EDUC 540
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COURSE PROJECT ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS
The Course Project has been broken down into three parts. Each part builds to the completed
Course Project. The topic you selected during Module 2: Week 2 should be the topic for all parts
of this assignment.
Course Project: Journal Analysis Assignment
You will write an essay (800–1,000 words) in which you compare three scholarly journal
articles with different points of view on the same topic/issue you select on some issue
related to urban education. The articles must be current (five years or less). The journal
analysis will include a title page, a references page, and have a minimum of 800 words.
Your analysis must thoroughly interpret and examine the articles for perspective, validity,
and significance of the findings. You should support your discussion with relevant facts,
arguments, examples, and details from your review of the articles; your analysis should
be well-reasoned, indicating substantial breadth and depth of thinking. Use current APA-
formatted section headings to organize your writing. There must be a clearly identified
discussion section in which you describe the practical application to urban education at
large. You must identify relevant scriptural principles and perspectives from a biblical
worldview, including at least one relevant Bible verse. In composing this section, please
ensure that you fully explain how your chosen verses and scriptural principles relate to
your chosen topic.
Course Project: Media Analysis Assignment
You will compare coverage of your selected urban education topic in 3–4 different
types of sources (e.g., newspapers, magazines, academic journals, books, professional
association websites, etc.). Students determine what perspectives are present or absent
and assess sources for bias. This assignment must be 800–1,000 words and requires
citations from 3-4 sources in current APA formatting. This media analysis will include
a title page, a references page, and have a minimum of 800 words. Your analysis must
thoroughly interpret and examine the articles for perspective, validity, and significance
of the findings. You should support your discussion with relevant facts, arguments,
examples, and details from your review of the sources; your analysis should be well-
reasoned, indicating substantial breadth and depth of thinking. Use current APA-
formatted section headings to organize your writing. There must be a clearly identified
discussion section in which you describe the practical application to the broader
industry of urban education at large. You must identify relevant scriptural principles
and perspectives from a biblical worldview, including at least one relevant Bible verse.
In composing this section, please ensure that you fully explain how your chosen verses
and scriptural principles relate to your chosen topic. In addition to submitting this
portion of the Course Project at the end of Module 5: Week 5, you must integrate your
findings into the final part of the Course Project: PowerPoint Presentation
Assignment.
Course Project: PowerPoint Presentation Assignment
You will create a PowerPoint presentation that should include: (1) a brief outline of the
topic and why it is relevant, (2) a description of the opportunities and challenges, (3)
examples of where it is in use and their experiences with it and/or possible applications
EDUC 540
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for it, and (4) a conclusion highlighting the impact (positive and/or negative) this may
have on urban education. Additionally, you must type a script in the notes section to
align with the PowerPoint for a 15-minute presentation. You must incorporate the
sources previously used in all parts of the Course Project and adding at least two
additional sources.
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Parental Involvement in Urban Education
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Date
2
Brief background information on the Topic
Urban education, just like the form of education provided to students in rural areas, deals
with numerous challenges that might impede the quality of education accorded to learners, and
subsequently, their chances of succeeding in their professional and personal lives. The high
student population and diversity levels in urban schools exacerbate the situation. Parents can play
a pivotal positive role, especially when it comes to improving their academic outcomes by
participating in their child's education. As such, this paper focuses on the contribution of parental
involvement by looking at what effective parental participation entails and the challenges
impeding such participation in urban school settings. This discussion will be informed by an
analysis of arguments and findings made in four different sources. The paper will culminate with
a section looking at the applicability of the articles' ideas in the broader urban education industry.
Article Analysis
Numerous factors have an impact on students’ academic outcomes in urban school
settings. This paper focuses predominantly on parental involvement, considering other factors
such as students’ contribution, school setting, and educators’ competency have been the central
point of focus in other numerous studies. Adams’s (2020) newspaper article for the Washington
Post covered an activity organized at Laurene Edmondson Elementary School in Loveland,
Colorado. This activity sought to foster parental participation in their child’s education;
specifically, the activity's goals were to show parents what takes place in their child's classroom,
and most importantly, how they can support learning at home. This activity was part of the
school's Guaranteed Education Teams (GET) program and takes place twice a year. The activity
was held in the evening and started out with educators and students engaging with parents and
informing them of what they have been teaching throughout the year, and finally, parents go
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through a 30-minute workshop showing them how they can support learning at home. Even
though Adams's (2020) findings were valid, considering they were informed by an analysis of
first-hand data, the article’s reliability was affected by reporting bias. This is because when
exploring the parent involvement activity at the school, Adams (2020) failed to look at the
various challenges affecting the implementation of the school's GET program. Without
understanding these challenges replicating or customizing the findings will be challenging.
Armstrong-Carter et al. (2020) conducted a study to understand the impact of excessive
parental involvement in their education. Armstrong-Carter et al. (2020) acknowledge that
parental involvement in their child's education is vital, considering these school-based
partnerships can lead to better academic outcomes for their children. However, from the study,
Armstrong-Carter et al. (2020) established that extensive parental involvement could have
adverse implications. For instance, parents who often stepped in to help their children, even
when such assistance was not needed, resulted in their children performing poorly, compared to
children whose parents only assisted when such aid was needed (Armstrong-Carter et al., 2020).
The study’s findings are accurate and reliable, considering they were informed not only by an
analysis of first-hand data but also devoid of bias since Armstrong-Carter et al. (2020) strictly
followed a methodological approach when conducting the study.
Jackson et al. (2017) took a different approach when looking at the concept of parental
involvement, opting to focus on the low parental involvement in African American families. In
the book, Jackson et al. (2017) posit that collaboration that brings together administrators,
parents, students, and educators will significantly contribute to the attainment of better academic
outcomes for learners. African American families are often low-income households. According
to Jackson et al. (2017), such an aspect then means that parents will find it challenging to provide
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their children with vital learning support, such as the provision of educational resources.
Furthermore, the fact that most of them work multiple jobs prevents them from having sufficient
and effective interactions with their children, such as helping them with their homework. Jackson
et al.'s (2017) findings and conclusions are quite significant, considering they demonstrate why
academic outcomes are significantly lower for African American children. These findings are
accurate and reliable, considering they are informed by extensive and methodological research
on various factors affecting parental involvement levels within African American families.
When Project Appleseed (2021) looked at the objectives associated with parental
involvement, they identified that enhancing academic outcomes was a major driving force
underscoring this concept. Project Appleseed (2021) further ascertained that this happens
because students are often motivated to work harder and improve when they know that their
parents are actively involved in their education. However, Project Appleseed (2021) identified a
couple of factors that might hinder such participation. One such factor is the tendency of
educators to design students’ home-based activities or tasks in a manner that limits parental
involvement or assistance. Such an aspect then makes it harder for a parent to assist their child in
these tasks and thus inadvertently limits their level of participation. The validity of Project
Appleseed's (2021) findings and conclusions are enhanced by the fact that they have been proven
by numerous other studies. However, their reliability is also enhanced by the lack of bias,
considering the website article embraces a holistic analysis of parental involvement by looking at
the upsides and challenges associated with this concept.
Applicability in Urban Education
The findings from these four articles are generalizable, and thus, should be broadly
applied within the urban education sector. Even though parental involvement is necessary,
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parents should avoid extensive involvement in their child’s education. This is because such high
levels of involvement will adversely affect their child’s educational achievements, an aspect that
contravenes the ultimate goal of this concept. This caution is also enunciated in the bible under
Proverbs 25:16, which states, “Too much of a good thing is bad for you.” This verse encourages
people to exercise restraint and find a balance, even when what they are doing is the right thing.
Internalizing and following this advice can significantly enhance the effectiveness of parental
involvement, and thus, lead to better outcomes for children in urban schools.
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References
Adams, C. (2020, February 28). For schools eager to bolster parental involvement, it’s a family
affair. Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/
education/for-schools-eager-to-bolster-parental-involvement-its-a-family-
affair/2020/02/28/2f7bd210-58fb-11ea-ab68-101ecfec2532_story.html.
Armstrong-Carter, E., Sulik, M. J., & Obradovic, J. (2020). Self-regulated behavior and parent-
child co-regulation are associated with young children's physiological response to
receiving critical adult feedback. Social Development, 13(4), 12-25.
Jackson, E. R., Turner, C., & Battle, D. E. (2017). Unique challenges in urban schools: The
involvement of African American parents. Rowman & Littlefield.
Project Appleseed. (2021). Break Barriers. Get the parental involvement toolbox: What are the
benefits and barriers to family engagement? Retrieved 22 November 2021 from
https://www.projectappleseed.org/barriers
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Parental Involvement in Urban Education
Student’s Name
Institution Affiliation
Date
2
Brief background information on the Topic
Urban education is increasingly becoming a central focus of numerous research ventures
seeking to enhance the quality of education accorded to learners and the competency of
educators. It is a form of schooling that predominantly happens not only in larger and densely
populated towns but also has a diverse student population. Education institutions providing an
urban education experience typically have a complex bureaucratic system coupled with a high
student enrollment rate. Despite serving the population with a vital source of knowledge,
sometimes schools cannot meet the demands of learning in large metropolitan areas. Even
though factors might hinder students’ success, this paper focuses on the nature and impact of
parental involvement by looking at the perspectives enunciated by three journal articles. The
paper will culminate with a section looking at the applicability of the articles’ arguments and
findings in the broader urban education industry.
Journal Article Analysis
Many stakeholders in education systems agree that parental involvement is a vital
determinant of their child's educational achievements. Fischer (2016) argues that despite this
perception, defining what effective parental involvement entails is critical to ensuring that
students and educators benefit from such involvement. As such, Fischer (2016) sought to define
and conceptualize the terminologies parental involvement. The aim of doing this is to ensure that
parents are familiar with what form of conduct and activities should be perceived as effective
school-based parental involvement. From the study, Fischer et al. (2016) were able to identify 44
parental activities that enhance school-based parental involvement. Fischer (2016) categorized
these activities into four distinct areas. One of these areas involves activities happening within
the school and at the organizational level. Some of these activities include; participating in
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school and class PTAs, fundraising for their child’s class, and engaging with their child’s
educators and the principal. The second category revolves around parental activities within the
school and at the student level. Some of these activities include; visiting their child’s school at
least once a week, critiquing curriculum with educators, and participating in decision-making
ventures. The next category involves activities outside the school and at the student level. Some
of these activities include; expressing an opinion on the nature and amount of homework given
to their child, assisting with homework, and helping their child prepare for exams. The final
category covers activities outside the school and at the organizational level. Some of these
activities include; selecting an appropriate school for their child, accompanying the child for
educational field trips, and organizing school fairs. The fact that the conceptualization of parental
involvement was informed by analysis and interpretation of first-hand data collected via
questionnaires administered to parents, students, teachers, and high-ranking public officials in
the ministry of education enhances the accuracy and reliability of their conceptualization of
parental involvement.
Durisic and Bunijevac (2017) concede that parental involvement in their child's education
and school activities can have numerous positive impacts on their child's achievements. As such,
Durisic and Bunijevac (2017) assessed the positive impacts associated with such involvement
and summarized the key principles underscoring effective partnerships between schools and
parents. By doing this, Durisic and Bunijevac (2017) are seeking to come up with
recommendations that can aid with the creation of successful parental involvement programs in
urban schools. According to Durisic and Bunijevac (2017), the collaboration between families,
schools, and communities not only has a positive impact on academic success for learners but
also serves as a mechanism for introducing reforms that enhance the quality of education
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provided to students. Furthermore, successful students often come from backgrounds
characterized by strong academic support from their parents or caregivers. Durisic and Bunijevac
(2017) further argue that these schools succeed despite having children from low socio-economic
backgrounds. This is because such students enjoy positive and strong school-home relationships.
The fact that Durisic and Bunijevac (2017) relied on numerous published studies to inform their
findings and recommendations pertaining not only to the positive impacts of parental
involvement but also their recommendations for such cooperation enhances the accuracy and
reliability of their findings and recommendations.
Just like Durisic and Bunijevac (2017), Duan et al. (2018) also acknowledge the immense
value parental involvement adds to their child's chances of succeeding. However, Duan et al.
(2018) are concerned that parents' socio-economic status can affect the level and nature of their
participation in a child's education. As such, Duan et al. (2018) conducted a study aimed at
understanding the moderating impact of socio-economic status in the relationship between
students’ performance and parental involvement in Chinese urban education. According to Duan
et al. (2018), although academic socialization and home-based involvement have a positive
influence on students' academic achievement and their conduct in school, their parents' socio-
economic status can erode such outcomes. From their study, Duan et al. (2018) established that
parents with low socio-economic status practice low levels of academic socialization with their
children, an aspect that can adversely affect their school behavior and academic achievements. In
contrast, parents with higher socio-economic status provide their children access to a better
living environment coupled with more and better educational resources for them, leading to
better outcomes. Based on these findings, Duan et al. (2018) recommended that intervention
programs should place greater emphasis on improving parental involvement in families with low
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socio-economic status, considering doing so will lead to better outcomes for the already
disadvantaged students. The findings from this study are accurate and reliable, primarily because
they were informed by an analysis of first-hand data collected via surveys. Furthermore, the
researchers did not have any financial or commercial relationships that might give rise to a
conflict of interest. Such an aspect also enhances the validity of their findings.
Applicability in Urban Education
The findings and conclusions from the three journal articles can be generalized within
urban education settings. Fischer (2016) argues that effective parental involvement requires
parents to participate in various activities within the school at the organizational level and
student level and outside the school at the organizational and student levels. According to
Durisic and Bunijevac (2017), doing this will lead to better academic achievements for their
students. However, Duane et al. (2018) recommend that schools with students from low socio-
economic backgrounds should come up with interventions that enhance parental involvement,
considering without such tailor-made interventions, the level of involvement of parents from
these families will be very low, which then adversely affects their child’s academic outcomes.
The Bible recognizes that parents should contribute to the positive development of their children,
and as such, advises them to endeavor to do this. This directive can be deduced from
Deuteronomy 6, which states, “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of
them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and
when you rise” (Koerrenz, 2020). This verse implies that parents should always be involved in
their children’s progress.
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References
Duan, W., Guan, Y., & Bu, H. (2018). The effect of parental involvement and socio-economic
status on junior school students' academic achievement and school behavior in China.
Frontiers in psychology, 9, 952.
Đurišić, M., & Bunijevac, M. (2017). Parental involvement as an important factor for successful
education. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 7(3), 137-153.
Fisher, Y. (2016). Multi-Dimensional Perception of Parental Involvement. Universal Journal of
Educational Research, 4(2), 457-463.
Koerrenz, R. (2020). The Hebrew Paradigm of Pedagogy. In The Lost Mirror (pp. 145-157).
Ferdinand Schöningh.
Parental Involvement in Urban
Education
Name
Institution Affiliation
Date
Objective Slide
Parents taking part in children’s education is a core feature of contemporary urban
education.
Introduction of topic and relevance.
Challenges and opportunities associated with parental involvement.
Example to demonstrate parental involvement in action.
Positive and negative impacts associated with parental involvement.
Introduction of the Topic
Urban education is increasingly becoming a central focus of numerous research
ventures.
It happens in larger, densely populated towns and has a diverse student population.
Has a complex bureaucratic system coupled with a high student enrollment rate.
Many stakeholders in education systems agree that parental involvement is a vital
determinant of their child's educational achievements.
Introduction of the Topic Continuation
Defining what effective parental involvement entails is critical.
Doing this ensures that parents are familiar with what form of conduct and activities
they should adopt.
Fischer (2016) identified 44 parental activities that enhance school-based parental
involvement.
Fischer (2016) categorized these activities into four distinct areas.
Introduction of the Topic Continuation
One of these areas involves activities happening within the school and at the
organizational level.
The second category revolves around parental activities within the school and at the
student level.
The next category involves activities outside the school and at the student level.
The final category covers activities outside the school and at the organizational level.
Opportunities: Parents
Parents get a chance to familiarize themselves with what their children are learning.
Doing this allows parents and caregivers to assess the effectiveness of student education.
Taking part in their children’s education gives them a chance to contribute to the
improvement of student outcomes .
Parents to engage in activities such as attending school and class PTAs.
Opportunities: Students
Parental participation also accords students with numerous opportunities.
Allows students to form better relationships with their parents.
The major criticism facing contemporary parents is that many of them prioritize their
work responsibilities.
The net effect of this is that many parents become disconnected emotionally and
psychologically with their children.
Opportunities:Educators
Educators are critical stakeholders in many education systems.
They serve as arbiters of the effectiveness of student education.
This concept presents educators with an opportunity to improve the effectiveness of
student education.
It also allows educators to build relationships with parents.
Challenges
Faces numerous challenges.
One such challenge revolves around the level of parental involvement, especially how a
parent’s socio-economic status affects such level of involvement.
Parents with low socio-economic status practice low levels of academic socialization
with their children, which adversely affects their academic outcomes.
Children with parents with higher socio-economic status have better outcomes.
Challenges
Jackson et al. (2017) took a different approach opting to focus on the low parental
involvement in African American families.
African American families are often low-income households.
Such parents will find it challenging to provide their children with vital learning
support.
Very challenging for parents to have sufficient and effective interactions with their
children.
Challenges
Educators can also serve as hinderence effective participation.
Enhancing academic outcomes is a major driving force underscoring this concept.
Project Appleseed (2021) identified a couple of factors that might hinder such
participation.
One such factor is the tendency of educators to design students’ home-based activities or
tasks in a manner that limits parental involvement or assistance.
Real-Life Application
Adams’s (2020) covered an activity organized at Laurene Edmondson Elementary.
The activity's goals were to show parents what takes place in their child's classroom.
Also showed parents how they can support learning at home.
This activity was part of the school's Guaranteed Education Teams (GET) program and
takes place twice a year.
Real-Life Application Continuation
Educators and students engaged with parents and informed them of what they have
been teaching throughout the year.
Parents go through a 30-minute workshop showing them how they can support
learning at home.
The evening’s event was not the traditional fundraising exercise.
Having such a program is one of the main reasons the school’s students perform
exceptionally well
Impact on Urban Education: Positive
Has a positive impact on academic success for learners.
Helps motivate students to perform better.
Serves as a mechanism for introducing reforms that enhance the quality of education
provided to students.
Helps students form positive and strong school-home relationships.
Impact on Urban Education: Negative
Even though it is necessary, it can also have a negative implication on student’s
academic success.
Extensive participation can lead to adverse academic outcomes.
Such high involvement levels, especially when assistance is not needed results in
students performing poorly.
Parents should learn how to restrict their involvement to ensure that it is effective.
Conclusion
Parental involvement is critical.
Such involvement can positively affect students’academic outcomes.
Ensuring that parents with low SES status are involved is also important.
Intervention programs should place greater emphasis on improving participation in
families with low socio-economic status.
References
Adams, C. (2020, February 28). For schools eager to bolster parental involvement, it’s a family affair. Washington
Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/
education/for-schools-eager-to-bolster-parental-involvement-its-a-family-affair/2020/02/28/2f7bd210-58fb-
11ea-ab68-101ecfec2532_story.html.
Armstrong-Carter, E., Sulik, M. J., & Obradovic, J. (2020). Self-regulated behavior and parent-child co-regulation are
associated with young children's physiological response to receiving critical adult feedback. Social
Development,13(4), 12-25.
Duan, W., Guan, Y., & Bu, H. (2018). The effect of parental involvement and socio-economic status on junior school
students' academic achievement and school behavior in China. Frontiers in Psychology,9,952.
References
Đurišić, M., & Bunijevac, M. (2017). Parental involvement as an important factor for successful
education. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 7(3), 137-153.
Fisher, Y. (2016). Multi-Dimensional Perception of Parental Involvement. Universal Journal of
Educational Research, 4(2), 457-463.
Jackson, E. R., Turner, C., & Battle, D. E. (2017). Unique challenges in urban schools: The involvement
of African American parents. Rowman & Littlefield.
Jeynes, W. H. (2018). A practical model for school leaders to encourage parental involvement and parental
engagement. School Leadership & Management,38(2), 147-163.
References
Kaufman, J. L., & Newman, K. C. (2019). Urban education: Issues, reforms, and the role of planners.In
Planning and community equity (pp. 105-137). Routledge.
Project Appleseed. (2021). Break Barriers. Get the parental involvement toolbox: What are the benefits
and barriers to family engagement? Retrieved 22 November 2021 from
https://www.projectappleseed.org/barriers
