Graduation Year

2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Ph.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Degree Granting Department

Child and Family Studies

Major Professor

Donald K. Kincaid, Ed.D.

Committee Member

Heather Peshak George, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Rose Iovannone, Ph.D., BCBA-D

Committee Member

Shannon M. Suldo, Ph.D.

Keywords

family engagement, family involvement, family-school collaboration

Abstract

It has long been acknowledged that there is an important bond between families and schools that enriches the child’s behavior and academic life. The benefits of parent–school partnerships in a child’s education extend beyond the child, benefitting the families and educational staff as well. Terminology, definitions, and practices within the continuum of parent–school partnerships (Goodall & Montgomery, 2014) currently vary. The three most common term of the continuum are (a) family involvement, (b) family engagement, and (c) parent–school partnerships.Firstly, this dissertation sought to build upon the knowledge around the terminology and definition used to explain families and the education system working collaboratively. The researchers evaluated current curricula, used focus groups to define partnership aspects, and developed a measurement tool to evaluate parent–teacher relationships. The first study within this dissertation conducted an integrated review of the literature on the cross-section of parent training and family involvement/engagement. The second study employed focus groups to gather families’ views on the terminology and definitions of family involvement/engagement. Findings from across both of these studies show that no universal definition of parent–school partnerships is being used, affecting how studies measure change when it comes to parent–school partnerships. Secondly, the dissertation reviewed current measures of parent–school partnerships and their quality. This third study culminated in the creation of a new measure, the Parent and Teacher Partnership Assessment (PATPA). The results of this dissertation advance our understanding of how families and schools define, maintain, assess, and value their relationships.

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