1. Teachers’ Perceptions of Technology-
Based Communication with Parents
Lisa Malsberger & Debbie Dillon

2. Purpose of the Research
 If a teacher believes technology-based
communication with parents will increase a student’s
success. (Does this support higher grades, test
scores, and graduation rates?)
 Identify any barriers between teacher-parent through
the use of technology-based communication.
 Identify teachers’ opinions regarding technology-
based communication with parents.

3. Why is this important to research?
 A 2005 Harvard Education report indicates that
about one-sixth of American teachers leave the
profession every year!
 According to research by the Center for the Study of
Teaching & Policy in 2005, the stress of dealing
with difficult parents is one of the top reasons
teachers choose to depart.
 Among new teachers, communication with parents is
the most frequently cited challenge and the area in
which they feel least prepared. (2005 MetLife Survey of the
American Teacher)

4. Technology-Based Communication
 Technology-based communication can mean a
class website, a newsletter, e-mail, etc. that can
be used by a teacher, student, and/or parent
 The Department of Education reported in 2003
that 99% of public schools had access to the
internet, and 86% of those schools
communicated with parents using technology

5. Technology-Based Communication
 Several studies have shown a positive link
between communication with parents-teachers
and student success
 Positive results include: higher grades, test
scores, graduation rates, improved school
attendance, increased motivation and increased
likelihood of going onto college.
(Lewis, 2003)

6. Background
Derry Township School District
 Approximately 3,500 students K-
12
 5 schools—114 acre campus
 Hershey Early Childhood Center
 Hershey Primary Elementary
 Hershey Intermediary
 Hershey Middle School
 Hershey High School
 Appx 1,200 student grades 9-12
 Graduation Rate in 2007-2008
was 96%
 95% of graduating seniors
pursue post-secondary
education

7. Background
Hershey Area High School
Home Access Center
Software was implemented in 2006
Parents of students grades 6-12 can access:
Report Card Grades
Discipline Records
Class Assignment Grades
Attendance
“Other General Student Information”
Access is gained using an individual username and
password
Help Desk is available for parents with questions or who
need assistance

8. Online Access

9. Methodology
 Quantitative Method
 Online survey tool using Google Docs
 Sample Questions:
 Do you communicate with the parents of your students using email?
 What percentage of parents respond to your online communication
attempts?
 Do you see a positive correlation between student progress and
parent communication through technology?
 Survey was submitted to the Technology Director,
who then forwarded the survey to the teaching staff
at the Hershey Area High School
 Teachers had approximately 2 weeks to respond to
survey

10. Results
 83 teachers at Hershey Area High School
 24% of teaching staff responded to the survey
 85% of teachers that responded completed the
survey within one week
-20 surveys received from grade 9-12 teachers

11. Demographics
How long have you been
teaching? 0% What is your age?
15% 15%
0-5 years 21-30
25% 20% 6-10 years 31-40
41-50
11-15 years
15% 35% 35% 51-60
16-20 years
61-70
Over 20 years
10% 30%
What is your gender?
45% Male
55% Female

12. Results
What grade do you teach? What subject do you teach?
Business 0 0%
9th 8 44% English 4 21%
10th 9 50% History 4 21%
11th 14 78% Math 3 16%
12th 14 78% Science 1 5%
Other 2 11% Technology 0 0%
Other * 7 37%
*Health/PE, Learning
Support, Reading, Language, School

13. Results
Grade Subject
 We could not find a  There was a correlation
distinct correlation between technology-based
communication with parents
between the grades and the subject the teacher
taught and a difference in teaches.
the response to the  Health/PE teachers reported
questions using technology-based
communication monthly with
parents, and also that 0-25%
of the time, parents would
respond to their attempts

14. Results
How comfortable are Do you teach in a lab
you using computers? setting?
5% 10% 5%
Very
Comfortable
Yes
30% Somewhat
No
65% Occasionall
Not 85% y
comfortable
at all

15. 16% of teachers never used computers in
class
If computers are
Correlation
available, how often do
you use them in class?  There was a correlation
between how often
computers are used and
16% the subject taught
21% Daily
Weekly
Monthly  1 Health/PE, 1 Math, 1
32%
31% Never History teacher never
used computer in class

16. Every teacher communicated with parents using
online methods at least occasionally
Do you communicate If you communicate
with parents using with parents using
email? online methods, how
often do you do so?
21%
0% 25% 25%
Yes
Daily
No
Occasionally
Weekly
79% Monthly
50%

17. Results
What percentage of
parents respond to
your online
 1 Health, 1 learning &
communication support, & 1 History teacher
attempts? reported parents responding
only 0-25%
3
1 0-25%
1 26-50%
 15 teachers reported 76-100%
51-75%
of parents respond
15 76-100%

18. 65% of teachers talk to parents using other
methods of communication
61% prefer using Phone
Do you talk to parents If yes, what other
using other methods methods do you prefer
besides online to use to
communication? communicate?
0%
Yes
30% Phone
35%
No Notes
61% In Person
65% Occasionall 9%
Other
y
0%

19. Only 2 teachers said they DON’T prefer
online communication
90% of teachers prefer
online communication! Correlation?
Do you prefer online  Of that 10%, they were
communication with
parents instead of other
only somewhat
methods? comfortable using
computers
Yes
 They were between the
35% ages of 31-40 and 51-
No
60 and had over 20
55%
Occasionall years of teaching
y
10%
experience

20. Students who have problems in the
classroom…
Do you use online If yes, do you feel it is
communication with the productive for dealing
parents of students with these issues of
who have problems in students?
the classroom or with
their assignments?
Yes
Yes 37%
No
25%
No 63%
5% Occasionall
70% y
Occasionall
0%
y

21. 85% of teachers see a positive correlation
Do you see a positive correlation between
student progress and parent communication
through technology?
10%
5%
Yes
No
Not Yet
85%

22. What can parents access on your class website?
11%
7% Grades
2% 32%
Attendance
Assignments
Disciplinary Action
I do not have a class website
Other
34%
14%

23. 95% of teachers say parents aren’t
apprehensive
Do parents seem apprehensive to communicate
with you using online methods?
0%
5%
Yes
No
Other
95%

24. However…
Do you know if any of the following reasons
apply to why parents may not be communicating
using online methods?
They are busy and/or lack time
0%
They don't feel a responsibility to
30% communicate with you more than they
35%
have to (i.e., parent-teacher
conferences, a phone call)
Computers aren't available to them or
they are not proficient in using them
Other
35%

25. Percentage of Students who own a home
computer
Based on your own
experience, what
percentage of your
From the U.S. Census
students own a home Bureau:
computer?  76% of households with
5% school-aged children
from the ages of 6-17
0-25% own a computer (2003)
26-50%
51-75%
76-100%
95%

26. Findings
 What we found based on our purpose for this research:
85% of the teachers we surveyed do believe technology-based
communication with parents increases a student’s success
The teachers we surveyed said 95% of parents are not apprehensive
to communicating using technology-based methods
Barriers with why parents may not respond to attempts include lack
of time or busy; not feeling a need to communicate more than they
have to; or computers aren’t available or they aren’t proficient in
using them
90% of teachers prefer technology-based communication!

27. Additional Comments from 2 teachers:
 “Communicating with parents is essential to a student's success, particularly if a
student is struggling. Being able to let parents know what is happening in the
classroom via e-mail and my teacher web site has been invaluable. However, I
have had to be extremely careful regarding how e-mails are written. I am
continually asking myself when I compose an e-mail to a parent if my words are
clear or if the message I am sending could be misinterpreted. Since a parent
cannot see my nonverbal cues, nor hear the intonation in my voice that I would
use if I were speaking on the phone or in person, I must be continually aware of
how my words might be interpreted. “ (Female English teacher from the ages of 41-50, with over 20
years teaching experience)
 “I like email. It is very efficient. No parent wants to be called out of a meeting for
a call from the school. I have a tight schedule during the school day, and I fully
expect parents to be just as busy. Email allows me to write when I have time.
The parents reply when they have time. Email also allows me to be
specific, logical and say things only once. There's nothing so frustrating as an
emotional parent who just wants someone to listen when I have quizzes and
tests to grade, lessons to prepare, and try to have a life outside the school. Also I
can put both positive and negative things about the student or their grades in the
same email that might only take 5 minutes to read. If I spend 10 minutes laying
out why their child is performing poorly, I may not get a chance to say anything
positive before the parents despair.” (Male English teacher from the ages of 31-40, with 0-5 years
teaching experience)

28. Limitations
 Communication barriers with contacts
 Barriers with first point of contact
 Communication barriers with contact at Hershey Area
High School
 The communication barriers led to other minor issues, in
that the start of the survey had to be delayed.
 Time of year survey was administered
 Thanksgiving holiday

29. Limitations
 Unable to have direct access to the teachers at
Hershey Area High School
 This meant that if we wished to send any follow up or
reminder emails, we had to go through the technology
director, who then would send them to the teaching staff.
 We were unable to make any educated correlations
because of the minimal amount of responses
received.

30. Recommendations
 Survey should be re-administered during a non-holiday
season
 Perhaps useful to administer the survey at a school
district where you have permission to be in direct contact
with the teaching staff
 Survey multiple schools that offer parents access to
student records online
 Expand the survey to include demographics regarding
the students and class size
 Include questions to determine the extent of the
relationships that teachers have with parents
 In follow up surveys, the researchers should have the
ability to communicate in person with teachers or
administrators at the school(s) being surveyed

31. Questions?