Having Their Say: Parents Describe Why and How They Are Engaged in Their Children's Learning.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to identify factors that lead to successful educational partnerships between school staff and families. The method for this investigation focused on asking parents how and why they were involved in their children's education and what factors influenced their participation. The study was conducted at the Patrick O'Hearn Elementary School, in Boston, MA, where, according to yearly survey data collected by the school, at least 90% of the parents participated in one or more of the home- or school-based family engagement activities, despite the school's urban, low socioeconomic setting. By gathering parents' own descriptions of their participation in their children's education, this research study sought to develop a deeper understanding of the parents' perceptions of involvement and explored whether their descriptions would match existing typologies or fall outside existing definitions. Another goal of the research was to investigate factors that influenced parents' involvement in their children's education. The findings from this study strongly support prior research showing that the majority of parents want their children to do well in school and have a desire to help their children succeed. The findings also indicate that O'Hearn parents understood clearly that their involvement helped their children's educational development. The most significant findings from the study indicate that, according to the eighteen parents interviewed, several social and school factors influence why and how they are involved in their children's education. According to the parents, when school personnel initiate and engage in practices that welcome parents to the school, honor their contributions, and connect them to the school community through an emphasis on the children, these practices then cultivate and sustain respectful, caring, and meaningful relationships between parents and school staff. While many schools place the emphasis on the programming portion of their family involvement initiative, the data from this case study reveals that when parents have caring and trustful relationships with school staff, these relationships enhance their desire to be involved and influence how they participate in their children's educational development. The intent of this study was to yield an understanding of factors that contribute to the development of partnership between families and schools. This study provides critical information for parents, teachers, policy makers, and school officials attempting to design and implement family involvement initiatives, as well as implications for further research. Key Words: home-school partnerships, family involvement, parent involvement Introduction In the last decade, there has been a renewed national focus on the role that families play in their children's educational development. More than three decades of research show that, regardless of economic, racial/ethnic, and educational backgrounds, there is a strong link between educational benefits to children and various forms of family engagement such as encouragement to succeed academically, involvement in at-home activities such as help with homework, volunteerism in schools, and participation in governance activities (Cochran & Henderson, 1986; Eagle, 1989; Epstein, 1996; Epstein, Simon, & Salinas, 1997; Gotts, 1989; Henderson & Berla, 1994; Henderson & Mapp, 2002; Hewitt, 1978; Ho & Willms, 1996; Jordan, Orozco, & Averett, 2002; McDill, Rigsby, & Meyers, 1969; Melnick & Fiene, 1990; Mowry, 1972; Schweinhart & Weikart, 1992). The educational benefits to children include higher grades and test scores, better school attendance, higher graduation rates, greater enrollment in postsecondary education, and more positive attitudes about school (Henderson & Berla, 1994; Henderson & Mapp, 2002). As a result of this link between family engagement and student outcomes, several of the current whole-school comprehensive reform efforts identify school, family, and community partnership as a component of successful schools. …