The perception of parents of the appropriate degree of parental involvement in an independent boarding school: A matter of trust

The role that parents should play in a boarding school has been an issue in these schools for as long as they have existed. This study will address the issues of parental involvement in independent boarding schools and what parents in these schools perceive as the proper degree of parental involvement in key areas of school governance. Focusing on an all-male boarding school, this study examined what parents perceive as the appropriate level of involvement in a boarding school. The examination focuses upon five critical areas of the school: development, school life, curriculum, mission, and long range planning. The second research question follows from the first and examines if parents with certain high levels of trust in an independent boarding school perceive that parents should have a lower level of involvement in the school. Using data from a survey of all parents at Woodberry Forest School, the study found that the majority of parents desired regular or occasional input in the school. Very few desired decision-making authority in the school. Parents with a high level of trust in a school do not feel that they need to play a role in the school. The study presents three models for parental involvement in a boarding school. Recommendations from the study suggest that schools base parental involvement on such factors as school history, culture, and development base