Parent Engagement in Education: Minneapolis Public Schools. Communiversity--CMV Report No. 023

The ?goals ?of ?this ?research? study ?were ?to ?collect ?data ?from ?previous? surveys to ?frame ?and ?define ?the ?concept ?of "parent ?engagement," ?to ?gather ?information ?about the ?barriers ?that ?parents ?face ?in ?engaging ?with ?their ?children's ?education, ?and ?to? determine ?ways ?to ?increase ?parent ?engagement.??This ?information ?will ?help The Minneapolis ?Parent? Information ?Center (?MPIC) ?to better ?design ?programming ?to ?engage, ?recruit, ?and ?motivate ?parent ?participation within ?the ?Minneapolis ?Public ?School ?system. Data ?collection ?consisted ?of ?administering ?a ?written ?survey ?to ?parents ?and? grandparents ?of ?children ?enrolled ?or ?previously? enrolled ?in ?the?Minneapolis ?Public School ?system. ??An ?hour-long? focus ?group ?was? also ?conducted ?with ?a ?group ?of grandparents ?that ?are ?raising ?their ?grandchildren ?who ?meet ?at ?MPIC? regularly. ??Data analysis ?of ?the ?written ?survey? consisted ?of ?computing ?percentages ?for ?responses? chosen ?by ?the ?participants.??The ?focus ?group ?discussion ?was ?carefully? recorded ?and responses ?were ?coded ?in ?order ?to ?illuminate significant ?themes. ???Analysis ?showed ?that ?parents ?and? grandparents ?believe ?parent ?engagement ?is important ?and ?can? make ?a ?difference ?in ?their ?child's ?education. Based ?on ?the ?findings ?from? the ?written ?survey ?and ?feedback ?from? participants? in ?the ?focus ?group ?discussion, ?the ?task ?of ?increasing ?parent? engagement ?includes supporting ?and ?encouraging ?positive? parenting, ?creating ?at ?home ?learning environments ?and ?open, ?consistent, ?strong ?communication ?between ?schools ?and? families. Appended are: (1) MPIC Survey; and (2) Focus Group Questions. [This report was prepared in partnership with the Minneapolis Parent Information Center.]