How does increasing parental involvement affect discipline at school?
Needs Assessment
If the parents become more involved then it is believed that
the discipline issues at school will discipline.
Objectives and Vision
of the action research project
Student surveys, parental surveys, individual student
reviews, and computer-generated data will be used to obtain information. Student and parent surveys will contain
questions the researcher would like to see answered. Student interviews will cover topics that
deal with barriers that they foresee when trying to get their parents involved
in discipline issues at school. Computer
generated data will include discipline referrals, in and out of school
suspensions and assignments to alternative school placement. Parents face many
barriers when it comes to parental involvement during school hours. Many parents work during the day and may not
be available to talk or come to the campus during the school day. Many students
come from single parent homes where the parent is seen as a friend instead of
an authority figure.
Review of the
Literature and Action Research Strategy
Using Self Reflection: Is this action research beneficial for my
campus and do I have the resources to provide adequate solutions to
problems? Will this action research be
able to find the resources to sustain the solutions for years to come? Some of the problems that I will encounter
will consist of the surveys and parents being available during the school day.
I do not know the parents and how they feel about discipline. I also know that there will be other
obstacles to face when it comes to discipline.
Articulate the Vision
This research project will find out if parental involvement
will help the discipline issue of students with chronic discipline issues to
improve. Collaboration with the assistant principle of discipline and my
site-based supervisor has helped with the approach to this project. Evaluation methods to monitor this project
include student referrals, in and out of school suspensions, and assignments to
alternative discipline campuses.
Manage the
organization
This project will include a written plan that will be
discussed between me and my site-based supervisor. Once details of the research project are
concluded, a summative report will be drawn up based on the findings.
Manage Operations
If parental involvement does significantly impact student discipline,
I hope to recommend a plan to develop a parent/student involvement
program. This program will encourage
parents to get involved with their child’s discipline during school and help
them understand how discipline issues affect all areas of the school entity.
Respond to Community
Interest and Needs
Students and parents both face many barriers when it comes
to parental involvement in discipline areas during school. Many parents work
during the day and may not be able to come and help with discipline of their
child during the school day. Some students live in home environments where
discipline may not be important because they are being raised by a single
parent, which is usually a mother. Some students see their parents as friends
and not as a person in charge of discipline. Many of these barriers play a
significant part in parental involvement when it comes to discipline. I plan to
develop a parental involvement program in hopes to encourage parents to
participate in their child’s discipline.
Data from the action research will follow a students’ progress
throughout the entire study when it comes to discipline issues.
