Harvard Graduate School of Education PreK–12 Parent Survey Scales
Assesses key aspects of family-school relations, including parent support, child learning behaviors, school fit, school climate, parental self-efficacy, and family-school engagement.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Harvard Graduate School of Education PreK–12 Parent Survey Scales was developed by Hunter Gehlbach, Baolie Schueler, et al. (2013). It is designed to measure Family-School Relationships. 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: Social Support, Learning Support, Positive Learning Behaviors, Negative Learning Behaviors, School Fit, School Climate, Parental Self-Efficacy, Family-School Engagement.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Social Support | 1,2,3 | 3 |
| Learning Support | 4,5,6,7 | 4 |
| Positive Learning Behaviors | 8,9,10,11 | 4 |
| 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 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 3 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
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: 3 – 3
- High perception/engagement: 4 – 5
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach alphas range 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.