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Theses and Dissertations

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Browsing Theses and Dissertations by Author "Albertson, Nancy M., author"

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    The parent and teacher connection: the key to successful children's education
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Albertson, Nancy M., author; Taylor, Ted, advisor; Gibson, Jeanne, committee member; Marquesen, Victoria, committee member
    Many classroom teachers feel unprepared to work with families who speak limited English or no English at all. Teachers need help knowing that schools are accountable for the achievement of these students. Diverse languages and cultures present barriers to families that must be overcome by teachers if students are to achieve educational success. Nothing is more important, though it is often overlooked, than interventions outside the classroom between teachers and parents--the parent involvement factor. As such, teachers must learn how to reach out to parents in order to become more involved with teachers. Throughout this thesis, in both my literature review and two case studies, I have documented the importance of schools working through parental involvement to increase achievement. I attempted to answer two questions: "How important are interactions between teachers and parents?" and "How much can we as teachers expect of parents?" The answers in short are that: parent-teacher interactions are immensely important, and we can expect a great deal from parents. My interactions with Mrs. Sanchez and Jenn and Annie of both case studies, provide an interesting look into how they grew from uninvolved parents, to dedicated, pro-active parents involved parent with little involvement to a dedicated, pro-active parent involved with their children's teachers and schools. Based on conclusions from literature review and case studies, another contribution of my thesis is to compile a practical technique for teachers to increase parental involvement with such positive ideas as making positive phone calls and home visits.