Convincing research evidence for more than the past five decades has shown that when parents are engaged in their children’s learning in schools, improved academic, social, and emotional outcomes for students ensue. Little is known however, about which engagement strategies and practices are most effective, why some parents choose not to engage in schools, and the roles Principals and school leaders can play in engaging parents to improve student learning and wellbeing.

To investigate these issues, a team of researchers from The University of Queensland working in partnership with the Parents and Citizens (P&C) Association Queensland and the Department of Education and Training (Queensland) collected data on parent-school-community engagement in Queensland State Schools through the “Parent Engagement in Schools” (PES) project. The PES project used a design-based research approach where Phase 1 commenced in 2014, Phase 2 was completed throughout 2016-2017, and Phase 3 is continuing until 2019. During Phases 2 and 3, data were collected from 12 schools. These data included: semi-structured interviews with Principals and P&C Presidents; focus groups with teachers, parents, and students; and documented, photographed, and videoed evidence of parent-school-community engagement strategies and practices. Interview and focus group data were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed with NVivo computer software. Quantitative data were also collected from teachers and parents using an online or hard-copy survey. Descriptive analyses, such as cross tabulations and frequencies were applied, using the statistical software Stata.

Drawing on Pushor’s parent-school engagement research, Schwab’s framework which comprises four interconnected dimensions considered equally-important: students, teachers, curriculum, and milieus (where milieus include knowledge of schools, classrooms, parents, communities, and technology), was used to thematically analyse the data to produce the research findings. This presentation uses each of Schwab’s dimensions as a lens together with Sewell’s concept of agency to highlight the strategies and practices used by Principals that emerged as most effective in engaging parents across the 12 schools. Successful strategies included: the employment of school personnel in specific roles to facilitate/support engagement; activating parent voice; the use of visibility; harnessing student agency; and the use of virtual classrooms. The lenses of Schwab’s framework also highlighted possible areas – such as classrooms and the curriculum – through which parent-school-community engagement could be strengthened. In addition, the presentation explores how the findings begin to offer a contemporary framework of Principal leadership for parent-school-community engagement for use nationally and internationally by schools/leaders, educators, public policy-makers, and researchers.