Harvard Graduate School of Education PreK–12 Parent Survey Scales
A multi-dimensional survey instrument designed to assess key aspects of family-school relations and parent perceptions.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Harvard Graduate School of Education PreK–12 Parent Survey Scales was developed by Hunter Gehlbach, Beth Schueler, et al. (2013). It is designed to measure Family-school relationships, parental involvement, and school climate. The scale is intended for use with Parents of children in PreK-12.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 38 items organized into 8 factors/subscales: Parent Support – Social Support, Parent Support – Learning Support, Child Behaviors – Positive Learning Behaviors, Child Behaviors – Negative Learning Behaviors, School Fit, School Climate, Parental Self-Efficacy, Family-School Engagement.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Parent Support – Social Support | 1,2,3 | 3 |
| Parent Support – Learning Support | 4,5,6,7 | 4 |
| Child Behaviors – Positive Learning Behaviors | 8,9,10,11 | 4 |
| Child Behaviors – Negative Learning Behaviors | 12,13,14 | 3 |
| School Fit | 15,16,17,18,19,20,21 | 7 |
| School Climate | 22,23,24,25,26,27,28 | 7 |
| Parental Self-Efficacy | 29,30,31,32,33,34 | 6 |
| Family-School Engagement | 35,36,37,38 | 4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Low / Almost Never / Not at all, 2 = Slightly / Once in a while / A little bit, 3 = Somewhat / Sometimes / Fairly well, 4 = Quite a bit / Frequently / Quite well, 5 = Extremely / Almost all the time / A tremendous amount.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 1 to 5. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Perception/Engagement: 1 – 2
- Moderate Perception/Engagement: 2 – 3
- High Perception/Engagement: 3 – 5
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha ranges from .65 to .90 across subscales.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.