Parental Involvement in a Low-Income Middle School: Influences on Student-Teacher Connectedness

School connectedness is associated with a broad range of positive academic and mental health outcomes. A dimension of school connectedness, student-teacher connectedness, is related to improved academic progress and may be an important protective factor against risk-taking behaviors, particularly for low-income students and for those with limited parental support. The purpose of this qualitative secondary data analysis was to explore teacher perceptions of parental involvement in a low-income, rural middle school serving a diverse student population and the influence on student-teacher connectedness. Data were taken from transcripts from five focus groups comprised of middle school teachers, administrators, and clinicians (n = 26). Thematic analysis included first and second cycle coding followed by developing Venn diagrams to depict categories and patterns before reaching consensus on themes. Three themes were identified: (1) parental support of students; (2) parental modeling for students; and (3) parental interaction with teachers. Overall, teachers perceived a lack of parental involvement in this low-income diverse middle school which led to missed connections between students and teachers. This disconnect may be the result of multiple factors, including perceived low levels of parental support for students, differing expectations between parents and teachers, and perceived poor quality interactions between parents and teachers. When formulating strategies to enhance student--teacher connectedness, consideration should be given to the extent and importance of the role of parental involvement.