The extant literature indicates that parental engagement is positively related with student achievement (Celenk, 2003; Epstein, 1995, 2009, 2011; Gul, 2007; Henderson, Daviess, Johnson & Mapp, 2007; Henderson & Mapp, 2002; Kotoman, 2008; Jeynes, 2012; Sad, 2012; Sheldon & Epstein, 2005; Sui-Chu & Willms, 1996). Despite its promise for improving student achievement, parental engagement has been poorly understood and implemented in urban public schools. This study examines two exemplary teachers who were recognized school and district-wide for increasing parental engagement in their classrooms. The study further delves into their beliefs, experiences and practices within their specific contexts. Particularly, it focuses on exploring and capturing the existing teacher attitudes, perceptions and practices that have helped these two teachers improve parental engagement in their cases. This study utilized three qualitative data collection methods: interviews with twenty-one participants, observations of the field settings, and the analysis of the related documents. While interviews serve as the main data source, observations and document analysis were used in supporting, triangulating and complementing their findings. Data collection took place during the Spring of 2016 and concentrated on the two teachers selected for the study. The total of twenty-one participants consisted of the two teachers, fifteen parents, and four other school personnel (assistant principals and school counselors). The findings of the study document that both teachers were able to organize parents of their students around two different student-centered goals: preparing students for national exam and solving students’ problems. The findings also indicate that both teachers spend a lot of extra time to communicate and collaborate with the parents of their students, and to engage parents with their children’s education. The findings further suggest that the parents in in both cases were willing to collaborate with these teachers since parents believed that their engagement directly focused on and supported their children, instead of some school or teacher agenda. Also, the parents trusted both teachers, and were committed to collaborating with them thanks to these teachers’ commitment to improving individual children’s situations and create opportunities for the parents to do so.
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