Date of Award

2003

Degree Name

School Psychology

College

Graduate School of Education and Professional Development

Type of Degree

Ed.S.

Document Type

Thesis

First Advisor

Stephen L. O’Keefe

Second Advisor

Joyce Meikamp

Third Advisor

Elizabeth Boyles

Fourth Advisor

Susan Canterbury

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between parent satisfaction and student achievement in an activity based, multiage, inclusive, summer enrichment program. The researcher constructed a survey that was mailed to parents the first day of the last week of the program (n=139). Thirty five surveys were returned by mail and five surveys were conducted by phone for a total of forty surveys. The average score for this sample of parents on the whole survey was 3.98 (SD=1.41). The average parent satisfaction score on question fourteen was 4.40.

Multiple regression analysis on 40 parent surveys revealed that the variable "perceived care by staff toward children" was the best predictor of parent satisfaction; accounting for 35% of the variance. The predictor variable is a component of positive school climate, which is a significant determinant of effective schools. A low, positive correlation was found between perceived progress in reading (r = .26, p < .05) and parent satisfaction. Students’ actual progress as obtained by curriculum based assessment in reading and math was not correlated with their parent’s satisfaction response from question fourteen of the parent survey. A series of one way ANOVA analysis were conducted between parents of students with disabilities and parents of students without disabilities given the following variables: level of satisfaction, perceived student achievement and parent involvement. There were no differences in levels of satisfaction between parents of students with disabilities and parents of students without disabilities. Moreover, levels of satisfaction in both groups of parents were unaffected by the following variables: perceived student achievement and parent involvement.

Subject(s)

Academic achievement.

Inclusive education.

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