Why Do Parents Become Involved? What Can We do to Encourage Involvement? Kathleen V. Hoover-Dempsey Associate Professor, Psychology and Human Development Peabody College, Vanderbilt University Parental Information Resource Center (PIRC) Program National Conference, Baltimore, MD July 31-August 1, 2007

With many thanks to the Peabody Family-School Partnership Lab, especially Christa Green, M.S., and Manya Whitaker, B.A., Vanderbilt University and Joan Walker, Ph.D., Long Island University For further information on our model, publications, measures, please see (Please note that: a) I use “parent” and “family” interchangeably, b) “parental involvement” may also be referred to as “parental engagement, c) I refer to “children” or “students” interchangeably, primarily to reflect a developmental range that includes preschoolers through adolescents)

Why Do Parents Become Involved? As we reviewed the research literature in the early1990s, we found: Good evidence that parental involvement in children’s education (preschool through adolescence) is linked to stronger or improved student learning Very helpful work by Epstein suggesting the wide range of ways in which parents can be productively involved in children’s education But there was not so much evidence about –why parents become involved or –how their involvement influences student learning and achievement

Why Do Parents Become Involved? So we asked: How can we best understand the parental/family involvement process – a process through which parents: –decide to become involved –select types of involvement activities, –engage specific learning mechanisms during their involvement, –and, through use of those mechanisms, influence their children’s school learning and school success. How can we best model how this process works?

How can we best understand the parental/family involvement process? The Hoover-Dempsey & Sandler Model* Level 1Motivators of parental/family involvement: Why do parents become involved? (This is the question we’ll consider today) (Level 1.5) (Parent choice of involvement forms: home-based; home-school communications; school-based, school-based; community-based; others) Level 2Mechanisms of involvement’s influence: or, how does involvement ‘work’? (encouragement, modeling, reinforcement, instruction; others) Level 3Student perceptions of parent mechanisms (these help ‘get’ parents’ involvement in a position to influence the child’s/student’s learning) Level 4Student ‘proximal’ outcomes: student attitudes, beliefs, & skills that lead to achievement (these outcomes include academic efficacy; motivation; self-regulation; efficacy for relating to teachers; others) Level 5Student ‘distal’ achievement outcomes: summary measures of achievement (e.g., standardized tests; year-end grades; high school graduation; post-secondary education; others) (* A graphic depiction of the model is attached to the end of your powerpoint handouts)

Understanding Why Parents Choose to Become Involved Our model (Level 1) suggests that there are three major kinds of variables that motivate parents to become involved: Psychological motivators Contextual motivators Life context variables

Understanding Why Parents Choose to Become Involved (1) Psychological Motivators Parental role construction: “Do I believe I’m supposed to be involved?” Parental sense of efficacy for helping the child/student succeed in school: “Do I believe that my involvement will make a difference?”

Understanding Why Parents Choose to Become Involved (2) Contextual Motivators: Invitations from Others School climate: “Is the school inviting? Do people at the school ‘tell’ me they want my involvement?” Invitations from the teacher(s): “Does the teacher ask me to be involved? Does he/she offer specific requests and suggestions for my involvement?” Invitations from the child/student: “Does my child/student want or need my involvement?”

Understanding Why Parents Choose to Become Involved (3) Family Life Context Variables Parents’ knowledge and skills: influence parents’ ideas about –what they know and what they can do that is likely to help the child/student succeed in school –what kinds of involvement they prefer Parents’ time and energy: influence parents’ ideas about the involvement activities they can reasonably choose to engage Parents’ culture: influences parents’ –ideas about appropriate or possible roles in their children’s education –perceptions of appropriate and useful involvement activities

Putting The Model to Work: What Can We Do to Encourage Involvement? In general, understanding what we can do to encourage parents’ involvement means: Understanding that almost all parents want their children to do well in school (and life!) Thinking well about our own experiences with parents and their involvement Thinking well about our understandings of parents’ reasons for becoming (or not becoming) involved Thinking creatively and collectively about specific steps we can take to encourage and support parents’ decisions to become involved

What Can We Do to Encourage Involvement? Thinking about Parents’ Psychological Motivations for Involvement (1) Parental role construction 1.In your experience, have you found that parents generally do (or do not?) believe that they’re supposed to be involved in their children’s school learning? 2.Why do you think parents believe (or don’t believe) that they’re supposed to be involved (i.e., that they can and should play an active role in their children’s school success?) 3.What ideas have you tried (or thought about trying) to encourage parents’ beliefs that they have an active role to play in their children’s school success? 4.How successful were those efforts? What are your ideas about why they were (or were not so) successful?

What Can We Do to Encourage Involvement? Thinking about Parents’ Psychological Motivations for Involvement (2) Parents’ sense of efficacy for helping the child learn 1.In your experience, have you found that parents generally do (or do not?) believe that their involvement will make a positive difference for their child’s/student’s learning? 2.Why do you think that parents believe (or do not believe) that their involvement will make a positive difference in their child’s/student’s learning? 3.What ideas have you tried (or thought about trying) to encourage parents’ beliefs that they and their involvement can make a positive difference in their children’s school success? 4.How successful were those efforts? What are your ideas about why they were (or were not so) successful?

What Can We Do to Encourage Involvement? Thinking about Parent’s Contextual Motivations for Involvement (1) Parents’ perceptions of school climate 1.In your experiences, do you believe parents have felt actively welcomed in the school environment? 2.Why or why not? (e.g., What welcoming steps have been taken in the school? What kinds of welcoming steps have been missing)? 3.What ideas have you tried (or thought about trying) to help parents’ believe that they are really welcome in the school? 4.How successful were those efforts? What are your ideas about why they were (or were not so) successful?

What Can We Do to Encourage Involvement? Thinking about Parents’ Contextual Motivations for Involvement (2) Parents’ perceptions of specific invitations from the teacher 1.Given your experiences, do you think parents generally receive specific invitations to involvement from the child’s/student’s teacher(s)? 2.What do you think has motivated teachers to offer specific invitations? (or, if you think teachers have not been motivated to offer specific invitations, what do you think accounts for the low levels of motivation?) 3.What ideas have you tried (or thought about trying) to support teachers in offering specific invitations to parents’ involvement? 4.How successful were those efforts? What are your ideas about why they were (or were not so) successful?

What Can We Do to Encourage Involvement? Thinking about Parent’s Contextual Motivations for Involvement (3) Parents’ perceptions of specific invitations from the child/student 1.Based on your experiences, do you think parents generally receive specific invitations to involvement from the child/student? 2.In your opinion, what has motivated children/students to ask for or accept their parents’ involvement? (or, if you think children/students have not invited their parents’ involvement, why do you think they have not?) 3.What ideas have you tried (or thought about trying) to encourage children/students to ask for their parents’ involvement? 4.How successful were those efforts? What are your ideas about why they were (or were not so) successful?

What Can We Do to Encourage Involvement? Thinking about Parents’ Life Context Variables (1) Responding to parents’ beliefs about their knowledge & skills for supporting children’s schooling 1.In your experience, what do parents believe about their knowledge and skills for supporting their children’s/students’ school success? 2.What ideas have you tried (or thought about trying) to: –Help parents understand that they have skills and knowledge that can be used in supporting their children’s school success? –Encourage parents to use their knowledge and skills in supporting their children’s school success?

What Can We Do to Encourage Involvement? Thinking about Parents’ Life Context Variables (2) Responding to the realities of parents’ time and energies for involvement 1.In your experience, what are the realities regarding the time and energy that parents in your program/classroom can bring to involvement in their children’s/students’ schooling? 2.What ideas have you tried (or thought about trying) to develop involvement opportunities that fit within the time and energy that parents can bring to involvement in their children’s/students’ schooling? 3.How successful were your efforts? What are your ideas about why they were (or were not so) successful?

What Can We Do to Encourage Involvement? Thinking about Parents’ Life Context Variables (3) Responding to parents’ cultural values and beliefs 1.In your experience, what are some of the cultural beliefs that parents in your program/classroom bring to thinking about involvement in their child’s/student’s school learning? 2.What ideas have you tried (or thought about trying) to develop involvement opportunities that fit within the cultural beliefs that parents in your program/classroom bring to their thinking about being involved in their child’s/student’s school success? 3.How successful were those efforts? What are your ideas about why they were (or were not so) successful?

What Else Can We Do to Encourage Involvement? Looking to other resources for ideas on parents’ psychological motivations for involvement Enhancing active role construction, and efficacy for helping the child/student succeed:  Emphasize that many family activities at home, in the community, and in the school or program are important to child/student learning and development (i.e., parents have choices!)  Describe clearly & concisely the many developmental and achievement-related outcomes influenced by parental/family involvement  Offer clear & specific suggestions (appropriate to parental capabilities and constraints) for parental/family support of child/student learning at home; offer clear descriptions of how these suggestions will support (and have supported) child/student learning  Offer encouragement, praise for successes, opportunities to observe (or talk with) other parents about actively helping their children/students learn

What Else Can We Do to Encourage Involvement? Looking beyond the school/program for ideas on parents’ contextual motivations for involvement Creating a welcoming school climate, specific invitations from teachers, specific invitations from child/student:  Develop overtly welcoming practices that respect and build on family strengths and culture, e.g.:  Display pictures, artifacts, history from cultures served by school/program  Train all staff in the importance of overtly friendly, respectful, & welcoming responses to family members  Focus on developing family-school relationships that are characterized by acceptance, respect and trust  Use student-centered events as venue for informal conversations among teachers, families and staff

What Else Can We Do to Encourage Involvement? Looking beyond the school/program for ideas on parents’ contextual motivations for involvement Creating a welcoming school climate, specific invitations from teachers, specific invitations from child/student (cont’d):  Meet regularly as full staff with focus on parent/family-program relationships  Share ideas, concerns, problems, successes  Keep a central file of successful practices as well as issues in need of continued work and brainstorming  Develop effective (active, participatory) inservice programs focused on increasing teachers’ and staff members’ invitations to involvement  Develop school/program-related tasks that involve children/students asking for parents’ help, listening, opinion, input, etc.

What Else Can We Do to Encourage Involvement? Looking beyond the school/program for ideas on parents’ life context variables and involvement Responding positively and creatively to parents’ skills & knowledge, time & energy, and family culture  Offer a full range of involvement opportunities: standard approaches, new ideas, new ‘traditions’  Use child/student-centered events, after-school programs, community programs as opportunities to increase family-school/program communications  Informal conversations: learn more about child, family, program goals (‘know and become known’)  Formal events (e.g., conferences, topic-focused meetings): offer and receive information on family and child/student strengths, needs, accomplishments  The major goal here is to build respectful, trusting, two-way relationships that enhance family and program awareness of child/student strengths, needs, interests, ‘next steps’

What Else Can We Do to Encourage Involvement? Looking beyond the school/program for ideas on parents’ life context variables and involvement (2) Responding positively and creatively to parents’ skills & knowledge, time & energy, family culture (cont’d):  Emphasize that many family activities at home, in the community, and in the school/program are important to child/student learning and development  Develop multiple approaches to building family-school communication & trust:  Create a parent resource area in the school or center  Create time & support for teacher home visits  Designate a teacher/staff position for leading family-school/program-community interactions, relationships  Ensure translation services as needed  Use a ‘funds of knowledge’ approach to family involvement and family contributions to child/student learning  Seek to know and overtly appreciate parents’/families’ contributions to students’ learning success

What Can We Do To Encourage Involvement? A Sample of Resources Bryk, A.S., & Schneider, B. (2002). Trust in schools: A core resource for improvement. New York: Russell Sage Foundation. Chavkin, N.F. (Ed.). (1997). Families and schools in a pluralistic society. Albany: State University of New York Press. Christenson, S.L. (2004). The family-school partnership: An opportunity to promote the learning competence of all students. School Psychology Review, 33(1), Clark, R. (1983). Family life and school achievement: Why poor Black children succeed or fail. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Comer, J.P. (1993). School power: Implications of an intervention project. New York: Free Press. Constantino, S.M. (2003). Engaging all families: Creating a positive school culture by putting research into practice. Lanham, MA: Scarecrow Press. Delgado-Gaitain, C. (2004). Involving Latino families in schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Epstein, J.L. (1986). Parents’ reactions to teacher practices of parent involvement. Elementary School Journal, 86, Epstein, J.L., Sanders, M.G., Simon, B.S., Salinas, K.C., & Jansorn, N.R. (2002). School, family, and community partnerships: Your handbook for action. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Grolnick, W.S., Benjet, C., Kurowski, C.O., & Apostoleris, N.H. (1997). Predictors of parent involvement in children’s schooling. Journal of Educational Psychology, 89(3), Henderson, A.T., & Mapp, K.L. (2002). A new wave of evidence: The impact of school, family, and community connections on student achievement. Austin, TX: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. Henderson, A.T., Mapp, K. L., Johnson, V. R., & Davies, D. (2007). Beyond the bake sale: The essential guide to family-school partnerships. New York: The New Press. Hoover-Dempsey, K.V., & Sandler, H. (1997). Why do parents become involved in their children’s education? Review of Educational Research, 67(1), 3-42.

What Can We Do To Encourage Involvement? A Sample of Resources (2) Hoover-Dempsey, K.V., Walker, J.M., Jones, K.P., & Reed, R.P. (2002). Teachers Involving Parents (TIP): An in-service teacher education program for enhancing parental involvement. Teaching and Teacher Education,18(7), Hoover-Dempsey, K.V., et al. (2005). Why do parents become involved? Research findings and implications. Elementary School Journal, 106(2 ), Johnson, V.R. (2000). The family center: Making room for parents. Principal, September 2000, Ladson-Billings, G. (1994). The dreamkeepers: Successful teachers of African American children. San Francisco: Josey-Bass. Lareau, A., & Horvat, E. (1999). Moments of social inclusion and exclusion: Race, class, and cultural capital in family-school relationships. Sociology of Education,72(1), Lightfoot, S.L. (2003). The essential conversation: What parents and teachers can learn from each other. New York: Random House. Moll, L., Amanti, C., Neffi, D., & Gonzalez, N. (1992). Funds of knowledge for teaching: Using a qualitative approach to connect home and classrooms. Theory into Practice, 31(2), National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education. (2001). Developing family-school partnerships: Guidelines for schools and school districts. Washington DC: National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education. National Parent Teacher Association (PTA). (2000). Building successful partnerships: A guide for developing parent and family involvement programs. Bloomington, IN: National Educational Service. Patrikakou, E.N., Weissberg, R.P., Redding, S., & Walberg, H.J. (Eds.). (2005). School-family partnerships for children’s school success. New York: Teachers College Press. Weiss, H.B., et al., (2003) Making it work: Low-income working mothers’ involvement in their children’s education. American Educational Research Journal, 40940, Weiss, H.B., Krieder, H., Lopez, M.E., & Chatman, C.M. (2005). Preparing educators to involve families: From theory to practice. Available at or through

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