Parent Survey

Abstract

The Parent Survey is a specialized 23-item instrument developed as part of a larger research effort examining the factors affecting student achievement in schools identified as statistical outliers (over- and underachieving). Developed by McCoach, D. Betsy, et al. (2010), this survey aims to quantify parental perceptions regarding the school environment, communication effectiveness, and overall satisfaction. The findings from this scale demonstrated that dimensions of Parental involvement and parental perceptions were critical variables in distinguishing between high- and low-performing schools. The survey utilizes a five-point Likert-type scale for response format and is structured around two empirically derived subscales: Parent Satisfaction with School and Parent Communication with School.

Keywords

Parent Survey, Parental involvement, Student achievement, School effectiveness, Parental satisfaction, Parent-school communication, Educational psychology, Outlier analysis

Authors

D. Betsy McCoach, et al.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Parent Survey was to gather comprehensive data on the perceptions, involvement, and satisfaction levels of parents whose children attended schools identified as either positive or negative statistical outliers in terms of student academic achievement. This scale, alongside corresponding surveys for teachers and administrators, was designed to identify non-traditional factors—specifically relating to the home-school connection—that might explain substantial differences in school performance beyond typical demographic or resource variables. The results were instrumental in establishing that parental perceptions are key explanatory variables in understanding differences between over- and underachieving schools.

Construct

The Parent Survey measures the psychological construct of the parental perspective on school quality and engagement, fundamentally focusing on parental involvement and perceptions. Through factor analysis, the 23 items were found to load onto two distinct, yet related, subscales:

• Parent Satisfaction with School: This subscale, comprising 15 items, assesses the degree to which parents are satisfied with the school’s leadership, curriculum, environment, and overall educational offerings.
• Parent Communication with School: This subscale, comprising 4 items, specifically measures the frequency, clarity, and effectiveness of communication channels between the parents and the school staff (teachers and administrators).

These two constructs provide a focused assessment of the quality of the school-family partnership, which is strongly linked to student success.

Validity

Content validation for the Parent Survey was rigorously established through expert review. This process involved a dedicated panel of experts drawn from two highly authoritative institutions: the University of Connecticut and the Connecticut State Department of Education. This panel reviewed the items to ensure they accurately and comprehensively covered the intended domains of parental satisfaction and communication effectiveness, thereby confirming the scale’s content validity for use in educational research settings.

Reliability

The internal consistency of the Parent Survey subscales was assessed using the alpha coefficient (Cronbach’s alpha). The reliability estimates indicated strong internal consistency for both subscales, suggesting that the items within each factor measure their respective constructs cohesively. The specific reliability coefficients reported are:

• Parent Satisfaction with School (15 items): 0.94
• Parent Communication with School (4 items): 0.86

These high values demonstrate excellent reliability for both factors, particularly for the satisfaction subscale.

Factor Analysis

To determine the underlying structure of the 23 items, an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was conducted. The methodology employed was principal axis factoring, utilizing an oblimin rotation due to the expectation that the underlying factors (satisfaction and communication) would be correlated. The analysis resulted in the acceptance of a clear two-factor solution.

The two subscales that emerged from the EFA structure the Parent Survey content: Parent Satisfaction with School (15 items, including items 1, 2, 5, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, and 23) and Parent Communication with School (4 items, including items 4, 8, 9, and 11). This empirical confirmation of the factor structure supports the use of these two distinct scores in subsequent analyses.

Instrument

Test Type: Academic Research Survey / Psychological Scale

Format: Self-report questionnaire

Language Available: English (based on publication source)

Population Group: Parents of school-aged children

Age Group: Adults (Parents)

Population Details: Parents associated with schools identified as positive or negative outliers in student achievement. The sample size for the study included almost 1,300 completed surveys.

Test Methodology: Responses are collected using a five-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Data analysis included descriptive statistics, independent sample t tests, and advanced multilevel analyses to partition variability between and within schools on the two parental subscales.

Keywords

School evaluation, Parent perception, Educational research, School-family partnerships, Psychometrics, Communication effectiveness, Parent satisfaction

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source material.

Correspondence Address: Correspondence should generally be directed to the lead author, D. Betsy McCoach, affiliated with the University of Connecticut at the time of publication.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Parent Survey was developed and published in 2010 within the context of academic research. Specific commercial licensing or fee structure is not explicitly stated, suggesting the instrument may be available for academic use pending permission from the principal author or the publishing journal, Journal of Advanced Academics.

Test Year: 2010 (Based on primary publication date).

Reference’s

McCoach, D. Betsy, et al. (2010). Examining the unexpected: Outlier analyses of factors affecting student achievement. Journal of Advanced Academics 21(3):426–68.

Fan, X., and Chen, M. (2001). Parental involvement and students’ academic achievement: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review 13:1–22.

Keith, T. Z., et al. (1993). Does parental involvement affect eighth-grade student achievement? Structural analysis of national data. School Psychology Review 22: 474–96.

McDermott, P. C., and Rothenberg, J. J. (2001). New teachers communicating effectively with low-income, urban parents. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Seattle, WA.

Ramirez, F. (2003). Dismay and disappointment: Parental involvement of Latino immigrant parents. Urban Review 35:93–105.

Sheldon, S. B. (2003). Linking school-family-community partnerships in urban elementary schools to student achievement on state tests. Urban Review 35:149–65.

Items of the Parent Survey

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. Parents have the opportunity to be involved in making important decisions in this school.
2. I feel welcome in my child’s school.
3. The curriculum at my child’s school is geared toward preparation for the state test.
4. I have regular contact with my child’s teachers.
5. There are clear and focused goals for student learning at my child’s school.
6. I attend school-wide special events.
7. Students at this school feel welcome and valued regardless of their racial/ethnic background.
8. Teachers communicate with me frequently about my child’s progress in school.
9. School staff have invited me to school for meetings and/or events.
10. Parent input is valued by the school administration.
11. I am regularly informed of my child’s classroom progress.
12. My child is prepared for the next grade level by the end of the school year.
13. My child’s school provides a variety of ways for parents to become involved with the school.
14. I would recommend my child’s school to other parents.
15. My phone calls or e-mails are returned promptly by the staff at my child’s school.
16. I understand what is expected of my child at school.
17. Information about homework and class assignments is easy for parents to access.
18. The staff at my child’s school helps me to understand the results of state tests.
19. The principal at my child’s school is an effective leader.
20. I attend parent-teacher conferences.
21. Overall, I am satisfied with my child’s school.
22. My child is given challenging work in all classes.
23. Teachers and administrators understand the culture and values of the community.