Specialist in Education, Miami University, 2014, Educational Psychology

Recent research has indicated that parental involvement can increase a student's academic achievement, but the literature still has not determined which specific aspects of parental involvement help to increase academic achievement for economically at-risk students. This study examined the impact of parental homework involvement and parental school involvement on the academic achievement for a sample of 219 economically disadvantaged students attending 36 schools in a Midwestern state. Parental involvement was measured using factors derived from a parent survey and academic achievement was measured using results from an individually-administered norm-referenced achievement test. Regression analyses were conducted to determine the relationship between a set of two parental involvement variables (i.e., parental homework involvement and parental school involvement) and an academic achievement outcome variable. Regression analyses revealed that parental homework involvement significantly predicted academic achievement, but parental school involvement did not. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Committee: Amity Noltemeyer PhD (Committee Chair); Kevin Bush PhD (Committee Member); Doris Bergen PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Psychology

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 2016, Education

Parental involvement in schools has been accepted as essential in effective education. In the present study, the researcher determined if parental access to student web portals had an impact on academic outcomes for students in grades 7-12. The study utilized 600 pre-existing student data sets that included parental log entries into student web portals. Using the same sample, the researcher determined the information parents accessed most from student portals and examined how parents used the information. No significant relationship was found between the academic outcomes for students whose parents accessed their web portals. Results indicated that parents accessed student grades and interacted with their child most often after logging onto web portals. These findings suggest that educators should not rely solely on web portals as means to foster parental involvement in their schools.

Committee: Kathleen Crates Ph.D (Committee Chair); Melissa Cain Ph.D (Committee Member); Gregory Lesinski Ph.D./MPH (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Leadership; Educational Technology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2008, ED Policy and Leadership

This qualitative study explores engagement experiences of low income and minority parents in the work of schools since the implementation of No Child Left Behind in order to understand relationships between parental involvement, school improvement, and parental support for student academic achievement. This inquiry observes an urban, Midwestern school district that has implemented parent liaison programs designed to empower parents toward active participation in the academic lives of their children. Through this qualitative study, I explore district-wide parental engagement efforts to assess how low income and minority parents are included in parent involvement initiatives. Specific methodology for this study includes observations, interviews, focus groups and document analysis. Case study data from two schools is examined in depth. Findings from the case studies are then used to compare to overall district patterns. Data from this research is analyzed using literature on parental engagement and school improvement, and theoretical frameworks of social capital, implementation theory, and democratic theory.

Committee: Philip Daniel PhD (Advisor); Ann Allen PhD (Committee Member); Michael Glassman PhD (Committee Member); James Moore PhD (Committee Member); Jill Rafael-Fortney PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2024, Educational Administration

This dissertation examines parents and teachers' perceptions of effective parental involvement in education, situated within Epstein et al.'s (2009) framework of six typologies of parental participation. The study, through a comprehensive comparative analysis, reveals critical insights into the disparities and commonalities in how parents and teachers perceive effective parental involvement and its impact on student achievement. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, incorporating quantitative measures of parental and teacher perceptions alongside qualitative insights gained from the Turkleton Community Schools (TCS) environment.

Committee: James Olive Ph. D (Committee Chair); Mary Beth Reardon Ph. D (Committee Member); Derek Arrowood Ph. D (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership; Educational Theory; Elementary Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2022, Engineering Education

There is substantial value in expanding parents' perspectives so they can see that STEM learning is not confined to and can often thrive outside of the classroom. Exposing parents to valuable nonclassroom contexts for teaching and learning STEM (e.g., concerts, parks, athletic events, and libraries) can enable them to promote and develop STEM learning experiences for their children.Through this dissertation, I offer evidence that highlights how Black parents can learn to use their culture as a vehicle to promote culturally relevant (CR) approaches toward supporting/promoting their children's learning STEM in the home. As the central intervention within this study, I facilitated a Community of Practice to answer the following research questions: (1) How do parents interpret and implement CR STEM learning in the home? (2) How do CR STEM experiences empower Black PI? This study produces new knowledge that promotes Black parents' empowerment through the leveraging of their culture to support their children's STEM learning.

Committee: David Delaine (Advisor) Subjects: Education; Engineering

Specialist in Education, Miami University, 2016, School Psychology

A large and growing body of literature examines factors that promote academic achievement in children. Apart from direct parental involvement, parental attitudes and dispositions, such as parental optimism, have been found to influence youth development. Using a correlational research design, this study examined (a) the relationship of parental optimism and students' academic achievement within a sample of U.S. families living in poverty (n=1500), and (b) the possible roles of gender and ethnic/cultural group membership in moderating this relationship. The Life Orientation Test-Revised (Scheier et al., 1994) measured parental optimism and the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement Brief Battery (Woodcock et al., 2007) measured student academic achievement. Results of regression analyses revealed that parental optimism did not predict achievement for the overall sample. Parental optimism did significantly predict achievement in individuals from a Hispanic background, although this relationship was no longer statistically significant once the influence of parental homework involvement was considered.

Committee: Kevin Bush Dr. (Advisor); Amity Noltemeyer Dr. (Committee Member); Anthony James Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Early Childhood Education; Education; Educational Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2015, Kinesiology

The tie between athletics and academics has grown strong at the collegiate level in the United States, and debate has arisen as to whether this relationship is a good one (Linver et al., 2009; Nusbaum, 2014). Student-athletes make up a unique population because their sport requirements are unlike what the average student must face (Gayles, 2009; Jolly, 2008). They also face conflicting roles of being a student or an athlete (Comeaux, 2010). The way they learn to deal with this conflict may have been influenced by how their parents raised them, and continue to be involved in their lives. Research has shown that parents often have an influence over their child's athletic and academic behaviors, and it continues as they go to college (Baumrind, 2013; Stewart, 2008). However, little research has examined how parents influence collegiate student-athletes. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine how parents influence their children's athletic and academic behaviors once that child is a collegiate student-athlete. This dissertation utilized qualitative methods. The participants in this study included eight student-athletes: three football, two baseball, and three softball. Five academic advisors for athletics who worked with the same teams were also included. Each participant was asked to partake in two in-person interviews and complete a two-week journal. Thematic analyses were performed on the interview transcripts and journal entries. The themes found in this study were: interactions with parents; parental influence; parental influence factors; parental involvement; and pressure, support, and parenting styles. Triangulation, member checks, thick description, and negative case analysis were all used to provide validity and credibility to this dissertation. The major findings of this study followed the themes that were discovered. It was found that both the student-athletes and the academic advisors had frequent interactions with parents. The participants fel (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Donna Pastore (Advisor); Susan Sutherland (Committee Member); Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan (Committee Member) Subjects: Families and Family Life; Sports Management

Master of Science, Miami University, 2011, Family and Child Studies

The purpose of the study is to investigate parental involvement on the student's educational attainment in High School. Previous research has that parent involvement is related to educational outcomes for children of young ages but there has not been as much research on high school aged children. It is anticipated that a strong, positive parent-child relationship and high parent(s) expectations for the child will be associated with successful educational attainment as measured by receiving a high school diploma Data from the Educational Longitudinal Study: 2002. Logistic regression was used to analyze whether or not the student graduated from high school. The outcome variable is whether or not the student graduated from high school and the predictor variable consists of different elements of parental involvement. This study will help contribute to the literature already in existence aiming to portray positive results, rather than negative ones, for the poor African American community.

Committee: Sellers Sherrill Dr. (Committee Chair); Alfred Joseph Dr. (Committee Member); Gary Peterson Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; Education

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2023, Educational Administration

Parental involvement in schools can make a difference on the success of the children at the school. The parental involvement in inner-city schools has been researched on the positive effects it can have on schools. However, there is not a best practices method of raising parental involvement. This research looks at the parental involvement at Roosevelt Elementary School. The research included why the parents and/or families were not involved and different ways the school was able to include more families to be involved at the school due to less than 10% of all families in the building being involved in activities. The literature review opened up ideas and ways to begin searching but provided little help on the best method to use. Bronfenbrenner (1979) and his social-ecological theory focusing on relationships became the framework to developing ways to raise parental involvement. The action research included sending parents open-ended questions to find why parents were not involved and what activities they would like to see at the school to be part of. The surveys were carefully analyzed, and an action plan was created to help increase parental involvement at the school. The action plan is currently being enacted and results from the beginning actions are shared. The implications of the study are the findings may help to develop a method for schools to use in order to increase parental involvement in an inner-city location.

Committee: Elizabeth Essex (Committee Chair); Douglas Hearrington (Committee Member); Anthony Peddle (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Leadership; Elementary Education

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2023, Educational Administration

The transition from high school to college is both scary and unfamiliar to each year's new participants. For high school students attending school in underserved communities, this transition can be lonely and often inaccessible. To combat this, nonprofits and other community organizations provide additional support services to students during this process. Music Through the Streets' goal is to determine the barriers these students may experience when accessing post-secondary education opportunities. This study employed a qualitative narrative analysis to better understand the lived experiences of recentered professionals. Purposive sampling was conducted to gather participants for semi-structured small-group interviews. Participants discussed their life experiences and recall their post-high school transition experiences through a guided conversation. An inductive method of data analysis was employed to detect themes and consistencies throughout each participant's isolated experience. The four group interviews provided context for three main themes that were present in each interview: parental education as a barrier, interest in college, and community influence. The results of this study are vitally important to future Music Through the Streets program participants, as this will assist in guiding resource allocation, organization collaboration, and program design.

Committee: Dr. Elizabeth Essex (Committee Chair) Subjects: Education; Education Policy; Educational Leadership; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; Music Education; Urban Planning; Vocational Education; Welfare

PHD, Kent State University, 2021, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies

The purpose of this qualitative multi-case study is to understand international relocatee parents' perspectives on parental involvement practices utilized to support their young children's early learning and development. To better understand the nuances of the parental involvement practices, I conducted a multi-case study involving thirteen international relocatee parents representing countries such as China, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Albania, whose children ages 3 to 5 years old are enrolled in the Early Education Center (EEC), a university laboratory school located on the campus of Midwestern University. As the data revealed, the parental involvement practices study participants used to support the early learning and development of their young children consisted of several characteristics. First, they required a belief in doing what is best for their child at an early age. Second, they entailed the knowledge parents possessed on the experiences that are developmentally appropriate and helped the child to grow physically, social-emotionally, and cognitively. Lastly, these practices reflected the lived experiences plus cultural and educational background that shaped international parents' vision on the choice of practices they used to promote the holistic development of their children in their host country. Moreover, as parents engaged with their children and their children's schools and communities, their cultural, educational, and life experiences expanded, creating an additive effect to their existing parental involvement frameworks. The findings of this study add to the debate among schools, communities, and policy makers about what it means to be an involved parent in the U.S. mainstream school system.

Committee: Monica Miller Marsh (Committee Chair); Martha Lash (Committee Member); Martha Merrill (Committee Member); Linda Robertson (Committee Member) Subjects: Early Childhood Education

MA, University of Cincinnati, 2021, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Counseling, Mental Health

Concerns surrounding adolescent substance use continue to grow due to their vulnerable stage of development and risk of forming adverse outcomes. Therefore, is critical to identify and better understand the ecological factors that influence adolescent substance use. It is equally important to explore these risk factors among different cultural groups, such as African American youth, who face more detrimental consequences related to substance use compared to their White counterparts. As marijuana use continues to be debated in the United States, understanding the impact marijuana has on African American youth remains important. The current study aims to examine social factors including perceived risk, peer disapproval, and parental involvement and the impact these constructs have on marijuana use among African American youth. We analyzed these relationships using a logistic regression model utilizing secondary data from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The findings indicate increased perceived risk and peer disapproval is associated with lower rates of past year marijuana use among African American youth. Furthermore, decreased parental involvement was a predictor of higher rates of past year marijuana use among this population. When analyzed collectively, all three significantly predicted 12-month marijuana use. The results of this study suggest that the studied constructs impact African American adolescent marijuana use and highlight the need to explore the relationships between these constructs on a deeper level. The findings of the current study also indicate the need for targeting risk perception, peer attitudes, and parental involvement in terms of prevention and treatment efforts with African American adolescents.

Committee: Michael Brubaker Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Jenna Alvarez Ph.D. (Committee Member); George Richardson Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Mental Health

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2021, Educational Studies

Parental involvement is consistently acknowledged as critical to promote adolescents' development. However, the most effective types of parental involvement and the distinct roles fathers and mothers play in education are under-explored. This study conceptualizes parental involvement as a multidimensional construct – school-based involvement, homework assistance, intellectual enrichment, parent-child educational discussion, and parental expectations, to explore the strongest predictors of high school students' academic achievement. The second goal of this study is to understand the mean levels of fathers' and mothers' involvement and whether the relationship between different types of involvement and achievement vary by parent gender. With a sample of 5063 adolescents from a large dataset of High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) and using hierarchical regression and moderation analysis, I find that school-based involvement and homework assistance are the two relatively stronger predictors of adolescents' GPAs. However, parents' help with homework yields a negative association with achievement. Furthermore, despite the fact that the mean level of fathers' and mothers' involvement are slightly different, their involvement is equally predictive of adolescents' involvement except for parent-child educational discussion. The result of educational discussion indicates that fathers' involvement predicts higher students' GPAs than mothers, even though fathers report less involvement in conversations with teenagers. This study highlights the distinct but indispensable roles of fathers and mothers in facilitating adolescents' achievement.

Committee: Eric Anderman (Advisor); Shirley Yu (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2020, Curriculum and Instruction (Education)

Although the relationship between parents and infants has been considered as a significant key for better facilitating the children's development in infancy, it has not been fully explored yet. This qualitative study determined to utilize Epstein's (2018) framework of involvement, Dewey and Bronfenbrenner's perspectives on young children's education, and qualitative methods to investigate the perspectives of Chinese parents of infants in regard to parental involvement experiences in America and take a close look at how Chinese parents, school and the community work together toward infants' development. Supposing that barriers or challenges exist that may influence the quality and quantity of parental involvement in a child's development in infancy, the purpose of this study was to examine parental involvement by deeply exploring Chinese parents' perspectives on enrolling their child in a child development center in infancy. Two efficient methods were utilized to collect data in this qualitative study, including interviewing and reviewing related documents. A total of 11 participants were interviewed individually in regard to their experiences and perspectives of parental involvement in their child's development in infancy while they were living in America. Six of them had enrolled their infants in an American Child Development Center, one of them chose to enroll their infant in a Chinese Child Development Center, and four of them decided to take care of their children at home in infancy. All participants were interviewed individually, and all related documents were reviewed as supplementary data. The findings revealed that there were different perspectives of parental involvement among all participants due to their different working status, educational backgrounds, family opinions and cultural beliefs. Based on the interviews with the six Chinese parents who enrolled their infants in an American Child Development Center, five of them were satisfied wit (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Eugene Geist (Advisor); Dwan V. Robinson (Committee Member); Krisanna Machtmes (Committee Member); Sara Helfrich (Committee Member) Subjects: Early Childhood Education

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Dayton, 2019, Educational Leadership

This qualitative research study used critical narrative inquiry methods to investigate the experiences of TRIO Upward Bound Program alumni during their program participation, and to explore how those experiences, according to participants' own accounts, influenced their creation of a college-college going culture in their households for their own children. TRIO Upward Bound is a federally funded college access program that serves first-generation, low-income high school students, providing support and motivation to pursue higher education. Study participants were alumni of TRIO Upward Bound Programs in the state of Ohio who have earned a baccalaureate degree or higher, and are now the parents of college-enrolled or college-graduated children. The theoretical frameworks utilized in these analyses were cultural and social capital, and funds of knowledge. Study participants described receiving assistance with their high school-to-college transition, academic support, and mentoring through their participation in Upward Bound. They also shared that Upward Bound exposed them to experiences that increased their cultural and social capital, building upon the funds of knowledge they had received from their parents and other family members. The participants further recounted how they used their Upward Bound Program experiences to shape college-going cultures in their homes, and create pathways into higher education for their children. Implications for practice involving student recruitment, alumni connections, and creating college-going cultures are detailed, as well as implications for policy that include increased funding for TRIO Programs, participant tracking beyond six years after high school graduation, and changes in federal reporting structures.

Committee: Mary Ziskin Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Pamela Young Ph.D. (Committee Member); Michele Welkener Ph.D. (Committee Member); Ruth Thompson-Miller Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Higher Education; Secondary Education

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2018, Counselor Education (Education)

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore African American parental involvement of students with disabilities during transition planning in urban high schools. Through an explanatory case study the author seeks to gain a better understanding of parental involvement during the transition process in preparation for employment or college. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis and analyzed through Joyce Epstein's (1995) parental involvement framework to explain the central phenomenon of how African American parental involvement occurs in urban city schools. Themes identified were: parents as experts; emphasis on meeting the individual needs of the student; resistance versus empowerment; and knowledge gap of parental rights. Implications are relative to students with disabilities, parents, teachers, administration, and the field of counseling.

Committee: Mona Robinson (Advisor); Tamarine Foreman (Committee Member); Adrienne Erby (Committee Member); Dwan Robinson (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; Counseling Education; Special Education

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2019, Antioch New England: Clinical Psychology

The present research examined the relationship between parental involvement and the internalizing symptomatology of adolescents with chronic pain. Parents play a significant role in the pain experience and the mental health of adolescents with chronic pain, but research on parental involvement and symptoms of anxiety and depression in adolescents with chronic pain is scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the benefits of parental involvement for the mental health of adolescents with chronic pain. Archival data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) of 616 adolescents with chronic pain was used to address the research gap. Correlational analyses revealed that higher levels of both maternal and paternal involvement, particularly emotional closeness, were associated with better self-reported psychological functioning, especially with depression in adolescents with chronic pain. These findings have important clinical implications for identifying adolescents with chronic pain who are vulnerable to experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression as well as suggesting that clinicians use effective family interventions to address these symptoms.

Committee: Kathi Borden PhD (Committee Chair); Deirdre Brogan PhD (Committee Member); Jaqueline Raftery-Helmer PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2017, Curriculum and Instruction: Gifted and Talented

Parents of high-achieving children struggle to maximize their child's academic achievement and advocate for suitable educational opportunities. High-achieving children and their parents often encounter difficulties accessing challenging material in their classrooms or accessing teachers with appropriate knowledge of how to guide their education. One solution is to increase parental involvement by better understanding the relationship between academic achievement and parental involvement for high-achieving students. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to examine the relationship between parental involvement and academic achievement for high-achieving middle school students. Epstein's six dimensions of parental involvement provided a conceptual structure for this study. Fifty-eight parent- student dyads in Michigan were surveyed for academic achievement and levels and types of parental involvement. Relationships were explored between academic achievement and parental involvement using ANOVA and Pearson correlation statistical analyses. The first key finding was that no significant relationship was found between parental involvement, as perceived by either student or parent, and any measure of academic achievement. The second key finding was a significant relationship between parental involvement, ethnicity, parental educational attainment, and household income. Parental involvement increased with household income and parental education attainment, and decreased for non-White households. The third key finding was that no significant benefit was found for homeschooling despite the higher parental involvement for these students. The work concludes with specific recommendations for improving the academic achievement of high-achieving students based on these three key findings.

Committee: Janak Edward (Committee Chair); Schneider Rebecca (Committee Co-Chair); Gregory Stone (Committee Member); Mark Templin (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

Specialist in Education (Ed.S.), University of Dayton, 2017, School Psychology

Parental involvement in education improves students' learning and development (Reece, Staudt, & Ogle, 2013). In spite of this, a number of barriers exist - particularly in low-income, urban areas - which discourage or prevent parents from becoming actively involved. Thus, the current study examined the effectiveness of a parental involvement program, as perceived by stakeholders, in increasing parental involvement in one urban, elementary, charter school. A summative program evaluation was completed; data were gathered through (n = 48) parent/guardian and (n = 10) teacher and school administrator surveys. Results indicated that stakeholders hold neutral perceptions of the overall effectiveness of the Classroom Parent Community (CPC) program. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Committee: Susan Davies Ed.D. (Committee Chair); Elana Bernstein Ph.D. (Committee Member); Robert Stoughton M.S. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

Master of Music Education, University of Toledo, 2016, Music Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference between Chinese and American parent, student, and teacher attitudes about perceived parental involvement in private piano lessons. The research questions were: (1) “What were the similarities and differences in private piano lessons regarding perceived parental involvement?” and (2) “What were teachers' recommendations about good parental involvement for children's piano learning?” Participants (N=118) were teachers, students, and parents in private piano lessons in both People's Republic of China and The United States of America. The subjects completed a paper-based survey about perceived parental involvement in private piano lessons. The results showed that teachers, parents and students agreed that parental involvement was beneficial in students' piano learning, but there was no statistical difference between Chinese and American subjects' attitudes regarding parental involvement. Chinese students received more practice supervision, while American students received more financial support. American parents tended to send their children to lessons, whereas Chinese parents did not attend their children's performances. American teachers tended to not welcome parental attendance in lessons like Chinese teachers. Teachers in both China and America did not believe that every aspect of parental involvement has the same benefits for students.

Committee: Pamela Stover (Committee Chair); Timothy Brakel (Committee Member); David Jex (Committee Member) Subjects: Music Education