Web Application In For Schools To Enhance Parents Involvement

Running head: WEB APPLICATION IN SCHOOLS FOR PARENT INVOLVEMENT 1

Web Application in for Schools to enhance Parents Involvement

Student’s name

Institution Affiliation

WEB APPLICATION IN SCHOOLS FOR PARENT INVOLVEMENT 2

Web Application in for Schools to Enhance Parents Involvement

Overview

In modern educational institutions, the involvement of parents in schools is critical in

shaping the students through academic and socio-cultural attributes. According to the

Children’s Partnership (TCP) (2010), learning institutions with connected families can utilise

the students’ information systems or computer applications in keeping parents or guardians

with an update of their children's progress. The web application is crucial in enhancing the

communication between parent and the school staff in determining the progress and

interventions for the individual child (Topor, Keane, Shelton, & Calkins, 2010). This type of

web application system allows the parents to access crucial student information about their

children. The student information system supported by the web application also permits

school staff and teachers to enter fundamental information about students such as class

attendance, performance results and schedules, grades and other significant data that is shared

with both students and parents through a safe and secure Web-based portal (Sheldon, 2003).

In TCP (2010) view, the information system allows the teachers to share with parents’

comments and feedback regarding homework, special activities in the school and receive

feedback regarding the progress of the learners. Other information systems accommodate

other added benefits that would enable schools to track performance, health records, and

share up-to-date health information with the parents.

Parents Involvement in Schools through Web Application

SRI International (2002) conducted a study investigating the significance of web

application programs useful in improving access to information for parents with the aim of

increasing their participation. The study found that discrete educational software used at

home and school facilitates the transfer of information between the school and parents. Most

of the evaluation programs involved middle schools and elementary schools effectively

WEB APPLICATION IN SCHOOLS FOR PARENT INVOLVEMENT 3

increased parents' involvement on school matters relating to student's life and performance in

schools. However, the study by SRI International (2002) found that critical issues relating to

linking of parents to schools through web application require a critical assessment to optimise

the desired outcome. The United States Patent No. U.S. Patent Application No. 11/363,910

also found lack of information relating to a web application or student’s information system

that made communication with parents more comfortable (Nanda, 2006). Therefore, this

study suggests a need to address the gaps in the literature regarding the effectiveness of the

web application programs for improving parents’ participation.

The study conducted by National School Boards Association (NSBA) established that

parents view web application programs as a crucial resource that can increase the

involvement of family in school activities through information sharing (NSBA, 2000). More

specifically, NSBA (2000) expressed that parents demonstrated significant desire and interest

for increasing their participation and monitoring of the children's school engagement for

more elaborate decisions to improve outcome via the internet platform. Over 50% of the

parents surveyed indicated that they were highly interested in monitoring their children's

schoolwork online and through email as means of communication with the local schools

where their children are enrolled. Due to increasing access to the Internet and web technology

by both parents and schools, there are significant opportunities for increasing parents

involvement (Breiter & Light, 2006; Lewin & Luckin, 2010). The design of the web

application requires taking into account ease in its use for both teachers and parents to ensure

communication is effective and efficient.

Although schools have well-established templates for web applications targeting

linking schools to parents, teachers are the primary content generators (Van der Heijden,

2004). NSBA (2000) examined Pine Crest School that has developed and implemented a big

chalk web-hosting platform that allows the school to present up-to-date information linking

WEB APPLICATION IN SCHOOLS FOR PARENT INVOLVEMENT 4

parents to schools by sharing information relating to class activities and assignments.

Additionally, the NBSA (2000) survey also analysed the Teachers at Learning Networks

platform known as My school online for schools that use this site in posting assignments,

materials, and performance data for students to share it with the parents.

Olmstead (2013) conducted a study with a purpose of determining the impact of

emerging technologies in facilitating effective parent-teacher communication and

involvement of parents. From Olmstead (2013) study, crucial analytical data was retrieved

from both surveys, and semi-structured focus group interviews revealed in the analysis the

link between teachers and parents view regarding electronic communication. From the data

collected, Olmstead (2013) showed that teachers and parents assume great value on the

proactive parent participation because it does not need the parents to be materially present to

monitor the child's progress. As technology penetration in the global community continues to

impact education systems, parents involvement is a recipe to better children's outcome

through a collaborative approach to their welfare through computer-aided interaction between

parents and teachers. From the article through investment by schools in the web application,

parent portals, online phone calling system and other crucial information technologies aimed

at increasing parents involvement in the monitoring of their children will help in attaining

higher education outcomes.

Barriers and Challenges in Web Application Programs

Fan and Chen (2001) explained in their study that preparation of parents in using the

web application platform require browsing skills to access the desired children’s information.

The evaluation revealed that schools do not offer training to parents on the use of the

application. Hence, this was a challenge cited in most schools, as well as the ability of the

schools to sustain the program where teachers indicated that there was inadequate time and

limited homebased connectivity were the main challenges facing the implementation of the

WEB APPLICATION IN SCHOOLS FOR PARENT INVOLVEMENT 5

program. In addition, Fan and Chen (2001) revealed that not all students and parents could

access the Internet, which is essential in running the web application. Instead of saving the

time for teachers, Fan and Chen (2001) evaluation revealed that it was an additional burden to

learners.

The study quoted instances where teachers expressed frustration on their inability to

maintain the site at all levels as well as updating required information efficiently. The survey

indicated that there is a need for a regular update that was not possible in the school due to

insufficient time and additional responsibility added by the web application. Lack of proper

time management and an increased burden is a challenge that was experienced by schools in

the enforcement of the web application that if managed appropriately would result in

increased parents participation. However, Fan and Chen (2001) explain that some schools

have established mitigation measures. For example, Fan and Chen (2001) cite Las Flores and

in San Francisco where teachers designed measures to maintain the websites and involvement

of students in the management of information conveyed to the parents. Such engagements

were considered effective in not only saving time but also providing the students with an

opportunity to gain valuable information technology skills.

Illinois Century Network (2004) focused on critical analysis of the viability of

home/school applications technology that could improve the involvement of parents in school

activities of their children. From the report, Illinois Century Network (2004) indicates that

there are much more benefits that the program would introduce in the education system that

could not only influence the education performance but could also improve the children's

discipline through both parent and teachers collaborations. The report explains that web

application program would enhance the ability to share information relating to daily

homework, grades, and feedback on the students’ progress. Use of technology by teachers in

communicating with families where teachers were asked about their engagement in

WEB APPLICATION IN SCHOOLS FOR PARENT INVOLVEMENT 6

communicating with families relating to relevant data of children. During the survey, teachers

reported that using web application or via email support system to communicate with family

was imperative in maintaining an effective relationship between teachers and parents

(Sheldon, 2003). Due to the information shared with parents, they become more interested in

participating in school activities enriching the learner's ability to have a productive learning

environment. However, the report by Illinois Century Network (2004) revealed that there are

other additional factors through the web application in enhancing parents involvement such

as the cost, human resource ability of the school, availability of time, and training for teachers

and parents.

Other critical challenges cited by Illinois Century Network (2004) about sharing

information between schools and parents include implementation of the program,

home/school communication channels, time, data privacy and cost. These challenges are

essential to the success of the program raising concerns over the ability of the school to

develop an effective program. These concerns are vital in determining the performance of the

web application to ensuring that they are addressed before launching it. A similar study by

Zieger and Tan reveals that there is significant impact such a collaborative approach could

have on the child's success (2012). The results of the article written by Zieger and Tan (2012)

found that giving parents access to information about their children in schools through an

online web application could present an opportunity to increase their participation. Most of

the parents indicated that online gradebooks web applications provide effective

communication approach between schools and parents. The challenges cited in the article is

about the cost and human resource to ensure effective performance of the system. However,

the gaps in literature should be addressed in the current study relating to evaluation outcome

of such web application programs aimed at increasing parents participation in schools.

Similar views are expressed by Graham-Clay (2013) by claiming that it is unfortunate that

WEB APPLICATION IN SCHOOLS FOR PARENT INVOLVEMENT 7

many teachers lack the desired skills and training to support the proactive use of web

application in communicating with parents resulting to barriers in communication

WEB APPLICATION IN SCHOOLS FOR PARENT INVOLVEMENT 8

References

Breiter, A., & Light, D. (2006). Data for school improvement: Factors for designing effective

information systems to support decision-making in schools. Journal of Educational

Technology & Society, 9(3).

Fan, X., & Chen, M. (2001). Parental involvement and students’ academic achievement: A

meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 12, 1-22.

Graham-Clay, S. (2013). Communicating with Parents: Strategies for Teachers. The School

Community Journal, 117-130.

Illinois Century Network. (2004). School/Home Communication: Using Technology to

Enhance Parental Involvement. A Project for the Illinois Century Network and

Governor Rod R. Blagojevich. Normal, Illinois: Illinois State University.

Lewin, C., & Luckin, R. (2010). Technology to support parental engagement in elementary

education: Lessons learned from the UK. Computers & education, 54(3), 749-758.

Nanda, A. (2006). United States Patent No. U.S. Patent Application No. 11/363,910.

National School Boards Association (NSBA). (2000). Safe and smart: Research and

guidelines for children's use of the Internet. Washington, DC: National School Boards

Association.

Olmstead, C. (2013). Using Technology to Increase Parent Involvement in Schools.

TechTrends, 57(6), 28–37. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11528-013-

0699-0.

Sheldon, S. B. (2003). Linking school–family–community partnerships in urban elementary

schools to student achievement on state tests. The Urban Review, 35(2), 149-165.

SRI International. (2002). Using technology to enhance connections between home and

school a research synthesis. New York, NY: SRI International.

WEB APPLICATION IN SCHOOLS FOR PARENT INVOLVEMENT 9

The Children’s Partnership (TCP). (2010). Empowering parents through technology to

improve the odds for children. Washington, DC: The Children’s Partnership (TCP).

Topor, D. R., Keane, S. P., Shelton, T. L., & Calkins, S. D. (2010). Parent involvement and

student academic performance: A multiple mediational analysis. J Prev Interv

Community, 38(3), 183–197. Doi: 10.1080/10852352.2010.486297.

Van der Heijden, H. (2004). User acceptance of hedonic information systems. MIS Quarterly,

695-704.

Zieger, L. B., & Tan, J. (2012). Improving Parent Involvement in Secondary Schools through

Communication Technology. Journal of Literacy and Technology, 13(1), 31-54.

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