Parental involvement in an urban school setting

Children whose parents are involved with their education tend to perform better in school (Desforges & Abouchaar, 2003; Epstein, 2001; Steinberg, 2004). Students demonstrate higher academic and behavior levels, have higher aspirations, and display other positive school behaviors when parents are knowledgeable, encouraging, and involved (Bakker & Denessen, 2007; Epstein, 2001). While researchers agree that parental involvement can positively impact student achievement, this study seeks to identify specific strategies to increase parental involvement in urban schools (Desforges & Aboucharr, 2003).;The purpose of this mixed methods study is to increase parental involvement in an urban elementary school by monitoring and recognizing parents' efforts. Findings indicate that two significant factors affecting parents' active involvement are the time school events or interactions are scheduled, and direct communication from the school, such as personal invitations to attend events. The study also identifies effective strategies to increase parental involvement applicable to similar urban school settings.;As leader of the change project, I assessed my development as a transformational leader committed to increase parent participation at an urban school. Using the transformational language of Kegan and Lahey (2001), I was able to communicate effectively with parents and staff.