage with their children. This speaks to the divide between family and economic structure. Research has pointed the finger at economic factors as a prominent factor in students not graduating high school. A study conducted in rural Iowa addressed the effect of economic factors upon the diverse routes to college in rural America. ...Highly educated upper-middle-class parents offer their children many resource advantages. Through early socialization, such parents tend to produce more academically able children, (McGrath et al., 2001). Knowing how to gain access to college, these parents can help to guide their child in that direction. These are economic factors that were discussed as affecting both individual families and school districts: Not allowing for updated and modern facilities Extracurricular activities Adequate staffing and other school amenities Urban Mother 3 thought that the recent recession might have impacted the relationships parents have with their children because they need to work more in order to make enough money. There are so many parents that just don't have the capacity whether it's work schedules or other life burdens that have them focused in another direction so they're unable to parent, she said. Rural Father said that through all of this, the family could still remain strong and support the academic career of their children. You have to get the base started right and if theres other conditions, 8
economical or trouble learning, you have to find the support system to help them succeed, he said.
Communication
We found throughout the focus group conversation that communication was a significant component to the success of high school students. The direction of communication flow in a variety of settings was discussed amongst participants, which addressed particular messages to families and need for improvement.
Figure 4.5. Communication was most discussed in terms of the ways the school communicates with the parents and families. Parent to school and parent-student conversations were found to be slightly less influential in the role of parental involvement. School to student and student to parent conversations had the least amount of impact. School - Parent The main forums that were discussed for school-to-parent communication were parentteacher conferences, emails, text messages, phone calls and the high schools website. A majority of the schools represented by focus group participants sent out general emails informing parents of upcoming events and school happenings. This brought up the issue of how parents prefer to receive their communication. A few of the parents (Rural Father, Urban Father and Urban Mother 2) asserted that when they receive a phone call, they know that it means bad news, but would still prefer to receive negative information about their child through a phone call. Schools should avoid waiting until there is a disciplinary problem to contact parents. Parents should be given opportunities for involvement early in the high school educational process so 10
that the first call they receive is not one telling them their child is in trouble (Bridgeland et al., 2008). When it came to receiving other forms of information, emails were overwhelmingly preferred. Im more visual, so Id rather read it then listen and be able to refer back, and compose my response a little better than I might if I just get a phone call, said Urban Mother 1. The parents seemed heavily influenced by emails they frequently receive from their childs school. These emails are designed to keep parents in the know with basic information such as current events. Schools may think they are mindlessly sending out information for no reason with these emails, but this group of parents found them very helpful in keeping themselves informed of their childs academic careers, which in turn made them feel more engaged. Rural Mother spoke in depth about her childs schools online parent portal. This not only helped her feel more informed, but she felt it encouraged parents to become more engaged with their childs school. I could get down to detail at what minute did he enter the
classroom, to homework, to upcoming activities, assignments, projects, anything you want to know, it's there, she said. And then for the parent, too, with different activities to get involved in. I thought that was tremendous. Participants asserted that the information helped them initiate school-related
conversations and opened doors to communication about their childs academic life. An added benefit to these emails was a general feeling that parents themselves could reply to the email and have their voice easily heard. This was particularly voiced by Urban Mother 2, who had previously said how important it was to communicate with school staff members given she identified one of her children as at-risk. For me, I absolutely had to be involved, she said. I just need him to graduate. You know? So I have a really close relationship with the principal and they've done a lot of different things to help him be successful...we had a meeting with the counselors and the at-risk coordinator and really set him on a path for vocational instead of just your standard [diploma]. In addition to direct email or phone messages, the schools website was discussed as well. For Rural Mother, Rural Father, Urban Mother 1 and Urban Mother 2, the parent portal offered at their high school was how they kept up with what their child had going on, attendance, class performance, etc. One parent, Urban Mother 3, brought up the drop off in communication from the transition between elementary and middle school, which continues to happen in the transition to high school as kids start to assert their independence. ...Big jump from elementary school to middle school, go from very warm and fuzzy, easy-to-communicate environment, then all of a sudden you are basically cut out of school communication, said Urban Mother 3. This decrease in communication follows the students to high school and can potentially negatively affect their academics. From middle school, many students entering high school have low reading comprehension. Also, ninth-grade students statistically have the lowest grade point average, the most missed classes and the majority of failing grades compared to any other high school level (McCallumore & Sparapani, 2010). This results in almost half of dropouts being classified at ninth-grade students, at 48.2 percent (Iver, 2010). As discussed in the family structure section, parents saw the necessity for themselves to act as advocates on their childs behalf, whether that is by communicating to individual teachers or administrators. This also involved whether or not they attended their childs parent-teacher conferences. They expressed they were more likely to attend if they thought they could experience privacy. Even though they were involved, they also believed that when their student was doing well, there wasnt really a point in going to the parent-teacher conferences because they didnt need to be told repeatedly about their childs successes. Urban Mother 2s school provides a program that distributes a packet of information to each family upon attendance of the 11
parent-teacher conferences. Her school is outputting information in a way that allows the parents to experience a more personalized approach. A study regarding parental involvement looked at the perspective administrators have on whether or not parents are involved. The study broke down the types of parents into three categories: parents involved from day one, parents who are involved sometimes, and parents who feel that the school and the teacher are at fault (Ramirez, 2001). In relation to parent-teacher conferences, an administrator felt the second set of parents, those involved sometimes, would express concern during a conference, but not do much in terms of discipline or active involvement. They come to some open houses, but are rarely available for anything else (Ramirez, 2001). School - Student Parents felt as though a lot of the responsibility for the information flow to their children was on them, but the one area they held schools accountable for was career education. This discussion can open the eyes of students who dont realize what opportunities are out there for them. Sometimes its helpful for students whose parents didnt go to college, so they can see it as a viable option, and other times it helps to show other students who may not learn in the traditional manner, what kinds of vocational technology jobs are out there for them as well. Focus group participants felt as though kids needed to recognize there was life after high school. They need to be able to see and have a vision for their future so that the day-to-day struggles seem worth it and more manageable. Urban Mother 1 told a story about her son who realized how important a good education is later than she would have hoped. It just kind of struck him in January of his junior year, that 'Oh my gosh my grades aren't that great, I want to go to college; I want to get good ACT scores. I want to do this.' Then he's like stressing out and trying to build up that momentum that he wasted his first few years in school, she said. As far as when this information flow should begin, an Urban Father asserted it can never be too early to start talking about career education. A research study conducted in rural Iowa states that this type of programming may be less necessary for those that come from educated, upper-middleclass parents. ...Highly educated and professional parents make valuable social contacts throughout their educational and occupational careers. These social networks, which focus on the development of young people, generally enhance youths well-being and contribute to academic success. Such contacts can help assure greater access to higher education, (McGrath et al., 2001). Parent - Student Rural Father said, Im having more conversations with my kids than my parents ever had with me. This struck a chord with the rest of the parents. Rural Father continued to say, I tend to think that were probably hopefully having more conversations with our kids than we did generational-wise. Those who spoke during the focus group saw themselves as the liaison between the information generated by the school and their child. This essentially took the form of daily conversations about Expectations for school, how [your child] behave[s], or maybe even sex education discussions or whatever else, said Rural Father. Several parents expressed concern about the growing disconnects between parents and children that starts in middle school and continues in high school. They felt this was somewhat a natural part of life and growing up. A Rural Father said, Theyre meeting new friends and 12
going through these teenage years so theyre going through a lot of changes. It is a black hole [of communication.] They dont tell you as much about whats going on with them. The parents found this disconnect especially apparent when it comes to education. Urban Mother 1 reasoned with this frustration by saying, The kids are still learning what do I handle myself and what do I go to mom and dad with to deal with this school situation? Urban Mother 3 responded to this by saying, Its kind of a time when you need more communication with them. Its difficult to get that. The rest of the group agreed that this was a difficult, yet crucial time in a childs development to keep an open dialogue. Urban Mother 1 spoke to several circumstances in which her child would not let her step in and help because the child wanted to handle things on her own. The participants also agreed that it is their responsibility as parents to step in and initiate these conversations in order to remain involved in their childs life.
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Personalized Learning
Diverse students have diverse needs, and yet the parents in our focus groups felt as though schools needed to work harder to address those needs. The idea is to have teachers or some other figure within the school aware of the students lives to be able to cater to their needs, as well as recognize when they are slipping into the territory of becoming an at-risk student. The information below outlines some of the experiences these parents have had with their own children and why they feel personalized student learning is important.
Figure 4.6. Discussions of mentors and advisers were most pertinent in the discussion of a personalized student learning experience. Tailoring education to students and alternative learning paths were also found to be important in the eyes of the focus group participants.
Alternative Learning Paths Many of the parents expressed that perhaps students are unmotivated to continue schooling when they feel as though their needs are not being met by the school system. This isnt entirely a failing of teachers, but instead of the system as a whole. When students are looked at as one single entity, without addressing differences amongst them, the educational system does not work for them. This can be as broad as auditory or visual learners, or as specific as someone who is more prone to hands-on careers. This is when the conversation moved to vocational technology classes. If a student is disengaged, they cant listen to the teacher, or do homework, then find something [suggesting more hands-on classroom offerings], said Rural 14
Mother. The idea these parents were suggesting was an education that was catered to each individual student. Urban Mother 2 discussed what she was able to work out for her son within her school system. She told a story about how he simply wasnt able to learn in the regular class setting. She was able to talk with teachers and administrators to be able to set up a different curriculum for him so that he could take classes with the local community college and work at a pace he was comfortable with. She really emphasized her belief that without this restructuring of his educational path, she did not feel as though he would graduate. Urban Mother 1 agreed with this, and also asserted that it was the parents responsibility to set this up. I have a daughter who has a learning disability, from a young age has needed special help, but she is one who easily gives up, so she needs constant reinforcement from teacher and myself to be successful, she said. Urban Mother 3 suggested the way society views alternative learning paths should be changed in order to help other students. I think we need to create a culture where [alternative education] is acceptable and that there's more resources put toward that kind of education. Because that might be what gets kids through to the other end. An attitude shift from negative to positive by society about alternative high schools, non-traditional paths and vocational classes could help more students graduate, outside of the standard way. Adviseries act as another support system within the school Three focus group participants had children who attended a school that had a program called Advisery that assigned groups of students to a teacher that met with them from freshman to senior year. The advising wasnt limited strictly to schoolwork. Rural Mother told a story about when her husband had a stroke. She spoke toward her uncertainty of whether or not her husband was going to survive and her concern for her son at this point in time. Her first point of contact was to her sons adviser. She expressed concern for how her son was going to be affected, and asked for any help he may be able to offer to him or their family. She was incredibly pleased with how he filled in some of the gaps that her husband normally would have been responsible for. Another one of the parents, Urban Mother 1, seconded this notion of how beneficial and effective the adviser program is. They talk about how they can help each other and it helps having someone to know in another class or if they have a question they go to this person, she said. Peer Programming to Cross Social Barriers Addressing social barriers was another component that affects the individual needs of a student that the focus group participants felt needs to be met. The affects of race, economic circumstance, type of learner (i.e. hands-on versus book learning) and family structure were all discussed as social factors that affect whether or not a student can become at-risk. Urban Mother 3 said she felt a program that bridged across all these barriers could have a great impact. [Upon going into middle school] kids sort of divide into their castes, she said. When the others nodded in agreement, she went on to say, They're economically divided, they might be somewhat racially divided. If you could come up with some sort of a program that could cross those lines between kids so that successful kids were interacting with kids that were maybe struggling to be successful and vice-versa. She said her childs weekly involvement with the Best Buddies program has been great because the kids who aren't struggling have a better appreciation for the kids who are.
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CONFERENCE CALL RESULTS

Table 4.7. Conference call themes regarding involved and uninvolved parents as well as atrisk students. Three major themes were established from the conference calls: early involvement, parental awareness and engagement and factors causing dropouts. The ideas that support them are included below.
Early Involvement
Parental Awareness and Factors Causing Dropouts Engagement Parents need to set Parents need to be aware of At-risk students need expectations for their childs everyday more individualized their child regarding activities attention than those their academic students that are not Parents need to be career from the considered at-risk. knowledgeable of the beginning. components of their childs Children need a Parental academic and extracurricular caring individual in involvement life. their life. throughout a childs Parents need to understand A lack of mentors life is essential for and support the childs likes within the school can success and interests lead to dropouts. Parents should Conversations at night and A students success is require children to family dinners are key based on a go to school from an elements needed to be an collaborative and early age involved parent. collective effort between the student, Parents should set realistic, wellparent, school and communicated community. expectations
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Involved parents are connected to their childs schoolrelated life from early on
Figure 4.8. Parental involvement as a key to a childs academic success was one of the three central themes from the conference calls. The idea that parental involvement begins at an early age was discussed frequently amongst participants, while the topics of family involvement contributing to school completion and the necessity of parameters being set were brought up on a few occasions.
A recurring sentiment amongst conference call participants was the need to reach parents at the outset of their childs schooling in order to ensure they remain involved in future years. This was highlighted by one mother who stated, I dont know of anybody who wasnt involved in some way, shape or form when they [children] were younger, and suddenly became involved when they were older. Another parent commented on the need to support students at an early age in order to prevent them from being at risk of dropping out: If they dont graduate its not something that happens just in the twelfth grade, its a let down by everyone, she said. Somehow they fell through the cracks and no one was there to help them get back on track. This information indicates that the study participants believe a low level of parental involvement is something that can be improved upon in order to prevent a student from leaving school. According to the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET) parents 17
brief, Family involvement is one of the most important contributors to school completion and success. The most accurate predictor of a students school achievement is the extent to which his/her family encourages learning, (Leuchovius, 2006). Also, several of the participants agreed that parenting needs to start at an early age. You cant start parenting when they are in high school, one mother said. The uninvolved parent starts from when they are young, even before school-age. From an elementary level, parents said there needs to be a rule in place that requires children go to school. While there are state mandated requirements for children to attend school, parents should not allow their children to miss school for unnecessary reasons. The parents explained that having rules set in place would prevent students from dropping out. There is no excuse for missing school unless they [children] are sick, and if they do miss school for some reason, then they will not take part in the extracurricular activities, one mother said. It was also mentioned that parents should set expectations that are realistic and clearly communicated between both the parent(s) and the child(ren). One mother expressed, You should set those expectations to their ability level, making sure they are still challenging, but not expecting more than what the child can produce. A study done regarding the influence of school- and individual-level factors on academic achievement stated, Furthermore, students with welldefined educational goals who invest greater effort and display higher aspirations for status attainment may be more committed to the overall educational process, (Stewart, 2008).
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Parental awareness and engagement is essential to ensure a students success
Figure 4.9. Parental awareness and engagement being key for a childs success was one of the three central themes from the conference calls. The idea that there needs to be constant communication from all influencing parties (student, parent(s), school system and community) was discussed frequently amongst participants, while the topics of family interactions, including weekly meetings and family dinners and family support of the students interests were brought up on a few occasions. Parents need to be aware of their childs everyday activities in order to keep them on the right track. One mother stated that parents need to be aware of more than just school-related events. An involved parent is aware of who their kid is, what their kid is doing and even aware of who their child is hanging out with, she said. A parent who is uninvolved has no clue and either doesnt want to, or cant afford to. Parents need to be in contact with teachers, school administrators and staff so they are knowledgeable of their students class schedules, progression 19
in classes throughout the school year, homework assignments, exams and involvement in extracurricular activities. Two parents expressed that parameters, guidelines and goals should be set with and for children. Another parent also added that children want these parameters. Kids really do want parameters, she said. So often parents dont understand how to set them or choose not to because its easy not to. It is important to communicate with your child and understand and support their likes and interests. One mother said, You have to be interested in what they are interested in and be supportive of that. These parents expressed that identifying a passion within their child and being aware of the activities their children were involved in helped their child through high school. You cant dictate how things go; we want them to become successful adults, one parent said. We want to be there to encourage, to provide direction, to let them [children] know that we are their safety nets and they can come to us for anything. Another mother suggested that parents and children need to be in constant communication with one another. There needs to be family interactions such as conversations at night, quality time, family dinners and weekly meetings. She stated, We are all busy, but we still need to find that piece of quality time; it doesnt have to be a lot of time, but there needs to be quality time so that you can make that connection with your kids. A study conducted on the academic achievement of high school students stated, Parentchild discussion was found to be significantly associated with academic achievement, thereby suggesting that parental engagement in education-related discussion with their children was an effective tool for increasing students academic achievement, (Stewart, 2008).
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Many factors cause at-risk students to drop out of high school
Figure 4.10. Many factors lead to at-risk students dropping out was one of the three central themes from the conference calls. The idea that children require a caring adult in their lives was discussed frequently amongst participants, while the topic temporarily at-risk students that need to be reached and the topic that parents may be poor role models were brought up on a few occasions.
It was a consensus amongst the participants that at-risk students are students who need any type of help above and beyond what the typical student requires. The parents listed examples such as how they may need the basic fundamentals, support because they are being bullied or extra assistance with academics. One mother said, An at-risk student may not have enough food to concentrate, or enough of anything; they dont have the basic fundamentals that most kids have. Another parent added, They [students] may be temporarily at risk if something is going on at home. When students dont know how to handle a difficult situation, they start acting out. She added that its important for the school to be notified about stressful 21
situations going on in the childs home life, such as a divorce, so they can watch for changes in the student. The parents themselves may be poor role models, with behaviors that are illegal or not socially appropriate. They [children] eventually just fall into that; its an accepted, learned behavior, a mother said. Many parents mentioned that every child needs to have a foundation of someone in their life that cares about them, whether its a parent, teacher, mentor, coach, instructor, etc. One mother said, Mentoring programs are phenomenal. The child receives one-on-one time with someone who cares about them; they care whether or not they ate lunch that day, if their homework is turned in and about where theyd like their life to go. Children need to know someone cares and is paying attention. The parents felt that without a caring individual in their life, children would be more likely to drop out of high school. The NCSET parents brief also stated, Students who drop out often feel that teachers, administrators, and others are not interested in them, (Leuchovius, 2006). Possible caring individuals could be: teachers, counselors, mentors, caseworkers and other community members. Its important that these adults are caring and knowledgeable so they can establish trust and support for the student. When a student drops out of high school, not one party is to blame. Its something thats been building, a parent said. Its not only the family, its the community, the school and the student. Its a combination of events that leads to something tragic. The parents agreed that for a student to graduate there needs to be a collaborative, collective responsibility and effort between all involved. One mother stated, Everyone needs to be involved, the teachers, students and parents. You have to get everyone working together toward a common goal.
Other Research Findings

Our target public was parents and families, and more specifically the perceptions of those parents who are uninvolved in their childrens lives. The primary research we gathered was mainly from the perspective of other parents regarding their opinions on what it means to be involved as compared to what it means to be uninvolved. There were a few secondary research articles that addressed this issue from the perspective of school staff and administrators. One such study investigated parental involvement in high schools to determine what type of relationship schools and families share (Ramirez, 2001). Though the parents we spoke with during the focus group were pleased with all of their interactions with teachers in their childs schools, this study alludes to the challenges that some parents run into. ...Often times there are barriers to parental involvement that stem from the teachers themselves. These barriers come in the form of stereotypes that teachers may have concerning lower socioeconomic parents, single parent families, and at-risk families. In regards to student involvement, studies have shown that involvement in community activities plays a role in positive youth development. Students who volunteer their time to be involved in extracurricular activities show greater academic engagement, enhanced well-being, less problematic behaviors and are more likely to value their community than those who are not. Also, when students feel encouragement or support from family and friends, they are more likely to engage in these activities and show higher rates of volunteering (Ludden, 2009). While listening to the opinions of conference call participants, it is apparent that students with disabilities are at greater risk for not completing school. According to the NCSET parents brief, For students with disabilities, the risks are intensified. Their dropout rate is about 40 percentmore than twice that of their peers without disabilities, (Leuchovius, 2006). One 22
mother explained that her child suffered from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and there was a possibility that he would fail his classes and not finish school. The mother expressed that she had difficulty keeping in touch with her sons teachers and tracking his progress. Lastly, one participant shared sentiments regarding high schools pushing students to attend college, rather than other opportunities such as vocational programs. The mother felt that schools were not paying enough attention to students who would succeed in trade schools or benefit from immediately entering the job market after graduation. The mother stated that students were being forced to take classes that were not of any interest to them, and hence were not performing well in them. She went on to say, We're trying to fit a square peg into a round hole by forcing these kids into classes they don't desire. The NCSET parents brief stated, Tailoring instruction to meet the needs of individual students also supports student engagement. Many at-risk youth are not well served by mainstream education, (Leuchovius, 2006).
23
Recommendations
In regards to communication, the parents of the focus group expressed that they very much appreciate receiving emails from their childs school. We recognize that schools may see these emails as a way of simply going through the motions and that they are likely not read or deleted by parents, but our research shows that this is not the case. We would recommend that CIS speak to the schools and encourage them to send these emails out bi-monthly. Our parents found these messages helped them feel more involved with the school and increased their general awareness of the schools news. This communication was also brought directly to the parents, which they felt opened a path for further dialogue. In this way, the dialogue is opened between schools and parents, allowing families to be informed. These emails should include the schools monthly newsletter, upcoming events and any other information regarding general information and student and parent involvement. These emails should have a close link to the schools websites as well. That way, the information flow is consistent and parents feel as though they are engaged and aware. The participants expressed it was critical for parents to be involved with their child at an early age. It is our recommendation that CIS expand their efforts within elementary schools following their tenure at Carver Elementary. This is because uninvolved parents may be reached at this level, before their child has the option to drop out of school. We also recommend CIS develop an education program for parents and students to learn about vocational technology and alternative high school education programs. Speaking to the personalized learning of students, both of these are options that exist for students who do not fit into the normative educational program. Yet, these programs tend to come with a negative stigma. The focus group participants believe the missing link is simply education regarding these programs. CIS should work to show the positive sides of these programs and allow more exposure of them. As the stigma becomes more positive, the students and families who fit into those resources would hopefully then be more willing to use them and feel comfortable with that decision. As CIS moves into high schools in Iowa, we recommend they especially focus their efforts on the members of the communities that are brought into schools to get to know the kids. These individuals can act as another checkpoint for students who may be at-risk, and can also help to prevent dropouts. Specifically, a focus on community members that have established professional accomplishments and are able to inspire students to pursue professional careers would be beneficial. Recognizing that CIS already works to identify at-risk students, we recommend that efforts be made to further identify temporarily at-risk students. These students may include those affected by divorce or a recent relocation to a new school. A sharper focus on the temporary atrisk student will allow CIS the opportunity to further prevent the rise of dropouts overall.
24
Appendix (4)
Figure 4.1. Overall percentages of parental involvement with their childs education and the direct effect it has on whether the child graduates from high school. Data is based on 90 respondents from rural and urban locations. Ninety-five percent of respondents reported that a parents involvement in their childs academic life had a direct effect on whether or not they graduate from high school.
25
Figure 4.2. Overall percentages of individuals at fault if a student does not graduate high school. Data is based on 90 respondents from rural and urban locations. Thirty-two percent of respondents said the student had the most accountability to graduate, which received the most responses.
Table 4.3. Focus group participants spoke in detail about three themes: family structure, communication and personalized learning. Each theme was broken into three more specific categories based on discussions with the focus group subjects. Family Structure A. Definition of involved and uninvolved parent. B. Family as the catalyst C. Economic factors Communication A. School - Parent B. School Student C. Parent Student Personalized Learning A. Alternative learning paths B. Advisory program C. Peer programming to cross social barriers
26
Figure 4.4. Amongst focus group participants, family structure was brought up the most in terms of what an uninvolved parent or family member is in comparison to an involved parent or family member. The role of a strong family in the childs education was also discussed, but to a lesser extent. The teacher to student relationship was also discussed in less depth.
27
Figure 4.5. Communication was most discussed in terms of how the school and parent communicate with each other. Conversations between the parent and student were found to be slightly less influential in the role of parental involvement. School and student conversations had the least amount of impact.
28
Table 4.6. Conference call themes regarding involved and uninvolved parents as well as atrisk students. Three major themes were established from the conference calls: early involvement, parental awareness and engagement and factors causing dropouts. The ideas that support them are included below.
Early Involvement
Parental Awareness and Factors Causing Dropouts Engagement Parents need to set Parents need to be aware of At-risk students need expectations for their their childs everyday more individualized child regarding their activities attention than those academic career from students that are not Parents need to be the beginning. considered at-risk. knowledgeable of the Parental involvement components of their childs Children need a throughout a childs life academic and extracurricular caring individual in is essential for success life. their life. Parents should require Parents need to understand and A lack of mentors children to go to school support the childs likes and within the school can from an early age interests lead to dropouts. Parents should set Conversations at night and A students success is realistic, wellfamily dinners are key based on a communicated elements needed to be an collaborative and expectations involved parent. collective effort between the student, parent, school and community.
29
Figure 4.7. Discussions of mentors and advisers were most pertinent in the discussion of personalized learning. Tailoring education to students and alternative learning paths were also found to be important in the eyes of the focus group participants.
30
Figure 4.8. Parental involvement being a key to a childs life was one of the three central themes from the conference calls. The idea that parental involvement begins at an early age was discussed frequently amongst participants, while the topics of family involvement contributing to school completion and the necessity of parameters being set were brought up on a few occasions.
31
Figure 4.9. Parental awareness and engagement being key for a childs success was one of the three central themes from the conference calls. The idea that there needs to be constant communication from all influencing parties (student, parent(s), school system, community) was discussed frequently amongst participants, while the topics of family interactions, including weekly meetings and family dinners, and family support of the students interests were brought up on a few occasions.
32
Figure 4.10. Many factors lead to at-risk students dropping out was one of the three central themes from the conference calls. The idea that children require a caring adult in their lives was discussed frequently amongst participants, while the topic temporarily at-risk students that need to be reached and the topic that parents may be poor role models were brought up on a few occasions.
33
Focus Group and Conference Call Question

1. In relation to a childs education, how would you define an involved parent? 2. What are ways in which parents can be involved? a. With that in mind, is involvement in one of these areas more important than
involvement in another?
3. What comes to mind when I say a parent is uninvolved. 4. For what reasons do you think that parents do not involve themselves in their childs
5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
academic careers? a. What would make parents want to be more involved with the school? What comes to mind when you hear the term at-risk students? Do you believe there is a connection between parent involvement in their childs life and whether their child graduates? Would you, or do you think other parents would, be willing to get more involved in the school if a program was available? What changes do you think need to be made to decrease the dropout rate? What would help at-risk students to graduate? Is it the parents responsibility to be more involved or should it be placed on the schools? Who is at fault if a student does not graduate? What do you think are the major reasons students dont graduate? Do you feel that there are extra-curricular or educational programs that your child's school is lacking? a. If so, what are they and how do you think they would enhance the high school experience?
34
Intercept Survey Questions

Gender: Male Age: Under 15 45-54 Female 15-24 25-34 55-64 65 and over 35-44
Do you have a child in High School? Yes If yes, what grade are they in? ______________
No
Rank the following from most influential in a childs education (1) to least influential (4) ___ Being in a parental organization affiliated with the school ___ Attending extracurricular events ___ Eating dinner with your family regularly ___ Knowing your child's academic obligations What do you think could be done to help parents stay involved/engaged? __________________________________________________________ ____ ______________________________________________________________ In your opinion, does a parent's involvement in their child's education have a direct effect on whether or not they graduate high school? Yes No If a student fails to graduate high school, who is most at fault? Student Parent(s) School system Other: ________________________
35
Works Cited
Bridgeland, John M., John J. Dulio, Ryan T. Streeter, and James R. Mason. 2008. "One Dream, Two Realities." Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. <http://www.eric.ed.gov.cowlesproxy.drake.edu/PDFS/ED503358.pdf>. Iver, Martha A. 2010. "Gradual Disengagement." Education Digest. 76.5: 52-56. <http://bit.ly/sJOBwS>. Jasis, Pablo, and Douglas Marriott. 2010. "All for Our Children: Migrant Families and Parent Participation in Alternative Education Program." Journal of Latinos and Education. 9.2: 126-40. <http://bit.ly/s8i7pO>. Leuchivius, Deborah. 2006. The Role of Parents in Dropout Prevention: Strategies that Promote Graduation and School Achievement. National Center on Secondary Education and Transition. http://www.eric.ed.gov.cowles-proxy.drake.edu/PDFS/ED495870.pdf Ludden, Alison B. 2011. "Engagement in School and Community Civic Activities Among Rural Adolescents." Journal of Youth and Adolescence .40.9: 1254-270. <http://bit.ly/vUzG4t>. McCallumore, Kyle M., and Ervin F. Sparapani. 2010. "The Importance of Ninth Grade on High School Graduation Rates and Student Success in High School." Education. 130.3: 44756. McGrath, Daniel J., Raymond R. Swisher, Glen H. Elder Jr., and Rand D. Conger. 2001. "Breaking Ground: New Diverse Routes to College in Rural America." Rural Sociology. 66.2: 244-67. <http://bit.ly/ti4mBs>. Ramirez, A. Y. 2001. "Parent Involvement Is Like Apple Pie": A Look at Parental Involvement in Two States." The High School Journal. 85.1: 1-9. <http://bit.ly/vvfndz>. Stewart, Endya B. 2007. "School Structural Characteristics, Student Effort, Peer Associations, and Parental Involvement: The Influence of School- And Individual-Level Factors on Academic Achievement." Education and Urban Society 40.2: 179-204. <http://bit.ly/s6Kn1M>.
36

Parents & Families Group Final Write-Up

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Parents & Families Group Final Write-Up

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Sarah Coffey, Danielle Cristal, Abby Drish, Jaimie Duffek, Jared Harlan, Ken Matt Martin, Jessica Reisig,

INTERCEPT SURVEY RESULTS

FOCUS GROUP RESULTS

CONFERENCE CALL RESULTS

Parental awareness and engagement is essential to ensure a students success

Many factors cause at-risk students to drop out of high school

Other Research Findings

Focus Group and Conference Call Question

5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

Intercept Survey Questions

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Parents &amp; Families Group Final Write-Up

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Did you find this document useful?

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Parents &amp; Families Group Final Write-Up

Uploaded by

Copyright:

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Sarah Coffey, Danielle Cristal, Abby Drish, Jaimie Duffek, Jared Harlan, Ken Matt Martin, Jessica Reisig,

INTERCEPT SURVEY RESULTS

FOCUS GROUP RESULTS

CONFERENCE CALL RESULTS

Parental awareness and engagement is essential to ensure a students success

Many factors cause at-risk students to drop out of high school

Other Research Findings

Focus Group and Conference Call Question

5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

Intercept Survey Questions

You might also like

Parents & Families Group Final Write-Up

Parents & Families Group Final Write-Up