As I searched the internet for areas and topics that pertained to my action research, I found that there is an abundance of information on the topic of Parental Involvement in schools and its effect on student improvement. This is a weakness at my campus as Parent Involvement is something we struggle with greatly. Past attempts to cultivate fruitful parent participation have resulted in a desiccated outcome. But the need still exists as we wish to extend better success to our students and our community, thus improving the quality of our school (again, this is why I felt it was best to begin change here). I believe examining the issue and problems with the methodical approach Action Research provides, coupled with the resources and tools it applies, will allow me to lead our campus to a viable solution that will bring about sustained improvement.
Since measures must be provided to assure parents an active role in teaching our students, I decided to investigate which specific actions are needed for engaging students’ parents. After opting to place one set of activities on hold (the feasibility and effectiveness of offering classes to students’ families), I focused my effort to utilize the inquiry process to better explore exactly what is effective parent involvement. In doing so, I also chose to answer, ‘What constitutes effective parent involvement from a student’s perspective?’ Combined with asking ‘What activities would help engage parents to be actively involved with our campus?’ the answers and reflection of these two questions should lead to finding the best answer for my research inquiry, ‘How can my campus improve the amount of active parent involvement?’
To be successful, I deemed it best to create a committee of teachers and staff to assist in this inquiry. The committee will provide suggestions and feedback. I also intend to review disaggregated data of test results before, and after, the formation and contributions given by the committee – as well as, records of past parent involvement, logs, activities, events, and attendance at meetings. For students, I intend to utilize our Teen Leadership classes to discuss, in detail, active parent involvement. There, they too will be asked for input. Students’ work in class and homework will also be looked at for patterns of completion, as well as, evidence of strategies used. Parents will be targeted through activities (conferences, family nights, cultural days, open house, fundraisers, after-school clubs, fieldtrips, et al) and other numerous forms of communication (phone calls, emails, newsletters, blogs, surveys, and questionnaires) designed to garner their participation. Furthermore, all activities will be created to coordinate with responses of days and times that best serve the parents. Ultimately, my action research will reveal the necessary measures to undertake raising student achievement in school through better communication with parents. Consequently, the type of parental involvement needed to impact students the most at our school will also be discovered. So, stay tuned my friends and please offer your own insight and experience!
