bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Teacher Perceptions of Parent Involvement in Middle School
Authors: Smith Douglas W.
Published: August 2019

Three hundred thirty-three middle school teachers were surveyed about current degree of, desires for, and obstacles to parent involvement in their schools. Teachers desired parents to be involved in PTO/PTA, volunteering, and chaperoning and not with curricular or school governance matters. About 10% of teachers reported parents are actively involved in their school. Reported barriers to parent involvement were inflexible parent work schedules, negative parent attitudes toward school, and lack of parent concern for children. Teachers report the ineffectiveness at using the telephone for communication with parents. Recommendations are made for nontraditional approaches to establishing parent involvement in middle schools.
Engaging the Public in Public Schools Through School Choice
Authors: Houle Judith C.
Published: August 2019

Educators and policymakers are currently engaged in a debate regarding the merits of school choice as a vehicle for improving education. Unfortunately, two distinctively different approaches to implementing this concept—choice within public education and choice between private and public education—frequently get confused. Often this failure to discriminate between the alternatives results in the blanket rejection of choice as a reform concept. The case study in this article demonstrates how one suburban elementary school district successfully increased public participation by adopting an in-district choice program. Factors that enabled and inhibited implementation of the choice program and parental and educator views about it are used to demonstrate effective approaches to engaging the community in public education.
Avoiding Fatal Flaws in Planning and Executing School Funding Campaigns
Authors: Graham Glenn T. , Wise Gordon L.
Published: August 2019

Observations over 25 years of experience in working with public schools on bond and levy campaigns have led us to conclude that there are at least 13 fatal flaws that school/campaign leadership make that can result in disaster at the polls. Each mistake is discussed and ways to correct it are provided.
Community Education: A Status Report and Projections for the Future
Authors: Decker Larry E.
Published: August 2019

The good news is that comprehensive and proactive educational initiatives like community education and full-service schools are making a difference in establishing meaningful home, school, and community partnerships. The schools that have comprehensive outreach efforts to meet diverse needs almost always have high levels of community support.

The bad news is that there are far too few of these initiatives and the large number of households in any community who do not have children often have little or no contact with public schools. They do not understand the challenges faced by schools and are not motivated to support public education. Without an understanding of these challenges, many people interpret the media attention and the political agenda for educational accountability and high-stakes testing as further evidence supporting a lack of confidence in public schools.
When “Community Relations” Won’t Cut It: PR for Public Schools
Authors: Newsom Doug
Published: August 2019

The nation’s view of our public schools has been basically negative for some time. One factor contributing to this condition has been the failure of school officials to communicate appropriately with all relevant publics. In many school districts, administrators have not adjusted to life in an information-based society; they continue to embrace a narrow concept of community relations that leads them to disseminate information primarily to parents, school employees, and students. The modern practice of public relations, on the other hand, is viewed as an essential management function ensuring open, two-way communication between an organization and its external and internal publics. This concept is advocated as a strategy for improving the image and effectiveness of public schools.
Schooling as an Embedded Institution: Challenges to Parent-School-Community Connections
Authors: Danzig Arnold
Published: August 2019

This article begins by summarizing a few provisions related to parent-school-community connections that are part of the U.S. Department of Education’s School Leadership Grants Program (CFDA No. 84.363A). This introduction is followed by discussion of the benefits and costs of parent and family involvement in schools. The article then raises a more general consideration of parents as embedded constituents of public schools and the challenges this creates for school leaders. The article concludes with consideration of dilemmas school leaders face as they weigh the commitments, interests, and benefits of these multiple constituents.
Legal Rights of Parents in Educational Matters
Authors: McCarthy Martha
Published: August 2019

This article provides an overview of selected parental rights in connection with the education of their children. The tension between the state’s authority to ensure an educated citizenry and protect the welfare of children and parental interests in directing their children’s upbringing is explored. Specific topics include parental discretion to choose alternatives to public education and to determine their children’s instructional program in public schools. Also reviewed are statutory protections of privacy rights pertaining to school record keeping practices and student participation in research and experimental programs. Parental rights regarding services and procedural safeguards for children with disabilities are also addressed.
Mentoring: A Parent/Community Partnership That Works
Authors: Isernhagen Jody C. , Dappen Leon
Published: August 2019

Most of the new growth in mentoring programs is occurring in schools. TeamMates, a statewide, school-based, one-to-one mentoring program has shown positive change in students’ lives. This article explains how the TeamMates program has most directly benefited the students and their families. Benefits to the adult mentors, their families, work life, and their employers, as well as to the school and community at large, are explored. School-based mentoring is truly a parent—community partnership that embodies the popular phrase “it takes a village to raise a child.”
The Role of a School Board in Communicating Change in Front of and Behind the Camera
Authors: Bryant Anne L.
Published: August 2019

Communicating change is one of the most difficult challenges facing districts. And the role of the school board in this process is critical. School board members are the elected “voice” of the community. Clearly, the superintendent and professional staff have vital roles in communicating with the public, but the school board is at the center with its job of setting the vision for the district. This article highlights this important role for a school district and includes two real-life examples.
Bringing Order out of Chaos: The Role of School Public Relations
Authors: Soholt Sylvia
Published: August 2019

School districts attempting to institute systemic school improvement often serve as models of chaos instead. Their employees are overwhelmed by all the balls in the air, and their communities are bewildered by the noise being generated. Somewhere in the midst of this cacophony there must be a plan, they hope.

This article describes the important role of school public relations for bringing order out of what may seem to be chaos by keeping communications consistently focused on the primary objectives of communicating in times of great change. These primary objectives are: increasing student achievement, developing strategies to involve stakeholders in doing the work of schooling, and describing progress so that everyone can see evidence of success.
Communicating School Change—Inside and Out
Authors: Horne John , McClelland Sandra
Published: August 2019

This article is a case study describing the 1992–2002 transformation of a public elementary school in Tempe, Arizona, from an under-performing school to a nationally recognized education model. We (one author was the principal of that school during its transformation and the other was an organization consultant to the school) describe the key elements of this transformation, which includes community-building, continuous self-assessment, and looking inward to reach outward. Rover Elementary School’s leadership also developed great skill at using school public relations strategies to build relationships with internal and external stakeholders and communicating about changes associated with the school’s continuous improvement efforts.
Catholic Identity Remains a Public Relations Asset
Authors: Wirth Eileen
Published: August 2019

The massive sex scandal that rocked the Roman Catholic Church raises a question as to whether Catholic identity remains an asset that the nation’s 8,000 Catholic schools should continue to promote. This case study found that continuing to promote Catholic identity has had no adverse effect on recruitment and enrollment at four Omaha, Nebraska, Catholic high schools since the scandal struck in 2000. On the contrary, the schools have found that parents continue to select them because of their Catholic identity—and thus they continue to promote it.
Public Engagement: A 21st-Century Necessity for School Success
Authors: Dana Joyce A.
Published: August 2019

The public has developed a powerful voice over the past two decades, calling for involvement in school decision making and creating the conditions for schools to pay attention to engaging the public in more meaningful ways. Lessons for all schools can be learned from charter school efforts to engage their public effectively. This article presents some of the lessons learned, provides a pragmatic two-dimension communication model that can be useful, and identifies steps to take to implement an effective public engagement program.
Service Beyond the Classroom: Teachers and School Community Relationships
Authors: Schuttloffel Merylann J. , Thompson Joan , Pickert Sarah
Published: August 2019

This article focuses on a model for incorporating academic service learning into a teacher preparation program intended to enable preservice teachers to develop an understanding of social justice and diversity through school and community relationships. Linked to the theme of knowledge construction, diffusion, and transformation, this article outlines a curricular approach that encourages a broader understanding of societal issues. Questions of reflective practice and program implementation will also be addressed.
The Impact of Community Education on School Community Relations
Authors: Porter Charles F.
Published: August 2019

The task of achieving and maintaining good school community relations has never been easy, but new challenges bring with them a new urgency. Now, more than ever before, it is imperative for school districts to recognize and embrace community education. The community education philosophy strives to be all-inclusive. In a broad sense, it enables the community to strengthen the schools, and the schools to strengthen the community. When implemented to its fullest potential, it involves schools, parents, students, community members, and the neighboring organizations in the effective education of youth and their families. At its core, it supports school improvement, increases public involvement in and support of educational efforts, and strengthens families and communities. This article examines the benefits of integrating community education into district-level community relations through its six various components of programs and process.
Visions of Education: How Education Is Constructed in Editorial Cartoons
Authors: Carpenter Dick M.
Published: August 2019

At the center of the social construction and interpretation of education sits the fourth estate. Through ideological media “voices,” in part, education’s meaning and the social reality in which schools reside are constructed for and with the community. This study looks at one vehicle of popular and influential communication overlooked by educational researchers: editorial cartoons. The cartoon’s influential qualities grow out of its ability to define complex issues through graspable, portable realities. The study used a sample of 153 editorial cartoons spanning 13 years to define the most pressing educational issues during the given time period and the rhetorical visions of education perpetuated through the artists’ constructs. As the study revealed, readers see a decidedly negative vision of education through editorial cartoons. In the social construction and interpretation of and debate over education’s purpose and future, such a vision holds significant implications for educators and public relations professionals.
School Public Relations: Helping an American Institution Pass Its Most Crucial Test
Authors: Boyd Ellen
Published: August 2019

The professional discipline of strategic public relations offers many benefits to organizations. It helps them prevent and mitigate crises. It allows them to identify and manage issues that may interfere with their goals and objectives. It also leads them in building and maintaining quality relationships with strategic publics. However, can the influence of public relations reach beyond individual organizations to entire institutions?

One institution that has suffered ill effects from not effectively implementing the principles of strategic public relations is American public education. Research has shown that Americans have lost significant confidence in public education. The inability or unwillingness of educators to plan strategically has opened the door to increased competition from private schools, home schools, charter schools, and vouchers. Educators’ failure to address issues and concerns has led lawmakers to force them into becoming more accountable and more open with information. In virtually every area touched by strategic public relations, public education has failed to act effectively.

The following research examines the question of how and to what extent public relations can influence education at the larger institutional level. It relied on in-depth interviews with recognized experts in the fields of education and public relations. The experts offered their views on how strategic public relations can improve the future not only of individual organizations but also of entire institutions like public education.
Dialogue Facilitating Collaboration: A Critical Perspective
Authors: Miller Pete
Published: August 2019

This article proposes a critical theoretical paradigm for the evaluation of university-community-school partnerships. Although numerous models have been posited for assessing these collaborative endeavors, few of them have granted adequate attention to the voices of community partners, and none have centered on systemic issues of power and privilege. Because most partnerships between universities and communities are characterized by inequitable power relations, a critical community-informed evaluative perspective is needed. The model proposed here, which is rooted in the dialogical framework of Paulo Freire, evaluates the extent to which partnerships are authentically mutual or “horizontal.” This evaluation model has relevance for all educational administrators who are engaged in partnerships.
A Step Beyond No Child Left Behind: Is Florida the Future?
Authors: Pawlas George E.
Published: August 2019

Schools face major challenges today that have been created by reform initiatives and expectations from Florida and federal legislation. This article focuses on the impact of accountability mandates on student achievement through the responses of central Florida school administrators at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. They were asked: How has increased accountability impacted your daily work? How has student achievement changed over the past 3 years in your schools? What has been done to improve student achievement? The findings have implications for principals and school public relations.
Engaging Communities Through Vision Development: A Systems Approach to Public Relations
Authors: Chance Patti L.
Published: August 2019

The implementation of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) federal legislation in 2001 exemplifies extreme reaction to an escalating public unrest with educational systems over the past several decades of “educational reform.” Effective public relations and communication with stakeholders is threatened during this time of increased public scrutiny and demands for accountability, creating conditions where many educators are reacting rather than leading. Systems thinking helps education leaders see public relations as a continual, systematic process and is essential for education leaders’ understanding of public relations and the role it plays in engaging school community support for improving student learning.
No Child Left Behind and the Need for Good Public Relations
Authors: Grobe William J. , Buckner Kermit G.
Published: August 2019

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation of 2001 has brought great public and professional pressure upon U.S. public schools. Perhaps trying to explain its requirements and possible consequences is the most daunting task for school leaders. This article provides an overview of its legal context followed by thoughts about effective public relations and how they relate to reporting NCLB outcomes.
Navigating Whole-System Change in School Districts: What School Public Relations Specialists Need to Know to Support the Process
Authors: Duffy Francis M.
Published: August 2019

Whole-system transformation is complex, yet possible. The potential for engaging in a successful transformation effort is greatly increased if a district’s school public relations (PR) specialists play a strong supportive role in generating, framing, and delivering information to external and internal stakeholders about the need for change, the transformation process, and desired and actual outcomes.
Broadening Research on Communication and School Public Relations
Authors: Kowalski Theodore J.
Published: August 2019

Effective communication and public relations are recognized as core competencies for school administration as evidenced by national standards guiding preparation and licensing in most states. Even so, surprisingly little research has been conducted by doctoral students and professors on these two subjects. This article presents a case for broadening and deepening the research agenda on these essential topics. Relevant dissertations completed since 1999 are identified to exhibit the potential that exists. Finally, 16 lines of possible inquiry (8 in communication and 8 in public relations) are identified.
The Power of Good Superintendent—School Board Relationships
Authors: Richardson Patricia M.
Published: August 2019

The quality of superintendent–school board relationships has a direct impact on the success of any school system through the power of good public relations. The traditional roles of superintendents and school boards and the artificial division of labor between the two no longer serve our school systems well. In this article, I apply a model of high-impact board governance from a study of nonprofit organizations to school superintendents and their school boards. The model emphasizes ways of improving public relations and support for public schools.
Predictors of Parents’Inclusion Decisions
Authors: Porfeli Erik J. , Algozzine Bob , Nutting Boen , Queen J. Allen
Published: August 2019

Helping children with disabilities has become a part of American education with varying degrees of acceptance and tolerance over the years, and efforts to provide special education have become controversial. Much of the concern is about paying for “extra” services, but the debate is not just about money. Many professionals question the benefits of special education, and the practice of educating children with disabilities in general education classrooms (i.e., inclusion) has recently received increased attention. The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of parents toward inclusion and to identify predictors of their opinions about important effects of the practice. Parents of children attending a suburban school district in the Piedmont region of North Carolina participated in the study. In general, parents were opposed to including children with disabilities in general education classrooms, and they did not believe that inclusion would greatly improve academic achievement of children with disabilities or greatly hinder performance of children without disabilities. We discuss the findings with regard to other studies of parent attitudes toward special education as a basis for continued study of the most effective means of promoting an awareness of the benefits and potential limitations of special education.
Changing Ties: Charter Schools Redefine the School—Community Connection
Authors: Allen Ann
Published: August 2019

Until recently, charter schools have served a small percentage of public school students in any given community, but that is changing. Recent data indicate that the market share of public school students enrolled in charter schools is climbing. The growth of the charter school movement behooves us to consider how such a change in the educational landscape of our communities will affect the way schools and communities interact. This article presents findings from a qualitative study of the relationship between the public and a public charter school in one urban community in Michigan. Policy implications are discussed.
The Hidden Advantages of Focus Group Interviews in Educational Research
Authors: Shoaf Lisa M. , Shoaf Michael G.
Published: August 2019

In the field of education, success of a school system has traditionally been determined through quantitative methods, such as through scores on achievement tests and survey results. In short, the quantitative method can determine if a school is failing or not. However, it does not answer the question of why a school is failing, a particularly important question for school administrators who hope to make positive changes in their districts. Focus group research, or qualitative analysis, is an underutilized method for gathering data in schools. Focus group methodology offers a more in-depth understanding of participants’ perceptions than do quantitative measures such as test scores and surveys, thereby providing potential answers to why a school is failing. The purpose of this article is threefold. First, it attempts to define focus group research in the field of education. Second, it presents the disadvantages and advantages of focus group research, and finally, it provides methodological guidance to administrators who are interested in using focus group research as a way to gather information about the performance of a school system.
Mind the Gaps: Exploring the Use of Technology to Facilitate Parental Involvement, Particularly for Historically Underserved Populations
Authors: Becker Jonathan D.
Published: August 2019

Decades of research establishes positive associations between parental involvement and a number of important student outcomes, including student achievement. Furthermore, a number of technological innovations make facilitating parental involvement more possible than ever. Those possibilities, however, require varying levels of technological sophistication and infrastructure developments in the homes and communities. That a well-documented digital divide exists between low-income and more-affluent communities means that students and families who live in low-income communities—generally, people of color—can be denied access to opportunities for meaningful involvement in and engagement with the schools. To avoid creating an opportunity gap, school leaders must therefore understand and work with the families and communities whom they serve as they move toward technological facilitation of home—school—community connections.
Proactive Administrative Ecology: Assisting Superintendents With Board and Public Relations Through the Use of Career Counselors
Authors: McGarity Augustus C. , Styron Ronald A. , Ward Mike , Schoen David
Published: August 2019

This study examines the potential for educational services by career counselors within administrative relationship domains through a case example. It explores the usefulness of career counseling intervention to facilitate career progress through superintendent–school board relationship difficulties as the superintendent attempts to implement reforms and improve student achievement. Reflections and discussions are used at critical moments during the case study to examine factors that divert the superintendent’s attention from instructional matters and career goals by identifying effective community and board relationship strategies while addressing current contextually based relational perspectives facilitating career progress.
Sins of the Father: Revisiting Best Practices of Public Relations and Crisis Management Through Case Study Analysis
Authors: Hancox Melissa K. Gibson , Allen Jennifer R.
Published: August 2019

This article examines a 2004 crisis event that occurred when the president of a small private Catholic college was accused of sexually molesting boys earlier in his career. It discusses the crisis response of college officials with the institution’s various publics, including students, faculty, alumni, and the media. Our purpose is twofold. First, we describe the crisis at this institution of higher education through a case study approach. Second, we use a compilation of best practices of crisis management gleaned from the writings of public relations scholars to explore the organization’s response in this event.
Examining Boundary-Spanning Leadership in University—School—Community Partnerships
Authors: Miller Peter M.
Published: August 2019

This article examines the characteristics and influences of boundary-spanning leadership in university–school–community partnership contexts. To gain a clear understanding of the diffuse literature in this area, over 60 related articles and books were reviewed; common themes were identified; and emergent connections were drawn. The most common themes involved boundary-spanning leaders, who can hold both formal and informal positions in organizations—namely, they serve as bridge builders who help connect group members; they act as organizational information brokers; they have legitimacy and credibility in the eyes of a diverse array of constituents; they have a depth of knowledge about issues relevant to specific university–school–community partnerships; they possess and utilize considerable personal and social skills; and they move most freely and flexibly when solely devoted to partnership matters. After describing these themes, the article discusses their implications in partnership contexts.
Authentic Political Conversation: What It Does and Does Not Do
Authors: Brenneman Patricia , Johnson Ronda , Pirkle Tracy
Published: August 2019

Authentic political conversation entails identifying the work, bringing together stakeholders, providing information, framing questions, giving individuals a voice, being transparent, and acting on the values of the group’s collective good. Through this process, we identify common core values and respond to the basic human need to be connected—to become part of important work and set the course of our collective future. Oak Hills Local School District used this process to educate its community about Ohio school funding and engage community members in making funding decisions. The community was given an active role in setting the school board’s fiscal course. Organizational leaders enjoyed the benefit of understanding the community, and the public made a decision in the best interest of the greater good.
The Way and Stay (Attraction and Retention) of Newly Appointed Urban Teachers: A Public Relations Concern
Authors: Young I. Phillip , Forbes John D.
Published: August 2019

A concern of the public and of local school districts is that of staffing well-qualified teachers for the education of America’s youth. Staffing, however, is a multistage process that involves attracting a viable candidate pool and retraining those selected. To determine if attraction and retention are sequential or related administrative processes and if reactions to these processes are moderated by those new to the profession or to the district, a structural modeling approach is used to analyze perceptions of recently appointed teachers in an urban school district. Results indicate that these processes are sequential and are moderated by the experience of teachers but only at the attraction stage of the staffing process.
Effects of Student Characteristics, Principal Qualifications, and Organizational Constraints for Assessing Student Achievement: A School Public Relations and Human Resources Concern
Authors: Young I. Phillip , Vang Maiyoua , Young Karen Holsey
Published: August 2019

Standards-based student achievement scores are used to assess the effectiveness of public education and to have important implications regarding school public relations and human resource practices. Often overlooked is that these scores may be moderated by the characteristics of students, the qualifications of principals, and the restraints imposed on elementary schools. To assess this potential, 480 elementary school buildings were sampled at random, and achievement scores were regressed on these potential moderators. Results indicate that achievement scores are influenced by the socioeconomic status of students, the percentage of English-language learners, building enrollment, and per-pupil expenditure. These findings are discussed from a school public relations perspective as well as from a human resources perspective.
Community Service Programs: A Model for At-Risk Long-Term-Suspended Students
Authors: Hall Brenda S. , Rubin Tova
Published: August 2019

Each year in the United States, millions of students experience suspension from public schools (Mendez & Knoff, 2003). Community service programs provide one means to address the school suspension problem. These initiatives are characterized by volunteer service placements within community nonprofit organizations for skill and personal development. During 2003–2005, a pilot community service program was implemented in nine school districts throughout the state of North Carolina. This article provides a comprehensive review of that project. Promising results from this initiative emphasize the significance of community service and public school collaborations in assisting youth to stay in school and become productive citizens.
Parent-Teacher Communication: What Parents and Teachers Think and What School Leaders Need to Know
Authors: Garrett Leah Michelle
Published: August 2019

This mixed methods study focuses on communication between teachers and parents in primary and secondary schools in northeast Texas. Based on data from surveys in 11 districts, received from 230 teachers and 171 parents, this study found statistically significant differences between teachers’ and parents’ perceptions of the classroom teacher’s role, as well as the need for more understanding between teachers and parents; furthermore, it revealed that all parents want the same information about their children but prefer to receive it through different methods and that teachers and parents disagree about what constitutes valuable content in communication.
Principals’ Perceptions of School Public Relations
Authors: Morris Robert C. , Chan Tak Cheung , Patterson Judith
Published: August 2019

This study was designed to investigate school principals’ perceptions on school public relations in five areas: community demographics, parental involvement, internal and external communications, school council issues, and community resources. Findings indicated that principals’ concerns were as follows: rapid population growth, change of community demographics, status of school–community relationships, insufficient parental support of education, communication with parents, and school council functions. Principals understood that students could not achieve without family support. Principals also recognized that they could make a difference in strategically planning to work with parents and other key community members to foster a positive environment for student learning.
Alternatives to Advisory Boards: Designing Parent Groups for Participation
Authors: Wanat Carolyn L.
Published: August 2019

This article proposes Hackman and Oldham’s (1980) model of work group design to structure parent groups for involvement in school activities and decision making. Parent interviews from three studies of parental involvement provide examples to support this proposal. Participants in these studies described experiences working in groups. Parents’ comments about satisfying experiences met the model’s criteria for effectiveness; frustrating experiences met criteria for ineffectiveness. This article describes characteristics of parent work groups according to the model’s key design features. Structuring parent groups using this model would establish positive relationships in the school community while increasing benefits of parental involvement in schools. Principals may play a key role in creating and maintaining parent groups.
Nurturing a Winning District Website: It Takes an Extended School Family
Authors: Haas-Bethell Gretchen
Published: August 2019

The award-winning website for Union Public Schools in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is one of the communications department’s most powerful tools in building positive relationships. As with raising a child, the challenge lies in finding ways to nurture a growing entity—constantly providing it with meaningful information, adapting it to social changes, and equipping it for advanced opportunities. The district website has a life of its own, and the extended school family helps it flourish. This article examines how communications staff members answer the challenge and involve the Union community to ensure that the site continues to thrive.
Research: When a Hunch Will Not Do
Authors: Kracke Nancy
Published: August 2019

It is tempting to assume that we know what our parents, our community, and our employees want from our schools. It is comforting to think that we know what they support. It is also dangerous. This article encourages school systems to let go of assumptions and to start asking the important questions that will lead school boards and administrators to decisions based on reality instead of conjecture. From crafting a ballot question to evaluating a newsletter, survey research offers perspective that helps schools get the most from scarce resources, targeted at sound programs and solid communication.
High Touch in a High-Tech World
Authors: Gibson Cindy L.
Published: August 2019

In a world of high tech and low touch, it is easy for public relations programs to stray from tried-and-true interpersonal strategies long associated with solid communication planning. New technologies allow communications professionals to quickly send e-mails and telephone calls to selected groups. Social media sites provide users immediate information, including video and photos from an endless variety of sources. The list of technology options grows and grows. However, even with so many technology tools available to communicators, formal plans must include strategies using important person-to-person research and targeted communications. For the Ritenour School District, such plans, incorporating high technologies and high touch, resulted in significant improvements.
An Examination of Pay Facets and Referent Groups for Assessing Pay Satisfaction of Male Elementary School Principals
Authors: Young I. Phillip , Young Karen Holsey , Okhremtchouk Irina , Castaneda Jose Moreno
Published: August 2019

Pay satisfaction was assessed according to different facets (pay level, benefits, pay structure, and pay raises) and potential referent groups (teachers and elementary school principals) for a random sample of male elementary school principals. A structural model approach was used that considers facets of the pay process, potential others as significant referent sources, and actual pay received by male elementary school principals. All facets were found to be important; significant others who were found to be important were teachers, as well as other elementary school principals within the school district. The overarching finding was that relative pay, rather than pay rate, is the better predictor of pay satisfaction.
Trust an Essential Ingredient in Collaborative Decision Making
Authors: Mitchell Roxanne M. , Ripley Joan , Adams Curt , Raju Dheeraj
Published: August 2019

The following study explored the relationship between trust and collaboration in one Northeastern suburban district. In sum, 122 teachers responded to a trust and a collaboration survey. We hypothesized that the level of trust would be correlated with the level of collaboration. Bivariate and canonical correlations were used to analyze the findings. This study confirmed that trust in the principal was correlated with collaboration with the principal and that trust in colleagues was correlated with collaboration with colleagues. However, trust in clients (students and parents) was not correlated with collaboration with parents. The set of trust variables together explained 71% of the variance in the collaboration variables, with trust in clients being the most significant variable in predicting teacher–teacher collaboration. Collaboration with colleagues was the most potent of the collaboration variables. These findings suggest the importance of establishing a culture of trust in fostering collaboration between teachers. More research is needed to understand the complexities involved with parent collaboration.
Decision-Making Quandaries That Superintendents Face in Their Work in Small School Districts Building Democratic Communities
Authors: Touchton Debra , Acker-Hocevar Michele
Published: August 2019

Superintendents of small school districts describe how they give voice, involve and listen to others, and solicit various publics to build democratic communities. Superintendents make sense of leadership through their constructed role, leadership orientation, and district size. Findings suggest the following when superintendents involve, listen, and give voice: Stakeholders expect to be heard by the superintendent; stakeholders often lack information and expertise for participating in decision making; expected decisions based on group decision making may not occur; and stakeholders often want to be involved in the decision-making process but do not want to be held responsible or accountable for a decision’s implementation or outcomes.
Educational Reform in South Africa: Decentralization and Parent Engagement
Authors: Joubert Rika , Rooyen Jean W. van
Published: August 2019

The promulgation of the South African Schools Act in 1996 was a critical moment in the process of making a compromise between a centralized and a decentralized system. The act describes the establishment, membership, and responsibilities of school governing bodies as the vehicle for parental engagement and decision making. The article touches on five crucial assumptions that underpin the efficacy of the worldwide movement toward decentralized cooperative governance for schools, before proceeding to discuss two mandatory functions of South African school governing bodies—namely, those relating to policy matters and financial matters.
Parent Participation in School Governance: A Legal Analysis of Experiences in South Africa and Kentucky
Authors: Bathon Justin , Beckmann Johan , Björk Lars G.
Published: August 2019

This comparative study on the educational governance systems of South Africa and the Commonwealth of Kentucky examines legal evidence from judicial decisions and administrative law to understand similarities in how school-based governance structures have been developed. We found that although school-level governance structures may provide greater opportunities for community and parental participation, each engenders a number of legal problems that compromise the decentralization of democracy to the school level. Recommendations for policymakers and practitioners are offered that may achieve this goal.
Parental Involvement in Norwegian Schools
Authors: Paulsen Jan Merok
Published: August 2019

This article examines findings on key challenges of school–parent relations in Norway. The review is based on recent large-scale studies on several issues, including formalized school–parent cooperation, parental involvement in the pedagogical discourse, and teacher perspectives on the parents’ role in the school community. Findings suggest a biased pattern in the formal school–parent collaboration, where parent groups from lower educational and socioeconomic levels systematically fall out of participation. Evidence also indicates a pattern of teachers’ rejection of parent participation when discussions concern pedagogical matters, with parents held at arm’s length when conversations focus on student learning.
The Dynamics of Parental Involvement in U.S. Schools from 1996 to 2007
Authors: Myers Scott M. , Myers Carrie B.
Published: August 2019

We use data from over 25,000 U.S. parents interviewed in the 1996 and 2007 National Household Education Surveys to address two under-researched questions. The organizing framework for these questions is the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. First, did school-based parental involvement change during 1996–2007? Second, do the predictors of this parental involvement change during 1996–2007? We researched two empirical national trends from 1996 to 2007: (1) aggregate parental involvement levels increased, and (2) parents who have traditionally struggled to become involved in their children’s school continue to do so increasingly and disproportionately.
An Efficiency Assessment Among Empirically Defined Labor Markets for Determining Pay for Teachers
Authors: Tran Henry , Young I. Phillip
Published: August 2019

Fundamental to updating a fixed-rate salary schedule for teachers is the reliance on a relevant labor market containing comparisons to other school districts—that is, object school districts, which can be chosen from a policy or empirical/efficiency perspective. As such, four relevant markets having roots in neoclassical economic literature—supply and demand, economy of scale, ability to pay, and cost-benefit—served as our single independent variable, defined by a least squares sum of difference between object school districts (n = 200) and target school districts (n = 5) composing a potential relevant labor market. These districts were cast into a 5 (target) × 4 (object) randomized block design, and efficiency was assessed according to two dependent variables: entry-level salary and average teacher salary. Multivariate analysis of variance results indicate that all potential labor markets are equally efficient for entry-level pay amounts but differ according to the average salary paid teachers. Collectively, these findings have implications for establishing teacher pay amounts and increases in the field setting, from a policy perspective and for a negotiated labor contract.
Parent and School Relations in Latvia
Authors: Bluma Dainuvite , Ivanova Ilze
Published: August 2019

Families in Latvia know what is best for their children, and they make a major contribution to their education. Consequently, it is important to build close partnerships between school and family. This article reviews extant research that provides insight into the nature of school–parent relations in Latvia as the nation stands at the crossroads of policy and practice. Examples of extant practices draw on research, development, and current school practices in Latvian schools.
Parental Trust and Parent–School Relationships in Turkey
Authors: Beycioglu Kadir , Ozer Niyazi , Şahin Semiha
Published: August 2019

This study examined the degree and levels of parent trust and involvement in lower secondary and high schools in Turkey. Survey data were obtained from 429 participants working for state schools during the 2012–2013 education years. We used zero-order correlation coefficient, independent samples t test, and, when significant differences were observed between groups, Cohen’s d coefficient. In addition, multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine whether trust in school, school level, and age significantly predict parental involvement. Findings suggest that parents have almost high trust in schools and also participate in school activities.
Aristotle Reclaimed
Authors: Zimmerman John , Sharp Taylor
Published: August 2019

Given that social media dominates informal and often formal communication routes, we argue that schools must reshape their attention to a fourth rhetorical dimension: the media through which they communicate. Specifically, schools must find ways to embrace social media as a mechanism to reach their broad audiences. This article identifies clear obstacles to integrating social media platforms into the communication strands utilized by schools, the rhetorical necessities for doing so, and clear methodologies for making the transition from the “letter home” to the tweet and Facebook post work in a developing digital society.
Exploring Contemporary Legal Issues in Schools From a Social Justice Frame: The Need for Ongoing Professional Development and Training for Practicing Educational Leaders
Authors: Brackett David A. , Perreault George , Sparkman William , Thornton Billy W. , Barclay Nicholas
Published: August 2019

Most educational leadership preparation programs include classes designed to provide a broad survey of legal issues in the profession. Soon after these future leaders complete course requirements, their knowledge base can be outdated. We discuss, through relevant research along with theoretical and actual case studies, contemporary legal issues confronted by educational leaders and the need for the inclusion of social justice in leadership programs and ongoing professional development and training. We offer suggestions and strategies for professional development and training designed to keep educational leaders current with legal issues and to enable appropriate decision making to minimize the possibility of legal action.
Examining the Impact of Classroom Relationships on Student Engagement: A Multilevel Analysis
Authors: Kearney W. Sean , Smith Page A. , Maika Sean
Published: August 2019

This study explores the impact of classroom relationships on student engagement. To determine whether improved classroom relations lead to higher levels of student engagement, surveys were distributed to 2,340 students from 117 fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms. Respondents reported the degree to which they felt support from teachers, collegiality with classmates, and engagement in classroom activities. Hierarchical linear modeling analyses were employed, the results of which indicate that supportive teacher behavior and collegial support positively affect the level of student engagement for the classrooms within this study. Implications for classroom and school relations are discussed.