Parent Engagement in an Independent School Setting

Abstract

Many independent schools today struggle to engage parents in ways that meet parents’ needs, particularly as these critical stakeholders have become more demanding and involved in recent years. Parents assume multiple roles. Even in schools that enjoy a healthy relationship with their parent body, the evolving role of private school parents can present a source of significant conflict, necessitating a negotiation over the extent to which parents should participate in, sway, or control school policies, procedures, and decisions. Because independent schools rely heavily on parents to further their mission; foster community; and contribute their time, energy, and money to the school, it is critical to understand not only what motivates and satisfies parents, but also how parents forge collaborative relationships with administrators and other parents and participate in community life. This qualitative study explored how parents and administrators view the role of the parent, with the goal of ascertaining meaningful and mutually-beneficial ways to engage parents in the life of the school through the lenses of parent involvement literature and negotiated order theory. Individual and focus group interviews with parents and school leadership in this independent school case study led to nine findings and three recommendations for school leadership.