Parental involvement: an examination of principal sensemaking to engage low-income and/or minority parents

America’s schools seek to close the achievement gap by increasing the academic achievement of low-income and minority students. Parental involvement research asserts that parental involvement affects student academic success across all groups; however, few principals report the use of parental involvement strategies to increase student achievement. This qualitative study examined elementary principals working with low-income and minority student populations who express a commitment and take leadership actions to engage low-income and/or minority parents in the school process. This study used sensemaking theory to examine personal and professional factors influencing principals’ commitments, sensemaking and leadership actions to engage low-income and/or minority parents in the school process. Principals’ and low-income and/or minority parents’ perceptions and actions were studied through interviews, observations and concept mapping to analyze the phenomenon of low-income and/or minority parental involvement and to analyze principal sensemaking to engage low-income and/or minority parents in the school process. This study found that themes emerged related to principals’ epistemology, axiology, and ontology that influence principals’ current commitments, sensemaking, and leadership actions in practice. The strongest emerging themes related to epistemology associate with personal family experiences and influential individuals. The strongest emerging themes related to axiology associate with altruism, influence, and ownership. The strongest themes related to ontology associate with the connate meanings of parental involvement, planning for parental involvement, and principal tenacity.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Ed Organization and Leadership

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2013

Author dc:creator

• Heinhorst, Jennifer

Contributors dc:contributor

• Hunter, Richard C.
• Alexander, S. Kern
• Harris, Violet J.
• Welton, Anjale D.

• principal leadership
• parental involvement
• principal sensemaking
• education administration
• parental engagement
• low-income parents
• minority parents

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2013 Jennifer Heinhorst

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/45326

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/45326