Measuring Parent Perceptions of Family–School Engagement: The Development of New Survey Tools

Given family–school engagement is correlated with student academic achievement, educational researchers have long been interested in the construct. However, measuring parental engagement is deceptively challenging. The concept includes school-based engagement, home-based learning support, and family–school communication. In this article we focus exclusively on measuring school-based family engagement. Examining this topic requires measuring parents’ perceptions of their engagement with schools alongside the barriers that may limit their involvement. However, it is not obvious that barriers items should function like a traditional survey scale. We addressed these measurement challenges through a survey design process that synthesized academic theory with empirical findings from parent respondents, resulting in three survey tools: an engagement scale, a school invitational barriers sub-scale, and a non-school barriers composite measure. Three studies (n = 385; n = 266; n = 589) provide evidence that the school-based engagement tools effectively measure engagement patterns. We conclude by describing the potential uses of the tools for educators and researchers.