| Research has demonstrated a strong relationship between parental involvement and student achievement. Research has also indicated that effective home-school communication is an essential element in developing parental involvement. Effective home-school communication leads to higher student achievement because the information parents learn about their schools enables them to set high, yet realistic, expectations for their students. Recently, computer-assisted technology has changed the nature of home-school communication. Teachers in many public and private schools across the country have been posting student grades on Internet sites, permitting parents to view the daily progress of their child, obtain homework assignments, and correspond instantly with teachers via e-mail. Although numerous journal and newspaper articles have reported on this updated approach to home-school communication, only a small number of research studies exist evaluating the new technology's effectiveness or parents' reactions to it. The purpose of this study was to investigate how technology has changed the way schools and parents communicate. In particular, the study examined how parent online access has affected their child's grades, and parent-teacher and student-parent communication. In addition, the study investigated parents' willingness to access the information teachers have posted and whether they have viewed this new technology as a replacement or a support mechanism for traditional phone calls, notes, and conferences.;This study used both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Parents of middle school students were surveyed to learn their attitudes regarding school-provided online access to general school information, grades, and homework. The survey included checklist style questions as well as open-ended response items. The investigator also conducted a focus group interview with randomly selected parents who indicated a willingness to participate.;Findings of this study suggested that parents generally favor online access to their child's grades and homework information because technology provides instant information that improves parent-student and parent-teacher communication. In addition, parents indicated that the technology should not replace traditional forms of communication, but instead should serve in a support role. Parents also disclosed technology's shortcomings such as confusing home-page access and inconsistent teacher updating of grade and homework sites. |
