Creative Commons License
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Date of Graduation
8-11-2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Educational Specialist (EdS)
Department
Department of Graduate Psychology
Advisor(s)
Deborah Kipps-Vaughan
Tammy Gilligan
Cara Meixner
Abstract
Existing research on parent experiences in school-based problem-solving team meetings has focused on the special education process; however, the pre-referral process precedes this and may influence future collaborative efforts. This study investigates parents' experiences in pre-referral meetings and explores their perceptions of participation, factors influencing their involvement, and barriers they face. A convergent mixed methods approach was utilized to analyze parents’ quantitative and qualitative responses to an online survey; frequency of response to survey items and thematic analysis were used to present a holistic depiction of parents’ personal experiences. Results suggested that although parents report positive experiences within their meetings, factors were present that influenced their participation. Parents emphasized the importance of setting clear expectations, effective communication, and limiting technical jargon to enhance their engagement in pre-referral meetings. Connections between the current study and existing literature are made, implications for future research to address the limitations of this study are discussed, and recommendations for schools to promote effective collaboration and improve parent experiences in pre-referral meetings are provided.
Recommended Citation
Folk, Mason R., "Partner or participant? Parent experiences within pre-referral meetings" (2023). Educational Specialist, 2020-current. 69.
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/edspec202029/69
