School-Level Variables Associated With Efforts to Engage Parents of Students Receiving Special Education Services

• In Event: Roundtable Session 96
  In Roundtable Session: Involving Families of Children With Disabilities

Abstract

Abstract
The role of contextual factors such as school size, grade level, school SES and student/teacher ratio were examined as predictors of schools’ efforts to engage parents of special education students. Responses from parents to a survey of school engagement efforts were received from 271 schools that had a high response rate. A multiple regression analysis showed that these variables accounted for 23% of the variability in school survey means. Student/ teacher ratio was the strongest predictor of schools’ efforts to engage parents. Unlike previous findings, when controlling for student/teacher ratio, parental engagement efforts in high schools were viewed more favorably than those in elementary schools, and school size was no longer a statistically significant predictor.

Authors

• Ray Rodriguez, University of Miami

• Batya Elbaum, University of Miami