Parental participation in a chapter I parent center as a predictor of academic achievement

Abstract

This study was designed to examine the relationship of participation in the Chapter I Parent Center to four of the variables often associated with academic achievement namely: (1) the child's home environment; (2) parental attitude towards education; (3) the child's self-concept; and (4) the child's motivation to learn. In addition, the study examines the relationship between participation in the Chapter I Parent Center program and reading achievement. The basic objective of the parent involvement program was to refine parenting skills in order that parents become more effective as motivators in the academic development of their child.

The subjects utilized for this study were three groups of 12 mothers each and their children who were enrolled in the Chapter I program. Data for the study were obtained from instruments administered to the children and from questionnaires given to their mothers. Reading achievement scores were obtained from the children's post SRA test results. The post test-only control group design was employed. The control group received no treatment. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare groups in terms of their mean scores.

It was hypothesized that following the treatment, parents in the experimental group and their children would score higher than control parents and their children on the instruments designed to measure the five variables. Administrators as well as teachers would benefit greatly from the findings to assist them in areas of concern regarding parent conferences, examining school policies, planning school spending, fostering improved home/school relationships through heightened parental awareness of school expectations, and ultimately improved student achievement.

Experimental subjects scored significantly higher than the control subjects on only one of the five variables. Experimental parents scored significantly higher than control parents on the home environment measure. No significant differences were observed on the other variables.

A further purpose of the study was to determine the relationship of participation in the Parent Center program to reading achievement. No significant difference was observed between participants and non-participants on the reading achievement measures.