STRATEGIES TO FOSTER EQUAL ACCESS TO A QUALITY
EDUCATION:
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT AND ITS EFFECT ON EDUCATION
by

Tanya D. Goodwin
B.A., University ofNorthem British Columbia, 2003
B.Ed., University of Northern British Columbia, 2005

PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF EDUCATION
IN
MULTI-DISCIPLINARY LEADERSHIP

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA
April2011
© Tanya D. Goodwin, 2011

UNIVERSITY of NORTHERN
BRITISH COLUMBIA
LIBRARY
Prince George, B.C.

ii

Abstract
This participant-observer case study researched the supports and strategies a teacher
could implement in the classroom to encourage parental involvement in their children's
educations. These strategies and supports included invitations to school events such as
assemblies, craft nights, and literacy nights, two parent-teacher interviews, extra parent
contact through email, telephone calls, notes, and a weekly parent communication book.
The study compared the amount of parental involvement students experienced during the
study period with the students' levels of achievement on reading and writing assessments.
Data were collected through the use of several different documents, including parent
communication books, a parent contact log, parent communication questionnaires, reading
assessments, and writing assessments. The results of this study suggest the classroom
supports and strategies implemented to encourage parental involvement positively affected
students' academic achievement.

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract

11

Table of Contents

lll

List of Tables

VI

Acknowledgements
Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Vlll

Introduction
Significance of the project

2

Background of the project

4

Personal location

6

Overview of the project

7

Summary

8

Literature Review

10

Poverty

10

Parental involvement and the home-school relationship

17

Strategies to increase parental involvement in education

24

Conclusion

30

Research methodology

33

Data collection methods and sources

35

Parent communication book

39

Student-led parent-teacher interviews

42

Parent contact log

43

Reading A-Z assessment

44

6+ I Traits of Writing assessment

44

Conclusion

45

iv

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Findings and Discussion

47

Results

47

Poverty

48

Parent communication book and questionnaire

50

Parent contact with the classroom teacher

57

Reading assessments

59

6 + 1 Traits of Writing assessments

65

Discussion of Findings

72

Poverty

73

Parent communication book

74

Parent contact with classroom teacher

78

Reading assessments

80

Writing assessments

81

Conclusion

83

Conclusions and Recommendations

85

Conclusions

85

Parental involvement

86

Parental contact

86

Parental involvement and academic achievement

88

Socioeconomic status

88

Recommendations

89

Communicate with parents

90

Encourage parental and community involvement

90

Professional development and research

91

Personal implications

92

References

94

Appendices

97

Appendix A (Parent Communication Book)

97

v

Appendix B (Student/Parent/Teacher Conference Plan)

98

Appendix C (Informal Report Card)

99

Appendix D (Interview Request Form)

104

Appendix E (Writing Rubric)

105

Appendix F (Parent Communication Book Questionnaire)

107

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List of Tables
Table 1

Whether Students Were Living in Poverty

49

Table 2

Return Rate of Parent Communication Books by Day of the
Week Over 12 Weeks

50

Table 3

Return Rate of Parent Communication Books by Day of the
Week Over Four Months by Students Living in Poverty

52

Table 4

Return Rate of Parent Communication Books by Day of the
Week Over Four Months by Students Not Living in Poverty

52

Table 5

Total Return Rate of Parent Communication Books Over Twelve
Weeks

54

Table 6

Whether Students Returned Parent Communication Book
Questionnaires within One Week

55

Table 7

Results of Parent Communication Book Questionnaires Returned
by Students Living in Poverty and Frequency of Strategy
Implementation as Reported by Parents

56

Table 8

Results of Parent Communication Book Questionnaires Returned
by Students Not Living in Poverty and Frequency of Strategy
Implementation as Reported by Parents

56

Table 9

Frequency of Parental Contact with Teacher by Month of the
Year Over Five Months

58

Table 10

Reading Levels of Grade Four Students Using Dolch Words,
Reading A-Z, and Toolkit

59

Table 11

Reading Levels of Grade Five Students Using Reading A-Z and
Toolkit

59

Table 12

Reading Levels of Grade Four Students Living in Poverty Using
Reading A-Z and Toolkit

60

Table 13

Reading Levels of Grade Four Students Not Living in Poverty
Using Reading A-Z and Toolkit

61

Table 14

Reading Levels of Grade Five Students Living in Poverty Using
Reading A-Z and Toolkit

62

Table 15

Reading Levels of Grade Five Students Not Living in Poverty
Using Reading A-Z and Toolkit

63

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Table 16

Cluster of Reading Ability Gains for the Entire Class

64

Table 17

Ideas Writing Scores of Grade Four Students Using 6+ 1 Traits of
Writing Rubric

66

Table 18

Ideas Writing Scores of Grade Five Students Using 6+ 1 Traits of
Writing Rubric

67

Table 19

Word Choice Writing Scores ofGrade Four Students Using 6+1
Traits of Writing Rubric

67

Table 20

Word Choice Writing Scores of Grade Five Students Using 6+ 1
Traits of Writing Rubric

68

Table 21

Combined Ideas and Word Choice Writing Score Changes of
Grade Four Students Living in Poverty Using 6+ 1 Traits of
Writing Rubric Assessment Scores from September and February

68

Table 22

Combined Ideas and Word Choice Writing Score Changes of
Grade Four Students Not Living in Poverty Using 6+ 1 Traits of
Writing Rubric Assessment Scores from September and February

69

Table 23

Combined Ideas and Word Choice Writing Score Changes of
Grade Five Students Living in Poverty Using 6+ 1 Traits of
Writing Rubric Assessment Scores from September and February

70

Table 24

Combined Ideas and Word Choice Writing Score Changes of
Grade Five Students Not Living in Poverty Using 6+ 1 Traits of
Writing Rubric Assessment Scores from September and February

70

Table 25

Cluster of Writing Ability Changes for the Class

71

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Acknowledgements
I am grateful to the many people who supported me throughout the completion of my
Masters project, which is not a solitary effort.
To my colleagues and administrators, thank you for listening, supporting, and encouraging
me throughout this endeavour. Your willingness to participate and assist will not be
forgotten.
To my supervisor, Dr. Andrew Kitchenham, thank you for your time, thoughtful
responses, guidance, and all of the work you put into this project to make it a success.
You pushed me to do the best job I could to the very end, and for that I am thankful.
To my committee members, Dr. Colin Chasteauneuf and Mrs. Lynda Stoppler, thank you for your
contributions to the success of this project.
To my students and their parents, who inspired this project and made it a success, thank
you for taking the time to participate, communicate, and develop strong relationships that
will lead to the students' educational successes.
To my family, particularly my husband, who encouraged me to start my Masters, and keep
going when I thought I couldn't do it anymore, thank you for constantly providing the
support I needed and believing in me. Thank you for always being there.

1

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Thoughts often expressed by educators include: there is not enough support at the
school level, parents are no longer parenting, parents do not support the schools' efforts,
students are behaving worse than ever, and there is nothing educators can do about it. It is
often easier to blame others when events are not progressing or going how educators
would like. Instead of blaming others educators should have asked "How can I make the
education system work for me and my students?" As educators, we should pursue ways
by which we can involve parents in their children's learning and make positive changes at
the school level, resulting in students demonstrating appropriate behaviour, improved
academic success, positive relationships, and thinking skills. There is always something
that can be done to improve the education system and, as educators, we are the ones who
need to do it.
At the elementary school where I worked during this research, we were always trying
to teach our students in a meaningful way and to provide each student with the skills and
tools necessary to survive in the world outside of school. Because many of our students
came from disadvantaged backgrounds, this task was daunting for staff members as many
students did not have the background knowledge needed to succeed with the current
British Columbia curriculum. We, as educators, needed to provide many students with the
background knowledge necessary to complete suggested British Columbia curriculum as
they have not been previously exposed to it. Teachers at the inner-city school elementary
school where this research was conducted also needed to provide additional support at the
school in terms of ideas for parents to support students at home to aid with the students'
success at school so that students could succeed at home and at school.

2

Significance of the project
The goal of this project was to implement supports at school and at home to mitigate
the effects oflow parental involvement on student learning. Specifically, my focus was to
develop and encourage parental involvement and use of home-based strategies and
learning supports to help students achieve intended learning outcomes in all areas. More
specifically, this project aimed to: (a) identify strategies parents could use to support their
children's educations, and (b) educate and assist parents in the use of these strategies. In
this way, I have contributed to the professional literature on parental involvement and
learning strategies, and their effects on academic achievement.
Based on my experience teaching in this inner-city school, I found students in this
school seemed to need more support and resources than staff and parents were providing
them, due in part to funding restrictions at the school level and a limited knowledge of
successful strategies that parents living in poverty can use at home. Children experience
the world through their parents as their parents mediate the environment, provide support
and stimulation, and respond to the children. Sometimes, because of poverty, parents
cannot provide this support which can cause developmental delays in their children
(Kaiser & Delaney, 1996). Further, parental interaction is paramount for students and is a
good predictor for student achievement (Kellett & Dar, 2007). Support, stimulation, and
interactions between parents and students at home and school were lacking in this innercity school, as my research demonstrated, resulting in an increase in the delays children
face, as well as a lower level of academic achievement.
When living in poverty parents are often less supportive, consistent, and stimulating,
use less sophisticated language, are punitive, and are more coercive than parents in higher
socioeconomic brackets. Families living in the environment of poverty often do not have

3

stability, security, or access to resources. Pellino (2007) asserted families living in
poverty often do not spend positive time together, causing their relationships with each
other to suffer. Pellino (2007) also argued that the development of positive relationships
and involving parents of children living in poverty in their children's educations are
difficult tasks, but when parental involvement is accomplished, better educational
outcomes are facilitated and student achievement levels improve. My research
demonstrated strategies used which led to increased parental involvement, better
educational outcomes, and improved student achievement.
The central research question for this research project was: What supports and
strategies can a teacher provide to parents to facilitate involvement in their children's
educations and how does the level of involvement affect student learning? Kellett and Dar
(2007) argued for providing parents with assistance and training in ways which parents
can support their children and develop their children's skills; however, they did not
provide any suggestions as to how training could be provided or what is essential for
parents to know. This project provided strategies and training for those parents who are
likely to become involved in their children's educations, particularly if they perceived that
there were opportunities to be involved or were asked by the children or school to become
involved. This research substantiated the work conducted by others (e.g., Pellino, 2007).
Parents and teachers should have an intense moral purpose to improve the lives of the
children. They should both want to provide the student with the best learning experiences
possible and be willing to work together to do so. Teachers should encourage parental
involvement in their children's educations to let parents know parental involvement is
valued, which is what I have done in this project. With encouragement and strategies for

4

involvement provided by the classroom teacher, parents became involved in their
children's educations to help their children succeed at school.
Parental involvement is important for a number of reasons. First, parents hold a great
deal of influence over their children, which should be used wisely. Parents influence their
children's attitudes about schooling by modelling positive school-related behaviours and
attitudes. For instance, Goodman and Gregg (2010) identified a relationship among the
aspirations, attitudes, and behaviours of parents and students and poorer performance from
low-income students. Second, parents have the ability to affect their children's beliefs,
values, interests, self-perceptions, performance, and achievement, and to motivate students
to see that education is important and valued (Pellino, 2007). Last, parents reinforce
specific aspects of school-related learning and enhance positive educational outcomes.
Parental involvement increases achievement (Pellino, 2007). Children living in poverty,
such as many of the children that attend the inner-city school where this research was
conducted, are denied important learning experiences at home and are not exposed to the
background knowledge crucial to the success of their formal learning (Hirsch, 2007).
Background of the project
The inner-city elementary school in which I worked during this project was located in
a lower socioeconomic status neighbourhood in a mid-sized city in British Columbia. The
school population had a lower socioeconomic status, a higher transiency rate than other
schools, and a more significant range of emotional, social, intellectual, and behavioural
needs than schools in the city that were not located in an inner-city neighbourhood. This
school had a Breakfast and Lunch Meals Program for students who could not provide
these meals for themselves. During the 2010-2011 school year, the school enrolled on

5

average 200 students of which approximately one-half were of First Nations ancestry, and
one-third qualified for English-as-a-Second-Language/English-as-a-Second-Dialect
assistance (School District Enrollment Report, 201 0). One-eighth of the students at this
school were designated in special education categories and roughly one-third of the
students in the school had identified learning or behavioural issues (School District
Enrollment Report, 2010). Academically, the school typically scored in the lOth
percentile or below on the annual province-wide Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA)
measuring proficiency in math, reading, and writing at the Grades 4 and 7 levels (BC
Ministry of Education, 2010). This school was designated as a Primary Project school,
which is a targeted funding for addressing the needs of at-risk children. As part of the
Primary Project, the school was provided with extra funding to keep class sizes at 18 or
fewer students in each kindergarten through Grade Three classroom.
Student demographics, limited school-wide funding, resources, and support services
for the 2010-2011 school year challenged educators in the school to meet the needs of
their students. The teachers often became the counsellors, social workers, and parents as
they frequently provided food, clothing, homework support, and a safe and secure
environment for the children. Teachers struggled with finding ways to manage their
classes, motivate their students, teach curriculum, provide a meaningful learning
environment for designated students, and to not bum out from exhaustion. With those
struggles, I turned to parents for additional support in teaching expectations and
curriculum.

6

Personal location
I am a Grade Four/Five teacher at a lower socioeconomic status neighbourhood
school in a mid-sized city in British Columbia. The 2010-2011 school year is my fourth
year at this inner-city elementary school, fifth year as an employee in this school district,
and sixth year teaching elementary school. I have mainly taught at the Grade 4 level my
entire teaching career. At the school where I conducted my research, I was heavily
involved in a Professional Learning Community which is a collaborative culture with a
focus on learning for all and is action oriented and committed to improvement and results
(Pullan, 2007). My school's Professional Learning Community focused on the
development of promising practices in the teaching of reading, writing, and mathematics
skills our students already possessed and the skills they still required to be successful in
school and society.
I was also involved in Professional Reading and Talking meetings at my school.
These meetings were very similar to a book study. Staff members who wished to
participate read an agreed-upon book before these meetings. Meeting time was then used
to discuss the book, the ideas presented, and how we could best use this knowledge to help
our students and school become more successful. During the 2008-2009 school year, the
staff at this school read and discussed Payne's (2005) book A Framework for

Understanding Poverty. The hidden rules of poverty, such as a unique culture, language,
social norms, and behaviours were identified and discussed as a staff while we looked at
how they affected our lower socioeconomic status students, particularly their values,
motivation, decision making, thinking, and social interactions. This was an eye-opening
discovery for many of our staff members, who were predominantly middle class.

7

Comments and thoughts were insightful as we evaluated how the hidden rules affected our
students, school culture, and teaching practices but this inquiry seems to have been left at
the point of discussion. Despite also reading and discussing Payne's (2008) book UnderResourced Learners: 8 Strategies to Boost Student Achievement during the 2009-2010

Professional Reading and Talking Meetings, many issues remained the same at the school
in the 2010-2011 school year, and it seemed as though only a few teachers were
consistently using this knowledge to guide their practices.
Through my research, I aimed to develop a clearer understanding of the level of
parental involvement my students experienced while living in a lower socioeconomic
status neighbourhood and likely a lower socioeconomic status home. This research
allowed me to address how the students' socioeconomic status affected their educations,
and the kinds of strategies and initiatives that would counteract poverty's influence on
their learning and help these children succeed.
Overview of the project
This project aimed to assist parents of children living in poverty by educating them on
ways in which parents could support their children's educations. Poverty is defined as a
pronounced deprivation in well-being, which refers to the resources available to the
individual (Haughton & Khandker, 2009). These resources could include items such as
food , money, shelter, clothing, education, health care, confidence, and rights. Children
living in poverty are at-risk and are likely to fail in school due to their life's social
circumstances (Pellino, 2007). Hodges' (2001) research demonstrated a widening gap in
achievement between children living in poverty and those who are more fortunate. At-risk
children have less parental involvement in their educations when compared to children

8

who are not at risk (Payne, 2005). While parental involvement includes interactions with
the child at home and contact with the school, for the purpose of this project parental
involvement was measured through parental interactions with the classroom teacher and
the parents ' completion of the Parent Communication Book with their children.
There were three main limitations to this project. First, parental involvement
depended on the parents' willingness to participate, which in itself skewed the sample.
How often parents completed the Parent Communication Book and contacted the school
was dependent on the parents, although a schedule for completion was provided by the
classroom teacher. Second, this project was a case study that obtained results from only
one Grade Four/Five classroom. Third, results from this project were gathered by a sole
teacher researcher. As the teacher and researcher of the Grade Four/Five case study class,
I had a vested interest in the students' success. However, I taught the class the same as I
would if I was not researching the level of parental involvement in their education.
Summary

Through a case study of my Grade 4/5 classroom, a relationship between parental
involvement and academic achievement was demonstrated. The goal of this project was
to implement supports at school and at home to mitigate the effects of low parental
involvement on student learning. Specifically, I focussed on developing and encouraging
the parental use of home-based strategies and learning supports to help students achieve
intended learning outcomes in all areas. The way in which I encouraged this involvement
was through the identification of strategies parents could use to support their children's
educations and assisting parents in the use of these strategies. Chapter Two will ground

9

my research in the professional literature. The strategies used to measure parental
involvement are fully described in Chapter Three. Chapter Four will provide the findings
and discussion of my research. The final chapter will outline conclusions and
recommendations derived from my study.

10

Chapter Two: Literature Review

Chapter 1 established the purpose of this project and provided background knowledge
on the school where I conducted this research. The purpose of this project was to
implement supports at school and at home to mitigate the effects of low parental
involvement on student learning. Specifically, I developed strategies and support for
parents that encouraged parental involvement.
This literature review focuses on poverty, parental involvement and the home-school
relationship, strategies for involving parents in their children's education and, outlines
ways in which each of these elements relates to student achievement. To understand the
results of this research project, based on where this research took place, it is first necessary
to understand poverty and the effect it has on education. The literature review begins by
defining poverty and examining the effects of poverty on education and student
achievement. Next, information is provided on parental involvement, the nature of the
home-school relationship, and the connection of both to children's academic achievement.
Lastly, a number of research-based strategies and supports designed to lessen the impacts
of poverty on educational outcomes are identified and examined; specifically ways and
means of increasing parental involvement in their children' s education.
Poverty

Poverty is defined as a pronounced deprivation in well-being, as measured by the
resources available to an individual (Haughton & Khandker, 2009). These resources may
include items such as food, money, shelter, clothing, education, health care, confidence,
and rights. Individuals living in poverty are also viewed as at risk, and include those who
are underachieving, unemployed, and underemployed (Barr & Parrett, 2008). People

11

living in poverty focus on basic survival necessities that allow them to make it through the
day, often with low expectations, a lack of support, and limited possibilities (Beegle,
2007). While poverty is typically thought of in terms of financial resources, emotional
resources and support systems also play dominant roles. Both emotional resources and
support systems address who or what the individual turns to during times of need (Payne,
2005). According to Payne (2005), support systems, which refer to individuals living in
poverty, their friends , and their family, can be categorized into seven groups: (a) coping
strategies, (b) options during problem-solving, (c) information and know how, (d)
temporary relief from emotional, mental, financial, and/or time constraints, (e)
connections to other people and resources, (f) positive self-talk; and (g) procedural selftalk.
Teachers in high-poverty schools face many challenges related to their students'
social needs, such as hunger and health, as well as their academic needs (Flessa &
Gallagher-Mackay, 2010). Low achievement is closely correlated with a lack of resources
and a lower socioeconomic status (Payne, 2005). The common achievement gaps between
high-poverty and low-poverty students signify the importance of meeting students'
academic needs in school. Children who live in poverty typically have high mobility,
irregular attendance, behaviour problems, pronounced emotional states, poor nutrition,
limited parental involvement, and achieve at lower levels than their middle- and upperclass counterparts (Pellino, 2007). Emotions, particularly fear, are high among children of
poverty, negatively affecting their ability to think and learn. Emotions drive attention,
which in turn drives learning and memory (Pellino, 2007). Nutrition also affects learning
by causing frustration, stress, slower thinking, and poor brain development (Pellino,

12

2007). Therefore, if a student comes to school without breakfast, his or her ability to
focus and learn becomes compromised.
Attention, support at home, nutrition, health care, deprivation of sensory learning
experiences, language, and access to resources are other factors affecting education.
These influences have a more negative effect on the education of students living in
poverty and a more positive effect on the education of students living in higher-income
situations (Pellino, 2007). According to Flessa and Gallagher-Mackay (20 10), educators
need to appreciate the circumstances of poverty, while providing students with the skills
needed to be successful. Schools are responsible for providing all students with a basic
education and knowledge of endless possibilities, which may actually break the cycle of
poverty (Danielson, 2002).
Living in poverty affects education in different ways compared to the effects higher
socioeconomic homes have on education. The impact parents have on their children's
educations is undeniable. From values, lifestyle, nutrition, and communication, to
emotional support and shelter, parents affect every aspect of their children's lives.
Differences between the home lives of high-income and low-income students are vast
(Goodman & Gregg, 2010). Raising a child while living in poverty means there are
certain behaviours and outcomes parents are more likely to experience that will affect that
child's upbringing. Many parents of children living in poverty lack education beyond high
school and often do not convey the value and importance of education to their children
(Beegle, 2007). According to Goodman and Gregg (2010), the home learning
environments, resources, background knowledge, level of language obtained before
entering school, health care, family interactions, and parenting styles of low-income

13

families are often lacking and have a negative effect on education. Limited parental
resources and time for parents can translate to limited background knowledge and skills
for students, which is an effect of poverty on the academic achievement of children
(Chenoweth, 201 0).
Goodman and Gregg (2010) conducted a study seeking to find the causes of the
widening educational attainment gap between high- and low-income students. They
examined factors influencing children's education using data gathered from the following
studies: (a) Millennium Cohort Study; (b) Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and
Children; (c) Longitudinal Study of Young People in England; and (d) the
Intergenerational Transmission: The children of the British Cohort Study.
The Millennium Cohort Study started as a longitudinal study based on a survey of 18
000 children born in the United Kingdom in 2000. Data were collected when the children
were 9 months old, 36 months old, and five years old. Data were also collected when the
children were seven years old, but not yet included in this study in 2009. Additional data
will be collected in 2011, when the children are 11 years old. The analysis sample
included children whose parents completed all three surveys and children for whom the
mother was the main respondent. Children who had missing data in their completed
survey, or whose parents did not complete all surveys, were excluded, leaving the sample
size at 11 100.
The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children recruited 14 000 pregnant
women in England expected to deliver their children between April 1, 1991 and December
31 , 1992. Parents were surveyed through questionnaires delivered via the post office from
the beginning of the mother's pregnancy. Children also participated in a number of

14

hands-on clinics in which the researchers tested their physical, psychometric, and
psychological abilities. The final Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children
sample used for analysis consisted of7 764 children who remained in the study from birth
to age nine.

The Longitudinal Study of Young People in England began with the study of more
than 15 000 students who were 13-14 years old in 2003 or 2004 and born in 1989 or 1990.
The Longitudinal Study of Young People in England survey included higher samples from
minority ethnic groups and schools with high deprivation scores. Waves of data were
collected once annually, but only included state-schooled children. The Longitudinal

Study ofYoung People in England report analyzed three of these waves, with an estimated
sample size of 13 343.

The Intergenerational Transmission: The children of the British Cohort Study aimed
to recruit all children born during a specific week in Great Britain in April 1970.
Participants were surveyed on their own cognitive and non-cognitive skills, along with
their attitudes and behaviours. The children and their families were surveyed in person,
on the telephone, and through the mail at the ages of 5, 10, 16, 26, 29, and 34. At the age
of 34, in the year 2004, information was collected on children living with original survey
participants. The sample size analysis was limited to participants with children who were
between the ages of three and sixteen in 2004. This restriction resulted in a sample size of
3 416 children, belonging to 2 059 original participants. The average age ofthe children
was seven years old, with slightly more than a third between the ages of3-5. Another 40
percent were between the ages of 6-9, and approximately 25 percent were between the
ages of 10-16.

15

Goodman and Gregg's (20 10) study showed family interactions, health and wellbeing, horne learning environments, and parenting styles of low-income families often had
a negative effect on education. Goodman and Gregg identified aspirations, attitudes, and
behaviours of parents and students as factors affecting students' educational performances.
The attitudes, aspirations, and behaviours of parents and students with a lower
socioeconomic status were lower, and had a more negative effect on students' learning,
than those of parents of higher socioeconomic status. Goodman and Gregg also reported
children and parents living in poverty have low self-esteem, lowering their expectations
for success in school. The negative attitudes towards education held by parents and
students, in conjunction with their socioeconomic disadvantages, resulted in lower student
educational attainments (Goodman & Gregg, 2010).
Goodman and Gregg's (2010) findings demonstrated a relationship between family
background variables, parents' and children's attitudes and behaviours, and the children's
levels of educational attainment. Their findings included the identification of three major
areas requiring change: parents and the family horne, children's attitudes and behaviours,
and the school's approach to the situation. According to Goodman and Gregg (2010),
improving the horne learning environment for families with lower socioeconomic statuses
leads to higher self-esteem and higher aspirations. Given the relationship between these
attitudinal qualities and achievement, Goodman and Gregg concluded improving the horne
life of lower socioeconomic status students should result in positive educational gains.
Marzano (2003) discussed three basic elements involving school which are connected
to the horne atmosphere: (a) communication about school, (b) supervision, and (c) parental
expectations and parenting styles. Examples of communication about school include: (a)

16

parents frequently discussing schoolwork with their children, (b) parents encouraging their
children in regards to their schoolwork, and (c) parents' providing resources to help their
children complete schoolwork (Marzano, 2003). The supervision element of the home
environment relates to the extent parents monitor and control their children's behaviours
to achieve academic gains. Examples of supervision include: (a) monitoring homework
time, (b) monitoring when students arrive home from school, (c) monitoring after-school
activities, and (d) monitoring how much television is viewed (Marzano, 2003). Parental
expectations and parenting styles are the most important elements of the home
environment. When parents communicate high academic aspirations to their children the
result is often higher academic achievement (Marzano, 2003).
Marzano (2003) noted four factors typically associated with lower socioeconomic
status: (a) parents' income, (b) parents' level of education, (c) parents' occupation, and (d)
the atmosphere in the home (Marzano, 2003). The home atmosphere has the strongest
relationship with student achievement levels, and this atmosphere often varies based on
socioeconomic status (Marzano, 2003).Chenoweth (20 10) asserts parents with a middle
class income have the time, energy, resources, and skills to support their children in areas
where their schooling may fall short. Parents of children living in poverty often do not
have the same time, energy, resources, or skills to support their children. Schools,
however, can provide parents with the skills they need to help their children succeed at
school. Marzano (2003) states educators can positively impact the atmosphere of the home
to increase student achievement. While schools cannot directly intervene in the home
environment, they can provide training and information on establishing a home
environment that promotes academic success. Training and support can be provided to
parents to: (a) enhance communication between parents and their children in regards to

17

school, (b) manage the supervision of their children, and (c) provide ways in which they
can communicate their expectations to their children (Marzano, 2003).
Parental involvement and the home-school relationship
Most, if not all, parents and educators want children to succeed at school. This
genuine commitment is needed from both sides to make a truly positive difference in the
children's lives. According to Greene and Long (2011), education must be a joint effort,
with schools and homes working together to educate children. Educators typically define
parental involvement as the degree of communication parents have with the teacher and
the degree to which parents participate in events within the school. Parents, on the other
hand, relate their own level of involvement to assisting with homework (Greene & Long,
2011). Educators view parental involvement in education as essential, and Barr and
Parrett (2008) argued that it is one of seven characteristics that drive success.
Hodges ' (200 1) research showed a widening achievement gap between children
living in poverty and those who are living in more fortunate circumstances. Hirsch (2007)
reviewed and summarized eight research projects and reports funded by the Joseph
Rowntree Foundation examining the experiences of children from different backgrounds
and their attitudes towards education in the United Kingdom, particularly Northern
Ireland. Hirsch (2007) stated low income is a strong predictor of low educational
performance, because parents living in poverty often: (a) lack opportunities, (b) have low
skills and low qualifications, (c) are less likely to work, and (d) are more likely to have
low earnings. When parents living in poverty have to choose between earning an income

18

and helping their children in other ways, it is difficult for them to give their children the
life chances and attention they deserve in terms of the parents' time.
Outside of school, children living in poverty experience different relationships with
their peers, teachers, homework, and learning experiences (Hirsch, 2007). Payne (2005)
asserted these relationships are key to academic achievement. Children living in poverty
receive little help from parents with homework on a regular basis, have to work in louder
homes, and have many more distractions than their economically-advantaged counterparts
(Hirsch, 2007). The lack of support children living in poverty receive at home results in
children having low skills and qualifications, contributing to the cycle of poverty as these
disadvantages are carried through to adulthood (Hirsch, 2007).
Interactions children have with their parents, before and during their school years,
affect the children's literacy skills, as parents are their first teachers (Kellett & Dar, 2007).
According to Kellett and Dar, socioeconomically advantaged students more often have
someone to with whom to communicate, who listens to them and engages them in
conversation on a regular basis. When students from these advantaged homes enter school,
they are a slightly above average in terms of their knowledge, skills, and understanding.
An achievement gap exists between these advantaged students and disadvantaged
students, who watch considerably more television and do not have someone to with whom
to regularly converse to build their knowledge and language skills (Kellett & Dar, 2007).
Students who do not master basic skills cannot successfully do homework, and are often
retained and or allowed to meet lower expectations. They rarely catch up with their peers,
have an increased probability of dropping out of school, and are likely to be unemployed
or underemployed (Barr & Parrett, 2008). Finally, children with strong literacy skills have

19

many opportunities in front of them as they become adults, and a real chance to escape the
cycle of poverty (Flessa & Gallagher-Mackay, 201 0).
Mackay and Myles (1995) reported similar findings through their study on conflicting
perspectives for the reasons behind dropping out of school. Mackay and Myles' (1995)
study analyzed 42 factors closely associated with dropping out of school or contributing to
the decision to drop out of school. Open-ended statements were created and used to
interview 310 participants, including students, teachers, and parents of Aboriginal students
in Ontario. The interviewees indicated which factors they agreed with as contributing to
dropping out of school, and to what extent they agreed with its influence. Mackay and
Myles' (1995) study identified three main issues: language skills, parental support, and
home-school communication. Similar to Mackay and Myles' (1995) study, my study
demonstrated a lack of language skills, limited parental support, and limited home-school
communication for my sample of students.
One of the three main issues identified by most educator interviewees as related to
students ' socioeconomic status and contributing to students dropping out of school was
language skills (e.g. , Mackay & Myles, 1995; Payne, 2005). Educators interviewed by
Mackay and Myles (1995) stated the language skills of the Aboriginal students in Mackay
and Myles' (1995) were inadequate and believed the lack of support and reinforcement of
literacy skills in the home exacerbated the students' poor language abilities. The students'
poor language skills were linked, by the teachers, to the following difficulties related to
socioeconomic factors: (a) parents ' lack of education, (b) little to no reading activity and
materials at home, (c) lack of encouragement from home to read at home, (d) the
dominance of television as a recreational activity in the home, and (e) little to no
background knowledge and experience using the academic English language at home

20

(Mackay & Myles, 1995). Many parents, on the other hand, believed the education
system was fully responsible for the poor language skills of the students, and did not link
that problem as a reason for dropping out of school (Mackay & Myles, 1995).
All educators interviewed by Mackay and Myles believed parental support affected
students' school performance and affected dropout rates. These educators believed
parents were missing the necessary skills to motivate their children, lacked interest in their
children's education, and did not teach their children to value education. Educators judged
the extent of parental support based on the parents' attendance at parent-teacher nights
(Mackay & Myles, 1995). However, Mackay and Myles (1995) stated these educators
may not have taken into account that many parents are unfamiliar with the education
system, uncomfortable in schools, have had negative experiences with school, and do not
view themselves as playing a part in the school.
While there was some disagreement between parents and educators on language skills
being a factor in dropout rates, both groups involved in Mackay and Myles' (1995) study
agreed home-school communication was lacking in quantity and quality, though their
reasons varied. Respondents to the study felt there was little trust, respect, and
understanding between all parties. Parents complained they only heard from the school
when there was a problem, while educators complained they were the only ones to initiate
interactions, which typically involved difficulties (Mackay & Myles, 1995). Parents
tended to avoid these interactions, as they seemed to be one-directional. Cultural, physical,
and psychological barriers also played parts in the low level of home-school
communication (Mackay & Myles, 1995). For example, limited transportation, isolated
communities, no telephone, inability to read and/or understand written communication,
and children not passing on communication were physical barriers associated with home-

21

school communication. For home-school communication to flourish parents and
educators need to cooperate and be committed to the essential reason for the
communication: the students' success (Mackay & Miles, 1995).
A strong relationship between the school and home is a key element to a successful
education. Relationships must be built using a common link, such as the student, to assert
how those people involved in the relationship, such as the school and home, are similar
(Beegle, 2007). Phelan and Schonour (2004) supported developing trusting relationships
between the home and school, with consistency being the key, to ensure the student's
success at school. Adults involved in children's lives need to be open and willing to
compromise in order to do what is in the best interests of the child (Phelan & Schonour,
2004). This openness does not mean educators telling parents how to raise their children;
instead, it means working collaboratively with parents and providing them with specific
examples, training, and guidance in ways they can support their children at home to ensure
success (Phelan & Schonour, 2004). However, even though an effective working
relationship between the home and school needs to be developed as an essential element
of a child's education, home-school communication is often the sole responsibility of the
classroom teacher, instead of a mutual, two-way interaction between the home and the
teacher (Danielson, 2002).
Teachers in disadvantaged schools face different difficulties than teachers in
advantaged schools. Over a six-year period, Chenoweth (2010) identified and visited highperforming schools with a significant population of students living in poverty and a high
number of students of non-Caucasian ethnicity. Students were identified as living in
poverty based on their eligibility for the free meals program. Schools were considered

22

high-performing based on state math and reading test scores. Chenoweth (2010) asserted
middle class schools can accept sloppiness because they have parents who have the time,
energy, and resources to support their children in areas where their schooling may fall
short. Chenoweth (20 10) also stated that parents of children living in poverty do not have
the time, energy, or resources to support their children, leaving the schools of these
children to meet every need of the child. This results in administrators and teachers
working extra hours with thought, care, and precision to meet the needs of their students.
Teachers and administrators at high-achieving high-poverty schools have high
expectations, provide support, and use their time and resources carefully; they know what
children need to learn and will do whatever is necessary to ensure learning happens.
School administrators and teachers help their students succeed at school in the following
ways: (a) regularly shuffling teaching assignments to benefit students, (b) providing
students with the most helpful teaching expertise, (c) observing teachers several times
throughout the school year, (d) paying attention to detail and using every minute available
to them, and (e) using field trips to build the background knowledge students living in
poverty are missing and need to be successful (Chenoweth, 2010).
Flessa and Gallagher-Mackay (20 10) conducted a qualitative case study during the
2007-2008 school year involving 11 urban and rural elementary schools across Ontario.
The Ontario Ministry of Education, using Statistics Canada data, identified each of these
schools as working with students and communities affected by poverty. Teachers,
administrators, and parents also described the school and its neighbourhood in this
manner. Methods used to conduct this study included school visits, document analysis,
and interviews. Interviews were conducted at each school with the principal, at least four

23

teachers in leadership roles, and at least two parents. Flessa and Gallagher-Mackay (2010)
created narratives to describe the ways these educators and parents shape their work with
students and communities affected by poverty. These were then coded to identify three
main themes: (a) efforts to connect with parents and the community, (b) building
connections within the school, and (c) research and collaborative inquiry as opportunities
for teacher learning (Flessa & Gallagher-Mackay, 2010).
Many of the individuals interviewed by Flessa and Gallagher-Mackay (2010) at highpoverty schools in Ontario identified challenges associated with connecting to parents and
the community. Positive relationships developed when staff engaged parents respectfully,
but these types of interactions were limited in most high-poverty schools. Frequent
negative interactions resulted in a negative school reputation, discouraging parents from
entering the school. This could have had a devastating effect on developing relationships
with parents, as many parents had negative school experiences themselves and were often
scared to come into the schools (Flessa & Gallagher-Mackay, 2010). Most educators
believed the families' lacks of interest in their children's educations and the lack of
support for school goals led to the children's lower academic achievement (Flessa &
Gallagher-Mackay, 2010). The lack of interest identified by educators often made it
difficult to make positive connections with families. Educators at many of the highpoverty Ontario schools examined emphasised the need to build relationships, one family
at a time.
Flessa and Gallagher-Mackay (20 10) identified building connections within the
school as the second dominant theme in high-poverty schools in Ontario. This theme
connected to the third theme, research and collaborative inquiry as opportunities for

24

teacher learning. Schools focused on building connections between adults and students,
and students and students. Schools used assemblies and performances to build a sense of
school community. In two of the case studies, school educators worked hard to create a
cross-grade community where students and teachers knew each other beyond their specific
classrooms (Flessa & Gallagher-Mackay, 201 0). Teachers in these schools tried to learn
what works best in their classrooms, understand test results, and use data to assess their
progress. Educators employed shared leadership, research-based inquiry, and supportive
measures to focus on the needs of the students. The educators' primary goal in the
schools studied by Flessa and Gallagher-Mackay (2010) was getting to know their
students so they could meet their students' academic and social needs. All educators
acknowledged the significance and importance of parental and community involvement,
both formal and informal.
Strategies to increase parental involvement in education

Poverty affects learning in many different ways, and requires a multi-faceted
approach to mitigate its effects on student learning and achievement. Slavin (1998)
proposed changing the mindsets of educators by acknowledging children living in poverty
as at-promise as opposed to at-risk. According to Slavin, attempts should be made to start
educating children formally as early as three and four years old through programs such as

Head Start, Strong Start, or Ready-Set-Learn . Education and effective schooling can
provide children living in poverty with the skills they need to succeed at life and break the
cycle of poverty. For example, Success For All provides high-poverty elementary schools
with programs and services to ensure the early, and continued, success of students.
Students are assessed to ensure they are on track, with interventions applied as needed.

25

Tutoring or homework clubs are two strategies high-poverty schools use to meet the needs
oftheir students (Slavin, 1998). Increased instruction time for reading and math also
contribute to increased student success levels (Barr and Parrett, 2008). A family support
program is also in place in Success for All schools, its purpose being to solve nonacademic problems and engage parents in their children's learning. This program takes
place through special meetings, support groups, and activity nights, which try to assist
families (Slavin, 1998).
Requirements from education are different for different groups of children. Pellino
(2007) asserted a good education for students living in poverty is one that closes the
achievement gap and notes there are many ways to achieve this. At-risk students need to
be educated with relevant and motivating content. Opportunities for intellectual
development and social interactions are limited for children living in poverty compared to
children of other social classes (Pellino, 2007). The lack of early childhood education
robs children living in poverty of the variety of multi-sensory learning experiences
necessary to work on patterning, sorting, classifying, numbers, and shapes (Pellino, 2007).
Despite the importance of early childhood education's role in helping children become
ready to learn when they enter school, it is often difficult for poor families to obtain. This
limits the background knowledge, language development, higher order thinking skills, and
problem solving skills of the student, creating challenges when they reach school (Pellino,
2007).
Students living in poverty need to be provided with readiness skills and parent and
family involvement in their education. Positive parental involvement in education is
directly related to academic achievement and improved relationships between parents,

26

teacher, and students (Barr & Parrett, 2008). One way to involve parents in their
children's education is making learning opportunities available to them in the early
childhood years. Making early childhood learning opportunities available encourages
parents to attend the learning group and participate in activities with their children. Early
childhood education support programs, such as Strong Start and Ready-Set-Learn, can be
established at the school level as strategies or support programs, in an effort to combat the
lack of early childhood education in high-poverty areas. These programs, aimed at
children under the age of five, provide exposure to patterning, art, reading, singing,
socializing, and other educational activities children may not receive at home.
According to Hirsch (2007), children living in poverty are denied important learning
experiences and background knowledge crucial to their formal learning. Low income
students participate in fewer out of school activities, resulting in a lack of self confidence
and more unsupervised play time. Hirsch (2007) asserted children living in poverty need
to be provided with opportunities to participate in structured programs outside of school,
and that making parents aware of after-school programs being offered in the community,
particularly when there is no cost involved, is an important job all teachers teaching in a
high-poverty school should take upon themselves. The simple knowledge of what is
available, along with the encouragement and excitement surrounding the new activity,
may be all it takes to get the family involved in the activity. These opportunities could be
at the school, run by the school, or part of a community centre. In all instances,
involvement in after school activities is directly related to self esteem, background
knowledge, and academic achievement (Hirsch, 2007).

27

Flessa and Gallagher-Mackay's (2010) qualitative case study involving 11 Ontario
elementary schools working with students and communities affected by poverty resulted
in some schools finding success in hosting events families could attend with their children,
while others found these events had to showcase the children to make them successful.
Even when food was provided, many curriculum nights were not a success. Fundraising,
in particular, did not work well in high-poverty schools, as many parents could not afford
to contribute (Flessa & Gallagher-Mackay, 2010). Some schools were successful in
connecting to the community by providing hot lunch programs, snack programs, early
childhood programs, parenting programs, dental care, and cultural events (Flessa &
Gallagher-Mackay, 20 I 0). Children benefited from these programs through improved
access to nutrition and needed services, and the school benefited directly through the
connection with the community.
Motivating children living in poverty revolves around restoring their self-images and
encouraging them to see the rewards of education. Motivation to learn is often low for
children living in poverty due to their living environments and the culture of poverty
(Pellino, 2007). Children living in poverty need to feel secure, confident, respected, and
trusted, making positive relationships essential. Haberman (1995) asserted classrooms in
low-income schools must be safe, interesting, and engaging. Teachers should set goals,
assign challenging tasks, and provide meaningful activities in which all students can
succeed. Parents should also be actively engaged in their children's educations. Everyone
involved in the education of children at high-poverty schools should ask why they are
doing what they are doing (Barr & Parrett, 2008).

28

Teachers should not focus solely on the results, but also on the learning process and
effort. Goal-setting is an excellent strategy for communicating about student achievement
with the home (Chappuis & Chappuis, 2002). Goal setting should be encouraged,
allowing children to identify areas they need to work on and how they can meet their
goals. Setting goals encourages students' ownership of their learning, while successfully
meeting goals results in increased self-esteem (Haberman, 1995). While no specific
example for goal setting was given by Haberman, Chapter 3 presents a parent
communication book, which was used with my sample of students, as one way to
implement student goal-setting and communication among the student, parent, and
teacher.
Strategies focused on increasing parental involvement in the school have a positive
effect on student learning and help students view education as important and having value
(Chappuis & Chappuis, 2002). Children experience the world through their parents.
Parents mediate the environment, provide support and stimulation, and respond to the
child. Sometimes, because of poverty, and by extension, lack of knowledge, parents do
not do this and cause developmental delays in their children (Kaiser & Delaney, 1996).
Often, parents living in poverty are less supportive, consistent, and stimulating; they use
less sophisticated language, may be punitive, and coercive. Families living in
impoverished environments often do not have stability, security, and access to resources,
either emotional or financial. Typically, families living in poverty do not spend positive
time together, causing the family's relationships to suffer (Kaiser & Delaney, 1996).
Developing positive relationships and getting parents living in poverty involved in their
child's education is a difficult task, but when it is accomplished it facilitates better

29

educational outcomes and improves student achievement. Educators need to acknowledge
and support parental involvement at home, which has an impact on school achievement,
attendance, and behaviour (Snell, 2011 ).
Establishing parental engagement in education starts with effective teacher-parent
communication (Barr & Parrett, 2008). Parental engagement has a positive relationship
with children's educations resulting in: (a) increased academic achievement, (b) improved
parent-child communication, (c) improved student attitudes and behaviour, (d) better
attendance, and (e) consistently completed homework (Barr & Parrett, 2008). According
to Barr and Parrett (2008), there are several ways to involve parents in their children's
education. Parents can be invited into the classroom, during school hours or after school,
to learn strategies for helping their child at home; they can attend field trips with their
children, expanding their own background knowledge while participating in educational
activities. Teachers can also send activities home for students to complete with their
parents, or schedule regular meetings with students and their parents, such as student-led
parent-teacher interviews. The key to conferencing with parents is to listen, ask questions,
discuss options, and identify a solution or plan (Payne, 2008). Conducting conferences
with parents at least twice a year, which accommodate varying schedules and child care,
are part of an effective communication program (Barr & Parrett, 2008). The study
conducted with my sample of students incorporated many of the strategies suggested by
Barr and Parrett (2008), such as invitations to school events and interviews.
Providing informal activities, during which parents and educators can interact with
each other, promotes positive relationship-building (Barr & Parrett, 2008). A variety of
informal activities can be offered, such as literacy nights, craft nights, games nights, and

30

museum nights. Museum nights are similar to traditional Open House nights, but are
viewed as less formal. Museum nights allow parents to come and go and view student
work and displays as is convenient for them (Payne, 2008). Successful initiatives that
bring many parents into the school often offer food, encourage children to attend with
their parents, and provide benefits for the parents (Payne, 2008).
Conclusion

Striking differences are found between social classes when comparing health, wellbeing, and education, as those individuals in lower socioeconomic classes are worse off
than those with greater economic resources (Flessa & Gallagher-Mackay, 2010). Parents
and students living in poverty are often denied a choice in schooling as they live in
distressed neighbourhoods and are assigned to specific schools with significantly fewer
financial resources than schools with higher-income students and parents (Barr & Parrett,
2008). Children living in poverty are at-risk and likely to fail in school due to their life's
socioeconomic circumstances; circumstances with negative, pervasive factors detrimental
to learning and generally beyond the control of the educational system (Pellino, 2007).
Socioeconomic factors include parental occupation, income, educational background,
ethnicity, increased family mobility, and family size, and are predominate determinates of
school dropout (Mackay & Myles, 1995). With the focus on survival, including adequate
housing, food, and health care rather than education, children living in poverty are left
behind academically (Beegle, 2007). Parents of students living in poverty have limited
time and resources available to help their children, which can translate to limited
background knowledge and skills for students. Students living in poverty often arrive at
school unprepared for the academic expectations of school (Barr & Parrett, 2008).

31

However, a good school with educators working together can overcome the effects of
poverty, with teacher quality being the most influential factor in student achievement
(Barr & Parrett, 2008). Two factors that help individuals move out of poverty can be
provided by schools: education and positive relationships (Payne, 2005). It is the
educators in schools that have the opportunity to influence the students' non-financial
resources to make a positive difference in their students' lives (Payne, 2005).
There are significant differences between schools serving low-income communities
and schools serving high-income communities (Flessa & Gallagher-Mackay, 2010). There
are also differences in the ways children from advantaged and disadvantaged schools are
socialized into, and interact with, the education system (Hirsch, 2007). There are further
discrepancies between access and opportunities available to students attending highpoverty and low-poverty schools, as there are many critical differences between these
schools (Gorski, 2006). The quality of teachers, technology, facilities, building, materials,
class size, and expectations are often lower in high-poverty schools compared to their lowpoverty counterparts. Children are very aware of social differences between classes from
an early age and are aware of the class bias present in schools and school policies, which
benefit middle and upper class students more than high-poverty students, and contribute to
the cycle of poverty (Gorski, 2006). Differences between teachers, buildings, skills of
students, and access to resources and funding are all relevant to students living in poverty,
and all affect students' learning.
Parents need to recognize the value of their involvement in their children's education
and take advantage of the opportunities afforded to them (Chappuis & Chappuis, 2002),
and parents and educators have a shared interest in the students ' academic achievement

32

(Barr & Parrett, 2008). While there are several ways to involve parents in their children's
education, one effective method for engaging families is through the use of daily or
weekly communication with detailed information on how parents can assist their children
in achieving learning objective (Barr & Parrett, 2008). Weekly goal setting by a student,
for example, could be responded to by the student's parents in a parent communication
book. The purpose of this two-way communication should be to establish trust between
the student, the teacher, and the parent. All parties involved in communication should be
open, helpful, friendly, and respectful (Barr & Parrett, 2008). Supporting parents in
establishing effective communication between the student, parent, and teacher is essential,
and may be the difference between success and failure (Barr & Parrett, 2008).
The review ofliterature for this project focused on poverty, the home-school
relationship, parental involvement, and the affect each have on their children's education,
academically, socially, and emotional. Parental involvement is necessary in children's
education, whether that child is struggling or not, and children need to know that what
they are doing is important and has a purpose. Research for this review led to the
implementation and development of several parental involvement strategies in my
classroom with the sample of students used for this study. The purpose of the
implementation of these strategies was to build and nurture parental involvement that
supported the learning of students. An in-depth analysis of the strategies used to influence
parental involvement in their children's education and how the parental involvement
affected the children's academic achievement are fully described in Chapter 3.

33

Chapter Three: Research Methodology
Chapter 1 introduced the purpose of this project, which was to answer the research
question: What supports and strategies can a teacher provide to parents to facilitate
parental involvement in their children's educations and how does the level of parental
involvement affect student learning? Chapter 2 surveyed the literature and demonstrated
poverty affects education in areas such as background knowledge, motivation, self-esteem,
parental involvement, and academic achievement. Strategies for increasing parental
involvement in their children's educations were also presented in detail, while asserting
parental involvement is necessary in children's educations, whether their children are
struggling or not. Children need to know their educational activities are purposeful and
important.
This chapter begins by outlining my research methodology and addressing the
rationale for the qualitative, participant-observer research design chosen for this case
study. Next, I discuss my data sources and collection methods. Finally, I detail the
strategies used in this project to build and nurture parental involvement to support the
learning of students, who may or may not be living in poverty.

Research methodology
This project was a case study employing a qualitative, participant-observer research
design. According to Marshall (1999), qualitative research is uniquely suited for
"research that is exploratory and descriptive that assumes the value of the context and the
setting and that searches for a deeper understanding . .. of the phenomenon" (p. 60). In this
study, the context and the setting, an intermediate classroom in a school in a high-poverty

34

neighbourhood, are central to the rationale for implementing and studying the parental
involvement strategies. The phenomenon being investigated is parental involvement in
their children's educations and its influence on student achievement, and students and
parents living in poverty are highly relevant to the research question. McMillan (2008)
stated that qualitative research often takes place in naturally occurring settings, unlike
quantitative research in which behaviours and settings are controlled and manipulated.
The research for this project was conducted within the context of my regular classroom
and teaching environment. The group under study were the parents and students
associated with my classroom; their behaviours and the results of my applied parental
intervention strategies were not compared to a control group as they would have been in a
quantitative study. My purpose was to examine and apply strategies within the context of
my own classroom learning environment. Because the parental involvement strategies
were introduced and observed, rather than manipulated and controlled, a qualitative model
is most appropriate for describing their effects on, and relationships to, student
achievement. As a qualitative researcher I focused on gathering and analyzing data to
answer the "how" and "what" as opposed to the quantitative researcher's pursuit of the
answer, "why" (Creswell, 1998).
I chose a participant-observer case study model because I was investigating a single
entity in a specific time and setting. According to McMillan (2008), a case study can be
tailored to meet the needs and findings of an investigation as information is gathered and
the researcher learns more about the setting, people, and other potential sources of
information. While some case studies employ an ethnographic approach in which the
researcher is totally immersed in the culture under investigation, my study required some

35

distance between me and the student and parent participants. As a participant-observer, I
was able to interact with students and parents at the school throughout the research period.
I introduced parental involvement strategies to students in the classroom, but I did not
participate in, nor observe, what happened in the students' homes with their parents. For
this reason a purely ethnographic approach was inappropriate. Creswell (1998) purported
that a case study explores a system or situation within certain boundaries and parameters.
A case study is suitable for studying programs, events, activities, or individuals, and
involves collecting information from multiple sources. Choosing a case study was
appropriate for my investigation, as I was examining a single entity, the implementation
and impact of parental involvement strategies, during a fixed time frame between
September 2010 and February 2011. By using a case study to research this project, I, the
classroom teacher, was able to conduct an in-depth analysis of parental involvement in
their children's educations and how this parental involvement affected their children's
academic achievement.
Data collection methods and sources

The purpose of this research was to assess what supports and strategies a teacher can
provide to facilitate parental involvement in their children's educations and how the level
of parental involvement students experience affects their learning. Case studies typically
require a wide variety of data collection to help the researcher build an in-depth picture of
the case (Creswell, 1998).0fthe main forms Creswell (1998) states are generally used for
a case study (documents, interviews, archival records, direct observation, participant
observation, physical artifacts), I chose to focus on documents. The documents I used
were the following: (a) parent communication books, (b) parent-teacher interview records,

36

(c) parent contact logs, (d) 6+1 Traits of Writing assessments, (e) Reading A -Z and Toolkit
reading assessments; and (f) questionnaire.
I chose to focus on documents as they fit more naturally into my regular classroom
activities and teaching methods. The various documents provided a variety of data on
both the use of the parental involvement strategies and student achievement. I purposely
avoided traditional interviews, detailed observations, and field notes, as they are not
typically part of my regular interactions with students and parents. Using these methods, I
felt, would insert myself into the research process in an unnatural manner that would
possibly create parental and student discomfort and impact their own participation. As
Marshall (1999) noted, interviews potentially create discomfort, irrelevant or inappropriate
responses and can be hampered by the interviewees' lack of language skills and
background knowledge. Taking detailed field notes during parent-teacher interviews that
were conducted individually during a brief 15-minute period would have adversely
impacted the amount of communication. Parents may have felt self-conscious at the sight
of my taking notes and recording observations.
As the classroom teacher, I collected data on a daily basis from my own Grade
Four/Five classroom during the 2010-2011 school year. I collected data in three areas in
support of the central research question. First, I recorded the return and completion rates
of the parent communication books, as well as the frequency of parent-teacher contact, to
help assess how involved parents were in their children' s educations. I also collected data
on the students' achievement levels in writing and reading.

37

I recorded the return rates and the completion rates of the parent communication
books, weekly for each student, based on the day of the week the students returned their
books to class. For example, if a student returned the book on a Monday, I recorded a
mark in that column of my return rate log. At the end of the research period, I calculated
the total days of return (Monday to Friday) and the total number of times the book was
returned by day to arrive at an overall total by student.
Data on parental contact with the classroom teacher were also collected and recorded
by me in a parent contact log, on a daily basis if contact occurred. Methods of contact
included telephone, in person, written notes, email, and the student's planner.
I measured academic achievement using September 2010 and February 2011 Reading
A-Z and Toolkit reading assessment scores and 6+ 1 Traits of Writing rubric assessment

scores. I assessed students and recorded the results for September 2010 and February
2011. All of these assessments are performance-based, criteria-referenced assessments
that focus on student achievement of specific standards and skills. The reading
assessments use levels to designate reading achievement. For Reading A-Z, Level A is the
lowest level and Level Z is the highest reading level. The program continues with the
next assessment, Toolkit for which Level2a is the lowest level and Level 7c is the highest
level. Each level in Toolkit has an "a" meaning the beginning of that level, a "b" meaning
the middle of that level, and a "c" meaning the end of that level. All of these assessments
have been derived from British Columbia Ministry of Education Integrated Resource
Package learning outcomes, and are not norm-referenced, standardized tests with
statistical validity and reliability ratings similar to those of the Foundation Skills
Assessment or Canadian Achievement Test of Basic Skills.

38

Although all of these assessments are criteria and performance based, they do refer to
grade equivalencies, which are not valid since they do not take into account individual
differences when comparing students based on their grade level and are subject to gross
errors when transforming from raw scores to grade equivalencies. Grade equivalencies
assume students should be performing at the average level for their grade, even though
most students will fall above or below average for their grade level. Despite the
limitations, I chose to use these assessments to create a reference point for evaluating and
communicating student achievement on specific learning targets throughout the year, not
to address what grade level students were achieving. For the purposes of reporting
differences between the Fall and Spring assessments, I used the levels provided by the
Reading A-Z and Toolkit manuals. For example, one student's score from Reading A-Z

was converted to Level Tin September but in February that score had moved to Level W
which demonstrated a marked improvement.
According to Stiggins, Arter, Chappuis, & Chappuis (2006), quality classroom
assessment is built around five key dimensions: (a) serves the specific information needs
of the specific user, (b) clearly articulates appropriate achievement targets, (c) accurately
reflects student achievement, (d) effectively communicates results to the intended users,
and (e) involves students. The 6+ I Traits of Writing and Reading A-Z assessments reflect
these dimensions. The focus of each assessment is formative; they indicate a student's
progress towards specific learning outcomes and provide clear learning targets to help the
students meet those learning outcomes. According to Stiggins et. al. (2006), formative
assessments are appropriate for providing the day to day information needed in the
classroom. Formative assessments are part of my regular classroom assessment and

39

instruction methods and provide an effective means of measuring student achievement of
targeted learning outcomes.
Parent communication book. Chapter 1 described the classroom and school where
the research took place. The nature of this school makes it important to note the impact
poverty has on children and education. At-risk children have less parental involvement in
their education when compared to children who are not at risk (Payne, 2005). While
parental involvement includes interactions with the child at home and contact with the
school, for the purpose of this project, parental involvement was limited to interactions
parents had with me as the classroom teacher and the parent's completion of the parent
communication book with their child.
Parental involvement was first implemented in the classroom being studied through
the use of a weekly parent communication book (see Appendix A for a sample parent
communication book page). During classtime, students completed their portions of the
parent communication book at the end of each school week. As the classroom teacher, I
assisted the process, as needed. To complete the parent communication book, students
had to reflect on their week's activities at school and highlight an area at which they did
well during that particular week. For example, one student completed the sentence starter,
"This week I did well at: _ __" with "drawing and colouring in my sketchbook".
Students then identified an area on which they needed to work for the upcoming week. For
example, another student completed the sentence starter, "Something I need to work on
this week is:

"with "my math and multiplying". After identifying the area

needing extra attention, students recorded two suggestions for addressing that need in
relation to (a) how their parents could help them at home to address the identified needs;

40

and (b) how a teacher, teacher's assistant, or the students could help the student address
the area needing extra attention at school. For example, a student responded to "This is
how you can help me at home." with "We can play card games to practice my math facts".
Another student responded to "This is how my teacher can help me at school." with
"Spend more time on multiplication facts in math".
The parent communication book was then taken home by the students and the parents
responded, in writing, to the students' suggested ways in which the parents could help.
For example, parents responded to "What do you think, Mom?" with "We can play math
games together and practice your math facts every night". The goal was that once the
parents had responded in the parent communication book, the students would return the
book to me at the school. Once the parent communication book was returned, I responded
to the students' suggested ways that I, or another adult at the school, could help. For
example, I responded to "Teacher Feedback:" with "We will continue to practice 2-digit
by 3-digit multiplication next week. Keep practicing at home too!" If the parents'
comments were not related to the suggestion their children made, or if I felt it was
necessary to respond to what the parent had said, I would also comment on the parents'
responses. For example, a parent in this situation responded with "I think you need get up
earlier." and I responded to the parent with the comment "Yes, she is arriving late at
school sometimes, but does need extra help at home with her math facts .".
I collected data on whether or not parents had responded in the parent communication
book by the time it was returned to the school, as well as the day on which it was returned
to the school. From September to December, the parent communication book was
required to be returned to the school by Friday. Ifthe book was not returned to the school

41

by Friday, the student had to phone home and go home and get the parent communication
book or have it brought to school for him or her, if possible. In January and February, this
leniency was not the case; either the parent communication book was at school by Friday
or it was not. Throughout the entire study students were given a classroom ticket to win a
prize if their parent communication book was returned signed on Monday.
The students', parents', and teacher's weekly completions of the parent
communication book provided parents with strategies and feedback parents could use to
help their children succeed at school. This book gave parents a chance to provide
feedback for their children or the teacher. I sent a follow-up questionnaire to parents to
respond to the value of the parent communication book (see Appendix F for a sample
questionnaire). The purpose of this questionnaire was to determine how often parents
were implementing the suggestions their children made in their parent communication
books. Results of this questionnaire, which will be discussed further in Chapter 4, suggest
that when parents took advantage of this provided opportunity, the parent became more
involved in monitoring schoolwork on a regular basis, helped their children further
develop their academic skills at home, and developed a trusting, communicating
relationship among the parent, student, and teacher. These advantages will be explored
further in the next chapter.

Student-led parent-teacher interviews. Parental involvement in their children's
learning also took place in several other ways, besides the parent communication book,
throughout the 2010-2011 school year. Student-led parent-teacher interviews were used to
inform parents about their children's schooling. These interviews used two different
formats . The first, the student/parent/teacher conference plan was used in October 2010

42

(see Appendix B for a sample conference plan). Before the interview occurred, students
completed a conference plan detailing their feelings about school, are as in which they
were doing well, and areas they found challenging. Students then identified how they,
themselves, their parents, and their teacher could help them be successful at school. Data
noting if the parent attended the October student-led parent-teacher interviews were
collected in the parent contact log. If a parent attended the conference, I recorded
"present" in the log and if they did not attend, I recorded "absent" in the log. If the
student-led parent-teacher interviews did not occur, I sent the completed
student/parent/teacher conference plan home with the student, to keep the parents
informed.
The second set of parent-teacher interviews occurred in February 2011 , and used an
informal report card (see Appendix C for a sample informal report card). The informal
report card had space for the student to identify: (a) something of which they were proud,
(b) something on which they needed to work; and (c) a way someone at home could help
them with Language Arts, Social Studies, Art, Gym, Math, French, and work habits. An
interview request form sent home at the end of January 2011 provided parents with the
option to select from times available for the February 2011 parent-teacher interviews (see
Appendix D for a sample interview request form). I recorded the day that the student
returned the interview request form in the parent contact log and parents were provided
with an interview time. Not all students and parents returned this form, even though
written and verbal reminders were given to students during the two weeks following the
distribution of the forms. I collected data in the parent contact log noting if the parent

43

attended the student-led parent-teacher interviews in February, as well as any response,
received to the written report being sent home.

Parent contact log. I used the parent contact log to record interaction between a
parent and me through any of the following means: the telephone, in person, written notes,
email, the student's planner, and the parent's attendance at interviews and school-wide
events. The school held celebrations several times over the data collection period to
develop relationships with parents. I invited parents in the class to attend the
Remembrance Day ceremony and Honour Roll/Principal's List recognition assemblies. In
December 2010, the school planned and held a Christmas craft night, when parents from
my class, as well other classes, came to the school with their children and completed two
crafts, together with their children, at stations run by educators. In January 2011, the
teachers held a school literacy night to provide parents with meaningful ways to engage in
literacy activities with their children at home and to make reading fun. These activity
nights were used to further strengthen the relationship among the parents, teachers, and
students. Using the parent contact log, I recorded each parent's attendance at the
Remembrance Day ceremony, the Honour Roll/Principal's List recognition assembly, the
Christmas craft night, and the literacy night.

Reading A-Z assessment. Reading A-Z was the sole method used for this research to
assess students' reading abilities. I performed assessments using Reading A-Z in
September 2010 and February 2011. To perform these assessment students read passages,
at their own pace, to me in a one-to-one situation. I then asked students five specific
comprehension questions about the story: (1) Who was the story about?; (2) What
happened in the story?; (3) When did the story take place?; (4) Where were the characters

44

in the story?; and (5) Why did the character do what they did or feel the way they did?.
Students answered the specific questions about the passages orally and I recorded the
answer as correct or incorrect on the Reading A-Z assessment sheets. The students'
reading levels were determined when they read a passage with only five or six errors and
were able to answer three or more of the specific comprehension questions correctly.
Students' reading levels were assessed based on their abilities presented during these
assessments. The September and February assessment results are discussed and compared
in Chapter 4.
6+1 Traits of Writing assessment. I assessed the students' writing abilities in

September 2010 and February 2011 using the 6+ 1 Traits of Writing rubric, a rubric
developed in 2009 through a Professional Learning Community at the same school this
research was conducted in (see Appendix E for a sample of the writing rubric). Both the
September 2010 and February 2011 assessments examined one specific piece of writing.
Students participated in a pre-writing brainstorming lesson, directed by me, with a chance
to share with their classmates, before creating each piece of writing. The topics for each
assessment were assigned and September's topic was "A Special Journey" and February's
topic was "An Unusual Visitor". When I assessed both pieces of writing only the Ideas
and Word Choice traits sections of the rubric were used, since these were the two main
areas emphasized and taught during the time of this research. The Ideas section of the
assessment measured if the writing topic was clear, if supporting details were provided
and the level of connections the writer had made while the Word Choice section assessed
knowledge of verbs, nouns, and the impact of specific language, and if the writing allowed

45

the reader to create a vivid image in their head .. The September 2010 and February 2011
results are compared in Chapter 4.
Conclusion
Chapter 3 presented information on the qualitative participant-observer case study
research methodology used for this project. It provided a rationale for this choice of
model, discussed data collection methods, and presented sources of data. The purpose of
this project was to use specific strategies, such as the parent communication book,
student-led parent-teacher interviews, school-wide celebrations, the Christmas craft night,
and the literacy night, to build and nurture parental involvement in their children's
educations that would support the children's learning. Data were collected and recorded
on the completion and rate of return of the parent communication book, the amount of
parent contact with the classroom teacher, and the parent's attendance at the
Remembrance Day ceremony, Honour Roll/Principals List recognition assembly,
Christmas craft night, and literacy night. I compared data collected on parental
involvement with the students' academic achievement, based on September 2010 and
February 2011 Reading A-Z assessment scores and 6+ 1 Traits of Writing rubric
assessment scores.
While Chapter 3 detailed how I collected the data, Chapter 4 details the data itself.
Chapter 4 provides details on data collected from September 2010 to February 2011,
including the return and signature rates of the parent communication book, the parents'
responses to the follow-up questionnaire, the amount of parent contact with me, as the
classroom teacher, the students' reading ability levels, and the students' writing ability
levels. The level of academic achievement between the September 2010 and February

46

2011 reading and writing scores will be compared to each other. Also, the rate of return of
the parent communication books and the amount of parental contact with the classroom
teacher will be compared to the student's level of academic achievement. Comparing the
rate of return of the parent communication books and the amount of parental contact with
the teacher to the student's level of academic achievement showed that, in most cases,
increased parental involvement resulted in higher academic achievement for the students.
Chapter 4 demonstrates how implementing the parent communication book and providing
access to student-led parent-teacher interviews, the Remembrance Day ceremony, the
Honour Roll/Principal's List recognition assembly, the Christmas craft night, and the
literacy night provided parents with meaningful ways to become involved in their
children's learning. In turn, these strategies and supports led to the development of a
relationship among the parent, teacher, and student, and an increase in the student's
academic achievement.

47

Chapter Four: Findings and Discussion
Chapter 1 introduced the research question, which asked what supports and strategies
a teacher could provide to parents to facilitate parental involvement in their children's
educations, and how the level of parental involvement affected student's learning.
Chapter 2 surveyed the literature to : (a) demonstrate that poverty affects education, (b)
ground the data collected in the extant literature, showing a connection between parental
involvement and academic achievement, and (c) present strategies for increasing parental
involvement in their children's educations. Chapter 3 outlined my research methodology,
addressed where the research took place, detailed data collection, and introduced strategies
used for this case study to build and nurture parental involvement in support of student
learning.
This chapter presents the data collected for this case study. I collected data for the
research during the 2010/2011 school year from September 2010 to February 20ll.A
detailed description of the data, which included the parent communication book, the
frequency of parent-teacher contact, student's achievements in writing and reading, and
the data collection periods are provided as I present the data. Finally, I discuss my
interpretation of the data in an effort to answer the research question.
Results
I first identified students as living in poverty or not living in poverty, before
comparing their socioeconomic status with the rest of the data collected. Additional data
collected included the frequency of return and signature rates of the parent communication
books, and responses obtained through the parent communication book questionnaires,
which were compared to each other. Data collected on the levels of parent contact with
me, as the classroom teacher, were also compared with the frequency of return and

48

signature rates of the parent communication books. Finally, data collected on the
student's levels of academic achievement in reading and writing were compared to both
the frequency of parent contact with me and the return and signature rates of the parent
communication books.
Poverty. The case study classroom consisted of 24 students in Grade 4 or 5 when

data collection began in September 2010 and 27students when data collection ended in
February 2011. Five students were excluded from all data collected: the first due to a
medical condition resulting in an inability to communicate; the second due to a homeschooling situation; the third due to ethical considerations; and the fourth and fifth due to
incomplete data as they were not part of the initial assessments. Students 1 through 13
were in Grade 4 (n = 13) and Students 14 through 22 were in Grade 5 (n = 9).
For the purpose of this study each student was assigned a number to protect his or her
identity. I grouped the students as "living in poverty" or "not living in poverty" (see
Table 1). Classifying students as living in poverty or not living in poverty was completed
through forced choice. Criteria used to determine the student's level of poverty were based
upon the student's: (a) ability to supply school supplies, field trips, and the school lunch
program, if they participated, (b) attendance or not at the school breakfast program, and
(c) parents' occupational situation (employed or unemployed, single parent or dual parent
home).Students were deemed to be living in poverty if they needed to have school
supplies provided for them, could not pay the full amount for the school lunch program,
and their parents were unemployed or they lived in a single parent home.

49

Table 1

Whether Students Were Living in Poverty (yes [Y] or no [N])
Student
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22

Living in poverty
N
N
N
y
y
N
N
y
N
y
N
y
N
y
y
N
y
y
N
y
y
N

Not living in poverty
y
y
y
N
N
y
y
N
y
N
y
N
y
N
N
y
N
N
y
N
N
y

The literature review in Chapter 2 discussed how poverty impacts students'
educations and the level of parental involvement students experience in their educations;
therefore, it was necessary to show the poverty level of this classroom, which is consistent
with the school-wide poverty level. Based on the criteria used to classify students as
living in poverty or not living in poverty, 50% of the students (n = 11) in this class were
living in poverty and 50% of the students were not living in poverty (n = 11).

50

Table 2

Return Rate of Parent Communication Books by Day of the Week Over 12 Weeks (Monday
to Friday by student and raw number of returns for each day)
Student
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22

Monday
10
11
11
7
9
9
12
3
8
0
8
1
8
7
2
1
5
5
1
5
4
10

Tuesday
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
2
2
1
3
2
0
0
0
3
2
2
1
0
0

Wednesday
1
0
1
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
1

Thursday
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0

2
1
0
1
1
0
0
2
1
1

1
2
0
1
1
1
0
0
0

Friday
1
0
0
1
1
0
0
2
0
2
0
0
0
0
2
1
0
1
3
0
2
0

Parent communication book and questionnaire. I implemented a weekly parent
communication book to answer the research question on what supports and strategies a
teacher can provide to parents to facilitate parental involvement in their children's
educations. Students completed their parent communication books during class time at the
end of each school week, and then took them home for review and discussion with their
parents. Parents responded, in writing, to the students' suggestions in the parent
communication books on ways in which their parents could help them with their learning.

51

Once parents responded in the parent communication book, the students returned their
books to me at the school.
Data were collected on the response rate of the parents in the parent communication
book by the time it was returned to the school, as well as the day on which it was returned.
From September 2010 to February 2011 , the parent communication book had to be
returned to the school by Friday. Students received a classroom ticket from me to win a
prize if their parent communication book was returned signed on Monday. Between
September 2010 and December 2010, if the book was not returned to the school by
Friday, the student had to phone home and, if possible, go home and get the parent
communication book or have it brought to school for them. This procedure changed
beginning in January 2011 ; either the parent communication book was at school by Friday
or it was not. Table 2 presents data collected on the return rate of the parent
communication book to help answer part of the research question on ways to facilitate
parental involvement in children's educations.
Table 2 shows the parent communication books were returned a total of 203 times,
with 67% (n = 137) of these times occurring on Mondays and 4% (n = 9) occurring on
Thursdays. The students ' mean rate of return over the 12 weeks that I used the parent
communication book was 9.23, although individual results varied greatly. Students with a
mean rate of return of 12, such as Students 1, 2, 3, and 7 returned their parent
communication books on Mondays the most often. Students with a mean rate of return of
6 or lower, such as Students 10, 12, 16, and 19 returned their parent communication books
on Mondays no more than once. The mean return rate of the parent communication book

52

Table 3
Return Rate of Parent Communication Books by Day of the Week Over Four Months by
Students Living in Poverty (Monday to Friday by month and percentage of returns for
each day)
Month
1
2
3
4
Mean

Monday
32
48
27
32
35

Tuesday
9
7
9
7
8

Wednesday
14
9
9
0
8

Thursday
14
2
0
7
6

Friday
27
5
0
9
10

Total
96
71
45
55
67

Table 4
Return Rate ofParent Communication Books by Day of the Week Over Four Months by
Students Not Living in Poverty (Monday to Friday by month and percentage of returns for
each day)
Month
1
2
3
4
Mean

Monday
64
70
64
66
66

Tuesday
5
14
14
5
9

Wednesday
18
7
0
2
7

Thursday
5
0
0
2
2

Friday
5
2
5
5
4

Total
97
93
83
80
88

differs greatly between students living in poverty and students not living in poverty from
the class mean return rate.
Table 3 and Table 4 demonstrate the parent communication books return rates and
mean based on socioeconomic status. By comparing these two tables it is evident students
not living in poverty (n = 11) returned their parent communication books on Mondays
almost twice as often as students living in poverty (n = 11) while their return rates
consistently stayed between 64-70 percent. The Monday return rates of students living in

53

poverty varied from 27-48 percent. The total percentages for both groups were highest in
the first month of initiation of the parent communication books.
I collected data for the parent communication book from October 2010 to February 2011.
Taking the entire class into consideration, the total number of times the parent
communication books could have been returned was 264. Students had the opportunity to
complete and return their parent communication books 12 times. As Table 5demonstrates,
in an effort to answer the research question about supports a teacher can provide to parents
to facilitate parental involvement in their children's educations, the mean signed or
unsigned return rate for the class as a whole was 9. The class mean signed or unsigned
return rate was almost equal to the Monday signed mean of 8, indicating most students
returned their books quickly and signed.
I sent home a parent communication book questionnaire with students in February for
their parents to respond as to whether or not parents were implementing suggested
strategies and, if so, which strategies were they using from the parent communication
book. I sent this questionnaire home to determine how often parents were implementing
the suggestions their children made in their parent communication books. The
questionnaire was voluntary for parents to complete. I put an undisclosed one-week time
limit on the return of the questionnaires and received 15 of 22 questionnaires in that
period. Table 6 indicates which students returned their parent communication book
questionnaire.

54

Table 5

Total Return Rate of Parent Communication Books Over Twelve Weeks (by student and
raw numbers)
Student

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22

Mean

Returned
signed by
Friday
11
12
12
10
9
11
12
8
10
3
12
4
10
8
5
3
9
9
5
4

5
11
8

Returned not
signed by
Friday
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
2
0
2
0
1
1
1
3
0
0
1
3
2
1

Not returned
by Friday

Total returns
by Friday

0
0
0
2
2
1
0
2
2
7
0
7
1
3
6
6
3
3
6

12
12
12
10
10
11
12
10
10
5
12
5
11
9
6
6
9
9
6

5

7

5
0
3

7
12
9

55

Table 6

Whether Students Returned Parent Communication Book Questionnaires within One Week
(yes [Y] or no [N])
Student

2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19

20

21
22
Total

Returned parent
communication book
questionnaire
y
y
y
y

y
y
y

N

y
y
y
y
y

N

y

N

y

N
N
N

Did not return parent
communication book
questionnaire
N
N
N
N
N
N
N

y

N
N
N
N
N

y

N

y

N

y
y
y

N

y

15

N
7

y

Sixty-eight percent (n = 15) of the students returned their questionnaires within one
week and 67% (n = 10) of the parents of these students indicated they were implementing
the suggestions made by their children at home three or more times a week. The
remaining 33 % (n = 5) indicated they were implementing the suggestions made by their
children 1-2 times a week. Table 7 and Table 8 present the frequency of strategy

56

implementation indicated on the questionnaires by parents of students living in poverty
and students not living in poverty.
Table 7
Results of Parent Communication Book Questionnaires Returned by Students Living in
Poverty (n = 6) and Frequency of Strategy Implementation as Reported by Parents
(results in raw scores and percentages)

Raw score
Percentage

Everyday
I
I7

Weekly Strategy Implementation
5-6 Times
3-4 Times
I-2 Times
2
2
0
33
0
33

Never
I
I7

Table 8
Results of Parent Communication Book Questionnaires Returned by Students Not Living
in Poverty (n = 9) and Frequency of Strategy Implementation as Reported by Parents
(results in raw scores and percentages)

Raw score
Percentage

Everyday
I
11

Weekly Strategy Implementation
5-6 Times
3-4 Times
I-2 Times
5
2
I
11
22
56

Never
0
0

Table 7 demonstrates inconsistency as 22% of parents not living in poverty who
responded on the questionnaires indicated they were implementing suggested strategies at
home 5 or more times a week, in comparison to 50% of the parents who responded that
were living in poverty. Only 55% (6 out of a possible 11) of students living in poverty in
the case study class returned their questionnaires, which is a very small sample. However,
of the students not living in poverty in the case study class 82% (9 out of a possible 11)
returned their questionnaires within one week. Parents of over half of the students not

57

living in poverty who returned their parent communication book questionnaires indicated
they were implementing suggested strategies at home on average three to four times a
week. A comparison of the data from Table 7 and Table 8 suggests parents of students not
living in poverty implement suggested strategies at home on a more regular basis than
parents of students living in poverty as 78% of parents not living in poverty implemented
the suggested strategies at home three or more times a week while only 50% of parents
living in poverty do the same.
Parental contact with the classroom teacher. I recorded any parent contact in a

parent contact log, on a daily basis if contact occurred, to help monitor parental
involvement. Data collected included formal and informal contact that occurred at the
school through the telephone, in person, through written notes, email, the student's
planner, and the parents' attendance at the October student-led parent-teacher interview,
Remembrance Day ceremony, Honour Roll/Principal's List Recognition assembly,
Christmas craft night, literacy night, and February parent-teacher interviews.
Table 9 provides data collected in the parent contact log from October 2010 to
February 2011, which demonstrates the level of parental involvement in their children's
educations I experienced at the school. The parents of each student had 17 weeks of
school to make contact with me. Parent contact with me occurred 121 times over the fivemonth data collection period. The highest amount of parent contact, 25%, occurred during
December 2010, the month of the Christmas craft night and school-wide Christmas
concert. This occurred despite December having the least amount of days on which
contact could be made due to the school holidays.

58

Table 9

Frequency of Parental Contact with Teacher by Month of the Year Over Five Months
(October to February by student and raw number of returns for each month)
Student
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
Total

October
1
2
1
1
1
2
1
2
1

1
1
1
1
0
1
3
4
1
1
29

November
6
0
1
0
0
1
0
2
1
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
15

December
2
0
6
2
1
0
0
1
0
1
4
0
0
0
1

January
3
0
4
1
0
1

0
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0

February
2
1
2
0
0
2
1
0

2
1
3
2
0

2
1
1
1
1
0
2
0
3
1
2

2

1

22

25

1

1
2
3
2
2
30

The next highest level of parent-teacher contact occurred during October and
February (24% and 21% respectively). These were the months of parent-teacher
interviews. February was also a shorter month for data collection. November, the month
of the Remembrance Day ceremony, had the least amount of parent-teacher contact at
12% while January had 18% of the total parent-teacher contact.

59

Table 10

Reading Levels of Grade Four Students Using Dolch Words, Reading A-Z, and Toolkit
(September and February by student and raw letter of level)
Student
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13

September 2010

February 2011

w

6a

u

v

w

u
u

v

pre-pnmer
T

B

w

w

6a

w

u
u

v

p

Q

u

Q
R

R
T

s

Table 11

Reading Levels of Grade Five Students Using Reading A-Z and Toolkit (September and
February by student and raw letter of level)
Student
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22

September 2010

0

v
p

February 2011

Q

X
Q

T

u

X

6a

X

6b

y

u

z

v

Reading assessments. September data collection began with Reading A-Z assessments. I
assessed students reading ability levels in September 2010 and February 2011. Student 5,
a non-reader in September 2010, could not be assessed using Reading A-

60

Table 12
Reading Levels of Grade Four Students Living in Poverty Using Reading A-Z and Toolkit
(September and February by student and raw letter of level)
Student

4
5
8
10
12
Mean

September 2010

u

pre-pnmer

u
p

R

February 2011

v
B

w

Q
R

Change
+1
+2
+2
+1
0
+1.2

Z, and was assessed instead using pre-primer Dolch words. Students 2, 7, 19, 21, and

22 were assessed in February 2011 using Reading A-Z but demonstrated abilities beyond
the reading level assessments available in Reading A-Z. Students 2, 7, 19, 21, and 22 were
further assessed with Toolkit, using the same methods as Reading A-Z, but for higher
reading levels. All students read passages to me, at their own pace, to me and answered
specific comprehension questions about the passage, such as :(l) Who was the story
about?, (2) What happened in the story?, (3) When did the story take place?, (4) Where
were the characters in the story?, and (5) Why did the character do what they did or feel
the way they did? Students' reading levels, assessed based on abilities presented during
these assessments are presented in Table10 and Table 11, although note:( a) for Reading AZ level A is the lowest possible reading level and level Z is the highest possible reading

level, (b) for Toolkit Level2a is the lowest level and Level 7c is the highest level, (c)
students 1 through 13 were in Grade Four and (d) students 14 through 22 were in Grade
Five.

61

Table 13

Reading Levels of Grade Four Students Not Living in Poverty Using Reading A-Z and
Toolkit (September and February by student and raw letter of level)
Student
1
2
3
6
7
9

11
13
Mean

September 2010

u

w
u
T

w
u

Q

s

February 2011

v

6a

w
w

6a

v
u
T

Change
+1
+3
+2
+3
+4
+1
+4
+1
+2.38

Following the February reading assessments students in the Grade Four group and the
Grade Five group were further divided into two groups (living in poverty and not living in
poverty) to ascertain if a pattern was evident in their ability levels. Reading assessment
results for Grade Four students living in poverty (n=5) are shown in Table 12, while the
results for Grade Four students not living in poverty (n=8) are shown in Table 13.
Table 12 and Table 13 demonstrate the reading growth Grade Four students achieved
compared to their socioeconomic status. Students not living in poverty experienced more
growth in their reading abilities than students living in poverty. The largest positive
change in reading abilities of students living in poverty, a two level increase, occurred for
only 40% (n = 2) of the students in this group and one student made no gains. In contrast,
an increase of three or four levels occurred for 50% (n = 4) of the students not living in
poverty. All students not living in poverty achieved a minimum one level gain.
Tables 14 and 15 shows the reading assessment results for Grade Five students living
in poverty (n=6), and not living in poverty (n=3), respectively. Both tables demonstrate
the growth Grade Five students achieved in reading abilities compared to their

62

socioeconomic status. Similarly to Grade Four students living in poverty, Grade Five
students living in poverty experienced lower reading gains than students not living in
poverty. The largest positive change in reading abilities of students living in poverty, an
increase of four levels, only occurred for one student. Positive gains of one level were
obtained by 50% (n = 3) of the Grade Five students living in poverty, compared to 67% (n
= 2) of Grade Five students not living in poverty who achieved a reading gain of three

levels. A comparison ofthe mean change of Grade Five students reading levels it is
evident Grade Five students not living in poverty achieved one more change level then
students living in poverty.
After comparing both the Grade Four and Grade Five groups reading ability levels to
their socioeconomic status, I clustered the entire class into four groups: (a) achieved no
gain (n = 1), (b) achieved a gain of one reading level (n = 9), (c) achieved a gain of two
reading levels (n = 6), and (d) achieved a gain of three or four reading levels (n = 6).Table
16 identifies each student's reading gain category.

Table 14
Reading Levels of Grade Five Students Living in Poverty Using Reading A-Z and Toolkit
(September and February by student and raw letter of level)

Student
14
15
17
18
20
21
Mean

September
2010
0

v
T

y

u
X

February
2011
Q
X

u

z
v

6b

Change
+2
+2
+1
+1
+1
+4
+1.83

63

Table 15

Reading Levels of Grade Five Students Not Living in Poverty Using Reading A-Z and
Toolkit (September and February by student and raw letter of level)
Student
16
19
22
Mean

September
2010
p
X
X

-

February
2011
Q
6a
6a

-

Change
+1
+3
+3
+2.33

Five percent of the students achieved no gain; 41% gained one reading level; 27%
gained two reading levels; and 27% gained three or four reading levels. Comparing these
groups to their socioeconomic status, only 17% (n = 1) of the largest gains were achieved
by students living in poverty. Of students who achieved no gains, 100% (n = 1) students
were living in poverty.
A further comparison of these clustered groups with the total return rate of the parent
communication books revealed students in the group with the highest reading ability gains
of three or four levels returned their parent communication books by Friday a mean of 10
times over the case study period. This suggests a high level of parental involvement for
these students, as the class mean of 9 for the return of the parent communication books
was lower than their mean of 10. The student who made no reading level gains reading
level returned her parent communication book 5 times, far below the class mean,
suggesting she may have had less parental involvement in her education. The largest
group, students who gained one reading ability level, returned their parent communication
books a mean of 8 times, just below the class mean, suggesting theses students had an
average amount of parental involvement. Finally, I compared these cluster groups to the

64

Table 16

Cluster of Reading Ability Gains for the Entire Class (by individual student)
Student

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
Total

Achieved no
gam

Achieved a
gain of one
level

Achieved a
gain of two
levels

Achieved a
gain of three
or four levels

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

1

9

6

6

level of parental contact I experienced at the school and recorded in my parent contact log.
The group that gained one reading level had the highest number of students and accounted
for 40% (n = 49) of the total parent contact. However, the group that gained three or four
reading level accounted for 35% (n = 42) of the total parent contact, even though there
were fewer students in this group. This suggests a higher level of parental involvement

65

for this group. As suspected, the student who did not achieve any reading level gains
accounted for only 2% (n = 2) of the total parent contact. This parent also did not attend
either of the parent teacher interviews at the school, again suggesting she did not have a
lot of parental involvement. The group that gained two reading accounted for 23% (n =
28) of the total parent contact.
6+1 Traits of Writing assessments. I assessed the students' writing abilities in

September 2010 and February 2011 using the 6+ 1 Traits of Writing rubric, a rubric
developed through a Professional Learning Community at the case study school in 2009
(see Appendix E for a sample of the writing rubric). Each assessment examined one
specific piece of writing; students participated in a pre-writing brainstorming lesson on an
assigned topic before creating their writing samples. Both assessments using the rubric
focused solely on the Ideas and Word Choice traits, since these were the two main areas
emphasized and taught during the time of the case study.
The Ideas section of the assessment measured clarity of the writing topic, amount and
quality of supporting details provided, and the level of connections the writer made. The
Word Choice section assessed usage of descriptive verbs and nouns, the overall quality
and impact of the language used, and the effectiveness of the writing in creating vivid,
memorable images. I assessed students using the rubric and assigned each student a
numerical score of 1 (not yet meeting expectations), 2 (minimally meeting expectations), 3
(meeting expectations), or 4 (exceeding expectations).
I collected the 6+1 Traits of Writing assessment data in September 2010 and February
2011. Student 5 was excluded from this data collection as he was unable to write without
a scribe for both the September and February assessments. Grade Four students'

66
Table 17

Ideas Writing Scores of Grade Four Students Using 6+1 Traits of Writing Rubric
(September and February by student and rubric rating)
Student

2
3
4
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Median

September Ideas
Scores
3
2
3
2
3
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
3

February Ideas
Scores
3
3
4

3
4
4

3
3
3
3
3
3
3

September 2010 and February 2011 writing ability levels for Ideas and Word Choice are
presented in Tables 17 and 19, respectively. Tables 18 and 20 show the Grade Five
results.
Similar to the reading assessments, students in Grade Four and Grade Five were
further divided into two groups (living in poverty and not living in poverty) to ascertain if
any patterns were evident in their combined writing ability score changes over the case
study period. Combined Ideas and Word Choice writing score changes were tabulated for
each student by adding any positive changes students experienced when comparing the
Ideas and Word Choice numerical scores for September 2010 and February 2011. Table
21 displays results for Grade Four students living in poverty (n=5) while Table 22 shows
the results for Grade Four students not living in poverty (n=8).

67

Table 18

Ideas Writing Scores of Grade Five Students Using 6+ 1 Traits of Writing Rubric
(September and February by student and rubric rating)
Student

September Ideas
Scores

February Ideas
Scores

14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
Median

3
3
2
3
2
3
3

3
4
3
3
3
4
3
3
3
3

3
3

Table 19

Word Choice Writing Scores of Grade Four Students Using 6+ 1 Traits of Writing Rubric
(September and February by student and rubric rating)
Student
1
2
3
4
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Median

September Word Choice
Scores
2
2
2
2
3
2
2
3
2
2
2
2
2

February Word Choice
Scores
3
3
4
3
4
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
3

68

Table 20

Word Choice Writing Scores of Grade Five Students Using 6+ 1 Traits of Writing Rubric
(September and February by student and raw number)
Student
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22

Median

September Word Choice
Scores
2
2
2
2
2
3
2
2
3
2

February Word Choice
Scores
2
3
2
3
2
4
3
3
4
3

Tables 21 and 22 demonstrate the growth of Grade Four students' writing abilities
relative to their socioeconomic status. In this case, the mean writing assessment score
changes suggest that the non-poverty students did not experience as much growth in
abilities as students living in poverty. This is the opposite of the reading abilities
comparison results. All Grade Four students living in poverty achieved a positive change

Table 21

Combined Ideas and Word Choice Writing Score Changes of Grade Four Students Living
in Poverty Using 6+ 1 Traits of Writing Rubric Assessment Scores from September and
February (by student and score change)
Student
4

. 8
10
12
Mean

Writing Assessment Score Changes
+2
+2
+1
+1
+1.5

69

of at least one numerical score, while 38% (n = 3) of the students not living in poverty
experienced no change in their writing ability numerical scores. Because of the low
sample size, the three students not living in poverty who showed no gain in writing
abilities skewed the distribution, resulting in a lower mean score. The mean score for this
group is only slightly lower than the mean score for the group of students living in
poverty, suggesting the remaining 62% (n = 5) of students not living in poverty made
large gains to offset the other students' lack of change when calculating the mean.

Table 22

Combined Ideas and Word Choice Writing Score Changes of Grade Four Students Not
Living in Poverty Using 6 +1 Traits of Writing Rubric Assessment Scores from September
and February (by student and score change)
Student
1
2
3
6

7
9
11
13
Mean

Writing Assessment Score Changes
+1
+2
+3
+2
+2
0
0
0
+1.25

The Grade Five students writing assessment score changes are shown Table 23 for
students living in poverty (n=6) and Table 24 for students not living in poverty (n=3).All
but one Grade Five student experienced positive changes in writing abilities based on their
numerical score comparisons. The mean writing assessment score change, was the same
for both students living in poverty and students not living in poverty, suggesting the
students' socioeconomic status did not impact gains in their writing abilities.

70

Table 23

Combined Ideas and Word Choice Writing Score Changes of Grade Five Students Living
in Poverty Using 6+ I Traits of Writing Rubric Assessment Scores from September and
February(by student and score change)
Student
14
15
17
18

Writing Assessment Score Changes
0
+2

20

+1
+1
+1

21
Mean

+3
+1.3

Based on the minimal difference between the writing assessment score changes
means, I clustered the class into four groups based on the amount of change they
experienced: (a) achieved no change (n = 4), (b) achieved a change of one (n = 8), (c)
achieved a change of two (n = 7), and (d) achieved a change of three (n = 2). Table 25
identifies each student's writing change category.

Table 24

Combined Ideas and Word Choice Writing Score Changes of Grade Five Students Not
Living in Poverty Using 6+1 Traits of Writing Rubric Assessment Scores from September
and February(by student and score change)
Student
16
19
22
Mean

Writing Assessment Score Changes

+1

+2

+1

+1.3

When clustering the students into these groups, 19% of the students made no change, 38%
gained one level, 33% gained two levels, and 10% gained three levels. I then compared

71
Table 25

Cluster of Writing Ability Changes for the Class (by student)
Student

1
2
3
4
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
Total

Achieved no
Change

Achieved a
change of one

Achieved a
change of two

Achieved a
change of
three

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

4

8

7

2

the students within these groups to their socioeconomic status. Twenty-five percent (n =
1) of the students who achieved no gains and 50% (n = 1) of the students who gained three
levels were living in poverty as opposed to the 75 % (n = 3) and 50% (n = 1) respective
gains of students not living poverty. Sixty-three percent (n = 5) of the students who
gained one level and 43% (n = 3) of the students who gained two levels were living in
poverty, while 37% (n = 3) and 57% (n = 4) of students not living in poverty achieved

72

respective gains. When comparing the class results, the mean change for students living in
poverty was one while the mean change for students not living in poverty was two.
When further comparing these clustered groups with the total return rate of the parent
communication books, students who achieved writing score changes of three returned
their parent communication books a mean rate of 10 times by Friday over the case study
period. However, when examining the data for the group of students who achieved no
gains in their writing ability scores, I discovered the mean return rate of their parent
communication books by Friday was a mean of 11 times, a mean above both the class
mean and the mean of the group who achieved changes of three. The largest group of
students, those who achieved gains of one, returned their parent communication books a
mean of 8 times as a group. As this mean is just below the class mean return rate for the
parent communication books, results suggest these students experienced an average
amount of parental involvement. Students who achieved changes of two returned their
parent communication books a mean of 10 times, similar to the group that achieved three
changes. This cluster comparison with the parent communication book return rates
suggests all groups had a high level of parental involvement in their educations, which
may not have impacted their writing abilities. Based on these results I chose not to
compare the writing scores with the data from the parent contact log or the parent
communication book questionnaires
Discussion of Findings
The previous section discussed the data collected using: (a) parent communication
books, (b) parent communication book questionnaires, (c) parent-teacher interviews, (d)
parent contact log, (e) reading assessments, and (f) writing assessments. Many results

73

from these data were also compared to the students ' levels of poverty. This section will
discuss my interpretations of the data collected. Deciding upon strategies to use at school
to support and encourage parental involvement in their children's educations at home was
a difficult task. However, after implementing several strategies over a five-month period,
I can see how the level of parental involvement children experience in regards to their
education affects their academic achievement.
Poverty. Based on the composition of the school and classroom where this research

was conducted, half of the students were living in poverty, which is an important factor as
poverty affects education in a number of ways. As demonstrated in the literature review
in Chapter 2, low achievement is closely correlated with a lack of resources and a lower
socioeconomic status (Payne, 2005). The results of my data when comparing clustered
groups of students reading achievement levels and the amount of parent involvement they
experienced, while using the return rate of the parent communication books as the
measure are similar to Payne. In my case study, students living in poverty experienced
less academic achievement in reading and less parental involvement than students not
living in poverty.
The impact parents have on their children's educations is undeniable. From values,
lifestyle, nutrition, and communication, to emotional support and shelter, parents affect
every aspect of their children's lives. Home learning environments, family interactions,
and parenting styles of low-income families are often lacking and have a negative effect
on education (Goodman & Gregg, 2010). Children who live in poverty typically have
high mobility, irregular attendance, behaviour problems, pronounced emotional states,
poor nutrition, limited parental involvement, and achieve at lower levels than their middle-

74

and upper-class counterparts (Pellino, 2007). When comparing the mean return rates of
the parent communication books for students living in poverty and students not living in
poverty as shown in Table 3 and Table 4 it is evident students living in poverty
experienced less parental involvement than those students not living in poverty. The mean
return rate of the parent communication books was 67 for students living in poverty,
compared to a mean of 88 for the non-poverty students. While there is not a great
difference in these numbers, when comparing the data for the mean return rates of the
parent communication books on Mondays, non-poverty students returned their books
almost twice as often (mean = 66) as students living in poverty (mean = 35), suggesting
their parents took more involvement in their educations.
During this case study, I often wondered if books were being returned due to parental
involvement or because I was constantly reminding students daily to bring them back by
Friday. This possibility was part of the reason I chose to not enforce the books being back
by Friday after Christmas. I still reminded students to bring it back, but not to the extent I
was before Christmas. However, this change did not impact the return rate for students
living in poverty or students not living in poverty, suggesting it was the parental
involvement or possibly the habit students had acquired, that resulted in the return of the
parent communication books.
Parent communication book. According to Greene and Long (2011), education

must be a joint effort, with schools and homes working together to educate children.
Hirsch (2007) asserted, outside of school, children living in poverty experience different
relationships with their peers and teachers and different attitudes towards homework and
their learning experiences. Children living in poverty receive little help from parents with

75

homework on a regular basis, have to work in louder homes, and have many more
distractions than their economically-advantaged counterparts (Hirsch, 2007). The lack of
support children living in poverty receive at home results in children having low skills and
qualifications, which was an issue I hoped to address with the implementation of the
parent communication book in my classroom.
Data collection on the return of parent communication books occurred over a 12-week
period between October 2010 and January 2011. Students completed their portions of the
parent communication books at the end of each school week and then took the books
home over the weekend. The job of the parents was to address the area the students had
identified with which they needed help, both with a written response and by implementing
the strategy the students suggested at home. According to Chappuis and Chappuis (2002),
this method of goal-setting is an excellent strategy for communicating about student
achievement with the home. Goal-setting was encouraged through the parent
communication books by allowing students to identify areas on which they needed to
work and ways they could do so. Setting goals encourages students' ownership of their
learning (Haberman, 1995). I felt the implementation ofthe parent communication books,
that were to be brought back to the school on the following Monday, would create a
relationship among the student, school, and home. A strong relationship between the
school and home is a key element to a successful education. According to Beegle (2007),
relationships must be built using a common link, such as the student, which the parent
communication books did, to assert how those people involved in the relationship, such as
the school and home, are similar.

76

I believe the implementation of the parent communication books as a strategy to
increase parental involvement in their children's educations was successful in my
classroom. Comments students received back from their parents in their parent
communication books almost always were related to the strategy the student had
suggested. This communication is important as, according to Kellett and Dar (2007),
socioeconomically disadvantaged students do not often have someone with whom they
can communicate and who listens to them and engages them in conversation on a regular
basis; an issue which I feel the parent communication book begins to address. Although
55% (n = 11) of the total parent communication books that were returned unsigned by
Friday, as demonstrated in Table 5, were returned by students living in poverty, these
students and their parents completed their parent communication books and returned them
to the school signed more often than not, suggesting communication was occurring at
home.
I believe the success of the parent communication books is linked partly to the
discussion students and I had with their parents during parent-teacher interviews in
October 2010. Working collaboratively with parents and providing them with specific
examples, training, and guidance in ways they can support their children at home helped
to ensure success (Phelan & Schonour, 2004). The return rate of the parent
communication books as a class whole was 77 percent. When further examining Table 5,
it is evident 27%(n = 6) of the students brought their parent communication books back all
12 times they needed to, 41% (n = 9)brought their books back 9-11 times, and 32% (n = 7)
brought their books back five to eight times. The lowest return rate for the parent

77

communication books was 42% (n = 5) suggesting the parent communication books
assisted communication between students and their parents.
Positive parental involvement in education is directly related to academic
achievement and improved relationships between and among parents, teacher, and
students (Barr & Parrett, 2008). One way to involve parents in their children's educations
is making learning opportunities available to them, such as the parent communication
books. The simple knowledge of what is available, along with the encouragement and
excitement surrounding the new activity, may be all it takes to get the family involved in
the activity. Parent communication book questionnaires were sent to parents in February
2011 asking for their input on the parent communication book. My purpose for sending
this questionnaire home was to ascertain how often parents were implementing strategies
suggested by their children, in their parent communication books, so I could gauge the
level of parental involvement students were experiencing based on the implementation of
the parent communication book to help answer my research question on parental
involvement.
The questionnaires asked "When my child suggests a strategy to implement at home
we try to use it:" and allowed for the following responses "everyday, 5 to 6 times a week,
3 to 4 times a week, 1 to 2 times a week, or never." Sixty-seven percent (n = 10) of the
parents who responded indicated they were implementing the suggestions made by their
children at home 3 or more times a week, while the remaining 33% (n = 5) indicated they
were implementing the suggestions made by their children 1-2 times. When further
comparing the parent communication book questionnaire return rates to students
socioeconomic status, 40% (n = 6) were returned by students living in poverty and 60% (n

78

= 9) were returned by students not living in poverty. Parents of over half of the students
not living in poverty who returned their parent communication book questionnaires
indicated they were implementing suggested strategies at home on average three to four
times a week, while parents of students living in poverty were across the board from never
to everyday. These results indicate parents of students not living in poverty had more
parental involvement as their parents implemented suggested strategies at home on a more
regular basis than parents of students living in poverty.
There was also a portion for parents to comment on what they thought of the parent
communication book, which all 15 parents who returned the questionnaires completed.
Parents responded with "I think it is good material for my child and it helps us identify
what he needs to do (weakness and strength).", "This is a benefit to our children to be able
to communicate with us. As parents we really get to see what they need to study harder
at." and "Gives me an idea of where my child needs more help to succeed.". The responses
received from parents who participated in this case study suggest parents felt the parent
communication book was a useful tool and useful way for them to become involved in
their children's educations.
Parent contact with classroom teacher. Establishing parental engagement in
education starts with effective teacher-parent communication (Barr & Parrett, 2008).
Parental engagement has a positive relationship with their children's educations resulting
in increased academic achievement and improved parent-child communication. Parent
contact with me, as the teacher, was monitored and I collected data in a parent contact log.
Contact was recorded when it occurred through the telephone, in person, through written
notes, email, the student's planner, and the parent's attendance at interviews and school-

79

wide events. Barr and Parrett (2008) asserted there are several ways to involve parents in
their children's education, such as invitations into the classroom or on field trips,
homework, or schedule regular meetings with students and their parents. December
accounted for the largest amount of parent contact at 25%, although December had only
three weeks to make contact and also hosted the Christmas craft night and school
Christmas concert. October and February accounted for 24% and 21% of the overall
parent contact, which I attribute to parent-teacher interviews that also occurred during
these months. Conducting conferences with parents at least twice a year, which
accommodate varying schedules and child care, are part of an effective communication
program (Barr & Parrett, 2008).
Parents and educators must work together to ensure their children succeed at school.
According to Greene and Long (2011), education must be a joint effort, with schools and
homes working together to educate children. When comparing the amount of parent
contact with me to reading assessment scores no evident pattern appears, suggesting
contact with the teacher does not improve academic achievement in reading. However, a
pattern did emerge when comparing the amount of parent contact with me to writing
assessment scores, finding higher achievement in students who had the most parentteacher contact and no academic gains in writing in some students who had the least
amount of parent-teacher contact. However, students kept their parents informed weekly
on how they were doing at school through the use of the parent communication book,
which was signed by the parent and me and could be considered a form of contact.
Although data on the parent communication book were collected separately from the

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parent contact log, these data show a connection between parental involvement and
reading achievement levels.
Reading assessments. Reading assessments were conducted in September 2010 and

February 2011 using Reading A-Z, Toolkit, and Dolch words depending on the students
reading levels. Ninety-five percent (n =21) ofthe students achieved higher reading ability
scores in February than they achieved in September 2010, while 5% (n = 1) of the students
made no academic gains. Students living in poverty, regardless of their grade level,
experienced lower reading gains than students not living in poverty.
In order to answer my research question of how parental involvement affects
student's learning, the academic advances students made in reading were compared to the
return rates of their parent communication books. For example, students 2, 5, 6, 7, 11, 19,
21, and 22 made a minimum of three levels of improvement in reading abilities. Of this
group, students 2, 5, 6, 7, 11, and 22 returned their parent communication book on
Mondays 82% of the time and accomplished the largest reading gains of the class.
Students 10, 13, 16, 17, and 18 made a one-level gain in reading level abilities. Students
in this group returned their parent communication book on Mondays 32% of the time and
accomplished the smallest reading gains of the class.
Many of the comments students made to their parents in their parent communication
books as suggested strategies to help them succeed at school related to reading. When
comparing students' academic achievements in reading to the return rates of the parent
communication books, it is evident the students who made the highest academic gains in
reading also returned their books the most often and the earliest. For example, students 2,
5, 6, 7, 11, 19, 21 , and 22 achieved the highest gains in reading and returned their parent

81

communication books on Mondays on a regular basis, while students 10, 13, 16, 17, and
18 made the smallest gains in reading and did not regularly returned their parent
communication books on Mondays. When comparing these findings to the questionnaire
on the parent communication book, 75% of the students who made the highest gains in
reading returned their questionnaire, and of this group, 83% of parents indicated they were
implementing the strategies suggested by their children at home at least three times a
week. Only 60% of the students who made the smallest gains returned their questionnaire,
and of this group 67% of parents indicated they were implementing the strategies
suggested by their children two or fewer times a week. The relationship among the
student's achievement levels in reading, the prompt return of the parent communication
books, and the responses on the parent communication book questionnaires suggested the
parents of the students with the highest academic achievement were implementing these
suggested strategies at home.
An achievement gap existed between advantaged students and disadvantaged
students. By comparing the same sets of children from the previous example of the eight
students achieving high academic gains in reading, only one-fourth lived in poverty.
However, when comparing the five students who made the smallest reading gains, threefifths lived in poverty. Students who do not master basic skills cannot successfully do
homework, and are often retained and or allowed to meet lower expectations. They almost
never catch up with their peers, have an increased probability of dropping out of school,
and are likely to be unemployed or underemployed (Barr & Parrett, 2008).
Writing assessments. I conducted and marked writing assessments using a 6+ I
Traits of Writing rubric, in September 2010 and February 2011. With a focus on Ideas, the

82

writing ability scores were higher for 67% of the students in February 2011 than in
September 2010, and stayed the same for 33% of the students. The writing ability scores,
with a focus on Word Choice, were also higher for 67% of the students in February 2011
than in September 2010 and stayed the same for 33% of the students. Although the degree
of academic achievement students accomplished is evident, it should be noted that,
although the percentages are the same, not all students who achieved gains in Ideas
achieved gains in Word Choice, and vice versa.
In order to answer my research question of how parental involvement affects

student's learning, the academic advances students made in writing were compared to the
return rate of their parent communication books and the amount of parent-teacher contact
they experienced. For example, students 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 15, 19, and 21 made a minimum
of a one point improvement in writing abilities in both Ideas and Word Choice. Of this
group, students 2, 3, 6, and 7 returned their parent communication books on Mondays
90% of the time and made some of the largest writing ability gains of the class. Students
3 and 19 also had the most parent-teacher contact from October 20 I 0 to February 2011.
In comparison, students 9, 11, 13, 14, and 20 made no academic gains in writing abilities

in both Ideas and Word Choice. The students in this group returned their parent
communication book on Mondays 60% of the time and had five or fewer instances of
parent-teacher contact between October 2010 and February 2011. However, unlike
reading achievement, my data analysis and comparison of writing assessment
achievements and the return rates of the parent communication books did not show a
connection between writing gains and return rates.

83

Conclusion
The purpose of this project was to use specific strategies, such as the parent
communication book, student-led parent-teacher interviews, and invitations to parents to
attend school-wide celebrations to build and nurture parental involvement in children's
educations that would support the children's learning. Chapter 4 provided details on data
collected from September 2010 to February 2011. I collected and recorded data on the
weekly return and signature rates of the parent communication books and the responses on
the returned parent communication book questionnaires. I presented data on parent
contact with me, which included the parent's attendance at the Remembrance Day
ceremony, Honour Roll/Principals List Recognition assembly, Christmas craft night, and
literacy night. Students' reading and writing assessment results were also presented, while
comparing the student's level of academic achievement between the September 2010 and
February 2011 Reading A-Z scores and the 6+ 1 Traits of Writing scores from September
2010 and February 2011. The students' levels of academic achievement were compared
to the level of parental involvement the students experienced based on the rate of return of
the parent communication books and the amount of parental contact with me. Comparing
the rate of return of the parent communication books and the amount of parent contact
with me to the students' levels of academic achievement suggested, in reading but not
writing, increased parental involvement resulted in higher academic achievement for
students.
Chapter 4 also demonstrated how implementing the parent communication book and
providing access to student-led parent-teacher interviews, the Remembrance Day
ceremony, the Honour Roll/Principal's List Recognition assembly, the Christmas craft

84

night, and the literacy night provided parents with meaningful ways to become involved in
their children' s learning. Providing these opportunities was important as parents were
encouraged and engaged in their children's educations (Barr & Parrett, 2008). Results
presented in Chapter 4 suggested that providing the strategies and supports addressed in
Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 led to the development of a relationship among the parent,
teacher, and student, and an increase in the students' academic achievement. Chapter 5
will provide my conclusions and their implications for teaching and research.

85

Chapter Five: Conclusions and Recommendations
Chapter 1 introduced the goal of this project, which was to implement strategies and
supports at the school to encourage parental involvement in children' s educations. I
identified the need for parental involvement and strategies parents could use to support
their children's educations in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 outlined the data, which were collected
during the 2010-2011 school year through the use of documents such as the parent
communication book, parent communication book questionnaire, parent contact log,
reading assessments, and writing assessments. As outlined in Chapter 3, this project was a
qualitative, participant-observer case study. As the teacher of the case study classroom, I
was the sole researcher, data collector, marker, and interpreter. In Chapter 4, I presented
the results and interpretations. This last chapter will provide my conclusions from my
project regarding: (a) strategies implemented in the classroom to encourage parental
involvement at home, (b) ways in which parental involvement in their children's
educations can be encouraged within the school, (c) how parental involvement differs
based on socioeconomic status, and (d) how parental involvement affects academic
achievement in reading and writing differently. This chapter also discusses the
implications my conclusions have on education and further research.

Conclusions
For the most part, I measured parental involvement through the use of the parent
communication book and parent contact with me. The parent communication book was
the primary strategy implemented in the classroom to encourage parental involvement at
home. In Chapter 4, I compared the results of data collected from the use of the parent

86

communication book, the amount of parent contact I experienced, the students
socioeconomic status, and the students' academic achievement levels. I present my
conclusion from those data in this chapter section.
Parent involvement. Throughout my research, parents were encouraged to become
involved in their children's educations through several strategies suggested and
implemented by me at the school. As children experience the world through their parents,
parents must provide support and stimulation, and respond to their children, which was
provided for by the parent communication books. The use of the parent communication
book was the main source of parental involvement measured for this research. The parent
communication book provided students with an opportunity to set a goal for themselves,
and to communicate this goal with their homes. According to Chappuis and Chappuis
(2002) goal setting should be encouraged, allowing children to identify areas they need to
work on and how they can meet their goals. I collected data on parental involvement
using this strategy based on whether or not parents commented on what their children
wrote in their parent communication books on a weekly basis. Results from data
collection indicated parents commented in the parent communication book more often
than not. Typical strategies presented by the students and comments made by parents
revolved around reading, math, and student responsibility.
Parental contact. Establishing parental engagement in education starts with
effective teacher-parent communication (Barr & Parrett, 2008). In an effort to strengthen
relationships between and among the students in my class, their parents, and me, I
facilitated a great deal of parental involvement over the 2010-2011 school year. Parents
were encouraged to contact me at the school anytime; contact which I recorded in the

87

parent contact log. Parents also received personal invitations to special events at the
school, such as the craft night, literacy night, and special assemblies, and were informed
of events happening in the classroom, such as field trips, projects, and changes.
I asked parents and students to attend two parent-teacher interviews, one in October
and one in February, instead of the typical October interview. These interviews were
student-led, which allowed the students to feel empowered in their learning and take pride
in their school. The majority of parents attended these meetings in October and February
and provided positive feedback to suggestions students or I made during the interview. I
found parents were happy to come in for both the fall and spring interviews that occurred
during this case study; however, there were differences between the responses and
interactions that occurred at each interview. During the second interview, parents
expressed their thanks for the time I took to meet with them, as many said it was not
typical to have a second parent-teacher interview.
Barr and Parrett (2008) stated parental involvement has a positive relationship with
children's educations resulting in improved parent-child communication. The results of
my research substantiated and confirmed their findings. During the second interview,
parents also had more discussion with their children about issues and successes than they
had during the fall interview. This response at the second parent-teacher interview
suggested there was an improvement in the relationship and level of communication
between the parent and student since October, which I attributed to the parent
communication books. In the February parent-teacher interview, parents also seemed
more willing to ask me for suggestions on ways they could help their children, rather than

88

my offering the ideas which suggested a stronger relationship had developed between the
parents and me, the teacher.
Parental involvement and academic achievement. Educators need to acknowledge
and support parental involvement at home, which impacts school achievement, attendance,
and behaviour (Snell, 2011 ).When comparing the signed return rates of the parent
communication books to students' academic achievement in reading results, there is
evidence that parental involvement in my study had an impact on reading achievement.
Students who frequently returned their parent communication books signed on Mondays
made large gains in reading ability levels. When comparing the signed return rates of the
parent communication books to students' academic achievement in writing, there was no
clear implication that parental involvement had an impact on writing achievement. I
concluded, based on these results, based on strategies and comments written in the
students ' parent communication books, it was likely parents helped their children with
reading at home more than they helped their children with writing. It should be noted,
however, that students in this case study also experienced a minimum of two and a half
hours of dedicated Guided Reading time at school per week, while writing occurred less
frequently in the classroom.
Socioeconomic status. The case study classroom was divided into two groups,
students living in poverty and students not living in poverty, to ascertain ifthere was a
difference in parental involvement and achievement based on socioeconomic status.
When comparing data from the return rate for the parent communication books and the
parent communication book questionnaires, it is evident that students living in poverty had
much lower return rates. Based on the return rates of the parent communication books, the

89

return rate of the parent communication book questionnaires, and the data collected in the
parent contact log, I concluded parents of students not living in poverty displayed higher
levels of parental involvement in their children' s educations than parents of students living
in poverty. Research shows a widening achievement gap between children living in
poverty and those who are living in more fortunate circumstances (e.g., Hodges, 2001).
When comparing academic achievement data based on socioeconomic status for this case
study, my results were similar to Hodges' (2001) findings. I concluded students living in
poverty accomplished lower levels of academic achievements in reading and writing when
compared to their higher income counterparts; both of which suggested parental
involvement affects academic achievement.

Recommendations
Education must be a joint effort between and among parents, students, and teachers.
According to Greene and Long (2011), education must be a joint effort, with schools and
homes working together to educate children. We must all work together to help children
succeed. Despite my efforts to involve all parents of the students in my class in their
children's educations, not every parent participated in the way I had hoped. Whether this
lack of participation was due to the parents' inability to assist their children or
unwillingness to help is unclear. What I became aware of, even while completing my
research, was that there were ways in which improvements could be made; improvements
in what parents, students, and I were doing, to assist parents in helping their children
succeed at school. Based on what was occurring in my classroom during this case study I
make recommendations for: (a) communication with parents, (b) parental and community
involvement, (c) professional development and research, and (d) personal implications.

90

Communicate with parents. Based on the high return rate of signed parent

communication books and the parent communication book questionnaire comments
provided by parents, I recommend that teachers use some form of a dedicated
communication book, such as the parent communication book, as a way to keep parents
informed about their children's educations. Although it takes some extra work on the part
of the teacher to comment on each student's book every week, I recommend providing
feedback to students and parents on a weekly basis. The time a teacher puts into
providing feedback for students and parents is worthwhile to both when the return rates of
the parent communication books are compared to academic achievement and when seeing
how the feedback influences the students' levels of success.
As a method to encourage parental involvement in their children's educations, I
recommend having several parent-teacher interviews throughout the school year.
Although it is typical to only have parent-teacher interview once per school year at the
elementary level, often because of union regulations and school schedules, I recommend
having parent-teacher interviews in the Fall, early Spring, and just before Summer break
to keep parents up to date on their children's educations. The more parents are informed
about their children, the more likely it is they are involved in their children's educations.
Encourage parental and community involvement. Even though I felt the parent

communication book was a useful tool for encouraging parental involvement, I
recommend providing a mini-workshop for parents on how to use this communication tool
to help their children succeed. Parents, particularly those living in poverty in this case,
need to be provided with specific strategies and communication methods they can use to
help their children become more successful at school. While this workshop would be best

91

facilitated by the classroom teacher who will be using the communication tool, other
parenting workshops could be provided at the school to involve parents and the
community and teach them how to focus on specific skills and strategies with which their
children may need help.
Involving parents and the community in what is happening at the school is important
to the success of everyone involved. Hosting school-wide events, such as the Christmas
craft night or literacy night, encourages parents to come into the school, and can also be
used as a delivery method for helping parents learn how to interact and assist their
children in these areas. The importance of hosting these informal events is important in a
high-poverty school, in which this case study occurred, as it can be difficult for some
parents living in poverty to come to the school for various reasons. Informal school-wide
events allow parents to see the school in a different light and take away some of the
pressure of interacting with the teachers and other school staff. I found parents were more
relaxed and easy going at school-wide events, which they viewed as informal, than in
comparison to the first formal parent-teacher interview.
Professional development and research. Before undertaking any research at a
school, I recommend the researcher become familiar with the students and educators. The
educators and students at any school create the school environment. It is important
educators and researchers are aware of the student population and the circumstances
surrounding their lives. For example, teachers in disadvantaged schools face different
difficulties than teachers in advantaged schools (Chenoweth, 2010).Being involved in a
Professional Reading and Talking book study group, such as the book studies on poverty
and at-risk students I attended at my school, are valuable professional development

92

opportunities. I recommend educators and researchers research the student population of
their schools to discover ways they can assist students in achieving success.
The limitations of this case study have already been addressed, although they allow
room for recommendations in professional development and research. While I was
pleased with the results of this research, the small sample size was a definite limitation. I
recommend further research on this topic using a larger sample size; perhaps all of the
intermediate classes at one particular school. I also recommend a more extensive survey
of the parents' uses of the parent communication book. Surveying parents as to what
prevents them from being involved as well as what they are specifically doing would have
added to this research in a substantial manner. Using a different strategy for
communicating with parents and then comparing the results from that research to this
research would also give support to the validity of this project.
Personal implications. The undertaking of this project impacted my teaching, my

students, and the parents of my students in a positive manner. Research into the student
population and the factors that influenced their educations helped me become a better
teacher. As I completed this project, I was able to reflect on the outcomes, both the
successes and the areas that required improvement.
I will continue to use a parent communication book in my classroom for a number of
reasons. I felt the parents of students in my class became involved in their children's
educations and together we developed a positive, trusting relationship. I also felt parents
were better informed of their children's progress and possibly more open to my
suggestions. In the future, I will create a parent communication book with a component

93

that always stays at home, such as a reminder of the goal for the week. While the parent
communication book was successful based on the return rates and the students' academic
achievements, it may have been more successful had parents had something to which they
could refer during the week as most books were returned on Mondays. Parents will be
invited into my classroom and the school on a more regular basis and I hope to develop a
class website as another tool for keeping parents informed and helping them become
involved in their children' s educations.

94

References
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•

95

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Appendix A (Parent Communication Book)
Some of the things that happened this week are:

This week I did well at:

Something I need to work on from this week is:

This is how you can help me at home:

What do you think, _ _ _ _ _ _ _?

This is how _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ can help me at school:

Teacher Feedback:

Reflection: How did I work on what I needed to last week?

Date _ _ _ _ _ _ __

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Appendix B (Student/Parent/Teacher Conference Plan)

Student/Parent/Teacher Conference Plan
This meeting shou ld be about what you want your parents to know about our class and how you are doing in
school. Please be thoughtful and specific in your responses to the following questions which we can discuss
at our meeting.

How do you fee l about school so far this year?

What is going well for you at school?

What is challenging for you at school?

What can you do to help you be more successful at school?

What can your parent do to help you be more successful at school ?

What can Mrs. Goodwin do to help you be more successful at school?

Is there anything else you would like to discuss about school?

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Appendix C (Informal Report Card)

Informal Report Card
Dear Parents,

Name - - - - -- - -

This term in Division 4 we have continued to work on taking ownership over our own
learning. We have also been working on setting goals and identifying strategies we can
use to assist our learning. The primary method we used to do this was the Parent
Communication Book. I am proud of the work and determination students, and parents,
are putting towards the completion of this book. Students are setting goals for themselves
by developing a strategy they can have someone use to help them further understand the
knowledge they are acquiring at school. Thank you for working together with me as a
team to support your child's learning and helping them reach their goals. Please take the
time to celebrate your child's strengths and successes, and take note of the areas they feel
they need extra assistance to succeed in. Both your child and I appreciate your support! I
am sending home two copies of this report. Please review this interim with your child,
comment, sign, and return one copy to me at the school. If you have any questions or
concerns, please feel free to contact me at the school.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Goodwin

Parent Signature

Student Signature

What I Need to Succeed at School:
1.

2.
3.

4. ---------------------

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My Learning Reflection

Evaluation Scale:
as assessed by
Mrs. Goodwin

4 =Exceeding Mrs. Goodwin's expectations
3 =Meeting Mrs. Goodwin's expectations
2 =Minimally meeting Mrs. Goodwin's expectations
1 =Not yet meeting Mrs. Goodwin's expectations

Language Arts:

2
4
3
1
•
I contribute to classroom discussions
•
I demonstrate an understanding of my Word Sorts
•
I organize my writing and use correct spelling and punctuation
•
I demonstrate an understanding of cursive writing
One thing I am proud of is

One thing I need to work on is

One way you can help me at home is

Social Studies:
•

I distinguish between characteristics of various Aboriginal cultures in BC and
Canada

One thing I am proud of is

One thing I need to work on is

One way you can help me at home is

101

4
•
•

3

2

1

I sketch and color neatly
I create 2D and 3D images for a specific purpose

One thing I am proud of is

One thing I need to work on is

One way you can help me at home is

4
•
•
•

3

2

1

I play safely and participate daily
I demonstrate good sportsmanship
I come prepared with my gym strip

One thing I am proud of is

One thing I need to work on is

One way you can help me at home is

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Math:

•

•
•

One thing I am proud of is

One thing I need to work on is

One way you can help me at home is

French:

•
•

4

3

2

1

I respond to classroom instruction
I demonstrate an understanding of specific French vocabulary

One thing I am proud of is

One thing I need to work on is

One way you can help me at home is

103

Work Habits Reflection
I demonstrate a consistent effort and positive attitude towards my learning.
4

3

2

1

Evidence:

I demonstrate respect for my peers and the adults at the school.
4

3

2

1

Evidence:

I independently focus on a task to complete assignments carefully and on time.
4

3

2

1

3

2

1

Evidence:

I complete my work neatly and quietly.
4

Evidence:

I consistently come prepared for school (Parent Communication Book, planner,
homework, etc.).
4

Evidence:

3

2

1

104

Appendix D (Interview Request Form)
Interview Request Form
Dear Parents,
I would like to schedule parent teacher interviews for the week of February ih to
review your child's informal report card. However, I would first like to see which of these
times would work for everyone. Please indicate which days and times work best for you
to come in for a quick 10 minute interview (there may be more than one time that works).
If it works out, I will then make a schedule and let you know when you should come to the
meeting. If not, I will make alternate arrangements.
Thank You,
Mrs. Goodwin

Please detach and return the bottom of this form
The following times work for me to come to an interview for _ _ _ __ __

Student's name
Monday February ihbetween I 0:45am- I 2:15pm
_ _ _ _ _ _ Please check here if Monday works for you.
Tuesday February gthbetween 1:OOpm- 2:30pm
_ _ _ _ _ _ Please check here if Tuesday works for you.
Wednesday February 9thbetween I 0:45am- !2:15pm
_ _ _ _ _ _ Please check here if Wednesday works for you.
None of the days or times work for me. A better day and/or time would
be- - - -- - - -

105

Appendix E (Writing Rubric)
1

2

3

4

Experimenting

Developing

Effective

Strong

Ideas
the meaning
and
development
of the message

•
•

•

Topic is
unclear
Limited or
missing
information
No meaningful
details

•
•

Beginning to
identify topic
Vague
details; lacks
specific
information

•
•

•
Needs more
structure and
organization
Hard to follow

Voice
the way the
writer brings
the topic to
life

•
•

Voice is
limited or
missing
Purpose not
present

Word Choice

the specific
vocabulary the
writer uses to
convey
meaning

•
•

•

•

•
•

•
Vocabulary is
limited
Vague,
everyday
language

•

•

•

Organization
the internal
structure of
the piece

•
•

Some
organization
Weak
transitions
Inconsistent
or predictable
structure

Occasionally
intrigues the
reader
Some details
and language
bring topic
to life
Generally
correct
words; no
spice
Words
convey
general
meaning

•
•

•
•

Topic clear
Supporting
details provided
Some
connections/insig
hts

Logical
sequencing and
pacing
Predictable
connections
Clear &
connected
beginning,
middle and
ending
Reader/writer
connection
present
Language and
details bring
topic to life

•
•
•

•
•

•
•

•

•

•

Uses active verbs
and precise
nouns
Some intriguing
language

•
•

Narrow and
manageable
topic
Relevant,
accurate details
Strong
connections/insi
ghts

Effective
transitions,
sequencing and
pacing
Well organized

Effective and
strong
reader/writer
connection
Takes risks;
language and
details bring
topic fully to
life
Powerful and
engaging words
Wording
accurate/specifi
c/precise
Words/languag
e creates
meaningful
pictures

106

2
Developing

1

Experimenting
Sentence
Fluency
the way the
words and
phrases flow
throughout the
text

•
•
•

Choppy,
rambling or
incomplete
Oral reading
difficult
Repetitive
beginnings

•

•
•

•
Presentation
the overall
appearance of
the work

•
•

•
•

•
•
•

Conventions
the
mechanical
correctness of
the piece

•

Spelling errors
impede
readability
Incorrect
punctuation
and
capitalization
Many usage
and grammar
errors
No
paragraphing

Unreadable/me
ssy
Random or
lack of spacing
No attempt at
margins and
headers
Overall
appearance is
unacceptable

•

•

•
•
•

•
•

Simple
sentences
Some parts
can be read
aloud easily
Little or no
sentence
variety
Spelling
correct on
common
words
End
punctuation
and easy
capitalization
mostly
correct
Some
grammar
errors
Irregular

4
Strong

3

Effective

•
•
•

•
•

•
•

Sentences flow
smoothly
Can be read
aloud easily
Various sentence
structures and
beginnings

Spelling
generally correct
Punctuation and
capitalization
correct; may
have a few minor
errors
Grammar and
usage are correct
Paragraphing
correct

•
•
•

•
•

•
•

Easy flow and
rhythm
Strong and
varied sentence
structure
Invites
expressive
reading
Spelling correct
even on more
difficult words
Accurate
punctuation and
capitalization
Grammar and
usage
contribute to
clarity
Paragraphing
enhances style

parc:igf~hing_

Presentation
poor, but
readable
Some thought
given to
spacing
Attempts at
margins and
headers
Overall
appearance is
distractin_g

•
•
•
•

Presentation
legible
Spacing makes
sense
Margins and
headers effective
Overall
appearance is
acceptable

•
•
•

Presentation
enhances
writing
Good balance
of space and
text
Overall
appearance is
pleasing

107

Appendix F (Parent Communication Book Questionnaire)
Dear Parents,
This year in Division 4 students have been completing their Parent Communication
Book on a weekly basis. The purpose of the Parent Communication Book is to encourage
students to take ownership over their own learning, keep their parents informed, and
suggest strategies they, with their parents, can implement at home to help the student
succeed.
I am requesting parents to complete this questionnaire to provide me with some
feedback about the Parent Communication Book. Please take a few minutes to fill in this
questionnaire and return it to me at the school as soon as possible.
Thank you for working together with me to support your child's learning and helping
them reach their goals. I appreciate your assistance and support. If you have any
questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at the school.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Goodwin

Parent Communication Book Questionnaire
When my child suggests a strategy to implement at home we try to use it:
(please circle the appropriate response)
Everyday
5 to 6 times a week
3 to 4 times a week
1 to 2 times a week
Never
Please comment on what you think about the Parent Communication Book