A Latent Transition Analysis of Parent School Involvement Patterns: Can Training Improve Teacher Comfort with Difficult Families and Students?

Introduction:  Parent involvement in education is associated with a wide range of benefits for students (Jeynes, 2003, 2005, 2007). Unfortunately, families from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with children with the highest service needs have the lowest level of school participation (Park et al., 1994; El Nokali et al., 2010). Teacher perceptions of parent involvement patterns, especially levels of contact and comfort, are important predictors of student outcomes (Barnard, 2004; Bakker et al., 2007; Miller-Johnson & Maumary-Gremaud, 1995).  A recent study found that teachers were most likely to report low levels of comfort with parents of students with academic/behavior problems even though their contact levels with these parents was comparable to the majority of other parents (Stormont et al., 2013).

This study examines the effects of the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management program (IY TCM) on teacher perceptions of parent contact and comfort. IY TCM includes components that encourage teachers to examine their assumptions and biases about parents and to develop and/or repair relationships with challenging students and families. 

Method: Participants in this group randomized trial were 105 teachers and 1788 students in kindergarten to third grade from nine urban schools serving primarily African American students (76%). Most teachers were female (94%), and White (75%).  Teachers were randomly assigned to receive IY TCM or to a wait-list control group. Measures of parent contact and comfort (T-Involve, CPPRG, 1991); student disruptive behaviors, concentration problems, and family problems (TOCA-C; Koth et al., 2009); and academic achievement Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement were collected prior to intervention and at the end of the year.

Results: Latent Transition Analysis was used to identify patterns of involvement over time and to determine if intervention condition predicting shifts in these patterns. Four patterns of involvement were identified at baseline and at follow-up. One maladaptive pattern, characterized by low levels of contact and comfort, was found at each time point (≈15%). Students of parents in this maladaptive group had significantly more behavior problems and lower academic achievement compared to the other groups. Intervention status predicted group membership at follow-up. Specifically, intervention classrooms were significantly more likely to shift into adaptive parenting profiles at follow-up compared to control classroom parents.

Discussion: This is the first randomized trial we are aware of that has found that teacher training can alter parent involvement patterns. Discussion will focus on identifying elements of IY TCM that target teacher-parent relations.