Partnering with Helicopter Parents

Justin AlgerCSPA-NYS Annual Conference

October 5, 2009

Learning OutcomesAttendees will be exposed to a brief history of parent involvement in higher educationAttendees will be exposed to parent involvement’s relationship to student transition to collegeAttendees will be exposed to college parent characteristics: culture/ethnicity, socio-economic status, familial status, parent education level, and genderAttendees will gain an understanding of the expectations parents have of the institution of higher education their student attends

My GoalsNot a 1-UP SessionNo New InformationPartnering with Parents

Historyin loco parentis

Dixon v. Alabama State Board of Education FERPANo Child Left Behind ActHelicopter Parents

“Felt guilty if they missed a soccer game, considered braces for slightly uneven teeth, and sought therapy for difficult behavior; parents who made sure homework was done, and equipped their adolescents with cell phones for safety's sake. (Lane, 2006)”

Partnering with Parents

TransitionStarts earlyCollege ChoiceOrientationWelcome to the Campus Community!

Today Show Clip Today Show Clip

CharacteristicsFamilial status/constructionParent education level Culture/ethnicityParental genderSocio-economic status

Harvard College President Lawrence H. Summers states socioeconomic status is "most severe domestic problem in the United States, (Basinger & Smallwood, 2004, p. A35)."

Shaping parental expectationsWhat and Why?• History• Transition• Characteristics• Rising costs• College students are viewed by parents as

children not adults• Technology (Verizon Wireless Commercial)

Verizon Wireless Commercial

Concluding thoughts…Thanks for your attention!

Some ResourcesBasinger, J., & Smallwood, S. (2004). Harvard Gives a Break to Parents Who Earn Less

Than $40,000 a Year. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 50(27), A35.Blackhurst, A. (2008). Campus commons: Moving away from generalizing a generation. About

Campus, 13(1), 4-6.Carney-Hall, K. C. (2008). Understanding current trends in family involvement. New

Directions for Student Services, 2008(122), 3-14.Center, E. P. I. (2008). Family Education Right to Privacy Act (Buckley Amendment).

Retrieved December 8, 2008, from http://www.epic.org/privacy/education.ferpa.htmlCoburn, K. L. (2006). Organizing a ground crew for today's helicopter parents. About

Campus, 11(3), 9-16.Coburn, K. L., & Woodward, B. (2001). More Than Punch and Cookies: A New Look at Parent

Orientation Programs. New Directions for Student Services, 2001(94), 27-38.Colavecchio-Van Sickler, S. (2006, June 18, 2006). Mommy, tell my professor he's not

nice! St. Petersburg Times, David, M. E., Ball, S. J., Davies, J., & Reay, D. (2003). Gender Issues in Parental

Involvement in Student Choices of Higher Education. Gender & Education, 15(1), 21.Dinger, D. R. (2001). Johnny Saw my Test Score, so I'm Suing my Teacher. Journal of Law and

Education, 30(4), 575-626.Dixon v. Alabama State Board of Education. (1961). In F.2d (Ed.) (Vol. No. 18641, pp.

150): UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FIFTH CIRCUIT.Family Educational Rights and Privacy; Final Rule. (2008). Federal Register, 73(237), 74806-

74855.Garner, B. A., & Black, H. C. (Eds.). (2004) Black's Law Dictionary (8th ed.). St. Paul:

Thomson/West.Golden, D. C. (2001). The President's Role in Partnering with Parents. New Directions for

Student Services(94), 73.

How America Pays for College. (2008). Reston, VA: Sallie Maeo. Document Number)Jacobson, J. (2003, August 8). Whose College Application Is It, Anyway? The

Chronicle of Higher Education, p. B16, from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=10537237&site=ehost-live

Lane, T. (2006, March 19, 2006). 'Helicopter' parents: They hover over their college-age children, unwilling to let go. The Toledo Blade,

Lange, D. K., & Stone, M. E. (2001). Parental Involvement in Admissions and Financial Aid. New Directions for Student Services(94), 15.

Legutko, R. S. (2008). A Decade's Difference: Research Revisited on Family Influence of Rural High School Students' Postsecondary Decisions. Rural Educator, 29(2), 4-7.

Mansfield, P. M., & Warwick, J. (2005). Gender Differences in Students' and Parents' Evaluative Criteria When Selecting a College. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 15, 47-80.

Marklein, M. B. (2008, January 24, 2008). Study: Colleges shouldn't fret over hands-on parents. USA Today, p. 1,

Price, J. (2008). Using purposeful messages to educate and reassure parents. New Directions for Student Services, 2008(122), 29-41.

Scott, B. R., & Daniel, B. V. (2001). Why Parents of Undergraduates Matter to Higher Education. New Directions for Student Services, 2001(94), 83-89.

Section 152. Dependant Child. Legal Information Institute Retrieved December 7, 2008, from http://www.assembeler.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode26/usc_sec_26_00000152.html.

Some More Resources

Contact InformationJustin Alger

Doctoral CandidateGovernors Complex Coordinator

University at BuffaloEmail: alger2@buffalo.edu

716-645-2135