Parent involvement in assessment for learning: improving parent involvement in schools

This action research study researched if parental involvement in schools would increase and a shift in mindsets about assessment practices would occur through teaching the Six Big Assessment for Learning Strategies (Network of Performance Based Schools, 2007) to parents, teachers, and students. Parents, teachers, and students were taught two of the Six Big Assessment for Learning Strategies monthly in September, October, and November. The study tracked the levels of parent involvement through the numbers in attendance at the Parent Assessment for Learning launches, and extracted themes and levels of agreement regarding views about assessment practices. Data were collected using different methods including: checklists, descriptive feedback from public meetings, semi-structured and focussed group interviews, and surveys. The results of this study suggest that parent involvement in the school will continue to increase in the future and that shift in mindsets about assessment practices has occurred in parents, teachers, and students through teaching the Six Big Assessment for Learning Strategies. --P. ii.