Does Parental Involvement Help Students.

1. Week 6 Final Paper
I-Esha Rivera
EDU671: Fundamentals of Educational
Research (MRD1423B)
Instructor: Deborah Naughton
Monday, July 14th 2014
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2. Does Parental Involvement Help to Improve
and Maintain a Student’s Academic
Standing?
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3. Area of Focus
The purpose of this study
is to determine if parental
involvement in students'
scholastic activities has a
direct impact on the
grades of those students.
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4. 4
Explanation of Problem
Currently, I tutor three boys in the area of reading who
are in the 3rd grade. Their reading scores are quite low
although, the tutoring sessions are helping. However,
there are several issues which led to this study.
• Currently, there is no parental involvement in regard
to these students, education is handled solely by the
teachers and the tutors of the three students.
• There has been interest expressed by the students,
indicating a need for parental involvement.
• Low grades with potential for improvement

5. Variables
• Three, 9 year old subjects of
the research.
• Their Parents, married, single
or otherwise.
• The length of the study.
• The homework packets
• The general involvement of
the parents, the students and
myself regarding this study.
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6. 6
Research Questions
1. Does parental involvement impact students on an
academic level?
2. Does the education level of the parent(s) play a part
in them assisting their children with their homework?
3. Do students feel more confident with parental
involvement?

7. Locus of Control
There are multiple issues which
are outside of my locus of
control.
• If the parents are going to
assist the students with the
packets.
• If the students are going to
work to the best of their
ability.
• The final grade achieved by
the student.
I can not control what the
student or the parent are going
to do in regard to the reading
packets.
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8. Intervention/Innovation
The intervention will begin on
week 1, after a pretest is given to
provide a current and accurate
grade of the student. Individual
tests will be given on the subject
of reading based upon Common
Core Standards for 3rd grade..
Beginning with week 1, students
A, B and C will be given a reading
packet that has to be done with a
parent. When the homework is
completed, the parent will need to
sign off on it and answer a brief
questionnaire regarding it and
they will be asked how they
thought the student performed
and if they noticed any likes or
dislikes regarding it. Any
information that will help the
student move forward, the parent
will be asked their opinion.
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9. 9
Intervention/Innovation - Continued
A sample of the grading procedure is located below,
After the 8th week and average will be taken of the
weeks during the study and that average will either
prove or disprove my study.
This in addition to the questionnaires and the
surveys taken by the parents and the students will
be used as well.

10. Group Membership
 Self- Conductor of the
study.
 Three, 9 year old, 3rd
grade boys. (whom I
tutor) – These are the
main subjects of the
study.
 The Parents – Assistants
to the main subjects of
the study, to help bring
about a certain result.
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11. Negotiations
This study is being
conducted by myself,
within my own place of
business, with no
outside business or
agency.
The parents of each of
the students will be
notified about the study
and if the parents wish
their child not to
participate then that
child will be removed
from the study.
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12. Ethics
 The potential challenges
regarding this study
would be for me to
conduct a fair study. To
remove (if) any
reservations and/or
biases, that I may have
concerning the children
or their parents and
proceed in the best
interests of the children
as well as the study.
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13. Timeline
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14. Statement of Resources
• Permission from each of the
parents for their child’s
participation in the study.
• 8 Reading Packets containing
comprehension, spelling,
grammar, sentence
composition, storytelling, etc.
• Questionnaires for both
students as well as parents in
regard to how the study is
changing their perceptions on
parent involvement.
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15. Data Collection
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16. Week 4 AssiWeek 4 Intervention PlanR eference List
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Ferrance, E. (2000). Themes in education: Action research. Providence, RI: LAB at Brown
University. Retrieved from http://www.brown.edu/academics/education-alliance/
sites/brown.edu.academics.education-alliance/
files/publications/act_research.pdf
Chang, J. C. (2005). Faculty-Student interaction at the community college: A focus of color.
Research in Higher Education. 46(7), 769-802.
McNeal, R. (1999) Parental Involvement as Social Capital: Differential Effectiveness on
Science Achievement, Truancy, and Dropping Out. Social Forces, 117-144. Retrieved,
from http://sf.oxfordjournals.org/content/78/1/117.short
Olsen, G., & Fuller, M. (2010, June 16). The Benefits of Parent Involvement: What Research
Has to Say. . Retrieved , from
http://www.education.com/reference/article/benefits-parent-involvement-research/
Walker J, Hoover-Dempsey K, Reed R, Jones K. "Can You Help Me with My Homework?"
Elementary School Children's Invitations and Perspectives on Parental Involvement.
[serial online]. April 27, 2000;Available from: ERIC, Ipswich, MA. Accessed June 26,
2014.