| This study investigated the effect of electronic communication has on parent's involvement with their high school child's education. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) specifically requires that schools find ways to increase parental involvement; this requirement stemmed from evidence that involvement tends to decline as the students mature from elementary to high school. Guided by Vygotsky's theory of learning, which specifically states the parents' experiences, both positive and negative, shape the child's perceptions, research questions investigated the use of electronic communications with parents and the impact of those communications on parent involvement in the education of their children at the high school level. Specifically, this study focused on six types of parental involvement: (a) parenting, (b) communicating, (c) volunteering, (d) learning at home, (e) decision making and (f) collaborating with the community. These types along with a similar survey shaped the creation of the Electronic Media Parent Survey. Data were collected from 86 parents of high school students in a small Midwestern town. Chi square formula and decscriptive statistics were used to analyze the responses of parents who received electronic communication from the high school with those who did not. Even though the results were not significant, the high percentages of positive agreement from both groups with the survey items suggest that electronic communication can have a positive impact on parent involvement at the high school level. These findings may contribute to social change by showing stakeholders the importance and potential impact increasing parental involvement has on student achievement through the use of electronic communication. |
