Book Description

Research has shown that parent involvement has been associated with positive academic outcomes, including but not limited to, increased academic performance, lower rates of retention/failure, increased self-regulatory behavior, higher social functioning, and reduced special education placements (Anderson & Minke, 2007; Scharton, 2019). The use of on-line data management systems has proliferated over the course of the past decade. Throughout the 1990s, computer technology rapidly expanded in United States public schools. Between 1996-1997, U.S. school districts had added 500,000 computers for administrative use (Darby & Hughes, 2005). The passage of No Child Left behind (NCLB) and Race to the Top bolstered the use of technology in U.S. schools. With an increased emphasis placed on school to home connection, technology-based Student Information Systems grew increasingly common (Hughes, 2005; Epstein, 2004). Student information systems provide teachers, parents, and students the ability to monitor relevant student data, include a portal for parents to access information about their students, offer reporting capabilities, manage student admissions, and provide modules for school staff. Additionally, they serve as a communication tool that connect school activity with interested parties (parents, teachers, and administrators). Commonly known examples of SIS include, but are not limited to; PowerSchool SIS, Skyward, Gradelink, Infinite Campus, and a host of others. Commonalities often include the posting of academic and attendance data to parents, and students ("Best K-12", 2020). School to home communication has been determined to play an influential role in student achievement (Anderson & Minke, 2007; Epstein, 2010; Henderson & Mapp, 2002; Scharton, 2019), however, few research studies exist examining the landscape of the Infinite Campus Parent Portal as a communication vehicle, along with the parent, teacher, and administrator perceptions of this informational systems. The purpose of this study is to understand the use of Infinite Campus and to determine the extent to which information posted therein inspires intervention (e.g., contact with school officials, academic support at home, etc.) Results from this study will provide schools/districts with a greater understanding of parent/guardian Infinite Campus usage patterns and present the District with an opportunity to further enhance their communication capacities.