The Effect of Directive Digital School-Parent Communication on Student Achievement and Behavior

Abstract

The 'Effect of Directive Digital School-Parent Communication on Student Achievement and Behavior' study sought to determine the effectiveness of an eight-week school to parent communication intervention intended to increase parental involvement in school work done at home. Six students' families participated in the study, in a one-group multiple time series design. Students were those with Specific Learning Disabilities in grades 10-12. This population was chosen because examination of findings may serve to start a discussion on the impacts of increased school to parent communication for struggling learners. The intervention consisted of eight school to parent electronic communications that encouraged parents to interact with their student in a specific way and included a grade report and teacher contact information. Data was gathered at pre, mid-, and post-intervention occasions on student achievement (grade point average) and behavior (behavior referrals to the office). Data were analyzed with independent samples t-tests to determine the effectiveness of the intervention.