Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to identify the elements of electronic communication that parents of high-school-aged students perceived to be most effective in increasing the level of engagement between the parent and the student. Methodology. The data collected for the present study came from 1,018 parents coming from 62 of the 78 California high school students using the School Loop Electronic Communication System provided by the school. Subjects responded to two instruments: (a) an online survey assessing the impact of electronic communication upon a parent's level of engagement with their high-school-aged student that was posted during a 3-week collection window in March 2008; and (b) a focus group session comprising 15 parents selected from a subpool from that population. Findings. A quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data found that a parent's use of the technological communication tools provided by the school resulted in an increased level of engagement between them and their students. A parent's use of these tools added richness to their daily interactions with their student and empowered them to support their student's academic achievement in ways that were not possible prior to the technology. School Loop showed the greatest impact in those areas involving a direct action of the parent in support of their student's academic success and demonstrated the weakest impact on influencing a parent's decision to be physically present at the school in direct volunteerism at school events or in the classroom. Conclusions. The study data support the conclusion that the potential benefits of electronic communication commercially available to schools are substantial, yet successful implementation requires careful planning and skilled leadership in order to effectively manage school staff through the process of change. Recommendations. Further research is advised to differentiate between and among the additional variables of a teacher's level of comfort with technology, a teacher's inclination to communicate with parents, and the priority a school places upon improving home/school communication and the corresponding relationship of those variables upon parents' perceived effectiveness of electronic communication. Also respondents from this study were predominantly White, wealthy, and well-educated. Further research in this area will need to explore input from a broader spectrum of parents among these demographic variables.