School-based Parent Research Articles

Towards home-school partnership: parents’ perspectives on school-based parent activities in childcare centres in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT Childcare centres are increasingly recognised as educational institutions, and the current study examined parent’s perspectives on school-based parent activities provided by childcare centres. Through surveying 266 parents, we found that both structured activities (e.g., training workshops) and unstructured activities (e.g., parent-child tours) could meet parents’ needs. Activities that benefited parents practically and allowed them to cope with work and family demands were more attractive. How to deal with children’s emotions was the most needed topic. Finally, parents’ interest and participation varied depending on demographics and their children’s in-care history. Practical implications for centre supervisors, policymakers and parents are discussed.

Germany’s School-Based Parent Cafés: A new Hype or a Sustainable Way to Update Home-School Policies?

The following contribution examines a socio-cultural phenomenon that has been emerging in Germany in the recent years – school-based ‘Elterncafés’ (parent cafés). Meanwhile, this term is accustomed by school development practitioners. Therefore, it still raises the question of definition. Parent cafés seem to be a promising format of cooperation between parents and schools, an attempt to attract more foreign-born parents through establishing an institutionalized but at the same time low-threshold setting that combines both Oriental and Occidental traditions of coffee houses and tea rooms. It is too early to claim the school-based parent cafés would manage to evolve a long-awaited breakthrough in home-school policies and replace out-of-date structures of school-parent communication in this country.Nevertheless, the fact is that nationwide the parent café model finds more and more advocates across all school types. One of them is the Europe School Gymnasium Hamm in Hamburg, Germany. The paper gives a vivid example how the school managed to establish its parent café in cooperation with parents, parent facilitators and BQM, a Hamburg-based think-tank. The author reflects this experience from a practitioner’s point of view and proposes some principles of a school-based parent café.

The thriving kids and parents schools project: protocol of an incomplete stepped wedged cluster randomised trial evaluating the effectiveness of a Triple P seminar series

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the normality of daily life for many children, their families, and schools, resulting in heightened levels of anxiety, depression, social isolation, and loneliness among young people. An integrated public health model of interventions is needed to address the problem and to safeguard the mental health and wellbeing of children. The Triple P – Positive Parenting Program is one system of parenting support with a strong evidence-base and wide international reach. When implemented as a public health approach, Triple P has demonstrated population level positive effects on child wellbeing. This study will be the first large-scale, multi-site randomised controlled trial of a newly developed, low-intensity variant of Triple P, a school-based seminar series, as a response to the impacts of the pandemic.MethodsThe evaluation will employ an Incomplete Batched Stepped Wedge Cluster Randomised Trial Design. At least 300 Australian primary schools, from South Australia, Queensland, and Victoria will be recruited and randomised in three batches. Within each batch, schools will be randomly assigned to either start the intervention immediately or start in six weeks. Parents will be recruited from participating schools. The Triple P seminar series includes three seminars titled: “The Power of Positive Parenting”, “Helping Your Child to Manage Anxiety”, and “Keeping your Child Safe from Bullying”. Parents will complete measures about child wellbeing, parenting, parenting self-regulation and other key intervention targets at baseline, six weeks after baseline, and 12 weeks after baseline. Intervention effectiveness will be evaluated with a Multilevel Piecewise Latent Growth Curve Modelling approach. Data collection is currently underway, and the current phase of the project is anticipated to be completed in January 2024.DiscussionThe findings from this study will extend the current knowledge of the effects of evidence-based parenting support delivered through brief, universally offered, low intensity, school-based parenting seminars in a post pandemic world.Trial registrationThe trial is registered at the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (Trial Registration Number: ACTRN12623000852651).

Feasibility of school-based parent support groups for transition-aged youth with intellectual disabilities.

Parents experience difficulties supporting children with intellectual disabilities when they exit the school system. One promising way to mitigate this problem is to set up school-based parent support groups. This study aimed to examine the development and feasibility of school-based parent support groups in South Korea designed to connect parents of transition-aged youth with intellectual disabilities. This qualitative study included 29 participants. Five focus groups and seven individual interviews were conducted with parents as co-researchers. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Participants reported meaningful experiences after participating in the parent support groups. However, it is critical to consider the following components to promote their feasibility: clearly defined roles, small group meetings, school-based initiatives, and collaboration. Parent support groups could be a valuable way to promote parental empowerment. Implications for future practices are suggested.

School-Based Supports for Parenting Teens: A Qualitative Study to Understand the Daily Life of Mothers in High School

Abstract Date Presented 04/21/2023 This study aims to understand how school-based parenting programs affect the occupational performance of teen mothers in their dual roles as both student and parent. Results show that individual support and community are particularly important in supporting success. Primary Author and Speaker: Libby Hladik Additional Authors and Speakers: Marie Hynek, Lan Vo Contributing Authors: Karla Ausderau

Feasibility, acceptability and preliminary outcomes of implementing a family-based intervention Your Family, Your Neighborhood with Latinx immigrant families

School-based parent involvement is associated with child academic outcomes, positive behaviors, and social skills. However, schools often struggle to engage low-income, Latinx immigrant, Spanish-speaking parents and are tasked with finding new and creative ways to involve these parents. Despite the need to engage this diverse group of parents, culturally and linguistically responsive programs to engage parents are limited. This study sought to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary outcomes of a family-based intervention—Your Family, Your Neighborhood (YFYN)—with Latinx immigrant Spanish-speaking families. YFYN is an empirically supported, dual-generation, in-person, manualized curriculum that supports and strengthens bonds between parents and their children while fostering neighborhood social cohesion among families living in low-income communities and project-based subsidized housing. Parent-child dyads (N = 15) residing in a mid-sized city within a southwestern state participated in the YFYN intervention. Participating families attended 10 two-hour skills-based curriculum sessions during which they gathered for a community dinner and participated in parent- and child-specific skills-based groups (e.g., learning skills such as parent–child communication, school engagement strategies, positive youth development and leadership, and community strengths and challenges through photovoice). Intervention feasibility and acceptability were evaluated based on parent attendance (parents attended a mean of 8.39 out of 10 sessions), attrition rates and qualitative post-participation focus groups. Parents demonstrated a statistically significant change in parent–child relationships from pre-assessment to post-assessment and positive trends for participation in school activities, positive child behavior and community connections. Findings from this study reveal that the YFYN intervention is feasible and highly acceptable with Spanish-speaking Latinx immigrant families, demonstrated by high session attendance and low attrition. Focus groups with parent participants indicated improvements in their parent–child relationships, changes in participants’ perspectives of their impact on their child’s education and the development of new connections with other YFYN parent participants. This study offers preliminary findings regarding the effects of the YFYN intervention among Latinx families living in low-income neighborhoods. Future directions for engaging Spanish-speaking Latinx immigrant families in schools are discussed.

Perceptions of parents of youth with disabilities toward school-based parent engagement

ABSTRACT The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004) mandated schools engage parents in their child’s educational planning. Despite schools’ adoption of various strategies to promote parent engagement, parents’ perceptions about these strategies, especially among those whose children are at the secondary transition age, are often overlooked. To examine parents’ perceptions of 23 previously documented parent engagement strategies, we conducted a cross-sectional online survey with 642 parents of youth with disabilities (ages 14–21) in the United States. Overall, participants reported that parent engagement strategies were moderately helpful in promoting parent engagement. Parents of color reported lower scores for perceived helpfulness than their non-Hispanic White counterparts. Top-rated strategies included making time when parents have questions and communicating strategies clearly; however, this varied by race/ethnicity. Findings highlighted the need to address racial disparities in parent engagement strategies and the importance of school-parent collaboration/communication.

Household Factors Associated With Home Food Availability Among Latinx Families With Middle School-Aged Children

ObjectivesTo examine household factors associated with home food availability among Latinx families with middle school-aged children.MethodsDyads of Latinx parents and a middle school-aged child enrolled in a trial testing the efficacy of a nutrition-enhanced school-based parenting intervention in a Southwestern metropolitan area. During a baseline home visit, trained research assistants used a culturally-adapted version of the home food inventory to count the number of different types of fruits, vegetables, and sugar-containing food items available in the home. The latter were disaggregated into white bread, high-sugar cereals, prepared and frozen desserts, and sugar-sweetened beverages and candies. Household factors included as independent variables were food insecurity, frequency of family meals, frequency of conversations about healthy eating, and household size. Poisson regression models accounting for clustered data at the school-level were used to assess associations.ResultsOf 108 participating households, 72.2% were food secure, 52.8% had ≥7 weekly family meals, 49.1% had conversations about healthy eating habits almost every day, and the mean household size was 5.4 ± 1.89 people. Households had 7.4 ± 3.0 different types of fruits, 9.9 ± 3.6 different types of vegetables, and 9.1 ± 4.1 different types of sugar-containing foods available. Compared to households where healthy eating conversations happened almost every day, those with fewer conversations had a lower count of fruits (Adjusted Incidence Rate Ratio [AIRR] 0.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.57–0.98). Compared to food secure households, low and very low food security was associated with a lower count of vegetables (AIRR 0.87, 95% CI 0.76–0.99; and 0.68, 0.56–0.83, respectively), and low food security was associated with a lower count of white bread. Compared to households with ≥7 weekly family meals, the count of all sugar subgroups, except white bread, was lower among households with lower frequency of family meals.ConclusionsResults suggest that household food security and having family conversations around healthy eating habits are two relevant factors that may help improve the availability of fruits and vegetables among Latinx households.Funding SourcesNational Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

Evaluating the Effect of Parent–Child Interactive Groups in a School-Based Parent Training Program: Parenting Behavior, Parenting Stress and Sense of Competence

The Exploring Together program is a group-based parent training program that comprises separate parent, child, and teacher components, and a combined parent–child interactive component. A cluster-randomized trial design was used to compare the Exploring Together program with (Exploring Together; ET) and without (Exploring Together-Adapted; ET-Adapted) the parent–child interactive component. One hundred and thirty-six parents and their children (aged 5–10 years) with externalizing and/or internalizing problems participated in the trial, recruited from primary schools. There was a significant reduction in negative parenting behavior across both treatment groups (ET and ET-Adapted) but no significant improvement in positive parenting behaviors. Parenting self-efficacy improved significantly across both treatment groups however there was no significant change in parenting satisfaction or parenting stress. There was no consistent evidence of superiority of one version of the Exploring Together program over the other. Further investigation regarding treatment dosage and mastery of parenting skills associated with the program is warranted.

Multidimensional profiles of parent involvement: Antecedents and impact on student engagement.

Parent involvement in school is a consistent predictor of educational success. However, research has been inconsistent in addressing how parent involvement ought to be defined and measured, which has led to varied findings across schools and educational systems. Attending to the multidimensionality of the construct, this study adopted a person-centred approach to identify subpopulations of school-based parent involvement. Subsequently, profile differences were investigated in relation to student engagement and three antecedent variables (gender, socio-economic status, and authoritative parenting). Data were obtained from primary (10-year old; N = 4,284) and secondary (14-year old; N = 3,346) school students in Singapore. Latent profile analysis was conducted on student-rated surveys of multiple parent involvement behaviours in school and their perceptions. Subsequently, the manual BCH method was employed to concurrently model covariates and outcomes on the latent profile model. Pairwise comparisons between profiles were examined for statistical significance. Consistent across both cohorts, four distinct profiles emerged that revealed high, moderate, selective, and low parent involvement patterns. High parent involvement reflected high ratings across multiple activities, combined with positive perceptions of parental involvement. These profiles differed significantly in terms of their antecedent characteristics, particularly, authoritative parenting, and in relation to their impact on student engagement. Results from this study clarify relations between multi-faceted dimensions of parent involvement in school. Additionally, there is a case for continued school-family partnerships among secondary students as students remain academically engaged when parents are involved in school and students relate positively to their involvement.

Longitudinal relations among school context, school-based parent involvement, and academic achievement of Chinese American children in immigrant families

Immigrant families face multiple barriers to engaging with children's schools. Yet, school-based parent involvement has been associated with academic and behavioral benefits for children of immigrant families. Although past research has examined links between family contextual factors and parent involvement, less is known about the links between school contextual factors and parent involvement in immigrant families. Identifying socio-cultural barriers to parent involvement across home and school contexts can inform culturally competent family engagement interventions serving immigrant families. In a two-wave (1.5 years apart) longitudinal study of a community-based sample of Chinese American children (N = 210, beginning age = 5.8–9.1 years) attending over 80 schools in a metropolitan area, we assessed school-based parent involvement behaviors and parent involvement-related psychological processes (i.e., parent-teacher relationship quality, parents' endorsement of schools, teachers' perceptions of parents) using parent and teacher report. First, results indicated that significant positive associations were found between school-based parent involvement behaviors and parent involvement-related psychological processes (rs = 0.36–0.53). Next, multi-level modeling was conducted to test concurrent relations of Wave 1 school contextual factors to all four parent involvement constructs (controlling for family-level factors), as well as testing the prospective relations of parent involvement at Wave 1 to children's academic achievement at Wave 2. Student body diversity of schools was negatively associated with school-based parent involvement (rs = −0.18, −0.17), parent-rated parent-teacher relationship quality (r = −0.18), and parents' endorsement of schools (r = −0.36). The concentration of Asian students at schools and schoolwide achievement were negatively associated with teachers' perceptions of parents (rs = −0.18, −0.20). However, neither school contextual factors nor school-based parent involvement at Wave 1 uniquely predicted children's academic achievement at Wave 2. Implications of findings for understanding and addressing barriers to engaging Chinese American immigrant families in their children's schools are discussed.

A school-based parenting program for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Impact on paternal caregivers

Engaging male caregivers within school settings is a major need within the educational field. Paternal engagement may be particularly important for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Children with ADHD have increased risk for a number of poor educational outcomes, which may be attenuated by the benefits of positive male caregiver involvement. The Coaching Our Acting Out Children: Heightening Essential Skills (COACHES) program has been illustrated to be an effective approach for engaging, retaining, and improving the parenting of male caregivers of children with ADHD in clinical settings. The present study reports on the efficacy of the COACHES in Schools program, an adaptation intended for deployment in elementary school settings. Sixty-one male caregivers were randomly assigned to COACHES in Schools or a waitlist control. Results indicated that male caregivers in COACHES in Schools used significantly more praise and less negative talk in a parent-child activity relative to male caregivers in the waitlist control at post-treatment and one-month follow-up. Distal outcomes related to child behavior at home and at school were not significantly different. Implications of the results for future studies and continued efforts to engage male caregivers within school settings are discussed.

Parenting – It’s a life: Where and how youth learn about establishing paternity, child support, and co-parenting

Theory and research suggest the importance of establishing paternity, co-parenting, and child support for positive child and youth development. However, youth’s relative knowledge of these topics is not well understood. Thus we examine these in the context of other parenting issues and how this information varied by parents, school/teachers, friends, and social media. We also sought to provide preliminary data on parenting programming to determine if the programming was associated with perceived increases in knowledge about these and other parenting topics. Data from 1713 students in middle and high schools who attended one or more Parenting: It’s a Life modules in their school were available for analysis. Youth reported existing knowledge on establishing paternity, co-parenting, and child support relatively low compared to other topics such as peer pressure and healthy relationships. Among the four sources of information surveyed, youth received the most information from parents and caregivers and the least amount of information from social media. Youth reported significant increases in knowledge regarding parenting topics following exposure to Parenting: It’s a Life curriculum. The information youth receive on content such as establishing paternity, co-parenting, and child support is relatively low. School-based parenting programs focused on these topics may help educate youth about these important parenting topics before parenthood.

Parent councils, parent involvement, and parent satisfaction: Evidence from rural schools in China

Parents are one of the most important factors promoting children’s educational success. Using parent survey data from rural primary and middle schools in one county, this study examines the implementation of the parent councils (PCs) policy in rural China, specifically, the relationships among PCs, school-based parent involvement (PI), and parent satisfaction. Our analysis shows that not all schools have established PCs and only a small proportion of parents were aware of the existence of PCs. Multi-level mixed effects logistic regression results indicate that having a PC and perceiving a PC in school were both associated with improved parent-teacher communication and parent participation in various school activities. However, the magnitudes of the relationships were substantially higher in the models using perceived existence of PCs. Because of more frequent parent-teacher communication and parent participation in school activities, parent satisfaction levels were higher in schools with PCs, and the satisfaction levels were even higher in schools where parents were aware of the PC’s existence. The findings contribute to our understanding of the importance of PI and have implications for policymakers and school leaders to promote parent satisfaction by establishing PCs, raising the awareness of PCs among parents, and increasing meaningful school-based PI.

Factors Mediating School Safety in Charter Schools: An Analysis of Five Waves of Nationally Representative Data

ABSTRACT Safety-seeking has fueled the growth of charter schools. Descriptive evidence suggests different possible factors underlying safety in charter schools. This study investigates characteristics mediating the relationship between safety and charter schools by linking five waves of the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS: 2003–04; 2005–06; 2007–08; 2009–10; 2015–16) to Common Core Data. Analyses of 12,698 schools indicate that charter schools report fewer incidents of school crime and violence and school disruptions than public schools do. Additionally, small school size, school-based parent volunteering, and less use of disciplinary and student removal practices were the strongest mediators of the relationship between charter schools and safety. Future research is needed to understand the relative contribution of self-selection processes and school strategies to safety in charter schools.

Parenting Strategy for Enhancing Children’s Self-Regulated Learning

Parenting Strategy for Enhancing Children’s Self-Regulated Learning

The Development and Sustainability of School-Based Parent Networks in Low-Income Latinx Communities: A Mixed-Methods Investigation

Research suggests that school-based parent networks have significant benefits for children’s education, yet scholars know very little about how such relationships form and develop over time. This study uses interview and survey data with elementary school parents in predominantly low-income Latinx communities to examine how parents meet one another; how deeper, more trusting relationships develop; and how the size and quality of parent networks change over time in the presence and absence of a family engagement program. Interview data suggest few and infrequent opportunities for parents to meet one another, which makes building relationships characterized by trust and shared expectations more difficult. The quantitative results show positive short-term effects of the program but differential effects over time.

Fostering empowerment through occupation: An overview of an urban school-based parenting program

ABSTRACT Occupational scientists have long examined the challenges of discrimination within societies, and this paper utilizes qualitative research to examine a) occupational justice and how it relates to the social inequality of pregnant and parenting students; b) the connection of United States Title IX federal law and occupational justice; c) how a pregnant and parenting school-based program in a Midwest Urban School District utilized Title IX federal law and concepts of occupational justice to address academic and social inequality; and d) how the Parent Infant Interaction Program (PIIP) administrators implemented socially and culturally responsive occupation-based interventions to empower pregnant and parenting students. As a qualitative case study, this inquiry used content analysis of documents and open coding of semi-structured interviews with administrative stakeholders, to draw upon historical, demographic, and narrative data. This article will exemplify how an educational program and its administrators, as identified through the Participatory Occupational Justice Framework, Culturally Relevant, and Culturally Responsive Framework, aimed to forge parenting students’ occupational agency and create a framework to allow them to achieve their academic and personal goals.

A Population-Level, Randomized Effectiveness Trial of Recruitment Strategies for Parenting Programs in Elementary Schools

ABSTRACT Objective: A population-level, randomized controlled trial was conducted to test the effectiveness of a parent recruitment package for increasing initial engagement into a school-based parenting program and to identify strategies responsible for effects. Method: Participants were caregivers of kindergarten- to third-grade students (N = 1,276) attending one of five schools serving ethnically diverse families living in mostly low-income, urban conditions. First, families were randomly assigned to be recruited for research surveys or not, and then to a parenting program recruitment condition: 1) Engagement-as-usual (EAU) informational flyer; 2) EAU + testimonial booklet; 3) EAU + teacher endorsement; 4) EAU + recruitment call; or 5) all strategies (full package). Caregivers were offered a free parenting program at their child’s school. Primary dependent variables were parenting program enrollment and attending at least one session (initiation). Exploratory analyses were conducted on program completion, attendance across sessions, homework completion, and in-session participation. Results: In the population-level sample, enrollment and initiation were higher for the full package compared to all other conditions except the recruitment call condition. Enrollment, initiation, and program completion were higher for the recruitment call and full package conditions compared to the EAU condition. In the subsample of initiators, parents in the full package condition attended fewer parenting sessions than in the EAU condition. Controlling for attendance across sessions, there were no condition effects on homework completion or in-session participation. Conclusions: The recruitment call can increase the public health impact of evidence-based parenting programs by improving enrollment, initiation, and program completion.

The Relationship between Parent Volunteering in School and School Safety in Disadvantaged Urban Neighborhoods

ABSTRACT Schools located in disadvantaged urban neighborhoods report disproportionately high rates of crime and violence. Theoretical reasoning suggests that school-based parent participation may lead to improved school safety in these settings, but little empirical work has tested this relationship. This study examines the relationship between school-based parent volunteering and two measures of school safety by using data from five waves of the School Survey on Crime and Safety, Common Core Data, and the American Community Survey. Results from analyses of 12,698 schools indicated that school-based parent volunteering is associated with improved school safety, controlling for school organizational features, sociodemographic characteristics, and neighborhood-level crime. For schools in disadvantaged urban neighborhoods, this relationship persisted with parent volunteering being associated with less school crime and violence and student bodily harm. Findings establish a need for future research to determine whether parent volunteering may be a tool for enhancing school safety.