Parents’ Perceptions of Academic Progress Information Access and Dual Enrollment Student Success

Parents’ Perceptions of Academic Progress Information Access and Dual Enrollment Student Success by Terrill L Nickerson MSEd, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, 1994 BA, University of Colorado, 1988 BA, University of Arizona, 1978 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Education Walden University February 2016 Abstract To comply with The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations, parents of high school students taking college classes as part of a dual enrollment program have to employ alternative monitoring practices to remain informed about their students’ academic progress. This quantitative research study explored how parents’ perceptions of access to student academic progress information correlated with their students’ academic performance based on cumulative grade point average (GPA) in college classes. Credit-based transition programs (CBTP) and parent monitoring theory provided the framework. All 867 parents of students under age 18 enrolled in the dual enrollment program at an urban community college in a western state during the winter quarter 2015 were asked to respond a 10 question survey instrument, modified from Stattin and Kerr (2000) and six demographic indicators. The results of 59 returned questionnaires were linked to GPAs of students using descriptive and correlational statistics. A small response (6.8%) limited the ability to correlate parental perceptions and dual enrollment success in college courses. No significance was demonstrated; however, when cumulative GPAs and parent responses on the survey instrument were correlated using split-cases with demographic indictors, six significant correlations appeared. TheseTo comply with The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations, parents of high school students taking college classes as part of a dual enrollment program have to employ alternative monitoring practices to remain informed about their students’ academic progress. This quantitative research study explored how parents’ perceptions of access to student academic progress information correlated with their students’ academic performance based on cumulative grade point average (GPA) in college classes. Credit-based transition programs (CBTP) and parent monitoring theory provided the framework. All 867 parents of students under age 18 enrolled in the dual enrollment program at an urban community college in a western state during the winter quarter 2015 were asked to respond a 10 question survey instrument, modified from Stattin and Kerr (2000) and six demographic indicators. The results of 59 returned questionnaires were linked to GPAs of students using descriptive and correlational statistics. A small response (6.8%) limited the ability to correlate parental perceptions and dual enrollment success in college courses. No significance was demonstrated; however, when cumulative GPAs and parent responses on the survey instrument were correlated using split-cases with demographic indictors, six significant correlations appeared. These indicated that parents do appear to play some significant role in supporting their dual enrollment student’s success in college courses. As a result, colleges may want to find mechanisms for parents of dual enrollment students to stay engaged without compromising the FERPA regulations. Parents’ Perceptions of Academic Progress Information Access and Dual Enrollment Student Success by Terrill L Nickerson MSEd, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, 1994 BA, University of Colorado, Boulder, 1987 BA, University of Arizona, Tucson, 1978 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Education Walden University February 2016 Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my mother who stood behind me and believed in me when others in the family questioned my intentions and my sincerity in achieving this endeavor. May she rest in peace. I would also like to dedicate it to my ex-wife, who always reminded me that I was up to the task and capable of achieving my dream of becoming a Ph.D. Finally, to my two dogs and my one cat, who put up with many hours of being ignored, but always greeted me with unconditional love when I finally finished my work and came home to them. Acknowledgments First, I would like to thank my committee members for sticking by me, and their unerring patience in looking over my work and providing me with inestimable support, and advice. I would especially like to thank Dr. Eichholz for her high expectations, and “badgering” me every step of the way, insisting that I do my best and take care of business in advance to make things easier in the end. I would also like to thank my methodologist, Dr. Thomas for his patience with me as I attempted to help me understand how to proceed through statistical morass and processes that confounded me along the way. I would like to acknowledge my science students for believing in me and always wanting to know if I am a “doctor” yet. They were as excited about my progress and my journey as I was and provided a stimulus for me to complete my journey. Finally, I would like to acknowledge my ex-wife who is truly responsible for getting me started on this journey. When I first played with the idea of pursuing a Ph.D. it was her insight into me, and her insistence that drove me to act to make it a reality.