Parental involvement in schoolwork has been shown to positively correlate with academic achievement in the classroom. It is widely accepted that parental involvement has a positive effect on student musical learning. Through the past 50 years, music education researchers have been examining how parental involvement affecting their student's…

This dissertation examines parents and teachers' perceptions of effective parental involvement in education, situated within Epstein et al.'s (2009) framework of six typologies of parental participation. The study, through a comprehensive comparative analysis, reveals critical insights into the disparities and commonalities in how parents and…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to provide rich descriptive answers from caregivers in a rural Title I school district in regards to their participation in their children's education as well as any perceived barriers that potentially would prevent participation. Using Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler's (2010) Model of Parental Involvement, the…

The purpose of this research was to investigate the needs of parents and guardians who enroll their children in Out of School Time (OST) Programs in Philadelphia. It provides further guidance toward formalizing how OST programs recruit students and their families, and assessing parental engagement activities from a consumer's perspective. Applying…

Over the course of the past thirty years, single sport specialization for younger athletes has been rising. The purpose of this action research study was to determine the negative impact of travel/club sport participation on high school athletic participation. Utilizing a state and national participation reports, a survey to coaches, interviews…

In the United States, education continues to be plagued by a racial achievement gap that disproportionately affects Black children. Although significant progress has been made in eliminating some of the country's long-standing racial discriminatory practices, the effort to eradicate racism remains unfinished as long as disparities exist between…

All children in the United States have a right to effective education. While an optimal learning environment is important for all students, children with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to barriers to accessing high-quality learning environments. Many parents of children receiving special education services want to be strong advocates for…

While systems of support are used in schools to assist students' academic growth, parents are not always informed of the support process or the academic goals set for their child (RTI Action Network, n.d.; Troisi, 2014; Weingarten et al., 2020). In the aftermath of the pandemic, students present a wide variety of academic needs (Lewis et al.,…

The purpose of this study was to examine Latino parent perspectives on parent engagement at the junior high level, focusing on experiences both at home and at school. Qualitative data was gathered from Latino parents of junior high students in Texas through bilingual focus groups and individual interviews. Themes synthesized from participant…

This study investigated perspectives on extracurriculars by immigrant, non-immigrant Latinx, and non-immigrant Black parents of high school students, as well as potential barriers, if any, to their children's ability to participate in extracurriculars. Drawing upon previous research that demonstrates the positive impact of extracurricular…

Individuals with complex communication needs cannot articulate what they want to communicate through intelligible speech. Consequently, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) methods can be taught to these individuals so they can communicate in a way that is understood by others. As part of the training on how to use AAC methods,…

This mixed-methods research study explores the barriers preventing parent involvement at a charter school located in the midwestern United States. Parent involvement is a critical component linked to student achievement and success, thus making it an important facet of each student's educational career. However, many parents face obstacles that…

This dissertation investigated how parents' mental health impacts parental involvement. Utilizing a multi-model system of multivariate regression models, this study investigated the predictive power of anxiety and depression variables on parental encouragement and parental reinforcement. The nuanced findings revealed that, in the context of…

This qualitative, phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of parents with children in public schools in Northern Colorado, addressing a gap in the understanding of parent-school partnerships within the educational context. The problem was parents must navigate complex public school systems in Northern Colorado. This issue underscored…

A Dissertation in Practice was conducted which connected theories of action and Yosso's (2015) community cultural wealth framework to address the absence of diverse parental perspectives and oversight at Freedom Middle School in South Texas. Platicas with seven parent volunteers and a parent engagement survey available to all Freedom Middle School…