Research indicates that parental involvement is a key role in student achievement. The purpose of this study was to explore the ways public school districts in New Jersey communicate to parents regarding their Special Education Parent Advisory Group (SEPAG). This document analysis reviewed the descriptive language presented in each school…

Latinx students and their families represent a large and growing population within the U.S. education system and experience significant opportunity gaps, inequities, and barriers in pursuit of academic achievement. Parent engagement (PE) is an important mechanism to increase academic outcomes and close opportunity gaps. However, efforts to…

Parental involvement has been strongly associated with improved educational outcomes for elementary school-aged children. Regardless, parental involvement has been lacking in many school districts, though the causes of reduced involvement remain understudied. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the reasons for the decline…

This dissertation consists of two chapters on topics in economics of education. In the first chapter, I develop and estimate an equilibrium model of endogenous instruction and student effort in order to empirically investigate the relationship between instructional choices, classroom composition, and student achievement in elementary school. The…

School accountability is necessary to measure school and student success. School accountability status, parent-teacher communication, and parent involvement since the online gradebook implementation have been factors in education. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify and evaluate patterns among teachers using the online…

Communication practices have changed over the years. Therefore, the way school leaders connect with its stakeholders should align with these changes. Social media is one way to meet this shift. However true this may be, there are some leaders that will not engage with these online platforms. In contrast, those leaders that utilize social media…

Engaging parents and families in their children's lives is pivotal to youth's success in school and life. When families are engaged, youth obtain higher grades, attend school more frequently, perform better on high-stakes testing, display improved behavior and are more likely to graduate from school (Emerson et al., 2012; Goodall & Montgomery,…

To improve students' reading abilities, an elementary school staff decided to supplement the regular curriculum with a free Internet reading program. To promote student participation in the supplemental program, the media specialist designed the Gumball Reading Program, which included student requirements and rewards. The requirements…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how elementary principals perceive their roles in the context of equity and historical inequality in public education. Three elementary principals of three different socio-economically and culturally diverse elementary school districts responded to interviews and questionnaires. They expressed…

This study explored the role of elementary parent involvement coordinators (EPIC) in a Northeast Georgia Title I Charter School District. EPICs were charged with facilitating programs designed to build social capital and network closure for families. This nested case study explored the experiences of five EPICs, each located in one of the five…

Parent involvement has an influence on children's educational engagement during the elementary years. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of rural Turkish parents about their involvement in schooling with elementary school students based on Epstein's (1995) six types of parental involvement (parenting, communicating,…

Many areas of support are needed when educating children and youth in mathematics education. One of the untapped areas is that of parental support and involvement. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe the "lived" experiences of parental involvement in their children's mathematics home instruction through individual…

This qualitative case study addressed the problem of teachers at an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IBPYP) site attempting a change to instructional practice without participation in a site-embedded professional development plan specifically designed to support a change in practice. The purpose of this study was to explore the…

Parental involvement in education has long been recognized as an important indicator of student academic achievement. Teachers, administrators, policy makers, and our state and federal government continue to recognize the vital role of the parent in education. Policies and mandates, with titles such as "No Child Left Behind" and…

The purpose of this action research project was to investigate the effects of family involvement training on the success of ELL students, as demonstrated by their reading scores, attendance, and behavior. Additionally, the effects of family involvement training on parents' feelings of self-efficacy were measured. Volunteering families of…