USING A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH FOR EVALUATING PARENT INVOLVEMENT PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT BLACK MALES ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

Abstract

This collaborative evaluation explored the distribution of perceived parent involvement factors during high school, from the perspective of academically successful Black male college students. One hundred and forty-six(146)Blackmales enrolled in an undergraduate degree seeking-program at a university in the southern region of the United States completed Yan and Lins (2005) parent involvement during high school survey, adapted from NELS: 88 (National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988). A collaborative evaluation approach using the Model for Collaborative Evaluations MCE was used in this formative evaluation. Results revealed that among the distribution of the three factors (Family Obligation, Parent Information Network and Family Norms), Family Norms was perceived as the most prevalent parent involvement subscale factor during high school forthis particular population. Under the Family Norms factor subscale Parent-teenager relationship emerged as the most dominant variable, followed by Educational expectations. Implications for using the MCE in evaluating school parent involvement programs and research are delineated.