PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS THAT HINDER ENGAGMENT OF
DISENFRANCHISED PARENTS OF SECOND DISTRICT ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL IN CRAWFORD CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

A Doctoral Capstone Project
Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies and Research
Department of Education

In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Education

Thomas Kenyon Washington
California University of Pennsylvania
July 2023

PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS

© Copyright by
Thomas K. Washington
All Rights Reserved
July 2023

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PARENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS

ll1

Penn West University
School of Graduate Studies and Research
Department of Education

We hereby approve the capstone of
Thomas K. Washington
Candidate for the Degree of Doctor of Education

Assistant Professor
Doctoral Capstone Faculty Committee Chair

Director of Educational Technology & Federal Programs
Doctoral Capstone External Committee Member

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
Dedication
To my wife Monica René Washington, you are the best wife ever! To Corey,
Arria, and Adrienne, I love you.

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
Acknowledgements
I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to all the contributors who played
a vital role in this research study. Your efforts and contributions have been invaluable,
and I am truly grateful for your involvement.
First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my faculty
committee chair, Dr. Mary Wolf. Your unwavering patience, dedication, and
commitment throughout this journey have been instrumental in shaping my growth as a
thinker and researcher. Your insightful guidance and wisdom have been indispensable,
and I am truly thankful for the opportunity to learn from you.
To Dr. Noonen, I am incredibly grateful for your outstanding support and
invaluable contributions throughout the entire research process. Your expertise and
assistance have been truly transformative, and I cannot adequately express the
significance of your presence during this journey. Thank you from the bottom of my
heart.
A special thank you goes to Lisa Pittner for her assistance. Your help with
formatting and ensuring the coherence of my work has been indispensable. Without your
expertise, my margins would have been all over the place. I am immensely grateful for
your meticulous attention to detail and unwavering support.
To Dr. Bernadowski, I want to express my deep appreciation for your guidance
and feedback. Your valuable insights and suggestions have played a crucial role in
refining my research, and I am thankful for your unwavering support throughout this
endeavor.
Finally, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to my wife. Your unwavering
support, patience, and understanding have been my pillars of strength throughout this
journey. Thank you for listening to my ideas, offering your support, and pushing me to
achieve my best. Your love and support mean the world to me, and I am eternally grateful
for having you by my side.

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
Table of Contents
Dedication

iv

Acknowledgements

v

List of Tables

vii

List of Figures

ix

Abstract

x

CHAPTER I. Background

1

Capstone Focus

4

Research Questions

4

Expected Outcomes

4

Fiscal Implications

6

Summary

8

CHAPTER II. Literature Review

9

Historical Evolution of Parental Involvement

11

Parental Involvement Policies and Accountability

18

History of Parent Engagement

19

Rural Parental Engagement

21

Models of Parental Engagement

22

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
Epstein’s Framework

23

Parental Involvement Continuum

23

Dual Capacity Building Framework

24

Parent Engagement

26

Summary

39

CHAPTER III. Methodology

41

Purpose of the Research

42

Setting and Participants

43

Intervention

45

Research Design, Methods, and Data Collection

50

Validity

54

Summary

56

CHAPTER IV. Data Analysis and Results
Data Analysis

57
58

Quantitative Data Analysis

58

Qualitative Data Analysis

58

Quantitative Findings

58

Qualitative Findings

66

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
Semi-Structured Interview Findings

67

Theme 1: Barriers to Engagement

67

Theme 2: Increased Engagement Means Increased Connection

70

Theme 3: Suggestions to Improve Engagement

71

Focus Group Findings

72

Interpretation of Data Analysis Process

74

Summary

74

CHAPTER V. Conclusions and Recommendations

75

Conclusions

76

Fiscal Implications

82

Limitations

83

Recommendations for Future Research

83

Summary

84

References

87

APPENDIX A. Institutional Review Board Approval

96

APPENDIX B. Parent Survey Disclosure Letter

97

APPENDIX C. Parent Survey Questions

99

APPENDIX D. Focus Group Disclosure Letter

102

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
APPENDIX E. Focus Group Questions

104

APPENDIX F. Interview Disclosure Letter

105

APPENDIX G. Interview Questions

107

APPENDIX H. Sapphire Messages to Parents

108

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
List of Tables
Table 1. Data Collection Timeline

55

Table 2. Demographic Characteristics of Questionnaire Respondents

60

Table 3. Responses from the Satisfaction Questionnaire

61

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
List of Figures
Figure 1. Grade Level of Attendance

59

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
Abstract
Parental involvement in schools reaps many benefits for schools and families, yet
disenfranchised parents often face barriers to participating fully in their children’s
academics and school activities. This study examined the parental engagement practices
of one elementary school in the Crawford Central School District. Although Crawford
Central School District (CCSD) has implemented several strategies to help low-income
students and their families connect to school, parents were still finding it difficult to be
fully engaged with the school. Because of this, the research questions focused on parents’
perceptions of barriers that hinder engagement of disenfranchised parents. This action
research study utilized a qualitative approach to identify the barriers to parental
involvement in a rural school with a high free and reduced lunch percentage and low
academic achievement. The researcher employed multiple data collection methods,
including an electronic questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, and a focus group. The
study revealed several barriers to parent engagement. These barriers include educational
barriers, financial constraints, delayed dissemination of information, structural barriers in
the community, and the importance of trust in the parent-school relationship. However,
despite facing barriers, such as a lack of knowledge on how to participate or clearancerelated issues, parents demonstrated a genuine interest in being deeply involved.

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
CHAPTER I
Introduction
Background
The Meadville National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP) Education Committee has been in conversation with Crawford Central School
District about the lack of opportunities for meaningful involvement by families in the
schools, an issue for low income students and other marginalized groups. A survey
conducted by the NAACP Education Committee (October 2020) revealed a lack of
family engagement, a powerful predictor of high achievement by students, as an issue
facing schools. The lack of parental involvement in schools is recognized on local and
national levels. For years, government legislation has encouraged school systems to
promote parental involvement; however, parental involvement is still a concern among
administrators and educators (Foley, 2015). Research indicates that students achieve
greater success when their families take an active role in their education. In a response to
the findings both by the NAACP Education Committee and research, Crawford Central
School District (CCSD) has implemented several strategies to help low-income students
and their families connect to school. Although a long-standing initiative of the school
district, attempts to bring parents into the schools have been unsuccessful. The district
understands that parent involvement is a shared responsibility in which schools must
make a concerted effort to engage parents in meaningful ways.
Parents are committed to actively supporting their children’s learning and
development; therefore, Crawford Central School District seeks to understand effective

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strategies to increase parental engagement and remove barriers for disenfranchised
parents.
The Crawford Central School District was formed in 1972 as part of a countywide educational reorganization program. All school districts in Crawford County,
including Erie and Warren Counties, make up Intermediate Unit #5 of the Pennsylvania
Public Schools System excluding Titusville. Meadville is the Crawford County seat and
offers the majority of public housing, social services, and medical facilities. A stable
economic environment, fruitful cultural and recreational opportunities, and proximity to
several metropolitan areas make Crawford County an appealing place in which to work,
live, and educate children.
Crawford Central School District is the largest of four districts in the county with
3,166 students enrolled as of October 2022. The district consists of eight school buildings
(five elementary, one middle, one junior-senior high, and one high school). The school
district is divided into two major attendances areas, one serving Cochranton and the other
Meadville. Cochranton students are housed in a K-6 elementary school and a 7-12 juniorsenior high school. Students in the Meadville area attend one of four K-6 elementary
schools, a 7-8 middle school, and a 9-12 high school. Students from both high schools
may attend the Crawford County Career and Technical Center on a half-day basis. As of
2019, there were 84,629 people who lived and worked in Crawford County, which is
36% urban and 64% rural. The top three industries of employment in the county are
Educational, Health and Social Services (26.9%), Manufacturing (21.0%), and Retail
Trade (10.2%) (City-Data.com, n.d.).

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
Second District Elementary School is one of five elementary buildings in the
Crawford Central School District. The school serves 328 students in grades Kindergarten6. The student- teacher ratio is 12:1, which is lower than the Pennsylvania state level
average which is 14:1. According to data from the Pennsylvania Department of
Education (2022), 74.4% of the students are considered economically disadvantaged. The
ethnicity breakdown of Second District Elementary is 73% White, 9% Multi-Racial, 5%
Hispanic, 12% Black and 1% Asian. Eighty-one percent of the students receive free and
reduced lunch. Moreover, Second District Elementary School qualifies for Title I funds,
which provide additional academic support and learning opportunities to help lowachieving students master challenging curriculum in math and reading. The Title I funds
support two Title I reading specialists and one early childhood teacher at Second District
Elementary School. The funds also provide supplies, staff development opportunities,
and support parent engagement activities. A monumental event happened in September
1880 that catapulted Second District Elementary into the national spotlight. This event
led to the end of segregation by race in Pennsylvania’s public schools. Elias Allen tried
unsuccessfully to enroll his two children at Second District Elementary School. He
appealed to the Crawford County Court of Common Pleas, and Judge Person Church
declared unconstitutional the 1854 state law mandating separate schools for Negro
children. This law was amended, effective July 4, 1881, to prohibit such segregation
(Burnett, 2012). Second District Elementary School became the first school in the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to be integrated.

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
Capstone Focus
The purpose of this action research was to identify the barriers to parental
involvement in a rural school district with a high free and reduced lunch percentage and
low academic success. The research questions focused on parents’ perceptions of barriers
to parental involvement by using surveys/questionnaire, focus groups, and interviews.
Research Questions
The focus questions included:
1.

What are the parents’ perceptions of barriers that keep them from
participating in parent involvement related activities such as parent
workshops, Title I Parent Conferences, Literacy Under the Lights reading
activity, Carnival Night, etc. at Second District Elementary School?

2. In what ways was parent involvement impacted as a result of the
implementation of the parent engagement process at Second District
Elementary?
3. What are effective methods to remove barriers to parental engagement and
increase parental involvement?
Expected Outcomes
Participants in this action research study included parents of students who attend
Second District Elementary School in the Crawford Central School District. All parents
were invited to participate in the survey. The researcher used thematic analysis to
identify themes of parental involvement barriers, experiences, and perceptions. For openended responses the researcher developed a coding system to track emerging trends and

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
themes. Strategies that emerged as effective strategies to parental barriers were developed
and implemented. Additionally, best practices in parental engagement were apparent
from the literature review and provided an additional source of information. These best
practices, survey data, interviews and focus groups were used to develop interventions to
remove barriers to parent engagement.
Bergman’s Learning Heroes’ survey was distributed to parents, teachers, and
principals and found that educators overwhelmingly realize the benefits of family
engagement for student success. Unfortunately, most parent-teacher interactions are
short, infrequent, and negative (Bergman, 2022). Since many schools do not encourage or
expect teachers to collaborate closely with their students’ families, it is not surprising that
43% of teachers say creating strong relationships with parents and/or caregivers is
difficult (Bergman, 2022; Mapp & Bergman, 2021). Most educators agree that more
support is needed to help staff members identify and work through biases they may have
when trying to communicate with families (Bergman, 2022). Traditional family
engagement events and activities often fail to connect families to what their children are
learning in meaningful ways (Mapp & Bergman, 2021).
Therefore, an asset-based approach was needed that focuses on strengths. In the
context of family engagement, this means understanding that caregivers can support
student learning and are equal partners in the educational process (Mapp & Bergman,
2021). Epstein’s (2010) framework provided structure to categorize the ways in which
parents participate in schools, classify the barriers under parental involvement types, and
organize suggestions for improvement based on these types. While parental involvement

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
can take many forms, Epstein’s (2010) framework outlines six types of parental
involvement:
o Type 1 is parenting, which addresses establishing home environments to
support students.
o Type 2 is communicating, which focuses on designing effective
communication regarding programs and student progress.
o Type 3 is volunteering, which centers on recruiting and organizing
parental support.
o Type 4 is learning at home, which provides information and ideas to
families on how to aid students effectively.
o Type 5 is decision-making, which targets how to include parents in school
decisions and developing parent leaders.
o Type 6 is collaborating with the community, which identifies and
integrates resources and service to strengthen stakeholder relationships (p.
85)
Fiscal Implications
The budget developed to support this action research was designed to identify
effective methods to implement the removal of barriers to parental engagement and
increase parental involvement at Second District Elementary School in the Crawford
Central School District. This researcher distributed surveys, conducted focus groups and
semi-structured interviews to collect data. As part of improving parent engagement, the
district has created a collaboration with Parents as Allies which is designed to identify,
share, and facilitate the use of promising new strategies to build stronger family-school

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
partnerships in school districts. A Second District Design Team which consists of
parents, teachers, administrators, and the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) members
helped develop and implement parent engagement activities over the course of the 20222023 school year.
The budget included teachers’ stipends to serve on the Design Team at the
contractual rate of $27/hour according to the collective bargaining agreement. The
teachers on the Design Team were required to attend all scheduled events. The estimated
cost was $1,620 (3 teachers x $27/hour x 20 hours = $1,620.) In addition, the budget set
aside a stipend for any teacher from Second District to attend parental engagement events
implemented during the 2022-2023 school year. The estimated cost was $1,620 ($27/
hour x 20). As a result of the parental surveys, the Second District Design Team
developed and implemented activities to remove barriers to parent participation.
Therefore, the budget incorporated a line item for hospitality ($1,500). Parent-school
engagement and improved communication within the school community was also an
aspect of this research, so the budget also included funding to pilot and implement
alternative communications methods such as applications like Classroom DOJO,
SEESAW, Remind or Zoom. The goal was to facilitate two-way communication between
the parents and teachers to build trust and provide a vehicle for timely information
sharing. The estimated cost was $1,500. Supplies, materials, and resources intended to
support this research was an integral part of the budget. This budget line also included
supplies for activities created by the Design Team. The estimated cost was $1,500. A
total budget of $7,740 was secured.

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
Summary
The purpose of this action research was to identify the barriers to parental
involvement in a rural school with a high free and reduced lunch percentage and low
academic success. Crawford Central School District (CCSD) has implemented several
strategies to help low-income students and their families connect to school. Although
parent and family engagement is a district initiative, attempts to bring parents into the
schools have been unsuccessful. The district understands that parent engagement in
schools is a shared responsibility in which our schools are committed to reaching out to
parents in meaningful ways. Additionally, parents are committed to actively supporting
their children’s learning and development. Therefore, Crawford Central School District
seeks to understand what effective methods are essential for schools to implement to
increase parental engagement and remove barriers for disenfranchised parents. Parent
engagement is an essential element in the education process and research studies have
linked parental involvement to numerous positive outcomes (Foley, 2015). Therefore,
this action research sought to identify barriers and to recognize, share, and facilitate the
use of promising new strategies to build stronger family-school partnerships. “The
climate is being created in the Crawford Central School District to support full
partnership with families-to expand engagement opportunities” ( A. P. Dixon, personal
communication, January 21, 2023).

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
CHAPTER 2
Literature Review
The negative implications of the lack of parental involvement support the need to
examine the details associated with parent participation in schools. Some parents are
disenfranchised by the educational system because they do not know how to become
involved in the process (Foley, 2015). “Engagement practices vary from family to family,
for reasons like culture, education, and due to time commitment, there are families who
cannot fully engage whatsoever” (Ortiz-Leger, 2022, p. 14). There are basic beliefs,
agreement, and disagreement about the importance of families and the benefits of
parental involvement. But one thing is common, “Teachers would like families to assist,
guide, and influence their children to do their schoolwork. Families want teachers to let
them know how to help their children at home” (Epstein, 2018, p. 3). While family
involvement can be defined as parents taking a part of their child’s education by being
involved in school events and activities, experts define family engagement as families
and teachers sharing the responsibility to help their children learn (Ortiz-Leger, 2022).
According to Epstein (2018), the partnership between home and school is a better way to
engage families because they recognize the shared responsibilities of home, school, and
community. “The implementation of better practices of family engagement in an
educational setting and in the home has shown to be beneficial for children’s academic
success” (Ortiz-Leger, 2022, p. 14). When home, school, and community are actively
engaged to solve problems and meet the needs of the community, schools become
partners with parents.

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Even when they do not come in person, families come in children’s minds and
hearts, and in their hopes and dreams. They come with the children’s problems
and promise. Without exception, teachers and administrators have explicit or
implicit contact with their student’s families every day. (Epstein, 2018, p. 4)
The relationship and trust between families and schools become distressed when families
are not supported through the barriers of time constraints, language, and basic
understandings of family difficulties and structure (Ortiz-Leger, 2022). The seminal
researcher Joyce Epstein (2018) asked:
Whose dreams are these? Children will like school; work hard; do the best they can;
graduate from high school; continue their education; gain employment; and become
good citizens, friends, and members of their families. Countless surveys and
projects with thousands of educators, families, and students reveal that these are
common goals and dreams. Too often, though, these ideals are unattained by this
nation’s children. How can more students be helped to meet these goals? To answer
questions about goals, we must ask questions about roles: What should families do,
what should schools and communities do, and what should students do to reach
their common objective for children’s success in school and in the future? These
questions are the reasons for studying, implementing, and improving school,
family, and community partnerships. (p. 3)
Although studies over the last 30 years identify a strong link between parents’
involvement in school and increased student achievement, enhanced self-esteem,
improved behavior, and better school attendance, family involvement in U.S. schools
remains minimal (Mapp, 1997). Historically, schools have not been designed to engage

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families in the education of their children (Brookings Institution, 2021). American
education had been a system that, at its foundation, was surrounded by bureaucratic
practices. This bureaucracy indirectly led to decreased involvement by parents in their
children’s education (Bido, 2020). The hidden message implied families should bring
their children to the schoolhouse and schools would take care of the rest. However, that
has not always been the case. Families and schools are dynamic institutions; both have
changed markedly in the last two centuries. Not surprisingly, family-school interactions
have shifted as well (Epstein, 2018; Lareau, 1987).
Confusion and disagreement exist about which practices of involvement are
important and how to garner family participation (Epstein, 2018). Some educators expect
parents to become involved on their own, while some parents expect the school to tell
them what to do and they will simply respond, but Epstein (2018) suggests that neither of
the approaches, waiting for involvement or dictating involvement, is effective in family
involvement.
Historical Evolution of Parental Involvement
Colonial schools were initially created to represent the religious beliefs of the
community (Hiatt-Michael, 1994) and education of children was the primary
responsibility of the parents, with little or no formal involvement from a structured
educational entity. The first schools were created by religious leaders, and the curriculum
was comprised of religion, reading, and writing and later placed under governance of
townships (Hiatt-Michael, 1994). As governance became the focal point of townships,
Hiatt-Michael (1994) also noted schools began to align along social class, which
mimicked the class structure of Great Britain. This arrangement created schools that

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
accommodated to the social demand of parents and often operated in an authoritative
manner reserved for the select few (Bido, 2020). By 1860, every state in the U.S. housed
a public school system. Horace Mann, a pioneer in the public education system,
established a vision of public education that was coming to fruition and, by default,
would decrease the level of parental involvement (Bido, 2020).
According to Lareau (1987), at least three major stages of family-school
interaction can be identified. During the early stage of education family life and
schooling were integrated as parents in rural areas provided food and housing for
teachers. In the second period marked by the rise of mass schooling, parents provided
political and economic support for the selection and maintenance of school sites. As
colonies continued to evolve and grow, the education landscape saw a shift in parental
involvement in public education (Bido, 2020). In the third period, parents increased their
efforts to reinforce the curriculum and promote cognitive development at home. Key
players arose to bring about the birth of American education, such as Benjamin Franklin
and Thomas Jefferson. They found value in reading, writing, and rhetoric. Parents
assumed that their role, in essence, was to educate their children in those areas of
importance, but it became apparent that parents lacked the proficiency needed to
adequately instruct their children (Bido, 2020).
In the 1850’s unemployed immigrant children provided low-wage labor, which
supplemented family income, but became competition for the average working male. To
counter the influx of child labor and low wages, working men formed unions. Labor
unions enlisted politicians to enact laws to limit the exploitation of children and
ultimately remove them from the work force. Additionally, compulsory education laws

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
were passed (Hiatt-Michael, 1994). The author posits that the creation of child labor and
truancy laws to keep kids in school actually were design to keep children from the
workforce. A political maneuver cloaked in the best interest of children but designed to
meet the needs of adults in society. These laws created a shift in the control parents held
and caused a decline in parent involvement (Bido, 2020).
Parents began monitoring their children’s education by becoming classroom
volunteers and monitoring special education issues. Many factors such as educational
attainment, work hours and social dynamics greatly impacted the level of parentalinvolvement (Lareau, 1987). American education had been a system that, at its
foundation, was surrounded by bureaucratic practices (Bido, 2020).
As America entered the industrial era, an unintentional consequence of the child
labor and compulsory attendance laws led to the decline of parents in the education of
their children. These laws made it illegal for a parent to keep a child out of school
without the permission of school authorities and carried stiff fines for noncompliance.
Additionally, as educational systems went through the process of bureaucratization and
professionalization, the educational system reduced parental influence in public schooling
(Hiatt-Michael, 1994). This era legitimized the sentiment that education is to be
implemented and controlled by professionals and administrators (Bido, 2020).
Currently, educational politics are occurring at school board meetings across the
country. Parent and special interest groups are storming the schoolhouse to protest
masking, vaccination, gender issues, book banning, and social-emotional learning
disguised as critical race theory. Interesting, Senate Bill 996 in Pennsylvania, titled
“Parents Bill of Rights” seeks to protect parental rights with the following rules:

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
(a) General rule.--The liberty of a parent to direct the upbringing, education, care
and welfare of the parent's child is a fundamental right.(b) Infringement.--Neither
a Commonwealth agency nor a non-Commonwealth agency may infringe upon
the right under subsection (a) without demonstrating that the law or ordinance is
narrowly tailored to meet a compelling governmental interest by the least
restrictive means. This legislation will make it clear in statute that the
Commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions may not infringe on the
fundamental rights of a parent to direct the upbringing, education, health care, and
mental health of his or her minor child without demonstrating that such action is
reasonable and necessary to achieve a compelling state interest, narrowly tailored,
and not otherwise served by a less restrictive means. The legislation will also
codify a parent’s right to access and review all school records related to their
child, a right to review all instructional materials used throughout the school year,
and the right to opt out their child from certain curriculum that the parent finds to
be objectionable or harmful. (Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators,
Legislative Committee Meeting, 2022)
This legislation is an example of how politics wrapped in the special interest of parents is
legitimately a battle between the political sides across the aisle. What is worth noting is
that Pennsylvania is a local control state and parents have always had the right to review
instructional materials and any other records. Historically, America education has always
been one of local parental control of school, governance, parental support of curriculum,
parental choice of teachers, and parental support of religious teaching of the school

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
(Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators, Legislative Committee Meeting,
2022)
Another piece of legislation in Pennsylvania that drives a wedge between school
and family engagement is the current regulation surrounding parent volunteers in schools.
The events surrounding the Penn State University football program forever changed how
educational institutions handle employees and volunteers across the Commonwealth.
However, the administrative regulations regarding parent volunteerism have brought the
process to almost a standstill. According to School Code – 24 P.S. Sec. 111, 510, 1418;
State Board of Education Regulations- 22 PA code Sec 8.1; State Department of Health
Regulations – 28 PA Code Sec. 23.44 and Child Protective Services Law- 23 Pa. C.S.A.
Sec. 6301 all volunteers are required to:
1. Complete a volunteer disclosures sheet for each school that he/she wishes
to serve as volunteer.
2. Provide a Pennsylvania State Police Criminal History Report dated no
more than one year prior to the date on the volunteer disclosure sheet.
3. Provide a Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Child Abuse
Report dated no more than one year prior to the date on the volunteer
disclosure sheet.
4. Provide a Federal Criminal History Report dated no more than one year
prior to the date on the volunteer disclosure sheet.
5. Complete a PDE-6004 Arrest/Conviction Report and Certification Form
dated no more than one year prior to the date on the volunteer disclosure
sheet.

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
6. Complete a Volunteer Self-Reporting Commitment Form.
7. Obtain a written statement from a physician.
The legislation does allow for those deemed as visitors to bypass the demanding
process. However, many districts in fear of litigation adhere to the rigorous requirements
of the law. An interesting point to mention is what was designed as a shield to protect our
students became a sword to keep parents from engaging in schools. Because of this,
school buildings now have the perfect process to keep parents at bay.
As the separation between parent involvement and public school power grew,
mothers sought more control and created the National Congress of Mothers (NCM) in
1987. The work of NCM led to the development of Parent/Teacher Association (PTA) in
school today (Hiatt-Michael, 1994). Parent involvement was supported by researchers
whose work highlighted the positive influence of parental involvement. It pushed for the
equity that was needed for all students to receive an education. With parents' assistance,
researchers were able to highlight the gaps that existed in American academia (Bido,
2020). Additionally, four historical trends helped to explain the change of family and
school interaction. First, more women over the past 40 years became educated by earning
college degrees at all levels. Secondly, the work of Dr. Spock became mainstream
knowledge. His work offered parents information about home environment, learning and
health care. Additionally, family structures began to change, and this shift had an impact
on family and school relations. Finally, communication and engagement shifted as
working mothers and single parents needed alternative methods of communication from
the school (Epstein, 2018).

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
Lareau (1987) suggested that most of the research around parent involvement
focus on three major conceptual approaches: the culture of poverty approach, the
institutional approach, and the cultural-capital approach. According to the culture of
poverty approach, parental involvement varied because parents of different social classes
have varying values that is working-class parents place less emphasis on the importance
of schooling and maintain a greater separation between their roles and those of school
staff than do middle-class parents (Sui-Chu & Willms,1996). In the institutional
approach, the educational institutions themselves cause unequal parental involvement
with discriminatory practices and often accommodate the needs of middle-class parents,
which made them feel more welcome than working-class parents (Lareau, 1987).
According to the culture capital thesis, schools are middle-class institutions with middleclass values, organizational patterns, and forms of communication. Children, who are
raised in middle-class environments, have a form of cultural capital that enables them to
adapt more readily to and benefit from school life. Similarly, middle-class parents are
more likely to feel comfortable relating to teachers and becoming involved in school
activities (Sui-Chu & Willms, 1996). It is important to note that in the latter approach
working-class parents are neither perceived as having low aspiration nor are schools
berated for discriminatory practices.
According to Ho and Willms (1996), the perception among educational
researchers is that successful schools develop practices that foster greater communication
with parents, encourage parents to assist children at home with schoolwork, and recruit
parents to work as volunteers to participate in school governance. However, their findings
suggest that such behavior in schools were uncommon. The results indicated that levels

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
of communication and levels of parental involvement in the home were about the same
across all schools, so it was impossible to identify reliably schools that were particularly
effective or ineffective in inducing higher levels of parental involvement. Moreover, the
study provided little support that parents’ socioeconomic status and two-parent family
structure increased the involvement of parents. However, Epstein (2018) suggests that
students achieve at a higher level when home, schools, and communities work together to
support learning and development.
Parent Involvement Policies and Accountability
Research points to the positive effects of parent involvement on student
achievement, and as a result, many state and federal initiatives over the past 50 years
have sought to compel schools to encourage parent involvement (Krage, 2018).
Educational policy and educational research in the United States was dramatically altered
during the 1960s and 1970s because of legislative and judicial action on behalf of
disadvantaged populations (DeYoung, 1987). Various legislative programs shed light on
supporting the role of families in the planning and education of their children. The federal
government entered the public education arena in 1965 as a response to the social
conditions of the time (Moles, 2001). In 1965, when Congress passed the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (ESEA) as part of President Lyndon Johnson's 'War on
Poverty,’ ESEA contained Chapter 1, Title I's predecessor. The purpose of ESEA was to
provide financial assistance to meet the needs of educationally deprived children with
high concentration of children from low-income families.
The Family Engagement in Education Act of 2011 amended Title I of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to strengthen families' engagement in

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
the education of their children. The Act authorized, among many things, each school’s
improvement plan to include a roadmap for strengthening family engagement in
education. Additionally, the Local Education Association (LEA) and school receiving
school improvement funds were required to develop policies and practices for family
engagement in education that meet specified principles and standards, H.R. 1821(112th).
The federal government attempted to address the growing achievement gap by
enacting policies to deal with the education students received. These policies not only
impacted how students received an education but outlined and mandated parent
involvement (Bido, 2020; Krage, 2018; Watson et al., 2012). No Child Left Behind
(NCLB) (2002) caught the attention of many when the federal government mandated
parental involvement. Not only did it identify shared responsibility, it also mandated
developing parents’ capacity to support their child’s academic achievement. In addition,
Title I aligned with NCLB and mandated parental inclusion in the school culture (Bido,
2020). Then, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) continued the focus on parental
involvement. Under ESSA, the school district's purpose was to educate key stakeholders,
especially parents, on what was needed to support rigorous instruction for each child
(Bido, 2020). Thus, parent involvement remained the prevailing focus at the federal level
to bridge the gap between home and school.
History of Parent Engagement
Parent engagement is an essential element in the education process. One factor
that contributes to the involvement of parents is how they perceive their involvement in
schools (Foley, 2015). Formal parent involvement in education can be traced back to the
formation in 1897 of the National Congress of Mothers, the predecessor to the Parent

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Teacher Association (Watson et al., 2012). NAFSCE endorses the family engagement
definition developed in 2010 by the National Family, School, and Community
Engagement Working Group (now the NAFSCE Policy Council):
•

Family engagement is a shared responsibility in which schools and other
community agencies and organizations are committed to reaching out to
engage families in meaningful ways and in which families are committed
to actively supporting their children's learning and development.

•

Family engagement is continuous across a child’s life and entails enduring
commitment but changing parent roles as children mature into young
adulthood.

•

Effective family engagement cuts across and reinforces learning in the
multiple settings where children learn- at home, in prekindergarten
programs, in school, in after-school programs, in faith-based institutions,
and in the community.

The Learning Heroes’ 2021 national survey of parents, teachers, and principals
found that educators overwhelmingly see the benefits of family engagement for student
success. Unfortunately, most parent-teacher interactions are short, infrequent, and
negative (Bergman, 2022). Since many schools do not encourage or expect teachers to
collaborate closely with their students’ families, it is not surprising that 43% of teachers
say creating strong relationships with parents is not easy (Bergman, 2022; Mapp &
Bergman, 2021). Traditional family engagement events and activities often fail to

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
meaningfully connect families to what their children are learning (Mapp & Bergman,
2021).
Rural Parent Engagement
Poverty is not limited to urban areas alone. According to Duppong-Hurely and
Huscroft-D’Angelo (2018), support for families in rural settings can be a challenge as
well and strategies to help connect schools and families is of upmost importance, but
barriers do exist. Barriers could include geographical challenges, financial means, and a
stigma of being perceived as poor and less than. Like the literature on poverty and
inequality that emerged in urban America during the 1960s, there was also a rediscovery
of poverty and inequality in many rural regions of the country (DeYoung, 1987).
Fitzgerald and Bloodsworth (1993) noted regardless of race, gender, or culture there are
factors that are instrumental in producing a highly at-risk class of students in rural
settings. In many rural areas, minorities have been overlooked (Fitzgerald &
Bloodsworth, 1993). According to DeYoung (1987), poverty and low-socioeconomic
status have affected the achievement of many rural students.
Many students living in rural areas of the United States have lower achievement
levels than their suburban counterparts. Rural schools often resemble rural families and
their degree, or lack thereof resources (Roscigno & Crowley, 2001). That is schools in
rural areas with low achievement often have less resources. Legislation like Every
Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires schools to engage families in academic matters in
the school despite socioeconomic status or access to resources. According to Coady
(2019), Local Educational Agencies (LEA) are required to communicate with parents by

22
PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
eliminating obstacles to increase participation in school planning, review, and
improvement. However, family engagement is particularly challenging for rural school
when families are geographically distant from each other or from community resources,
centers, or the school. The rural nature of schools brings challenges to the actual physical
presence of families in schools and to the relationship-building process between schools
and home (Coady, 2019). Most family engagement initiatives, particularly those aimed at
nondominant families, are designed with a deficit-based lens (Mapp & Bergman, 2021).
Models of Parent Engagement
When the pandemic caused schools to close, parents suddenly had a front row seat
to their children’s education. The concept of schools partnering with families is not a new
development, but the pandemic brought the importance of family-school partnerships to
center stage (Brookings Institution, 2021). Suddenly, parents and teachers were tossed
into a non-traditional learning environment that required cooperation from homes and
schools. The new normal requires a different framework that moves away from parent
committees, one way communication, and compliance. The new norm will have to
involve families in education that is meaningful and impactful for their children (Mapp &
Bergman, 2021). The authors from Brookings Institution (2021) also stressed that the
new norm must dismantle the barriers to family engagement that are created by unjust
power structures. These unspoken and often ignored dynamics influence how families are
seen and treated by educators, irrespective of their intentions (Mapp & Bergman, 2021).
Parents, caregivers, and family members are knowledgeable about their students and
should be drawn upon to support their learning and growth.

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
Epstein’s Framework
One of the most influential frameworks for family engagement was developed by
Joyce Epstein and her colleagues in the early 1990’s (Brookings Institution, 2021).
Epstein’s (2010) framework for parent involvement focuses on the combination of
family, school, and community as influencers in a parent’s degree of participation in their
child’s learning. Epstein described six types of parent involvement: Parenting, which
involves supporting families in their parenting skills; communication between school and
home, which encompasses parent-teacher conferences as well as face to face and
electronic methods of communication; volunteering or parent participation in supporting
school activities; learning at home; family participation in decision making in regards to
school practices and policies; and collaborating with the community for the benefit of the
school and the student.
Parent Involvement Continuum
Goodall and Montgomery (2014) presented a model of progression for parental
involvement with schools to parental engagement with children’s learning. The first point
on the continuum is characterized by the agency of the school. The school is in control of
the relationships and the flow of information. Information is given to parents but not
sought from them. An example of this point of the continuum would be parents’ evening
in which parents move from teacher to teacher with short times to have meaningful
interactions. The second point on the continuum is characterized by an interchange of
information between parents and school staff. At this stage the relationship is supporting
children’s learning between the parents and the school. More importantly, parents and
staff would share control of the flow of information: parents would have the chance – and

24
PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
time – to ask questions and provide answers. The third point on the continuum involves
parental engagement with their child’s learning. In this stage the parents’ actions are
informed by the school or based on the information provided by the school, but the
choice of action remains with the parent. Graham-Clay (2005) noted on a parental level,
a parent’s own negative school experience may impact positive relationships with
teachers, or parents may simply not understand how to effectively interact with the
educational system. Families face many personal, cultural, and structured barriers to
engaging in productive partnerships with teachers (Mapp & Kuttner, 2013). Research has
shown that educators have a desire to partner with families, particular these from diverse
backgrounds and cultures, and teachers often want to establish stronger home-school
partnerships of shared responsibility for children’s outcomes but lack the skills on how to
accomplish it (Mapp & Kuttner, 2013).
Dual Capacity Building Framework
The Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships revised
by Mapp and Bergman (2021) provides conditions for effective family-school
engagement. The framework suggests that families and schools must play an important
role in supporting students. The goal is to build the capacity of educational personnel and
families in four areas: capabilities (skills and knowledge), connections (networks),
cognition (shift in beliefs and values) and confidence (self-efficacy) (Brookings
Institution, 2021). If effective educational partnerships between home and school are to
be implemented and sustained, engagement initiatives must include the following
components:

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
•

Meaningful family engagement must be linked to learning. Too often
events held at schools for parents have little to do with the school or
district academic and developmental goals for students.

•

Meaningful family engagement cannot be established until relationships of
trust and respect are established between home and school. A major focus
of the framework is building a trusting relationship between the home and
school.

•

Meaningful family initiatives must focus on building the capital of the
stakeholders involved in the process. This pillar empowers participants to
be active, knowledgeable, and informed stakeholders in the transformation
of the schools.

•

Meaningful family initiatives will need to bring families and staff together
for shared learning. Which fosters a shared learning environment and
create communications networks among family and friends. (Mapp &
Kuttner, 2013)

The framework further outlines the challenges, opportunity conditions, policy and
program goals, and family and staff capacity outcomes when engagement efforts are
purposeful designed. The challenges involve educators not exposed to examples of family
engagement, a lack of professional development in family engagement, and educators’
deficit mindset towards parent engagement. Families face challenges such as negative
experiences with schools, feeling unwelcomed, and feelings of disrespect and distain
(Mapp & Bergman, 2021).

26
PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
Opportunity conditions include process and organizational conditions and must be
linked to learning, relationship-building, empowerment, collaboration, and interaction.
Organizational conditions must be considered and must be systemic and integrated across
the organization while remaining sustainable (Krage, 2018). Building and enhancing the
capacity of educators and families in the “4C” areas include capabilities, connections,
cognition, and confidence. Using the Dual-Capacity Framework educators are
empowered to connect family engagement to learning and development, engage families
as co-creators, and develop a welcoming environment. Families are engaged to serve in
multiple roles (Mapp & Bergman, 2021). Family engagement at every level is important
as it does impact the success of the student and the success of the engagement is
contingent upon the quality of the programs that are offered (McDowell, 2014).
Parent Engagement
Jeynes (2007) conducted a meta-analysis of 52 studies and determined the
influence of parental involvement on the educational outcomes of urban students reveled
enlightening results. First, these findings support the notion that parental involvement has
a significant and substantial effect across various populations. Second, not only does
voluntary parental involvement have an effect on engagement but parental programs do
as well. Third, the author suggests that the most important aspects of parental
involvement are subtle facets such as parental style and expectations. Fourth, although
the influence of parental involvement holds across academic variables, it appeared to
produce statistically significant effects slightly more often for grades and other measures
than for standardized tests. The impact of parental engagement cannot be understated.

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Olmstead (2013) categorized parent involvement activities as either reactive,
which includes attending meetings, family activities, and volunteering, or proactive,
meaning activities intended to engage families, such as parent-teacher communication,
helping children with homework, and staying abreast of student progress. The author
noted that when teachers take actions to cultivate instructional partnerships with parents,
those parents are more likely to support their children’s learning at home.
Parental engagement with their child’s learning does not always entail parent
involvement in school (Lightfoot, 2004). Racial and ethnic minorities from a low socioeconomic status (SES) may struggle to become involved in their child’s schooling and
often do not receive the support they need from the schools. Moreover, Yoder and Lopez
(2013) determined that families with low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds face
many barriers to participating in school events, including financial constraints, lack of
transportation, little access to technology, and language or cultural obstacles. Other
barriers include inflexibility with meeting times and they report they often feel
unwelcomed to participate in school events. Additionally, a lack of staff training to work
with parents can exacerbate this matter (Brookings Institution, 2021). Because schools in
rural areas are a distance from family’s residence, transportation can become a major
hinderance to parent engagement. Furthermore, Duppong-Hurley and Huscorft-D’Angelo
(2018) reported that some barriers that are specific to rural settings include high rates of
parental substance abuse and poverty. However, Watkins and Howard (2015) added an
interesting spin to the research by suggesting that school-based parent involvement does
not affect student academic achievement. Teachers and parents alike viewed busy
schedules as the greatest barrier to involvement.

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
Hiatt-Michael (1994) highlighted the fluctuations in parent involvement over the
decades and noticed changes in both the level and type of parent involvement in
education. According to Trotman (2001), parent involvement was designed to create a
partnership that allowed for greater collaboration between home and school for the
expressed purpose of improved student outcomes. It was intended to enhance the school‘s
capacity to understand and appreciate values and cultures of families and be more
effective in meeting student needs.
As the Brooking Institute (2021) noted, the impact of tailored family-school
engagement programs is far-reaching. The National Association for the Education of
Young Children (NAEYC) review of successful family-school engagement research led
to six guiding principles for effective involvement of parent in their children’s education:
•

Decision-making. Invite families to actively participate in decisionmaking and goal setting via collaboration with teachers.

•

Communication. Employ strategies that encourage timely and continuous
two-way communication between parents and teachers.

•

Teaching practice. Work closely with families with the goal of gaining
deep and genuine understanding of students’ lives, families, and
communities to integrate parents’ unique knowledge and skills into the
curricula and teaching practices.

•

Home learning. Provide practical ways to support parents’ efforts to
enhance their children’s learning at home and in the community outside of
school.

•

Design. Invite families to actively participate in the decision making

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
process of the engagement program itself.
•

System change. Institutionalize engagement practices and polices such
that teachers have the support necessary to fully engage families. (para. 2)

According to NAEYC, teachers need to invest in developing and maintaining
authentic relationships with the families of their students to create suitable engagement
opportunities tailored to families’ desires and needs. Parent/family engagement can be
defined as a family-centered and strengths-based approach in which schools and families
collaborate in decision making, setting goals, and developing academic outcomes
(National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement [NAFSCE],
2016).
Henderson and Mapp’s (2002) meta- analysis of 51 studies revealed the evidence
is consistent, positive, and convincing: families have a major influence on their children’s
achievement in school. The researchers noted that when schools, families, and
community groups work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school,
stay in school longer, and have a positive attitude toward school. Many studies in this
synthesis of research found that students with involved parents, regardless of income
and/or background, were more likely to:
•

Earn higher grades and test scores and enroll in high level programs.

•

Be promoted, pass their classes, and earn credits.

•

Attend school regularly.

•

Have better social skills, show improved behavior and adapt well to school
(p. 29)

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Several other studies discovered teachers’ outreach to parents was related to gains
in student performance in both reading and math (Henderson & Mapp, 2002). The
effective outreach practices included meeting face to face, sending materials home, and
keeping in touch about student progress. Additionally, workshops for parents on how to
assist their children at home were linked to higher scores.
The analysis by Henderson and Mapp (2002) revealed schools that succeed in
engaging families from diverse backgrounds focused on building trusting collaborative
relationships among teachers, families, and community members. They also recognize,
respect, and address families’ needs, as well as class and cultural differences. One
overarching conclusion is that family involvement in the schools ultimately benefits
students.
In today’s global society, schools and parents are responding to increased
expectations, economic pressures, and time constraints (Graham-Clay, 2005). According
to the Brookings Institution (2021), schools which are not only social organizations but
also products of society’s beliefs in any given era or context, have often operated with a
missing tool in their toolbox of effective family-school engagement strategies.
Engagement is this push-pull force of inclusion of all students and the pressure from elite
parents to keep their children on top (Brookings Institution, 2021). The transformation
from parental involvement to parental engagement starts with understanding the barriers.
Outlined in The Playbook the authors shared several overarching barriers to parental
engagement. Because working with families had not been at the heart of school design,
education personnel have received limited professional development in family
engagement. Navigating the demands of the elite and working with parents of the

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
marginalized requires a skill set not often understood by most educators (Brookings
Institution, 2021).
Mapp and Kuttner (2013) posit that without the training and skill set to effectively
build trusting relationships, miscommunication and misunderstanding between home and
school is to be expected, and this often results in marginalized families feeling excluded.
The second overarching barrier identified is families feeling unsure of how to engage or
feeling unwelcome due to lack of clarity or information from the school or teacher on
how to do so. In 2008, a report that was released by the U.S. Department of Education
found that family engagement was the weakest area of compliance in many states (Mapp
& Kuttner, 2013).
When including parents in their child’s academic life, there are differences
between family involvement and family engagement (Ortiz-Leger, 2022). Moving from
parental involvement to parental engagement involves relational trust and
communication. Relational trust is an important factor underlying family-engagement.
Relational trust is built when people are willing to go above and beyond what their role
dictates, and when people do what they say (Brookings Institution, 2021).
Communication is essential to building and maintaining these relationships. However, a
recurring theme from the parental data were that rarely had anyone asked them for their
beliefs about the purpose of school or how they envisioned what a quality school
experience would look like for their child (Brookings Institution, 2021).
While family involvement is defined as playing a participatory role in their child’s
education by being involved in school events and activities, it is the first step to family
engagement (Ortiz-Leger, 2002; Waterford, 2018). Involvement includes family

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
participation in school events or activities, while teachers provide learning resources and
information about the students’ grades. Teachers relate to families as academic advisors
rather than partners in learning. However, family engagement is the home and school
working together as a team (Waterford, 2018). The essential component in family
engagement is the empowerment of families and providing them with ways to actively
participate (Waterford, 2018). Moreover, children with families engaged in their
education are more likely to earn higher grades and test scores. Children with engaged
families are more likely to graduate from high school and attend post-secondary
education. In addition, children with engaged families developed self-confidence and are
more motivated in the classroom. These students also demonstrated better social skills
and classroom behavior.
However, engagement practices vary from family to family and some cannot
fully engage due to cultural differences, educational level, and/or time. According to
Waterford (2018), researchers found strong connections between family engagement and
student academic achievement across fifty different studies. The research documented the
following findings: the earlier educators establish family engagement, the more effective
they are in raising student performance. Furthermore, family partnerships formed during
the elementary school years help to build a strong foundation for future student success
and continued engagement.
The research also mentioned that families encounter different obstacles to school
involvement such as language, work schedules, family situations, and mistrusting
relationships (Mapp & Kuttner, 2012; Ortiz-Leger, 2022). Additionally, scheduling and
transportation issues make volunteering or attending parent/teacher conferences difficult.

33
PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
Parent engagement has been amplified because of the requirements at the
national, state, and local levels. It is clear that the legislation for various programs of the
U.S. Department of Education devotes considerable attention to the supporting role of
families (Moles, 2001). At Crawford Central School District, the Board recognizes the
vital role parent/guardians and family members play in the education, welfare, and values
of their children in Board Policy 917- Parent/Family Involvement.
The policy defines parental and family involvement as an ongoing process that
assists parents /guardians and families to meet their basic obligation as a child’s first
educator, promotes clear two-way dialogue between home and school, and supports
parents/guardians as leaders and decision-makers concerning the education of their
children at all levels.
The guidelines of the policy further clarify staff should communicate and seek
parental input throughout the school year because parents/guardians are familiar with the
needs, problems, and abilities of their children. The parental and family involvement
program should include the following as outlined in the policy:
1. Support for parents/guardians as school leaders and decision-makers, in
addition to serving in advisory roles.
2. Promotion of clear two-way communication between the school and the
family about school programs and student progress.
3. Assistance to parents/guardians and families in developing parental skills
to foster positive relationships at home to support children’s educational
efforts, and to assist their children with learning at home.

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
4. Involvement of parents/guardians with appropriate training in instructional
and support roles at school.
(https://go.boarddocs.com/pa/craw/Board.nsf/Public# )
State, districts, schools, and their communities need to make family engagement a
priority for improving a child’s education (Frans, 2018). Techniques for improving the
partnership between stakeholders should be specific and developed to deepen
relationships between families, schools and communities to support student learning.
Frans (2018) further noted that educators know what family engagement looks like from
their perspective but have little insight about what parents want their role to be in their
children’s education. Parents often want to know that they have the tools and resources
they need to raise their children to the best of their ability. When schools make sure that
parents have everything they need, parents feel empowered and are more likely to be
engaged in the education of their children. The researcher mentioned that families
quickly learn the written and unwritten rules of the school, and if schools want families to
be engaged in their children’s education, school leaders need to make sure that family
engagement is a focus and part of their school-wide plan (Frans, 2018). Being intentional
about engaging families is crucial because family and school structures have changed
over the last fifty years, and there is a need for communication between home and school
to transform to meet the needs of varies stakeholders (Frans, 2018).
As established in the research, parent involvement and parent engagement has
been characterized differently by researchers with each having a specific parent behavior
associated with each construct (Baker et al., 2016). Parent involvement includes
demonstrable actions that are school-centric, such as attendance at school events whereas

35
PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
parental engagement involves engaging families to become partners with the school.
Baker et al. (2016) discussed findings from focus groups with parents and school staff
during which participants were asked about involvement at school. The researchers found
that questions about involvement led to identifying barriers to engagement and thus a
course of action to improve parental engagement.
An analysis of data identified five themes common to both families and staff.
Parents in the focus group noted providing opportunities for involvement included
providing childcare, having weekend activities, and improving communication. Parents
viewed providing opportunities for involvement as a responsibility of the school.
When identifying barriers, families felt that opportunities for family involvement
were hindered by several issues such as having other children which made it difficult to
volunteer and finding time to feed their family prior to a school event. Other barriers
mentioned included conflict with parents’ schedules thus some parents proposed weekend
activities.
Parents and staff both expressed the critical need for effective communication.
When asked, parents identified barriers to communication to include timeliness of the
communication, the quality of the communication, and the clarity of the communication.
On the contrary, the staff identified communication issues such as language barriers and
not having correct contact information to communicate with families. The researchers
made a note to mention that poor communication is a significant barrier that seems to
make parents perceive a school is less family friendly.
Their respondents noted how school actions and attitudes send a clear message
that parents are or are not welcome in school. The third theme that emerged was

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
welcoming families into the building. A major barrier expressed by the parental focus
group was the level of comfort parents felt in coming to the school which has a profound
impact on parent involvement.
The fourth theme that surfaced was that time affects involvement. Conflicts with
other events, and conflicts with parents’ work schedules were the two greatest barriers in
this area. Parents in the focus group suggested that parents’ involvement in the school
should be viewed in multiple ways that move beyond and differ from traditional methods.
In contrast the staff held the perception that parents did not want to be involved in
the education of their children. This thought characterized concepts such as, parental
devalue education and/or parents may have had a negative school experience. The
authors suggest that to move from parent involvement to engagement, schools need to
embrace a more expansive view of parent engagement which includes multiple
constructions of how parents are involve.
The work of Boone and Wellman (2019) at the Ohio Statewide Family
Engagement Center at the Ohio State University offered justification for school-family
partnerships. Moreover, the evaluation of research provided a guide for leaders to
develop family engagement. Again, the distinction between family involvement and
family engagement emerged from the analysis of the research. Systematic collaboration
with families based on strong personal relationships serve as the most impactful
ingredients to family engagement. The authors defined “Systemic as intentional strategies
that are sustainable over time and aligned with learning and the development needs of
children” (Boone & Wellman, 2019, p. 2). These relations are not seen as supplemental
but central to the development of family engagement. Family-involvement is

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
characterized in their research as supplemental, sporadic, and problem-focused. Whereas
family-engagement is categorized as a partnership built of a trusting relationship. It is at
the center of the school planning. Family-engagement is thought about in a systematic
way and is proactive.
Boone and Wellman (2019) provided nine principles revealed in the research for
improving schools approach to partnering with families.
1. Start Early. Effective strategies for partnering with families are positive
and proactive, rather than reactive or problem focused. Beginning in the
early years of a child’s life, early in the school year or early in the
relationship will help set the tone for future interactions.
2. Relationships Matter. The relationship professionals have with families
is an important factor in achieving both behavioral and academic
outcomes for students. Relationships are built on a strong foundation of
communication and respect. The goal of these relationships is trust.
Professional must first demonstrate care for a child, respect for a family,
professionalism, and responsiveness to family concerns.
3. Understand and Value Families. Communication between professionals
and families is more positive and effective when the professional believes
that a family’s cultural practices and beliefs are important, the family has
strengths, they care for their child, and they have expert knowledge about
their child.
4. Link to Learning. Many traditional activities for parent involvement do
not impact student achievement or behavior. Professional in planning

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
family engagement activities should intentionally link activities to
supporting outcomes for children.
5. Share Progress. Families want information about their child’s progress
in school and about how they can support their child’s learning and
positive behavior at home. When parents understand what their child
needs and how to help, they act.
6. Listen and Inform. Ongoing two-way communication between
professionals and families, in which professionals give and take in
information, has a positive impact on family-engagement.
7. Multiple Opportunities. Families can bring knowledge and expertise
about their children, but their can also bring many challenges, including
limited time, differing roles and expectations and various levels of
confidence and desire to interact with professionals. Not all familyengagement activities fit every family. Provide multiple ways for families
to interact and communicate with the school community.
8. Expectations. When families and professionals communicate high,
positive expectations to children they motivate them to hold high
expectations for themselves. These high expectations lead to improved
behavior and greater effort in school.
9. Persist. Sustained focus and effort over time by schools result in more
family engagement. High-performing schools cite family engagement as a
consistent practice that contributes to their ability to support positive

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
behavior and high achievement for all students. Probably want to cite if
any of this was verbatim
Summary
This chapter served as a literature review to understand and identify parents’
perceptions of barriers to their involvement in school. Although many studies identified a
link between parents’ involvement in school and increased student achievement, family
involvement is minimal. American education, at its core, has created bureaucratic
practices that has driven a wedge between families and schools.
The research provides a clear distinction between family involvement and family
engagement. Family involvement finds its roots in the history of the colonial period
where families were expected to drop their child at the schoolhouse door and the school
would do the rest. The removal of parents or the lack of involvement is steep in the fiber
of American education. On the other hand, the new wave of parental engagement can be
traced through the legislative language of acts passed, organizations created to enhance
parental engagement and frameworks developed by research.
Family engagement frameworks developed by researchers such as Epstein (2010),
Goodall and Montgomery (2014), Mapp and Bergman (2021) and others have greatly
influenced family and school engagement. Their work has developed pathways for
parent interactions to move from involvement to engagement. Additionally, legislation
such as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) and the Family
Engagement Act of 2011 provided directives to states, schools, and districts on the
importance of family engagement. However, parental engagement remains at a minimal

40
PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
level. The shift of moving away from parental compliance to engagement can be found in
understanding the barriers to parental involvement.

41
PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
CHAPTER III
Methodology
Parent engagement refers to the involvement of parents in their children’s education
both at home and at school. As revealed in the examination of the body of literature in
Chapter II, parent engagement has a positive impact on student achievement, behavior,
and overall well-being. By encouraging parent engagement, schools can help create a
supportive environment for student success. However, some parents are disenfranchised
by the educational system because they do not know how to become involved in the
process (Foley, 2015). Additionally, teachers acknowledge the benefits of family
engagement but understand that traditional family events such as parent-teacher
conferences fail to meaningfully connect families to school. Unfortunately, most parentteacher interactions are short, infrequent, and negative (Bergman, 2022). The literature
has suggested there are several ways that schools can encourage parent engagement,
including:
1. Communication: Schools can provide regular updates to parents about their
children’s progress, upcoming events, and school policies. This can be done
through newsletters, emails, phone calls, or parent-teacher conferences.
2. Volunteer opportunities: School can offer opportunities for parents to volunteer
at school events, in the classroom, or on school committees.
3. At-home involvement: Schools can provide resources and support for parents to
help their children with homework and encourage their involvement in their
children’s education.

42
PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
4. Community events: Schools can host events such as open houses, family nights,
and cultural fairs to bring families together and foster a sense of community.
Purpose of the Research Study
Although studies over the last 30 years identify a strong link between parents’
involvement in school and increased student achievement, enhanced self-esteem,
improved behavior, and better school attendance, family involvement in U.S. schools
remains minimal (Mapp, 1997). This action research study utilizes a qualitative approach
to identify the barriers to parental involvement in a rural school with a high free and
reduced lunch percentage and low academic achievement. Parent engagement is an
essential element in the education process. One factor that contributes to the involvement
of parents is how they perceive parental involvement (Foley, 2015). Most recently, the
shift to remote learning and the heightened attention to social injustices have created a
sense of urgency in how we engage and treat families, specifically those that are the most
disenfranchised (Rebora, 2022). Not only did family engagement become a critical area
of focus, but it also became a potential growth area for schools around the nation. Rebora
(2022) noted that the last three years have impacted the ways in which education is
delivered to students and allowed school officials to reimagine family engagement. Real
partnerships with families are concerned with building reciprocal relationships, shared
responsibility, and active listening to stakeholders (Dugan, 2022). According to the
literature review, educators want to create a strong relationship with families but
acknowledge the relational blind spots within the structural design of the typical back to
school night or traditional parent- teacher conferences. When investigating a school’s
approach to family engagement, it is essential to note that families such as low- income,

43
PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
rural, and black and brown families have been marginalized and have little reasons to
trust educators (Dugan, 2022).
The research questions focused on parents’ perceptions of barriers to parental
involvement. The focus questions used to guide the research were:
1. What are the parents’ perceptions of barriers that keep them from
participating in parent involvement related activities such as parent workshops,
Title I Parent Conferences, Literacy Under the Lights reading activity, Carnival
Night, etc. at Second District Elementary School?
2. In what ways was parent involvement impacted as a result of the
implementation of the parent engagement process at Second District
Elementary?
3. What are effective methods to remove barriers to parental engagement and
increase parental involvement?
Setting and Participants
This action research study was conducted in Crawford Central School District. It
is the largest of four districts in the county with 3,166 students enrolled as of October
2022. The students are housed in five elementary, one middle, one junior-senior high
school, and one high school. The school district is divided into two major attendance
areas, one serving Cochranton and the other Meadville. Cochranton students are housed
in a K-6 elementary school and a 7-12 junior senior high school. Students in the
Meadville area attend one of four K-6 elementary schools, a 7-8 middle school, and a 912 high school. Students from both high schools may attend the Crawford County Career

44
PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
and Technical Center on a half-day basis. As of 2019, there were 84,629 people who
lived and worked in Crawford County. Crawford County is considered 36% urban and
64% rural. The top three industries of employment in the county were reported as
Educational, Health and Social Services (26.9%), Manufacturing (21.0%), and Retail
Trade (10.2%) (City-Data.com, n.d.).
Second District Elementary School is one of five elementary buildings in the
Crawford Central School District. The school serves 328 students in grades Kindergarten6. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12:1 , which is lower than the Pennsylvania state level
of 14:1. According to data from the PA Future Ready Index (Pennsylvania Department of
Education, 2022), 74.4% of the students are considered economically disadvantaged. The
ethnicity breakdown of Second District Elementary is 73% White, 9% Multi-Racial, 5%
Hispanic, 12% Black and 1% Asian. Eighty-one percent of the students receive free and
reduced lunch.
At Second District Elementary School, schoolwide Title I funds provide
additional academic support and learning opportunities to help low-achieving children
master challenging curricula. The Title I funds support two Title reading specialists and
one early childhood teacher at Second District Elementary School. The funds also
provide supplies, staff development opportunities, and parent engagement activities.
Second District Elementary has a diverse student body and a dedicated staff. The school
offers a variety of academic programs and extracurricular activities such as music, art,
physical education, and library. The school also provides various resources and services
to support the academic and personal growth such as counseling, special education, and
schoolwide programs such as B.A.R.K. which serves as the positive behavior program.

45
PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
The staff at Second District Elementary School is comprised of one building
administrator, one secretary, three kindergarten teachers, two first grades teachers, two
second grade teachers, two third grade teachers, two fourth grade teachers, two fifth
grade teachers and two sixth grade teachers. In addition, the staff includes a librarian,
physical education teacher, art teacher, and music teacher. Also included in the staffing is
a full-time nurse, school counselor, two Title I reading specialists, and a host of fulltime/part-time paraprofessionals.
Participants in this study included all parents that had a student(s) enrolled at
Second District Elementary during the 2022 – 2023 school year. This action research
study utilized a qualitative approach, including participant questionnaires, semistructured interviews, and focus groups as the primary data collection methods.
Participants in this action research also included administrators, central office
management members, and teachers in the district including those on the Design Team
and teachers from Second District Elementary School. All participants in this study were
volunteers and could elect to discontinue participation in the study at any time.
Intervention
At Second District Elementary School, a Design Team was established consisting
of four parents, three teachers, a guidance counselor, a central office administrator,
coordinator, and the Second District Elementary School principal. The team participated
in a 2-day human-centered design experience. According to Rice (2011), design thinking
aims to implement systemic change through innovation with particular emphasis on new
mindsets. This includes an empathy mindset which breaks down traditional walls among

46
PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
stakeholder groups and focuses on the experiences and needs of the clients. In the case of
this research the focus was on the experiences and needs of the parents at Second District
Elementary School and how to implement strategies to remove barriers to parental
engagement. Design thinking emphasizes thinking outside the box, progress through trial
and error, and a commitment to changing traditional polices, structures, and practices.
The process relies on prototyping and recognition that failure is valued as part of a
continuous cycle of improvement (Rice, 2011). The Design thinking session started with
members completing Identity Maps. Identity mapping is a helpful tool for building
connection and trust within a Design Team. Identity mapping involves members of the
team defining and sharing aspects of their personal identity, such as their values,
experiences, and emotions. This is done so team members develop a better understanding
of each other’s perspectives and background, which can help to build empathy. The team
completed a one-hour design challenge to practice the steps of human-centered design.
The first step is empathize where the Design Team learned more about the people for
whom a solution is being designed. With data gathered through stakeholders’ interviews,
observations, and other research activities, the team created a character sketch to
represent the target user. The second step is define where the Design Team synthesized
the findings from their inquiry and clarified end goals, including specific client needs.
Next, the Design Team engaged in the third step, which is ideate, a brainstorming stage
that is grounded in a deeper understanding of the clients’ needs and practices. The Design
Team explored a wide range of actions and solutions for addressing the needs of the
clients. Next, the prototype stage allowed the Design Team to visualize potential
solutions, which included drawings, models, videos, and role-playing. The design then

47
PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
engaged in the test where the prototype was tested and members documented the failure
and success to inform the next steps in the cycle, iterate, which was to share. Each team
member then conducted a 30-minute interview with parents and teachers (outside of the
Design Team) about their experience with family-school connection. At the second
session, the team shared their interview data and synthesized the data to identify key
needs and insights.
After the initial training, the Design Team embarked on brainstorming barriers to
parent engagement based on the results of the empathy interviews. The intervention and
research idea came from the August 22, 2022, summer meeting with the Parents as Allies
Steering Committee. It is important to note that the Steering Committee is comprised of
parents, teachers, and administrators. The meeting was held at the Meadville Public
Library and was facilitated by a coordinator with experience in design thinking.
The Design Team brainstormed ideas for interventions. There were many ideas shared.
The team decided on both short and long term interventions.
The short-term intervention had two goals. The first goal was to help parents learn
more about the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) system in place at
Second District. The second short-term goal was to use the “email guardians” feature
of Google Classroom to communicate more frequently with parents.
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based
three-tiered framework designed to improve and integrate all of the data, systems, and
practices affecting student outcomes every day. Second District Elementary School has a
robust PBIS system, known as BARK Bucks, in place. Through the empathy interviews
and the work of the design team, it was discovered that parents knew very little about the

48
PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
system. The intervention that was agreed upon was a triad of methods designed to inform
anyone interested about BARK Bucks.
One huge barrier that was identified was that of obtaining background check
clearances. The team agreed that would be the “long-term intervention.” The design team
reached out to the staff at Second District Elementary School to share information about
the intervention idea and solicited interested staff members. Several teachers agreed to
work on the project. The goal of the intervention was to have parents obtain the proper
clearances to become a volunteer at Second District Elementary School.
Volunteers are defined as adults serving in unpaid position who is responsible for
the welfare of one or more children or has direct contact with one or more children.
Volunteers are persons who are responsible for child’s welfare or who wish to visit the
school regularly to serve as volunteers and to provide for the care supervisory, guidance
or control of children would be required to have background check. On the other hand,
visitors are individual whose actions do not rise to the level of volunteer. Visitors are not
responsible for children’s welfare or are visiting the school irregularly and not providing
for the care, supervision, guidance, or control of children. However, Pennsylvania
requires the following to be a School Volunteer:
o Act 24- Completion of the Arrest/Conviction Report and Certification Form
o Act 34 – Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check
o Act 114- FBI Criminal Background Check
o Act 151- Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance
o TB Test

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
Some key insights identified through the brainstorming session: the cumbersome
process of getting required clearances was a barrier for getting parents into the school,
communication with parents remains one-way and they desire two-way communication,
the need to celebrate positives (not just focus on negatives), and methods of
communication are inconsistent. This research seeks to identify and remove the identified
barriers.
An additional method to address the lack of two-way communication included
Pastries with the Principal. This special event invited moms, dads, aunts, uncles, or any
special person in the life of a Second District Elementary School student to get to know
the elementary principal and for the principal to learn more about the families in the
school community. Another strategy designed to help PreK students to transition to
Kindergarten was a Getting Ready for Kindergarten event where families visited the
school. The Second District staff invited families to visit a Kindergarten classroom to
help make the kindergarten transition easier for the child. While at the school, families
engaged in a movement activity, a read aloud, a craft activity, and even receive a takehome healthy snack. Arrangements were made for the students to take a bus ride, too.
While the staff saw this as a transitioning event, they also acknowledged it as an
opportunity to provide a method of meaningful two-way communication between home
and school.
Finances are an important facet of research. Parents As Allies provided funding to
partially support the events outlined in this study. The Parents as Allies project was
encouraging and funding new ideas for real engagement between parents and schools.
The Get Connected Events at Second District used Parents as Allies resources to provide

50
PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
a dinner for all participants. The estimated cost for the dinner was $400. Funding also
supported the involvement of the several people within the community, including but not
limited to teachers, notary, school nurse, an honorarium for parents who were part of the
Design Team, the physician assistant, and the director of the Family and Community
Christian Association (FCCA). Funding covered the cost of meeting supplies and
materials, T-shirts for participants, and cost of the TB tests for the participating parents.
The total cost for the Get Connected at Second District events was approximately $5000.
Parents as Allies funding supported the Pastries with the Principal event as well as the
Getting Ready for Kindergarten initiative. Refreshments, including pastries and
beverages and the healthy take-home snack, was supported by Parents as Allies funding.
The total cost for these two additional initiatives was approximately $2000.
Research Design, Methods, and Data Collection
Qualitative research involves the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data
used to gain insight into a particular phenomenon of interest. The focus of qualitive
research is to explore and understand the experiences, beliefs, and attitudes of
individuals. Mertler (2022) explains that “in qualitative research, the researchers select
particular people or sites that help best explain and describe the studied phenomenon” (p.
192). It can provide rich and detailed insight into phenomena to gain deeper
understanding on the quality of an activity (Mertler, 2022). According to Creswell
(2007), the qualitative research process involves a focus on learning the meaning that the
participants hold about the problem or issues. “The key idea behind qualitative research is
to learn about the problem for participants and address the research to obtain that

51
PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
information” (Creswell, 2007, p. 39). Qualitative research is emergent. Therefore, the
researcher must allow for flexibility throughout the study.
The researcher received Pennsylvania Western University Institutional Review
Board (IRB) approval in July of 2022. On August 17, 2022, the researcher’s proposal was
approved and data collection began. The email indicating approval can be found in
Appendix A. This researcher wanted to investigate, what are the parents’ perceptions of
barriers that keep them from participating in parent involvement related activities such as
parent workshops, Title I Parent Conferences, Literacy Under the Lights reading activity,
Carnival Night, etc. at Second District Elementary School?
In order to address question number one, participants of the study included
parents who have students that attend Second District Elementary School during the 2022
– 2023 school year. The researcher used an online questionnaire administered through
Google Docs to survey families. The participants were asked questions regarding their
perceptions of barriers that keep them from participating in parent involvement related
activities at Second District Elementary School. Parent participants were given the survey
disclosure letter (Appendix B) and the questionnaire (Appendix C) at the beginning of the
research study to help answer research questions 1 and 3. The questionnaire was
distributed electronically to all participants via Google Forms, which recorded the
responses. Second District utilizes Sapphire as a notification system to send messages to
parents, guardians, and caregivers. The school can set up a broadcast to be sent on a
specific date or date range, on a specific day or days, at a specific time. People receiving
the message can decide which type of messages they want to receive, cell phone call, text
message, or email. The disclosure letter and the questionnaire were also available by link

52
PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
and QR code attached to the message (Appendix H). Google Docs tabulates the answers
to the questionnaire into a spreadsheet that allows the researcher to review the collected
data. On November 3, 2022, all parents, guardians, and caregivers at Second District
Elementary School were emailed and/or texted a link to participate in the questionnaire
regarding barriers to parental engagement. Prior to forwarding the link an all-call
notification was forward to the families to make them aware of the communiqué that
would follow via the Sapphire system. Additionally, the researcher was available on
November 3, 2023, during parent-teacher conferences to answer any questions about the
questionnaire and to provide a hard copy of Appendix B and C. Additional copies of both
appendices were left in the main office with the secretary for parents that my request a
printed copy.
Additionally, the researcher sought to understand from the perspective of parents
what are effective methods to remove barriers to parental engagement and increase
parental involvement. The research centered on parents’ perceptions and experiences of
barriers to parental involvement. A questionnaire can limit the ability to collect data
beyond the listed items and therefore provide a partial picture of perceptions (Bryman &
Bell, 2011). As a result of the questionnaire, themes emerged that required further
investigation such as barriers created by socioeconomic status, parent intimidation or
themes that emerged related to ethnicity or level of education. The researcher utilized a
mixed methods to collect both qualitative and quantitative data through the questionnaire.
The Likert scale questions allowed the researcher to gather quantitative data, which was
tabulated to identify any patterns or trends with questions six through nine on the
questionnaire. The open-ended questions provided qualitative data, which the researcher

53
PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
analyzed to identify emerging themes or insights. This mixed method approach provides
a more comprehensive understanding of the research topic by combining the strengths of
both quantitative and qualitive data collection.
According to Mertler (2022), coding qualitative data involves systematically
analyzing and categorizing data collected through qualitative research methods such as
interviews, focus groups, and observations. The purpose of coding is to identify patterns,
themes, and insights within the data, and to develop a deeper understanding of the
research questions or topics of interest. The researcher identified specific words, phrases,
or ideas in the data that were relevant to the research questions and repeated themselves
throughout the data. The researcher used a colored coded marking system to sort the data
into similar categories.
To address question number two of this research study, individual interviews were
conducted with five parents to provide information-rich feedback from the themes that
emerge. The researcher used semi-structured interview questions as an opportunity to dig
deeper and understand the topic at hand. Semi-structured interviews allow participants
the freedom to express their view in their own terms. Additionally, semi-structured
interviews can provide reliable and comparable qualitative data (Cohen & Crabtree,
2006). All participants were given the Interview Disclosure Letter available in Appendix
F and interview questions found in Appendix G at the beginning of the session. The
participants were asked to participate in an interview to further understand their
perceptions. The researcher contacted individual participants first by email and then by
follow up phone call to request their participation in the interview.

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
Validity
In research the use of multiple data sources to confirm findings is referred to as
triangulation (Mertler, 2022). The use of triangulation increases the credibility of the
findings. According to Hendricks (2017), “practitioners engaged in action research must
consider both the credibility and validity of their research studies” (p 64). One method of
increasing credibility is to use several sources of data to repeatedly establish identifiable
patterns (Stahl & King, 2020). Therefore, the researcher used online questionnaires,
semi-structed interviews, and a focus group to collect data to increase the validity and
trustworthiness of the research study. As part of the validation of the data, the researcher
conducted a focus group with the Second District Elementary School Design Team. The
purpose of the focus group was to address ways that parent involvement was impacted
because of the implementation of the parent engagement process at Second District
Elementary. The goal of the Design Team was to identify, share, and facilitate the use of
promising new strategies to build stronger family-school partnerships. All participants
were given the focus group disclosure form (Appendix D) and focus group questions to
respond to at the beginning of the session (Appendix E).
Prior to the start of the study, the researcher established the timeline that appears
in Table 1 to ensure that multiple forms of data were collected during the study and to
ensure data were collected to answer each research question. Table 1 includes the
research questions, the data sources, and timeline for collecting the data. The researcher
was able to execute the data collecting timeline as described in the table.

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
Table 1
Data Collection Timeline

Research Question(s)

Data Sources

Timeline for
Collecting Data

What are the parents’
perceptions of barriers that
keep them from participating
in parent involvement related
activities such as parent
workshops, Title I Parent
Conferences, Literacy Under
the Lights reading activity,
Carnival Night, etc. at Second
District Elementary School?

Participants in this action research study will include
parents who had students that attend Second District
Elementary School in the Crawford Central School
District. The researcher will conduct a survey. The
participants will be asked questions regarding their
perceptions of barriers that keep them from participating
in parent involvement related activities at Second
District Elementary School. Parent participants will be
given the survey disclosure (Appendix B) and the
survey (Appendix C) at the beginning of the research
study to help answer research questions 1 and 3. This
survey will be distributed electronically to all
participants. The survey will be sent to all participants
via Google Form which will record their responds.

SeptemberNovember 2022

In what ways was parent
involvement impacted as a
result of the implementation of
the parent engagement process
at Second District
Elementary?

The teachers and members of the Design Team will
engage in a focus group with the researcher in April
2023. This focus group will help answer research
question 2. All participants will be given the focus
group disclosure form (Appendix D) and focus group
questions to respond to at the beginning of the session
(Appendix E). The participants will be asked to gauge in
what way was parental involvement impacted as a result
of the implementation of the parent engagement process
at Second District Elementary School.
The research will center on parents’ perceptions and
experience of barriers to parental involvement. As a
result of the survey, themes may emerge that will require
further investigation such as barriers created by
socioeconomic status, parent intimidation or themes that
may emerge related to ethnicity or level of education.
Individual interviews will be conducted with 5 parents
to provide information-rich feedback from the themes
that emerge. All participants will be given the Interview
Disclosure Letter available in (Appendix F) and
questions found in (Appendix G) at the beginning of the
session. The participants will be asked to participate in
an interview to further understand your perceptions.
This will further triangulate the data for questions
number 1 and 3.

April 2023

What are effective methods to
remove barriers to parental
engagement and increase
parental involvement?

Mach- April 2023

56
PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
Summary
The literature suggested there are several ways that schools can encourage parent
engagement, this chapter provided a description of the qualitative research approach to
gain insight of parents’ perceptions of barriers to parental engagement at Second District
Elementary School. Through triangulation of multiple data sets, the study aims to identify
barriers to parental engagement. Additionally, the study seeks to implement strategies to
improve parental involvement. A description of the setting and participants were
presented along with the explanation of data collection process.

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
CHAPTER IV
Data Analysis and Results

The data were collected over a six-month period during the 2022-2023 school
year at Second District Elementary School located in Crawford Center School District in
Pennsylvania. The purpose was to gather information to assist Crawford Central School
District in developing parental engagement strategies by identifying and addressing
barriers. To ensure the validity of the data, the researcher employed multiple data
collection methods, including an electronic questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, and
a focus group. These methods allowed for a comprehensive understanding of the factors
affecting parental engagement and provided triangulation of data to ensure rigor. The
following focus questions were addressed:
1. What are the parents’ perceptions of barriers that keep them from
participating in parent involvement related activities such as parent
workshops, Title I Parent Conferences, Literacy Under the Lights reading
activity, Carnival Night, etc. at Second District Elementary School?
2. In what ways was parent involvement impacted as a result of the
implementation of the parent engagement process at Second District
Elementary?
3. What are effective methods to remove barriers to parental engagement and
increase parental involvement?

58
PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
Data Analysis
Quantitative Data Analysis
Data from the brief questionnaire were analyzed by summarizing and comparing
responses then displaying descriptive statistics in tables. In most cases, percentages and
sample size are presented followed by narrative description. The top survey responses
were considered to be most relevant and analyzed appropriately. Conclusions were drawn
from the most relevant data. Open-ended responses provided context for survey data.
Qualitative Data Analysis
The data from the online questionnaire, interviews and focus group were coded
using a data-driven coding system which allowed the themes to emerge from the data
without any preconceived notions (Cessada, para.3, n.d.). This is also referred to as
inductive coding. This approach enhanced the objectivity and credibility of the study’s
results. However, it is important to note that the conclusions drawn from this study
should be interpreted within the specific context of Second District Elementary School
and may not be transferrable or generalizable to other locations or schools within the
Crawford Central School District or beyond.
Quantitative Findings
This section presents the data from the online questionnaire distributed to
parents/caregivers who had children enrolled in Second District Elementary School
during the 2022-2023 school year. Twenty-six respondents participated in the online

59
PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
questionnaire. Figure 1 indicates what grade level the respondents’ child(ren) attended
Second District Elementary School.
Figure 1
Grade Level of Attendance

Based on the responses in Figure 1 the researcher concluded the number of years
respondents’ students attended Second District School and the corresponding grade level.
Based on this data 46.2% (n=12) of parents had children who only attended kindergarten.
Sixty-two percent of parents had only one-year experience, 38% of parents had two or
more years of experience with the school.
Table 2 illustrates the demographics of the questionnaire respondents.

60
PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS

Table 2
Demographic Characteristics of Questionnaire Respondents
Characteristics
Gender
Female
Male
Non-binary

N

%

21
4
1

80.4%
15.4%
4.2%

Race/Ethnicity
White/Caucasian, non-Hispanic
Black/African America, non-Hispanic

25
1

96.2%
3.8%

18-25
26-35
36-45
46-55
56 and over

0
6
19
0
1

0
23.1%
73.1%
0
3.8%

Highest Level of Education Possessed
High School Diploma
Bachelor’s Degree
Other

7
13
6

19.2%
50.3%
30.5%

Age

The majority of respondents identified as female (n=21, 80.4%). Male respondents made
up 15.4% (n=4) and 4.2% (n=1) identified as non-binary. Moreover, the majority of
participants, 96.2% (n=25), identified their ethnicity as White or Caucasian, non-Hispanic
and 3.8% (n=1) identified as Black or African America, non-Hispanic. A large majority
73.1% (n=19) of the respondents were 36-to-45-years old, and 23.1% (n=6) were 26-to35-year-old. One respondent, 3.8%, was 56 years old or older.

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
The questionnaire consisted of four questions that asked those who participated to
rate their response on a scale of 1-5 with 1=Strongly agree, 2=Agree, 3=No opinion, 4=
Disagree and 5= Strongly disagree. Table 3 illustrates the results.
Table 3
Responses from the Satisfaction Questionnaire

Item
I feel connected to the
Second District Elementary
School community
The school committee and
the PTA/PTO reflect the
diversity of the school
community and actively
recruit and welcome
families of all background.
Participation in parental
workshops would increase
parent engagement.
Your last communication
with a Second District staff
member was positive

Strongly Disagree Undecided
Disagree
n (%)
n (%)
n (%)
2
6
6
(7.7%) (23.1%)
(23.1%)

Agree
n (%)
8
(30.9%)

Strongly
Agree
n (%)
4
(15.2%)

3
(11.5%)

3
(11.5%)

11
(42.3%)

3
(11.5%)

6
(23.1%)

3
(11.5%)

2
(7.7%)

11
(42.3%)

5
(19.2%)

5
(19.2%)

4
(15.4%)

2
(7.7%)

5
(19.2%)

3
(11.5%)

12
(46.2%)

Results from the online questionnaire indicate that a portion of parents and caregivers
feel connected to the school community. Approximately 46% of the participants felt
connected to the Second District community (strongly agree and agree). On the other
hand, a smaller portion 30.8% (n=8) of the participants disagreed or strongly disagreed
they felt connected. Additionally, 23.1% (n=6) held no opinion about their connectivity
to the school. Based on questionnaire responses, helpfulness of communication from
school staff was mixed. That is, 46.2% (n=12) found the communication very helpful,

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
11.5% (n=3) of the participants found the communication helpful, 19.2% (n=5) of the
participants held no opinion on the effectiveness of the communication, 7.7% (n=2) of
the participants found the communication unhelpful, and 15.2% (n=4) of the participants
found the communication extremely unhelpful. The data indicates that a majority of the
participants found their last communication with the staff to be helpful.
The next questions asked respondents to rate their perceptions of whether school
committees and the PTA/PTO reflect the diversity of the school community and actively
recruit and welcome families of all backgrounds. Results included that 23.1% (n=6)
strongly agree that the school committees and PTA/PTO reflects the community and
welcome families of all backgrounds while 11.5% (n=3) agree that the school
committees and PTA/PTO reflects the community and welcome families of all
backgrounds. Moreover, 42.3% (n=11) held no-opinion about the diversity of the
PTO/PTA or the school committees and 11.5% (n=3) disagree and 11.5% (n=3) strongly
disagree that the school committees and PTA/PTO reflects the community and welcome
families of all backgrounds. Based on the data the vast majority of participants (34.6%)
when combine the strongly agree and agree, believe the school committees and PTA/PTO
reflects the community and welcome families of all backgrounds. On the other hand, a
combined percentage of 23% of the participants held the opposing view disagreeing or
strongly disagreeing that the school committees and PTA/PTO reflects the community
and welcome families of all backgrounds. The largest percentage of participants, 42.3%,
expressed no opinion on the matter, indicating that they either didn’t have enough
information or chose not to form an opinion.

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The next question asked respondents to rate if participation in workshops would
increase parent engagement. Results indicate that 19.2% (n=5) strongly agree that
participation in parental workshops would increase parental engagement and 19.2%
(n=5) agree that participation in parental workshops would increase parental engagement.
No opinion was held by 42.3% (n=11) held no-opinion about the impact of parental
workshops on parent engagement, and 7.7% (n=2) disagree that participation in parental
workshops would increase parental engagement while 11.5% (n=3) strongly disagree that
participation in parental workshops would increase parental engagement. From this data,
it appears that a significant portion of the participants (38.4%) when combined with the
percentage of strongly agree and agree, believe that participation in parental workshops
would increase parent engagement. On the other hand, a smaller percentage (19.2%) hold
the opposite view. The largest percentage of respondents (42.3%) expressed no opinion
on the matter.
Lastly, respondents were asked to provide additional information about
connection to the school through open-ended responses on the questionnaire. When asked
to share about a specific time they felt connected to their school, based on the responses
provided, the participants felt a sense of connection to Second District through various
means including contact with teachers, use of communication applications and schoolwide activities such as field day. The following is the interpretation of that data:
•

Participants appreciated the opportunity to talk to teachers and get to know
them during open house event. This face-to-face interaction helped
establish a connection between parents and teachers.

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
•

Another significant event for fostering a sense of connection was the
parent-teacher conferences. These conferences allowed for child’s
progress which helped build a stronger relationship.

•

The use of communication apps like Classroom DoJo played a crucial role
in keeping parents connected. Participants expressed that these apps made
it easy from the to reach out to teachers with questions or comments,
fostering open lines on communication.

•

The ability to volunteer at track and field day created a sense of
involvement and connection to the school. Parents appreciated being able
to contribute and participate in school activities alongside their children.

•

Participants emphasized the importance of school personnel in fostering a
sense of connection. The secretary was mentioned as a key figure who
helped keep the school together by answering questions and providing
support. The school nurse was also acknowledged for assistance with
children’s health matter. Teachers were specifically mentioned as
instrumental in establishing connections through personal interactions and
updates on students’ progress.

However, it should be noted that not all participants felt a strong connection to the
school. Reasons varied, such as not meeting their children’s teachers or feeling
disconnected due to the school’s relocation. Overall, the themes that emerged suggest that
opportunities for personal interaction, effective communication channels, involvement in
school events, and supportive school personnel play a vital role in creating a sense of
connection between parents and Second District Elementary School.

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
When asked for suggestions to improve the connection to Second District
Elementary School could implement to remove barriers to parental engagement and
increase parental involvement, the following themes emerged:
•

Organize more on-site activities such as family nights or events that
encourage parents to participate in their child’s school life.

•

Continue using and expanding the use of digital platforms like Classroom
DoJo and Goggle Classroom to facilitate communication and updates
between teachers and parents.

•

Make parental engagement a priority within the school’s practices.

•

Address the concerns raised about one-sided communication and
insufficient information reaching parents. Explore alternative
communication platforms that are more effective and accessible for
parents.

•

Recognize the financial burden of obtaining necessary clearances for
volunteering and consider sharing the cost with parents.

•

Create opportunities for parents to share about their children and their
unique perspectives.

Based on the participants’ responses regarding how they wish the staff would
connect with them the following are some suggested ways to improve communication
and connection with parents:
•

Responding to the participants’ preferences staff should utilize phone
calls, emails, text and the use of ClassDojo for communication.

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
•

Parents expressed a desire for staff to genuinely listen to their concerns
and insights about their children. Second District Elementary School
should create a “structured way for parents to share information and
feedback with the school.”

•

Utilize social media platforms like Facebook to share informative posts
and pictures of classroom activities. This can help parents stay informed
about their children's school experiences and encourage engagement.
Improve communication by “providing weekly or monthly updates on
homework expectations, upcoming projects, and school events.”

Additional data in the open-ended responses provided insights into the needs of
the parent/caregiver community. One respondent stated, “not all parents can attend inperson meetings or events due to various constraints, ” and “each family is unique, and
their engagement needs may vary.” Moreover, parents stated that financial limitations or
time constraints due to multiple jobs often interfere with their ability to engage with the
school and parents often feel judged for not being present at the school. Overall, the data
indicates that successful parent engagement involves offering varied opportunities,
creating a welcoming environment, recognizing individual family needs, and
emphasizing the importance of parental involvement in supporting student achievement.
Qualitative Findings
Interviews are a valuable methodology for exploring a topic in depth and gaining
insights from participants. The flexibility of interviews allows the researchers to probe
further into specific areas of interest or seek clarification on particular points raised by
the participants (Mertler, 2022). The researcher sought a richer comprehensive

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
understanding of parental engagement at Second District Elementary School by utilizing
semi-structured interviews and focus groups to explore further the topic of engagement
and connection.
In addition to the questionnaire, five participants were selected for semistructured interviews to gather additional feedback on the topic. These interviews were
conducted using different methods, including in-person meetings, Zoom video calls, and
telephone conference calls. It's worth noting that the interviewees were part of the group
of participants who had already completed the online questionnaire. The participants in
the interviews represented a diverse range of educational levels. This included individuals
with a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree, a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree, some
college experience, as well as high school graduates. This varied educational background
contributed to a broader understanding of the topic. Based on the data, three themes
emerged from the semi-structured interviews which include: Barriers to engagement,
increased engagement means increased connection, and suggestions to improve
engagement.
Semi-Structured Interview Findings
Theme 1: Barriers to Engagement
Theme 1, Barriers to Engagement, emerged from the interviews. All five
participants mentioned that they found there to be problems either internal or external to
the school that prohibits parents from being fully engaged. Most often cited were access
to the school and/or teachers, and barriers related to time, communication, resources and
education. For instance, Participant 1(P1) mentioned engagement is dependent on the

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
parent’s ability to give their time to the school for activities such as PTO. P1 stated, “I am
wary of joining the PTO due to concerns about commitments that revolved around
fundraising and event planning. It feels like you're jumping into a big commitment which
potentially can kind of mushrooms into sometimes,” referring to involvement or joining
the PTO. The participants suggested that Second District Elementary School offer a
range of opportunities that cater to varying interests and consider the time commitments
that participation entails. Capitalizing on parents’ talents and strengths could potentially
improve the engagement of parents. Likewise, Participant 2 (P2) also mentioned that a
barrier is the physical aspect of accessing the school. She stated,
Anywhere else we've ever been and lived the schools have always been
inviting and I didn't know about the Sandusky thing. So, I just thought, well all
elementary schools are very inviting to parents, especially the first day of school,
but when you are met at the doors like you can go into the entry point but, as soon
as you hit the second doors, you can't go past that. It was almost like, kind of rude
and put-offish. Like you guys do a good job with keeping security tight in that
building which after knowing about the Sandusky thing I get it. But that's just not
welcoming especially if you are new parent or you’re a kindergarten parent.
This sentiment was mentioned by the other participants as a physical barrier to
access to the school which made them feel unwelcomed and unappreciated by the school
thus reducing engagement. It was mentioned that having a person in the office who is
firm with parents can be beneficial to maintain order and boundaries. However, it is also
important to have someone who is friendly and approachable, striking a balance between
enforcing policies and creating a welcoming atmosphere for parents.

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Another barrier mentioned is the delayed dissemination of information to parents.
Parents may receive information about events with short notice, which can make it
challenging for them to participate or contribute in the desired ways. “Parents may need
more time to save up money or make arrangements to support their children's
participation in activities that require additional resources,” remarked Participant 2 (P2).
Financial barriers were also mentioned by participants. Participant 3 (P3) noted
that parents may face financial barriers when it comes to participating in school activities
or fulfilling requests for contributions, such as bringing in items for parties or events. P3
stated, “I think sometimes there's financial barriers, you know parents who want to be
able to contribute and can’t. This isn't something that necessarily can be fixed with
engaging parents.” While these contributions are often voluntary, parents may feel
pressure to provide for their child's participation, which can create a sense of exclusion
for those who are unable to afford to help. This sentiment was mentioned by four of the
five interview participants. One participant also mentioned that older siblings care for
younger siblings which interferes with family engagement as time and money is
important to them to make ends meet.
Finally, educational barriers were present in the data. P3 stated, “I think there’s
education barriers to the parents because it’s not a matter to them not wanting to be
involved or not wanting to be engaged, it’s a matter of them being ignorant of the fact
that it is even an option for them.” Understanding that a parent or caregivers voice is
important to the school is important for the engagement of parents. Additionally, P1
mentioned that being in a lower-income, lower-education community presents certain
“structural barriers” to parent engagement. The participant highlighted specific

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challenges within the community, such as parents who may struggle with substance abuse
or other personal issues. These barriers can make it more difficult for parents to actively
engage in their child's education.
Theme 2: Increased Engagement Means Increased Connection
The second theme that emerged from the interview data indicates that parents and
caregivers believe that in order to increase engagement the adults must feel connected to
the school in some capacity. All participants mentioned this in their interview. The school
involves parents through fundraisers, open houses, and events like carnivals, creating
opportunities for parents to engage with the school community. P3 stated, “I come into
the school, and it just feels really opening it feels like you can actually just be there and
not having to worry about watching your back all the time.” The participants also
mentioned that feeling connected to the school means that they feel welcome and
engaged. According to P4, “I wanted to be able to help my child succeed in school, but I
can’t do that unless I’m able to be engaged, not only with them but with their teachers.”
Other participants agreed with this sentiment. The fact that parents are encouraged to
come in and speak with the staff indicated an open and collaborative environment. P5
was excited to share how they feel connected to the school and enjoys being involved.
“You can feel it when you walk in how it gives you that sense of just being relaxed and
being like hey you know this is great this is where I want my child to go to school.”
However, the participants emphasized that while the teachers at Second District
are fantastic, they wish there were more opportunities to engage with the classrooms and
the school in general. The lack of such opportunities led to a feeling of exclusion or a

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sense that the school does not want parental involvement. P2 stated, “I'm a fairly engaged
parent but it's hard to figure out if I wanted to be engaged in other ways.
Theme 3: Suggestions to Improve Engagement
Engagement for all parents is not an easy mission to accomplish. Although all five
of the participants were able to articulate examples of when they felt engaged, they were
able to offer suggestions to improve engagement. Meaningful opportunities for parental
engagement were provided. P2 stated, “For parent engagement there needs to be like
opportunities for parents to be involved like providing opportunities beyond the
traditional field day or open house.” Likewise, P5 suggested that Second District
Elementary offer opportunities for parents to contribute, such as volunteering in
classrooms, organizing events, participating in committees, or sharing their expertise.
“Regarding the carnival, it seems there is room for improvement. Updating the prizes and
games can help make the event more engaging and exciting for both parents and students,
according to the interviewee.” Parents feeling like they are valued may be one way to
accomplish this.
P2 acknowledged that not all parents have the same level of desire or capacity to
be involved in the school community and this should be recognized by the school. “But,
for parents who really want to just get into the meat and potatoes of what their kids are
doing I think that there should be an opportunity.” P3 also recognized that barriers may
be harder to overcome than one may think. Engagement may very well require
involvement by the children. P3 stated, “So, I don't know if there's a way to have open

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communication, directly between the teachers and the parents that wouldn't involve the
kids as intermediaries.”
Although parents and caregivers understand the importance of involvement, many
believe that engagement is hard to accomplish and takes a concerted effort by all
involved.
Focus Group Findings
When asked what was learned about the perceptions of parents during the school
year as it relates to parent engagement one focus group member stated, “I learned that
parents want to be involved but don't always know necessarily how to be involved and
there are some barriers like clearances.” Another member commented, “I just want to add
to what she said , not only do they want to be involved but they really responded well to
individual invitations whether it was e-mail, direct phone calls, or text.” The group
acknowledged the importance of personal interactions. “They need somebody to listen to
them, and hear what the struggles at home are, and what the struggles at school are.
“Instead of feeling judged , they feel like they have an ally, they have somebody who's
willing to listen, understand and walk forward with them.” Building trust through
communication and personal interactions was considered crucial in creating a supportive
environment.
Another theme that emerged from the focus group was trust. One focus group
member stated, “You just said something that I thought was very fascinating that they
rose to the occasion if you trust them…they will do it. I agree that's what it was… letting
go a little bit of the power that as a school we often think we must keep control of.”

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Schools often feel that educators need to maintain control and power over decisionmaking processes. However, when parents were trusted and given some power in
decision-making, they responded positively and took ownership. Therefore, trust was
identified as a key part in parent-school engagement.
The group acknowledged the continued growth and success of the parent
engagement process at Second District Elementary School. One participant stated, “And
it's growing, tomorrow is the student of the month breakfast at Second District, so again,
parents are coming into that. We met at the end of March and talked about different ways
that we can keep this going.” Other initiatives included the new principal’s idea to invite
parents to the building for a pastry and time to say hello and meet the new administrator.
Moreover, engagement has increased in the social media following and
engagement opportunities will be posted such as a cookout for the incoming kindergarten
students and their families. Activities that encourage the active participation of parents is
vital to the health of the school.
When asked if anyone had any final thoughts, one participant expressed their
excitement with the progress made in parent engagement by sharing,“ I'm beaming right
now, because I gave a lot of input years ago about parent engagement and I am starting to
see what I was giving, I'm hearing it happening. People are starting to realize that it
works, like this is the way you get parents in the fold, this is the way you get them more
concerned about their child's education.” The focus group articulated their excitement for
more opportunities to engage families and children.

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Interpretation of the Data Analysis Process
The researcher attempted to design a study that would provide several sources of
data to support answering the research questions. As the researcher analyzed the data, it
was clear that triangulation helped paint a complete picture of the research questions by
collecting the data multiple ways. By collecting online survey data, conducting
interviews, and organizing a focus group, the researcher was able to delve deeply into the
topic. As mentioned earlier in the chapter, the researcher adopted a data-driven coding
approach, which allowed the themes and patterns to naturally emerge from the data.
However, it is important to mention that the data collected is specific to the
research setting and the school year in question and serves as a limitation of the results.
Not all school buildings in the district operate in the same manner due to factors such as
difference in building leadership and personnel.
Summary
Chapter IV presented the quantitative and qualitative data from the current study.
Findings indicate that although Second District Elementary School is doing some
innovative and effective engagement and involvement activities for parents, there is room
for improvement. Providing time and space for parents to feel welcome in the school and
important to their child’s education journey will help close the gap for parents. The focus
group findings provided context for what the school is planning to do moving forward to
encourage the involvement of all parents. In the next chapter, the researcher will draw
conclusions based on the data analysis and provide recommendations based on the
findings.

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
CHAPTER V
Conclusions and Recommendations
The shift to remote learning during the pandemic heightened the attention of
family engagement as a critical area of focus for schools (Rebora, 2022). The aim of this
action research was to identify the barriers to parental involvement in a rural school
district with a high free and reduced lunch percentage and low academic success. The
research questions focused on parents’ perceptions of barriers to parental involvement by
collecting pertinent data with an online questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, and a
focus group. Furthermore, the study sought to provide strategies to strengthen familyschool partnerships. An asset-based approach is needed that focuses on strengths. In the
context of family engagement, this means understanding that caregivers can support
student learning and are equal partners in the educational process (Mapp & Bergman,
2021)
The negative implications of the lack of parental involvement support the need to
examine the details associated with parent participation in schools. Some parents are
disenfranchised by the educational system because they do not know how to become
involved in the process (Foley, 2015). The literature review highlights that parental
involvement in school increases student achievement, enhances self-esteem, improves
behavior, and boosts school attendance. However, despite this evidence, family
engagement in U.S. schools remain minimal (Mapp, 1997). Chapter V will present
conclusions of the study, discuss the effectiveness of the interventions, highlight
limitations of the study, and provide recommendations for future research.

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
Conclusions
Based on the data collected in this action research study, the researcher can return
to the questions in order to provide answers. This section will provide the research
questions and the findings associated with each question.
Question 1: What are the parents’ perceptions of barriers that keep them from
participating in parent involvement related activities such as parent workshops, Title I
Parent Conferences, Literacy Under the Lights reading activity, Carnival Night, etc. at
Second District Elementary School?
Question one sought to understand parents’ perceptions of barriers to parental
engagement. The data collected from the online questionnaire distributed to
parents/caregivers at Second District Elementary School during the 2022-2023 school
year revealed several barriers to parent engagement. These barriers include:
•

educational barriers,

•

financial constraints,

•

delayed dissemination of information,

•

structural barriers in the community,

•

and the importance of trust in the parent-school relationship.

Based on these findings, five recommendations can be made to improve parental
engagement specifically.
The first recommendation is to provide parents with resources and support to
enhance their knowledge and understanding of how to effectively engage with their
child's education and the school community. Beyond the traditional open house, the

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
school can create a celebratory theme which will allow students, families, and teachers to
connect to one another. Additionally, the school can offer monthly learning café events
that are linked to learning and happenings in the classroom. These sessions can cover
topics such as supporting children's learning at home, navigating educational resources,
understanding curriculum changes, or addressing shared challenges faced by parents. As
one participant stated, “Parent engagement isn’t hosting more events; it’s getting parents
engaged with their children learning.”
The second recommendation is to address the lack of clarity about engagement
opportunities by clearly communicating what these opportunities entail and how parents
can become involved. One solution is to use various communication channels, such as enewsletters, emails, and digital platforms to ensure clear and direct communication with
parents. Often parents state they do not receive the relevant information from the
school(s). One way to ensure parents receive information is to ensure it is disseminated
often and in many formats. The recommendation of efficient dissemination of
information is aligned with this recommendation.
The third recommendation is for school officials to explore options to reduce or
eliminate financial burdens, such as seeking sponsorships, providing financial assistance
programs, or sharing the costs with parents through collaborative efforts. The financial
barriers that often exclude parents from engagement would alleviate any
disenfranchisement parents may feel. Often parents choose not to participate in school
activities because they feel that financially they cannot provide materials or donations.
By eliminating the financial hardship from the equation, parents would be free to engage

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
without embarrassment. Sponsorships from local businesses could potentially close the
financial gap parents may be experiencing.
The fourth recommendation is to address structural barriers by recognizing the
specific challenges faced by parents in lower-income, lower-education communities.
These challenges include limited resources, lack of access to educational opportunities,
and challenges associated with poverty. Many families have busy schedules with parents
often juggling multiple jobs and other responsibilities. Time constraints can make it
challenging for them to attend school events or participate in meetings. One way to
alleviate the structural barriers is to collaborate with community organizations and
agencies to provide additional support to parents dealing with substance abuse, mental
health issues, or other personal challenges. Often times, parents experience challenges
that the school cannot directly eliminate, but by providing resources, the school can
support parents who may be struggling in other areas of their lives.
The final recommendation is to foster meaningful encounters and effective
communication channels to build trust between parents and the school. By supporting
parents through the first four recommendations, the school can build trust so that parents
feel comfortable walking through the doors of the school. Trusting teachers and school
officials is a long process that can be nurtured by eliminating barriers that may seem
impossible to overcome.
The five recommendations can contribute to successful parental engagement not
only at Second District Elementary School but also district wide. Administrative and
faculty support will be the key to success for all involved.

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Question 2: In what ways was parent involvement impacted because of the
implementation of the parent engagement process at Second District Elementary School?
Question two explored the implementation of the parent engagement process at
Second District Elementary School. The data revealed six key findings.
Finding 1: Desire for involvement.
Parents expressed a strong desire to be involved in their children's education and school
activities at Second District Elementary School. Despite facing barriers, such as a lack of
knowledge on how to participate or obstacles such as obtaining clearances, parents
demonstrated a genuine interest in being deeply involved. The elimination of obstacles
will inevitably make involvement much easier and fulfill parents’ desire to be engaged.
Finding 2: Negative past experiences.
Some parents may have had negative experiences themselves when they were in school,
which can influence their willingness to participate in their children's education. Ensuring
parents understand they are welcome and wanted in the school building is one way to
begin to nurture the relationship with parents.
Finding 3: Importance of Personal Interactions.
The focus group emphasized the significance of personal interactions in building
relationships with parents. Understanding that some parents may have experienced
trauma is an important step to increasing personal interactions. It was highlighted by the
data that focusing on what happened to them rather than what's wrong with them is
essential. Individualized invitations, such as personal phone calls or direct emails, were
found to be more effective in engaging parents compared to general announcements or
flyers.

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Finding 4: Perceived Power Imbalance.
Parents may perceive a power imbalance between themselves and educators which may
lead to them feeling that their opinions and input are not valued or considered equal.
Addressing this perception and creating a more inclusive and respectful environment can
encourage greater parent involvement.
Finding 5: Ownership and Responsibility.
Providing parents with a sense of ownership and responsibility in their child’s education
enhances their engagement and involvement. When parents are entrusted with tasks and
responsibilities, they often rise to the occasion and demonstrate their capabilities.
Empowering parents in this way can foster a stronger sense of engagement.
Finding 6: Collaboration with Community Partners.
To address the challenge of obtaining clearances, the Design Team collaborated with
community partners. This comprehensive approach helped parents navigate the clearance
process and resulted in an increase in the parent voluntary group from two to fourteen.
The focus group discussed future plans to explore the concept of clearance coaches,
utilizing parents who have successfully completed the clearance process.
These findings highlight the importance of addressing barriers, building relationships,
and creating a supportive and inclusive environment to enhance parent involvement.
Question 3: What are effective methods to remove barriers to parental engagement and
increase parental involvement?
The data addressing question number three were collected via semi-structured
interviews with five participants. Based on the responses provided by the participants, the

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
following are recommendations for Second District Elementary School to implement in
order to remove barriers to parental engagement and increase parental involvement.
The first recommendation was for the school to organize more on-site activities.
By hosting on-site activities, the school can provide opportunities for parents to engage
with the school community and build relationships with teachers and other parents. These
activities can include workshops, open houses, family nights, or school fairs.
The second recommendation was to focus on how parents can help their children.
Data revealed that parents are interested in actively contributing to their children's
education and a concerted focused attempt to help support parents in this process can be
successful.
The third recommendation was to engage with parents beyond scheduled events.
Parent engagement should extend beyond simply hosting more events. Each family is
unique, and their engagement needs may vary.
The fourth recommendation was to consider financial and time constraints of
parents and understand these can stand in the way of parent involvement. Some parents
may have financial limitations or time constraints due to multiple jobs or other
responsibilities. The school should explore flexible ways for parents to contribute and
participate, understanding the various challenges they may face.
The final recommendation was to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment
for parents. It is crucial for parents to feel comfortable and confident when interacting
with the school and its staff. By creating a welcoming and inclusive environment parents
may be encouraged to actively engage and participate.

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By implementing these strategies, Second District Elementary School can work towards
removing barriers to parental engagement.
Fiscal Implications
The study highlights the financial constraints associated with a rural, low
socioeconomic school like Second District Elementary. These constraints can affect
family engagement, and ultimately, the success of the students in the school. If further
research supports the idea that parent engagement is beneficial, the district must consider
whether investing in assisting parents to obtain clearances is worthwhile.
The current cost of obtaining the necessary clearances for volunteering is
approximately $120 per parent. This cost includes background checks or any other
clearances required by the school or district. The estimate provided by a Second District
Elementary School teacher suggests that it takes about two hours per parent to complete
the necessary paperwork and follow-up. Under the current collective bargaining
agreement, teachers are entitled to supplemental pay beyond regular school hours. The
stipend mentioned is $27 per hour.
Based on the provided calculations, the total cost to invest in ten parent volunteers
per year would be $1,740. This includes the cost of clearances for the parents and the
teacher stipend for their time spent supporting the program. If the district decides to
expand the program across the district, the estimated cost would be approximately
$13,920. This suggests that the costs would increase significantly when involving more
schools and parents.
Overall, the fiscal implications revolve around the need to allocate funds to
support parent engagement initiatives, cover the cost of clearances, and potentially

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provide stipends to teachers involved in facilitating the program. With increased pressure
and mandates from the federal and state level to improve family engagement linked to
funding, it will be critical for schools and districts to improve in this area.
Limitations
There were a few limitations that influenced the overall results of the study. First,
the study's findings may not be applicable other to urban or suburban districts or different
grade level buildings in the district such as middle school or high school because of the
context where the study was conducted. The lack of transferability or generalizability
limits the ability to use these findings and/or recommendations to make broad
conclusions as the findings cannot be applied to other contexts. Moreover, the small
sample size limits the reliability of the study. Furthermore, the majority of participants in
the study identified as White or Caucasian, non-Hispanic, with only one participant
identifying as Black or African American, non-Hispanic. This lack of diversity in
ethnicity limits the generalizability of the findings to a more diverse population. A more
representative sample that includes individuals from various ethnic backgrounds would
enhance the study's validity and applicability.
Recommendations for Future Research
In terms of building on this research, there are several different approaches that
could be taken to provide a deeper level of understanding parental involvement and what
schools can do to increase not only how often parents engage with the school but also
examining the quality of the engagement.

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First, a large-scale quantitative study examining parents’ perceptions of the level
of engagement and the opportunities provided at their school would shed some light on
the issue more globally. Examining parental involvement trends in rural, suburban, and
urban settings would help to truly understand all the barriers parents perceive to stand in
the way of full engagement with their children’s schools. A second future study that
would shed some light on parents’ engagement at all levels would be to survey and
interview parents at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Research indicates
that parental engagement decreases as students age, and it would be important to
understand if parents disengage because of the schools’ lack of opportunities provided for
parents or parents have chosen to stop engaging in their children’s schools as they age.
Summary
According to Search Institute (2023), schools struggle to engage and partner with
families. School officials often complain that many families are too busy or
overwhelmed, uninterested, or simply unavailable and unable to be a resource for their
children. Dozens of challenges make family engagement difficult. The challenges and
barriers to engaging families demand rethinking our approach to family engagement in
schools.
Based on the results of this study, the researcher has classified barriers to family
engagement into three categories: structural barriers, attitudinal barriers, and institutional
barriers. Structural barriers include educational factors such as a lack of knowledge or
understanding of how to effectively engage in their child's education. Many families may
also lack support and resources, face financial constraints, or experience time constraints

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
due to busy schedules. Additionally, substance abuse and mental health issues can further
impede family engagement.
Attitudinal barriers encompass factors such as a lack of trust between parents and
the school, negative past experiences, perceived power imbalances, and a lack of
communication between parents and the school.
Institutional barriers include delayed dissemination of information and limited
meaningful engagement opportunities. A lack of a welcoming and inclusive environment
and safety procedures that restrict parental entry into schools, such as clearance
requirements.
According to Trotman (2001), parent involvement in education was envisioned to
establish a partnership between home and school, aiming to facilitate increased
collaboration for the purpose of enhancing student outcomes. The objective was to
strengthen the school's ability to comprehend and value the diverse values and cultures of
families, thereby enabling them to be more effective in meeting the needs of students.
Likewise, according to the authors from the Brookings Institution (2021), unjust power
structures can create obstacles that prevent families from actively participating in their
children's education. These barriers may exist due to several factors such as socioeconomic disparities, cultural biases, or institutional practices. A new norm must be
developed to dismantle the barriers to family engagement for families. Additionally, new
norms will require an assets-based approach. According to Mapp and Kuttner (2013), if
effective educational partnerships between home and school are to be implemented and
sustained, engagement initiatives must include meaningful family engagement linked to

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learning, a trusting relationship between the home and school, and a mutual respect
between both parties. Moreover, meaningful family initiatives must focus on building the
capital of the stakeholders involved in the process and will need to bring families and
staff together for shared learning.
Parent engagement benefits everyone. When parents are actively engaged in their
children’s education, it positively impacts student success. Engaged parents can support
teachers and create a more conductive learning environment benefiting both students and
educators. Parent engagement involves parents being a partner to teachers in their
children’s education. It involves staying informed about children’s activities, supporting
teachers’ expectations, and actively participating in the school community.
Successful parent engagement involves schools offering varied opportunities,
creating a welcoming environment, recognizing individual family needs, and
emphasizing the importance of parental involvement is supporting student achievement.
Trust was identified as a key element in parent-school relationships. If parents do
not trust the school and the educational system, they will hesitate to engage. Overall,
building trust, addressing power-dynamics, and promoting open communication were
crucial factors in overcoming barriers and fostering effective family engagement.

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
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0298-0

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APPENDICES

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Appendix A
Institutional Review Board Approval

Institutional Review Board
250 University Avenue
California, PA 15419
instreviewboard@calu.edu
Melissa Sovak, Ph.D.
Dear Thomas,
Please consider this email as official notification that your proposal titled “Parents’
Perceptions of Barriers that hinder engagement for disenfranchised parents at Second
District Elementary School in the Crawford Central School District” (Proposal #PW22-004)
has been approved by the Pennsylvania Western University Institutional Review Board as
submitted.
The effective date of approval is 08/17/2022 and the expiration date is 08/16/2023. These
dates must appear on the consent form.
Please note that Federal Policy requires that you notify the IRB promptly regarding any of
the following:
(1) Any additions or changes in procedures you might wish for your study (additions or
changes must be approved by the IRB before they are implemented)
(2) Any events that affect the safety or well-being of subjects
(3) Any modifications of your study or other responses that are necessitated by any events
reported in (2).
(4) To continue your research beyond the approval expiration date of 08/16/2023, you must
file additional information to be considered for continuing review. Please contact
instreviewboard@calu.edu
Please notify the Board when data collection is complete.
Regards,
Melissa Sovak, PhD.
Chair, Institutional Review Board

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Appendix B
Survey Disclosure Letter
I am conducting a study to investigate parents’ perceptions of barriers that keep them
from participating in school at Second District Elementary School. Additionally, the
study seeks to identify effective methods to implement to remove barriers to parental
engagement and increase parental involvement at Second District Elementary School and
throughout the district.
In this study, you will be asked to answer questions regarding your perceptions of
barriers to parent participation at Second District Elementary School. Additionally,
questions will center around suggestion you may want to offer to remove barriers and
increase involvement. Also, questions will seek to understand your perceptions of how
connected you feel to the school community.
I will also collect information to describe your gender, age, level of education, ethnicity,
and the grades your child(ren) attended Second District. You have been selected to
participate in this study because you are a parent with a student(s) that this enrolled at
Second District Elementary.
You will be asked to participate in a survey that will take approximately 20 to 25 minutes
to complete. The survey is distributed and collected via Google Forms. Participants are
also asked to engage in selected response and open-ended questions. As a precaution
there is some risk to those interviewed as open-end questions do not always guarantee
confidentiality. However, the exploratory research data collect will be kept confidential.
The potential benefits to you from being in this study are varied and provide both short
and long term assistance to the district. One such possible benefit is the improvement of
connectedness to the school community. Another is the increase of parental involvement.
Your privacy is important, and I will handle all information collected about you in a
confidential manner. I will report the results of the research study in a way that will not
identify you. I do plan to present the results of the study as a published study.
You do not have to be in this study. If you don’t want to participate, please do not
complete the survey. If you do agree, you can stop participating at any time. If you wish
to withdraw, just tell me. Otherwise, by clicking continue, you are giving your consent to

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
participate in this questionnaire.
If you have questions about this research project, please contact Mr. Thomas K.
Washington at 484-707-3559 or California University of PA Assistant Professor, Dr.
Wolf at wolf@calu.edu.
Approved by the California University of Pennsylvania Institutional Review Board. This
approval is effective 08/17/22 and expires 08/16/23.
By clicking continue, you agree to participate in this questionnaire.
Approved, September 12, 2005 / (updated 02-11-2016)

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
Appendix C
Survey Questions

Please provide us with your ideas of Parent Involvement activities at Second District
Elementary School.

1. What grades did your child attend at Second District Elementary? (Please circle your
response).
Kindergarten
Grade 6

Grade 1

Grade 2

2. What is you gender? Female ______

Grade 3

Grade 4

Male_______ Other_____

3. What is your ethnicity?
American Indian or Alaskan Native

___

Asian or Pacific or Alaskan Native

___

Black or African American, non-Hispanic

___

Hispanic

___

White or Caucasian, non- Hispanic

___

Other: ___________________________________
4. Which category best represents your current age?
18- 25 ___
26- 35 ___
36-45 ___

Grade 5

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
46- 55 ___
56 or older ___

5. What best describe the educational level you have attained?
High School Equivalent

_______

High School

_______

BA or BS

_______

MA or MS

_______

Ed. D or Ph.D.

_______

Other

________

Answer the following questions using a scale from 1 to 5 with 1= Strongly agree 2 =
Agree, 3= No opinion, 4= Disagree and 5= Strongly disagree.
6. I feel connected to the Second District Elementary School Community?
1. __ 2. __ 3. __ 4. __ 5. __
7. Please rate your last communication with a Second District Staff Member on a scale
from 1 to 5 with 1= not helpful at all to 5= extremely helpful.
1.__ 2. __ 3. __ 4. __ 5. __
8. The school committees and the PTA/PTO reflect the diversity of the school
community and actively recruit and welcome families of all backgrounds.
1.__ 2. __ 3. __ 4. __ 5. __
9. Participation in parental workshop would increase parent engagement.
1. __2. __ 3. __ 4. __ 5. __

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
10. Tell me about a specific time you felt connected to your school. Why did you feel that
way?
11. What are effective ways/methods/strategies for schools to implement to remove
barriers to parental engagement and increase parental involvement?
12. What are some of the ways you wish the staff would connect with you.
13. What other comments would you like to add about parent engagement?

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS

Appendix D
Focus Group Disclosure Letter
I am conducting a study to investigate parents’ perceptions of barriers that keep them
from participating in school at Second District Elementary School. Additionally, the
study seeks to identify effective methods to implement to remove barriers to parental
engagement and increase parental involvement at Second District Elementary School and
throughout the district.
In this study, you will be asked to answer questions regarding your perceptions of
barriers to parent participation at Second District Elementary School. Additionally,
questions will center around suggestion you may want to offer to remove barriers and
increase involvement.
You have been selected to participate in this study due to your role as a member of the
design team. You will be asked a series of questions in this interview related to my
research topic. If all participants agree, the interview will be electronically recorded for
my records. If any participant does not want to be recorded, detailed notes of the
interview will be kept instead. As a precaution there is some risk to those interviewed as
open-end questions do not always guarantee confidentiality. However, the exploratory
research data collect will be kept confidential.
The potential benefits to you from being in this study are varied and provide both short
and long term assistance to the district. One such possible benefit is the improvement of
connectedness to the school community. Another is the increase of parental involvement.
Your privacy is important, and I will handle all information collected about you in a
confidential manner. I will report the results of the research study in a way that will not
identify you. I do plan to present the results of the study as a published study.
You do not have to be in this study. If you do not want to participate in the focus. If you
do agree, you can stop participating at any time. If you wish to withdraw, just tell me.
Otherwise, I will convene the focus and you are giving your consent to participate in this
group.
If you have questions about this research project, please contact Mr. Thomas K.
Washington at 484-707-3559 or California University of PA Assistant Professor, Dr.
Wolf at wolf@calu.edu.

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
Approved by the California University of Pennsylvania Institutional Review Board. This
approval is effective 08/17/22 and expires 08/16/23.
By clicking continue, you agree to participate in this questionnaire.
Approved, September 12, 2005 / (updated 02-11-2016)

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
Appendix E
Focus Group Questions
What did you learn about the perception of parents?
What are some of the perceived barriers you learned about from parents during this year?
What did you find most beneficial in learning about barriers that impact parents at
Second District Elementary?
In what way was parent involvement impacted as a result of the implementation of the
parent engagement process at Second District?

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS

Appendix F
Interview Disclosure Letter
I am conducting a study to investigate parents’ perceptions of barriers
that keep them from participating in school at Second District
Elementary School. Additionally, the study seeks to identify effective
methods to implement to remove barriers to parental engagement and
increase parental involvement at Second District Elementary School and
identify strategies that can be replicated in other schools throughout the
district.
In this study, you were asked to answer questions regarding your
perceptions of barriers to parent participation at Second District
Elementary School. As a follow-up to the survey, you are invited to
participate in an interview to further understand your perceptions.
You will be asked to participate in an interview that will take
approximately 45 to 60 minutes to complete. The interview will be done
in person at Second District Elementary School, or another location
mutually agreed upon. As a precaution there is some risk to those
interviewed as open-ended questions do not always guarantee
confidentiality. However, the exploratory research data collected will be
kept confidential. In an effort to collect accurate information, I plan to
record our interview for data analysis purposes.
The potential benefits to you from being in this interview process are
varied and provide both short and long term assistance to the district.
One such possible benefit is the improvement of connectedness to the
school community. Another is the increase of parental involvement.
Your privacy is important, and I will handle all information collected
about you in a confidential manner. I will report the results of the
research study in a way that will not identify you. I do plan to present
the results of the study as a published study.

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
You do not have to be in this interview process and may stop
participating at any time. If you wish to withdraw, just tell me.
Otherwise, we will plan to meet for 45 – 60 minutes. If you have
questions about this research project, please contact Mr. Thomas K.
Washington at 484-707-3559 or California University of PA Assistant
Professor, Dr. Wolf at wolf@calu.edu.
Approved by the California University of Pennsylvania Institutional
Review Board. This approval is effective 08/17/22 and expires
08/16/23.

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS
Appendix G
Interview Questions

Let’s think about parent engagement at Second District. Which areas are the school doing
well in? Which ones will need more work?
In your opinion, what defines effective parental involvement?
How does Second District Elementary School involve parents in making the school open,
welcoming, and collaborative?
What steps could be taken to help Second District become more family-friendly? Right
away, Over the long term.
How connected do you feel to the Second District School Community? Why?
What is your perception of barriers to parent engagement at Second District?

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PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF BARRIERS

Appendix H
Sapphire Messages
Audio portion
Hello. This message is being sent on behalf of Mr. Washington. I am
conducting a study to investigate parents’ perceptions of barriers that keep
them from participating in school at Second District Elementary School.
Additionally, the study seeks to identify effective methods to implement to
remove barriers to parental engagement and increase parental involvement at
Second District Elementary School and throughout the district.
You are invited to participate in the survey. Be on the lookout for
information about the survey at Thursday’s Parent Conferences. If you are
not able to attend Parent Conferences, email Mr. Washington at
was1885@pennwest.edu to request information about the survey.
Text Message
Mr. Washington invites you to complete a parent engagement survey. Click
here for survey information and here to access the survey.
Letter:
https://bit.ly/ParentSD
Survey:
https://forms.gle/dJLABgkwZ2E28bnt9
Email Message
Hello. This message is being sent on behalf of Mr. Washington. I am
conducting a study to investigate parents’ perceptions of barriers that keep
them from participating in school at Second District Elementary School.
Additionally, the study seeks to identify effective methods to implement to
remove barriers to parental engagement and increase parental involvement at
Second District Elementary School and throughout the district.
Click here to access information about the survey.
Click here to access the survey.