Measuring the Relationship Between Parental Engagement and Student Attendance Rates in Elementary Schools

Abstract

Chronic absenteeism is a prominent and pernicious cause of poor academic outcomes. Previous studies focused on parental involvement, noting the difference family makes in elementary education where attendance may be a consequence of familial support or lack thereof. This paper studies the association between parents involvement and attendance rates, focusing on the effect of specific types of involvement, including communication with teachers and school activities participation, across different socio-economic backgrounds. Methods The design used was of a quantitative correlational type, quantifying the association between parental engagement and attendance. Surveys were distributed to parents, collecting data on engagement in topics such as homework help, attendance at events and communication with teachers. Elementary schools were contacted to obtain attendance records, to provide more objective data on student attendance. We performed statistical analyses (correlation and regression) to understand the relative impact of different types of engagement on attendance. Results suggest attendance rates are significantly higher with high versus low levels of parental engagement and teacher interaction proves to be the leading predictor (beta = 0.76, p < 0.001). It finds that while SES plays a role in engagement—low-SES families reported lower rates of engagement, which correlated to higher absenteeism for their children—teachers also indicated there are many low-SES students who are very engaged. This is consistent with past research indicating that economic barriers may restrict parental involvement in school events. These results highlight parent involvement, and particularly teacher communication with parents, as a significant influence on student attendance. Schools should aim to develop pathways or channels of communication so that teachers can continue dialoging with parents, the study said. Limitations include reliance on self-reported data, which can introduce bias, and that our analysis focused on certain SES groups that may limit generalizability. The present study informs but also reminds about the limitations that neglect the differential impact at multiple theoretical level to propose specific preventive strategies; hence future research taking mixed-methods approach and wider cultural setting will help better understand these so-called mechanisms of association between parental engagement and attendance. This information adds to the educational engagement literature by providing practitioners with potential actionable insights that may help school administrators and educators craft attendance strategies to engage families to ultimately increase or maximize family involvement and delivery of improved elementary outcomes.