Draft Action Research Project Progress Report

Draft Action Research Project Progress Report

1. Title

Increasing Parent Involvement 

2. Needs Assessment

Student performance data , parent survey results, and parent tracking and sign-in sheets that indicate low parent participation during school wide events, parent / teacher conferences, SBDM meetings and parent workshops along with the school’s campus report card,  Were all forms of data used to indicate a need for improvement in parent involvement.   

3. Objectives and Vision of the action research project

Vision- For parents and teachers to work together in order for students to succeed.

Objectives- For parents to help child at home, be supporter of the school. and for parents to participate in school wide decision making.

4. Review of the Literature and Action Reseach Strategy

Much of my research took place using the Dallas ISD website under Parent Services, NCLB, and PTA websites.  In addition articles and resources provided during parent liaison trainings and staff developments were very helpful as well and validated that developing relationships and areas of parent involvement would be beneficial to student and school success.

http://www.dallasisd.org/inside_disd/depts/pssc

NCLB established 4 main areas schools are to focus on and Parent Involvement is identified as one of those areas. 

The National PTA created national standards for parent and family involvement based on Joyce L. Epstein’s six types of family involvement.  Both believe that “Gains for students are greatest when parents participate in activities in each of the six identified parent involvement areas:  Communicating, Parenting, Student Learning, School Decision Making and Advocacy, and Collaborating with the Community.  (National PTA, 1997) 

According to NCLB, parent involvement is defined as participation of the parent in regular, two way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities.   NCLB truly believes that in order for students and schools to succeed partnerships must be created between the parents and teachers.  To ensure schools take steps toward creating these relationships NCLB created laws, policies and compliance list that all school receiving title 1 monies must follow.

http://www.publiceducation.org/portals/nclb/Parent_Involvement

Texas PTA website also realizes the importance of the Home/School Partnership.  They write that over 400 years of steadily accumulating evidence shows that family involvement is one of the strongest predictors of children’s school success, and that families play pivotal roles in their children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development from birth through adolescence.

 (Reframing Family Involvement in Education: Supporting Families to Support Educational Equity, Heather B. Weiss, Suzanne M. Bouffard, Beatrice L. Bridgiall, and Edmund W. Gordon, December 2009)

5. Articulate the Vision

The vision of the increasing parent involvement was shared during staff and grade level meetings, PTA, SBDM and FSAC discussions and by way of written communications, surveys, emails, and call out systems.   Input was gathered from teachers and parents via surveys, informal and formal discussions giving the opportunity for input and suggestions.

6. Manage the organization

Because everyone is so busy I designated most of the responsibilities to myself.  Being one of the parent liaison representatives for our school this year and being apart of the SBDM committee provided me with colleagues, resources and time needed to organize and implement the project.  Parent Services and the Dallas ISD website provided valuable resources, surveys and data.  Already established staff and committee meeting dates provided opportunities to implement project and new district resources coming to our school all were utilized and taking into account in projects organization.  Being trained and then using a “train the trainer” and staff development for teachers is one strategy we are using.  Reaching out to and training our parents to use, understand  and respond to our new communication methods and system is the big step we take this school year.   Volunteer teachers and parents will help in this effort. 

7. Manage Operations

Collecting and analyzing data had to be done first in order to decide area.  Collaboration with teachers, parents and students had to take place in order to get feedback and input from all stakeholders.   Questionnaires, meetings and informal discussions took place with all stakeholders as to the lack of parent involvement, why it existed, how and what could we do to improve it.  Brain storming, prioritizing and elimination methods were used to decide that we needed to focus on improving communication between parents and teachers for student achievement to increase.  Technology, power points, telephones, texting, written, and formal and informal verbal forms of communication were used.  Any conflicts were resolved using a plan C method where we came up with a plan both parties could agree upon.

8. Respond to Community Interest and Needs

Providing different and diverse means for communication provides opportunity for two way communications between the parent, community and the school.   Meaningful communication tools will help keep parents informed, updated and current with their child’s progress and school.  The more informed and aware a parent is the better they will be able to help assisting their child and the school in helping their child succeed.