Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T20:25:44.708Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

30 - Parent–Teacher Relationships

from Part VI - Family Connections and Life Transitions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2020

By
Kathleen M. Minke  and
Jordana S. Woodford
Edited by
Frank C. Worrell ,
Tammy L. Hughes  and
Dante D. Dixson
Frank C. Worrell
Affiliation:
University of California, Berkeley
Tammy L. Hughes
Affiliation:
Duquesne University, Pittsburgh
Dante D. Dixson
Affiliation:
Michigan State University
Get access

Summary

There are many benefits to parent participation in schooling. When parents and teachers work together, students show better achievement and behavioral skills. However, creating and maintaining productive parent–teacher relationships can be an elusive goal due to differences in role expectations, culture, and available supports. School psychologists can promote positive parent–teacher relationships through the use of their collaboration and consultation skills. Three main areas should be addressed: (a) creating a positive atmosphere, including developing shared goals and shared decision-making power; (b) utilizing effective communication skills, such as active listening and empathic responding; and (c) developing outreach strategies that address the needs of diverse families from elementary to high school.

Keywords

parent–teacher relationshipsfamily–school mesosystemschool atmospherecommunication skillsoutreach
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Applied School Psychology , pp. 519 - 537
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adams, K. S., & Christenson, S. L. (2000). Trust and the family–school relationship: Examination of parent–teacher differences in elementary and secondary grades. Journal of School Psychology, 38, 477–497. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-4405(00)00048-0Google Scholar
Azad, G., & Mandell, D. S. (2015). Concerns of parents and teachers of children with autism in elementary school. Autism, 20, 435–441. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361315588199Google Scholar
Boske, C. A., & Benavente-McEnery, L. (2010). Taking it to the streets: A new line of inquiry for school communities. Journal of School Leadership, 20, 369–398. https://doi.org/10.1177/105268461002000306Google Scholar
Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In Richardson, J. (Ed.), Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education (pp. 241–258). New York, NY: Greenwood.Google Scholar
Benner, A. D., & Yan, N. (2015). Classroom race/ethnic composition, family-school connections, and the transition to school. Applied Developmental Science, 19, 127–138. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2014.983028Google Scholar
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1977). Toward an experimental ecology of human development. American Psychologist, 32, 513–531. https://doi.org/10.1037//0003-066x.32.7.513CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1999). Environments in developmental perspective: Theoretical and operational models. In Friedman, S. L. & Wachs, T. D. (Eds.), Measuring environment across the lifespan: Emerging methods and concepts (pp. 3–28). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10317-001Google Scholar
Bryk, A. S., & Schneider, B. L. (2002). Trust in schools: A core resource for improvement. New York, NY: Russell Sage.Google Scholar
Cheatham, G. A., & Ostrosky, M. M. (2011). Whose expertise? An analysis of advice giving in early childhood parent-teacher conferences. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 25, 24–44. https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2011.533116Google Scholar
Cheatham, G. A., & Ostrosky, M. M. (2013). Goal setting during early childhood parent-teacher conferences: A comparison of three groups of parents. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 27, 166–189. https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2013.767291CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Christenson, S. L., & Reschly, A. L. (Eds.). (2010). Handbook of school-family partnerships. New York, NY: Routledge.Google Scholar
Christenson, S. L., & Sheridan, S. M. (2001). Schools and families: Creating essential connections for learning. New York, NY: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Chrzanowski, D., Rans, S., & Thompson, R. (2010). Building mutually beneficial relationships between schools and communities: The role of a connector. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/vevr4leGoogle Scholar
Clarke, B. L., Sheridan, S. M., & Woods, K. E. (2009). Elements of healthy family–school relationships. In Christenson, S. L. & Reschly, A. L. (Eds.), Handbook of school-family partnerships (pp. 61–79). New York, NY: Routledge.Google Scholar
Crosnoe, R. (2015). Continuities and consistencies across home and school systems. In Sheridan, S. M. & Kim, E. M. (Eds.), Processes and pathways of family-school partnerships across development (pp. 61–80). New York, NY: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16931-6_4Google Scholar
Downer, J. T., & Myers, S. S. (2010). Application of a developmental/ecological model to family-school partnerships. In Christenson, S. L. & Reschly, A. L. (Eds.), Handbook of school-family partnerships (pp. 3–29). New York, NY: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203876046Google Scholar
Dretzke, B. J., & Rickers, S. R. (2016). The family liaison position in high-poverty, urban schools. Education and Urban Society, 48, 346–363. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013124514533794Google Scholar
Epstein, J. L. (2013). Ready or not? Preparing future educators for school, family, and community partnerships. Teaching Education, 24, 115–118. https://doi.org/10.1080/10476210.2013.786887CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ferrara, M. M. (2015). Parent involvement facilitators: Unlocking social capital wealth. School Community Journal, 25, 29–51.Google Scholar
Fish, W. W. (2006). Perceptions of parents of students with autism towards the IEP meeting: A case study of one family support group chapter. Education, 127, 56–68.Google Scholar
Froiland, J. M., & Davison, M. L. (2014). Parental expectations and school relationships as contributors to adolescents’ positive outcomes. Social Psychology of Education, 17, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-013-9237-3Google Scholar
Froiland, J. M., & Oros, E. (2014). Intrinsic motivation, perceived competence and classroom engagement as longitudinal predictors of adolescent reading achievement. Educational Psychology, 34, 119–132. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2013.822964Google Scholar
Galindo, C., & Sheldon, S. B. (2012). School and home connections and children’s kindergarten achievement gains: The mediating role of family involvement. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 27, 90–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2011.05.004Google Scholar
Gartmeier, M., Gebhardt, M., & Dotger, B. (2016). How do teachers evaluate their parent communication competence? Latent profiles and relationships to workplace behaviors. Teaching and Teacher Education, 55, 207–216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2016.01.009CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Geller, J. D., Doykos, B., Craven, K., Bess, K. D., & Nation, M. (2014). Engaging residents in community change: The critical role of trust in the development of a promise neighborhood. Teachers College Record, 116 (4), 1–42.Google Scholar
Grant, K. B., & Ray, J. A. (2013). Home, school, and community collaboration: Culturally responsive family collaboration (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Gwernan‐Jones, R., Moore, D. A., Garside, R., et al. (2015). ADHD, parent perspectives and parent–teacher relationships: grounds for conflict. British Journal of Special Education, 42, 279–300. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8578.12087CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hilgendorf, A. (2012). Through a limiting lens: Comparing student, parent, and teacher perspectives of African American boy’ support for schools. School Community Journal, 22, 111–132.Google Scholar
Hill, N. E. (2015). Family–school relationships during adolescence: Clarifying goals, broadening conceptualizations, and deepening impact. In Sheridan, S. M. & Kim, E. M. (Eds.), Processes and pathways of family–school partnerships across development (Vol. 2, pp. 41–59). New York, NY: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16931-6_3Google Scholar
Holloway, S. D., & Kunesh, C. E. (2015). Cultural processes and the connections among home, school, and community. In Sheridan, S. M. & Kim, E. M. (Eds.), Processes and pathways of family–school partnerships across development (Vol. 2, pp. 1–15). New York, NY: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16931-6_1Google Scholar
Hoover-Dempsey, K. (2011). Self-efficacy: Up to the challenge. In Redding, S., Murphy, M., & Sheley, P. (Eds.), Handbook on family community and engagement (pp. 61–67). Lincoln, IL: Academic Development Institute. Retrieved from www.schoolcommunitynetwork.org/downloads/FACEHandbook.pdfGoogle Scholar
Hughes, J. N., Gleason, K. A., & Zhang, D. (2005). Relationship influences on teachers’ perceptions of academic competence in academically at-risk minority and majority first grade students. Journal of School Psychology, 43, 303–320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2005.07.001Google Scholar
Hughes, J. N., & Kwok, O. M. (2007). Influence of student-teacher and parent-teacher relationships on lower achieving readers’ engagement and achievement in the primary grades. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99, 39–51. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.99.1.39Google Scholar
Iruka, I. U., Winn, D. M. C., Kingsley, S. J., & Orthodoxou, Y. J. (2011). Links between parent-teacher relationships and kindergartners’ social skills: Do child ethnicity and family income matter? Elementary School Journal, 111, 387–408. https://doi.org/10.1086/657652Google Scholar
Ivey, A. E., Ivey, M. B., & Zalaquett, C. P. (2014). Intentional interviewing and counseling: Facilitating client development in a multicultural society (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole. https://doi.org/10.1080/21507686.2010.493204Google Scholar
Jeynes, W. (2011). Parental involvement and academic success. New York, NY: Routledge.Google Scholar
Johnson, E. J. (2014). From the classroom to the living room: Eroding academic inequities through home visits. Journal of School Leadership, 24, 357–385. https://doi.org/10.1177/105268461402400206Google Scholar
Kao, G., & Rutherford, L. T. (2007). Does social capital still matter? Immigrant minority disadvantage in school-specific social capital and its effects on academic achievement. Sociological Perspectives, 50, 27–52. https://doi.org/10.1525/sop.2007.50.1.27Google Scholar
Kim, E. M., & Sheridan, S. M. (2015). Foundational aspects of family–school connections: Definitions, conceptual frameworks, and research needs. In Sheridan, S. M. & Kim, E. M. (Eds.), Research on family-school partnerships: An interdisciplinary examination of state of the science and critical needs, Vol 1 (pp. 1–14). New York, NY: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-13838-1_1Google Scholar
Kim, E. M., Sheridan, S. M., Kwon, K., & Koziol, N. (2013). Parent beliefs and children’s social-behavioral functioning: The mediating role of parent–teacher relationships. Journal of School Psychology, 51, 175–185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2013.01.003Google Scholar
Kretzmann, J., & McKnight, J. (1993). Building communities from the inside out. Chicago, IL: ACTA Publications.Google Scholar
Lai, Y., & Vadeboncoeur, J. A. (2013). The discourse of parent involvement in special education: A critical analysis linking policy documents to the experiences of mothers. Educational Policy, 27, 867–897. https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904812440501Google Scholar
Lawson, M. A. (2003). School-family relations in context: Parent and teacher perceptions of parent involvement. Urban Education, 38, 77–133. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085902238687Google Scholar
Lemmer, E. M. (2012). Who’s doing the talking? Teacher and parent experiences of parent-teacher conferences. South African Journal of Education, 32, 83–96. https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v32n1a460CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lendrum, A., Barlow, A., & Humphrey, N. (2015). Developing positive school–home relationships through structured conversations with parents of learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 15, 87–96. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-3802.12023Google Scholar
Lohman, B. J., & Matjasko, J. L. (2010). Creating school-family partnerships in adolescence: Challenges and opportunities. In Christenson, S. L. & Reschly, A L. (Eds.), Handbook of school-family partnerships (pp. 312–342). New York, NY: Routledge.Google Scholar
Mac Iver, M. A., Epstein, J. L., Sheldon, S. B., & Fonseca, E. (2015). Engaging families to support students’ transition to high school: Evidence from the field. The High School Journal, 99, 27–45. https://doi.org/10.1353/hsj.2015.0016Google Scholar
Mautone, J. A., Marcelle, E., Tresco, K. E., & Power, T. J. (2015). Assessing the quality of parent–teacher relationships for students with ADHD. Psychology in the Schools, 52, 196–207. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21817Google Scholar
Minke, K. M. (2013). Helping teachers develop productive working relationships with families: The CORE model of family-school collaboration. In Gerrard, B.A. & Soriano, M. (Eds.), The handbook of school-based family counseling (pp. 312–328). San Francisco, CA: Institute for School-Based Family Counseling.Google Scholar
Minke, K. M., & Anderson, K. J. (2003). Restructuring routine parent-teacher conferences: The family-school conference model. Elementary School Journal, 104, 49–69. https://doi.org/10.1086/499742Google Scholar
Minke, K. M., & Boyer, D. (2008, March). Embedding family–school collaboration into school-wide PBS. Paper presented at the International Conference on Positive Behavior Support, Tampa, FL.Google Scholar
Minke, K. M., & Jensen, K. A. (2014). Best practices in facilitating family–school meetings. In Thomas, A. & Harrison, P. (Eds.), Best practices in school psychology – Systems level services (pp. 505–518). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.Google Scholar
Minke, K. M., Sheridan, S. M., Kim, E. M., Ryoo, J., & Koziol, N. (2014). Congruence in parent-teacher relationships: The role of shared perceptions. Elementary School Journal, 114, 527–546. https://doi.org/10.1086/675637CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moll, L., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & González, N. (1992). Funds of knowledge for teaching: Using a qualitative approach to connect homes and classrooms. Theory Into Practice, 31, 132–141. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405849209543534Google Scholar
Nzinga‐Johnson, S., Baker, J. A., & Aupperlee, J. (2009). Teacher‐parent relationships and school involvement among racially and educationally diverse parents of kindergartners. The Elementary School Journal, 110, 81–91. https://doi.org/10.1086/598844Google Scholar
Ouimette, M. Y., Feldman, J., & Tung, R. (2006). Collaborating for high school student success: A case study of parent engagement at Boston Arts Academy. School Community Journal, 16, 91–114.Google Scholar
Quiocho, A. M. L., & Daoud, A. M. (2006). Dispelling myths about Latino parent participation in schools. Educational Forum, 70, 255–267. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131720608984901Google Scholar
Shajith, B. I., & Erchul, W. P. (2014). Bringing parents to school: The effect of invitations from school, teacher, and child on parental Involvement in middle schools. International Journal of School & Educational Psychology, 2, 11–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/21683603.2013.854186Google Scholar
Sheridan, S. M., Clarke, B. L., & Ransom, K. A. (2014). The past, present, and future of conjoint behavioral consultation research. In Erchul, W. P. & Sheridan, S. M. (Eds.), Handbook of research in school consultation (2nd ed.; pp. 210–247). New York, NY: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203133170.ch9Google Scholar
Sheridan, S. M., Eagle, J. W., & Doll, B. (2006). An examination of the efficacy of conjoint behavioral consultation with diverse clients. School Psychology Quarterly, 21, 396–417. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0084130Google Scholar
Sheridan, S. M., Knoche, L. L., Kupzyk, K. A., Edwards, C. P., & Marvin, C.A. (2011). A randomized trial examining the effects of parent engagement on early language and literacy: The Getting Ready Intervention. Journal of School Psychology, 49, 361–383. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2011.03.001CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sheridan, S. M., & Kratochwill, T. R. (2008). Conjoint behavioral consultation: Promoting family–school connections and interventions. New York, NY: Springer.Google Scholar
Sheridan, S. M., Ryoo, J. H., Garbacz, S. A., Kunz, G. M., & Chumney, F. (2013). The efficacy of conjoint behavioral consultation on parents and children in the home setting: Results of a randomized controlled trial. Journal of School Psychology, 51, 717–733. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2013.09.003CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shumow, L., & Schmidt, J. A. (2014). Parent engagement in science with ninth graders and with students in high grades. School Community Journal, 24, 17–36.Google Scholar
Steiner, J. V., & Mahn, H. (1996). Sociocultural approaches to learning and development: A Vygotskian framework. Educational Psychologist, 31, 191–206. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.1996.9653266CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vega, D., Moore III, J. L., Miranda, A. H. (2015). Who really cares? Urban youths’ perceptions of parental and programmatic support. School Community Journal, 25, 53–72.Google Scholar
Wallace, M. (2013). High school teachers and African American parents: A (not so) collaborative effort to increase student success. The High School Journal, 96, 195–208. https://doi.org/10.1353/hsj.2013.0008Google Scholar
Whyte, K. L., & Karabon, A. (2016). Transforming teacher–family relationships: Shifting roles and perceptions of home visits through the funds of knowledge approach. Early Years, 36, 207–221. https://doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2016.1139546Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×