Inspiring and supporting parent-teacher relationships and family involvement in a child’s education starting in preschool has the potential to instill stronger academic engagement at a foundational level. This is the theory of case for Purtell and colleagues, who examined the impact of the Kindergarten Transition Practices (KTP) intervention on parental engagement, with particular focus on how impacts varied by family race/ethnicity, maternal education, and children’s behavior problems.
In their study, 391 students were split between a classroom-level intervention (KTP-Classroom), a classroom intervention coupled with home visits (KTP-Plus), and a business-as-usual (BAU) control group. KTP is designed to build connections and relationships through a variety of practices, with a particular focus on families facing economic disadvantages and other structural barriers that may impede strong parent-school connections. KTP-Classroom includes school-based events throughout the year for parents and children, monthly newsletters, and meetings focused on preschooler transition to kindergarten. Teachers are supported by “transition coordinators,” to help design and implement these activities. KTP-Plus included nine home visits, during preschool, summer, and kindergarten, conducted by transition coordinators and focused on engaging parents in their children’s schooling and building teacher/school-parent connections and developing ecologically informed practices.
Based on teacher surveys of parental engagement, Purtell’s randomized study found significantly higher teacher-reported parent involvement among KTP-Classroom families, though no significant effect was seen on parent-teacher relationships or parent values. In addition, researchers found the classroom plus home visit (KTP-Plus) intervention led to more positive teacher perceptions of parent involvement, parent-teacher relationships, and parent values among Hispanic families.
Teacher perceptions of improved engagement and values are important indicators of progress, but it should be noted that this study does not include parental perspective change or measures of student academic achievement or engagement.
Source: Purtell, K. M., Jiang, H., Justice, L. M., Sayers, R., Dore, R., & Pelfrey, L. (2022). Teacher perceptions of preschool parent engagement: Causal effects of a connection-focused intervention. Child & Youth Care Forum, 51(5), 937–966. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-021-09661-x