Parent Perceptions of Actual and Ideal Levels of Involvement in Decision-making in Tennessee Elementary Schools

The problem of this study was to determine differences between parent perceptions of the actual and ideal amounts of involvement of parents, teachers and principals in decision-making at the elementary school level. This study was conducted in conjunction with two parallel studies that considered principal and teacher perceptions with the same hypotheses. The last chapter (six) presents a summary with conclusions and recommendations of all three studies. A questionnaire, designed to examine parent perceptions of the actual and the ideal levels of involvement of teachers, parents, and principal in decision making in elementary schools in the areas of budget, personnel, and curriculum, was distributed to 1325 parents of elementary school children in East Tennessee. Five hundred three parents (38%) responded. Based on the significant differences found, the conclusion was derived that parents desire more active involvement in decision making at the elementary school level for themselves and for the other stakeholders. Recommendations were made for improvement in the decision-making structure at the elementary school level and for further study