ERIC Number: ED649308
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 181
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3819-7210-8
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The New York State Parental Involvement Survey: A Phenomenological Study of Perceptions of Erie County Parents in Suburban School Districts Regarding the Degree to Which District Leaders Facilitate Their Continuous Involvement in Special Education Processes
Molly J. Oliverio
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Niagara University
It is widely accepted that the involvement of parents in their children's education leads to various academic, social, and mental health benefits. Further, parent involvement has been identified as a critical component to ensuring robust and rewarding experiences for students with disabilities throughout their educational journeys and essential in promoting student success in the compulsory education setting. Even more critical in parent involvement efforts is the collaborative partnership between parents and school professionals in the subfield of special education. Critically, research on the role and accountability of individuals in district-level leadership positions to facilitate parent involvement is largely overlooked. The purpose of this study was to glean insight into parent perceptions of the extent to which school district leaders facilitate continuous parent involvement in their children's special education programs and processes. This continuous involvement extends beyond undertakings such as the day-to-day progress reporting and IEP meeting involvement. Specifically, continuous involvement refers to the regular, active involvement and advocacy of parents for their students with disabilities from the point of referral through post-secondary transition. In order to gain insights into the perceptions of parents of students with disabilities, the researcher interviewed ten participants who were selected by means of purposive convenience and snowball sampling. The informants represented a sample of five suburban school districts in Erie County, New York. In conducting this qualitative study, the researcher used a phenomenological approach and an interview protocol based on the New York State Parental Involvement Survey, which is used under Indicator 8 of the New York State Performance Plan. The results of this study indicated a diversity of experiences. Still, the overwhelming majority of informants felt as though their school district leaders were lacking in terms of their facilitation of continuous parent involvement for their children with disabilities. This is problematic, as the informants, even those with a background in education, lacked the necessary awareness of the special education process and laws to most fully and continuously participate in their children's special education journeys. Informants shared rich examples of changes they would like to see implemented to improve their ability to be equally valued and involved members of their children's special education teams. Through the analysis of informant responses, a clear leadership and policy implication emerged: It is the responsibility of school district leaders to serve as the constant force of facilitation of continuous involvement for parents of students with disabilities throughout the entirety of special education processes. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Parent Participation, Parent Surveys, Suburban Schools, School Districts, Parent Attitudes, Leadership, Special Education, Educational Improvement, Parent School Relationship, Advocacy, Students with Disabilities, Parents, Elementary Secondary Education
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New York
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Author Affiliations: N/A