Race Household Income Impact on Parental Perceptions of Homework - Thesis Example

In а recent review of а literature, Dimock, O'Donoghue, and (Robb 1996) identified five basic categories of parent involvement: (а) school choice, (b) decision making through formal structures or site-based councils, (c) teaching and learning, (d) effect on the physical and material environment, and (e) communication. The first category, school choice, refers to parents selecting educational institutions and experiences for their children. While school choice is not yet а widespread practice, this movement seems to be gaining momentum (Murphy, 2000).

In а second type of parent involvement, decision making through formal structures, parents sit on school councils or governance groups where they are expected to take part in а collaborative administration of а school. This type of involvement is typically the result of school restructuring efforts that devolve decision-making authority from the central office to individual schools. (Coleman 1998)The third category, involvement in teaching and learning, refers to parent involvement in а classroom (when parents volunteer), out of а classroom (when parents converse with teachers), and at home (when parents help with homework and discuss school-related issues).

The fourth category, the effect on the physical and material environment, concerns efforts by parents to ensure а safe and comfortable school environment for their children. Finally, Dimock, ODonoghue, and (Robb 1996) discussed parent's responsibility in communicating between home and school. The authors suggested that in this category, parents play а significant responsibility when they contact the school and when they obtain communication relating to student progress, school rules, student behavior, and so forth.

(Rioux 1996)While those categories give а useful framework for analyzing various types of parent involvement, they are not specific enough to measure parent activity in а statistically meaningful way. Fortunately, several quantitative measures of parent involvement have been developed.