Associations Between Parent-Teacher Collaboration and Teacher Reported Student Behavior Problems Among Head Start Centers

• In Event: Poster Session 02
  In Poster Session: PS 02 Topic - Education, Schooling

Abstract

Parent-teacher collaboration establishes a support network for students so that they may receive the emotional, social, and cognitive support necessary to foster school readiness and subsequent school success (Lazar & Slostad, 1999; Epstein, 2011). The earliest schooling experiences lay the foundation for lifelong academic, social, and cognitive development for students (Alexander et al., 2014). Because early childhood centers often function as sites of early intervention and provide social support to families in need, understanding the consequences of information sharing between teachers and parents on student experiences is essential. However, non-white children with disadvantaged backgrounds, who benefit most from early educational experiences that promote school readiness (Johnson, 2019), are also most likely to exhibit or be perceived to exhibit problem behaviors (Gilliam, 2005). In Coleman’s theory of functional communities, information flows between parents of students, friends, and acquaintances, so that parents may learn of their students’ behavior, advocate on their behalf and reaffirm values and expectations with school staff (1987). I suggest that teacher-parent collaboration facilitates sharing information, framing norms, and develop a common understanding about student needs, shaping how teachers report problem behaviors. I hypothesize that teacher-parent collaboration is associated with teacher reports of student problem behaviors, and that this association varies across Head Start centers.

I used data from the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) fall and spring 2014 data collection. The analytic sample includes nested data from 1,826 children, 212 teachers, and 113 centers. Table 1 provides a description of the overall analytic sample. In FACES, teacher-family collaboration score (α=0.93) is captured as a total score of three subscale scores capturing responses as “1”=never, to “4”=very often. Teachers report on children’s problem behaviors in the classroom using items taken from three behavior problem and social skills scales (Peterson & Zill,1986; Entwisle et al., 1997; Gresham & Elliott, 1990). The total reported behavior problems score (α=0.87) was comprised of three subscales measuring hyperactivity (α=0.77) (e.g. “is restless”), aggression (α=0.77) (e.g. “hits/fights”), and withdrawn behavior (α=0.75) (e.g. “keeps to himself”).

Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used in Stata 15.0 to account for the nested data structure and to investigate associations between teachers-parent collaboration and reported student behavior problems (Raudenbush & Bryk, 2002). I controlled for child sex, race/ethnicity, family economic risk index, parental employment, classroom quality, and literacy achievement. For a minority male student at average school age, holding all else constant, the mean number of student behavior problems reported by teachers in the spring was statistically different from zero (B=10.36, p<.05). As shown in Table 2, the effect of teacher-parent collaboration on reported behavioral problems, in the average classroom context, for a student who is female and non-minority, is negative and statistically different from zero (B=-0.23, p<.05). Overall, the findings suggest that when parents and teachers work together to share information and establish expectations for students, teachers report fewer problem behaviors. Administrative supports that help facilitate ongoing discussion regarding goals, progress, and expectations between parents of non-white male students and their teachers may be particularly beneficial.

Author

• Briana Bostic, Johns Hopkins University
  Presenting Author