Date of Award

8-1-1999

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Educational Leadership

Abstract

The involvement of parents in a child's schooling is an essential part of public schools and early childhood education programs. Results from previous studies indicate that this parental involvement has positive effects on a child's cognitive ability and attitude toward school. This study assessed the effects of early childhood education programs, specifically Head Start and Title I, with stated parental involvement components, on a continued parental involvement in school activities as compared to children who did not attend these programs. Data collected compared the frequency of attendance for school-related functions for program participants to frequency of attendance for non-program participants. A further assessment was made on the types of these involvements, whether they were parent-initiated or teacher-initiated. This study assessed whether teacher experience (years of teaching) affected this involvement. Results indicated no significant difference in overall parent involvement between the two groups. Results did indicate a highly significant difference in parent-initiated contacts by prior participants and a nearly significant difference between teacher-initiated contacts with the prior participant group. Finally, results on teacher experience as it affects parental involvement showed no significant difference between the high (9+ years of experience) and the low (0-8 years of experience) groups.

Comments

A Thesis Presente to the Department of Education and the Faculty of the Graduate College University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts University of Nebraska at Omaha. Copyright Melissa R. Sindelar August, 1999

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