Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine the kinds of parental involvement strategies that the selected California high school principals perceive to be important to student academic achievement. The kinds of strategies included were: written policies, administrative support, training, a partnership approach, two-way communication, networking, and evaluation. Methodology. The study used a descriptive research methodology. The population consisted of selected high school principals from Los Angeles County who were willing to participate in the survey. The design of the instrument incorporated the following seven elements for the parental involvement strategies as proposed by David L. Williams and Nancy Feyl Chavkin of the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory: written policies, administrative support, training, partnership approach, two-way communication, networking, and evaluation. The six standards of parental involvement recommended by Joyce L. Epstein were also studied in developing the questionnaire. Additionally, the impact on the parental involvement strategies due to the parent notification requirements resulting from the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) and "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) were incorporated. Findings and conclusions. The respondent principals did not give a great degree of importance to the following strategies: having written policies on parental involvement, having a designated administrative support for funding, staff and material from the district office, and having compacts with parents. They found the following strategies to be having a great degree of importance: providing the information on the CAHSEE preparations, increasing two-way communication between school and parents, and parent participation in the school advisory council meetings. Recommendations. The recommendations are as follows: (1) Replicate the study using a statewide basis. (2) Conduct a separate study to research on increasing two-way communication. (3) Conduct a quasi-Delphi study to find out why the respondent principals are indifferent to district office support and having compacts with parents. (4) Conduct separate studies for the principals who have been there two to five years and more than eight years.