Latino Parent Perspectives on Parental Involvement in Elementary Schools PDF Download

Author: Christine Niven
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Education, Elementary
Languages : en
Pages : 105

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Book Description
The purpose of this research is to provide insight into immigrant Latino parents' perspectives on parental involvement in elementary school settings as influenced by the Title I Family Literacy Program (TFLP). A comparison is made of Latino parents who have been participating in the TFLP for more than one year, participants new to the program and Latino parents who chose not to participate in the TFLP. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected via a survey and individual interviews of randomly selected members of each comparison group. All research participants were immigrant Latino parents with children at one of ten Title I elementary schools operating a TFLP. The schools are part of a large, urban school district in the Southwest. Findings indicate the TFLP has a positive effect on parental involvement practices of immigrant Latino parents. Participating parents showed increased confidence in their ability to support their children's education and program participants are more engaged in school activities. The results of this study imply participation in the program for one year or more has the most impact on families. Parents who participated for more than one year communicated a high sense of responsibility toward their influence on their child's education and upbringing and an understanding of strategies needed to effectively support their children. This research also identifies barriers parents face to participation in the TFLP and parental involvement in general. Implementation of family literacy programs in other districts would need to follow guidelines similar to this TFLP to achieve comparable results. More research is needed on the effects of this program on parents, children, and school staff.

Author: Lakshmi Subramaniam
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 156

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Book Description
Author's abstract: The face of America's school is changing bringing in students from all over the world, predominantly Spanish speaking students from Mexico and Central and South America. Parents of these students are trying to balance the various challenges that moving to a new country can bring, including fostering success in school for their children. Oftentimes, their jobs, their immigration status, or their lack of education prevent them from speaking out and sharing their experiences. Many of these families are in areas of the country where immigration issues are relatively new. Unfortunately, statistics on academic achievement and drop-out rates for these Latino students are alarming. The educational community must create opportunities for these parents and students to experience academic success. Critical race theory encourages storytelling from the perspective of the less heard. Furthermore critical pedagogy encourages dialogue and an understanding of context and life experiences as educators prepare the young men and women for their future. This qualitative case study using an ethnographic design, set in a large, urban school district in Georgia provided Latino parents of elementary school children, a platform to share their perspectives on parental involvement in school and at home, its impact, and its barriers and facilitators. Using participants from the schools, the researcher conducted interviews and focus group meetings. The researcher found that parents, in spite of barriers that may exist, want their children to experience the American dream. They were prepared to do whatever it takes to help their children and remained hopeful for their future. The researcher provided insight for the educational community in the selected Georgia district as well as those that are similar on how to collaborate with Latino families to foster success for all students.

Author: Sarah E Daughtridge
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 81

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Book Description
The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore experiences and culturally appropriate practices of Latino parents0́9 participation in the public school system. The study also explored school staff perceptions and actions toward Latino parents' school involvement. The study's exploration rests on Epstein (2001) theoretical framework of parent-school involvement. Focus group data were collected in Spanish from 37 Latino parents of students enrolled in six K-12 public schools with at least 11% Latino student's enrollment in eastern North Carolina. Individual interviews were conducted with 11 school officials from three different public schools. Data were transcribed, analyzed (Creswell & Creswell, 2018) and entered into NVIVO version 12 for formal coding. Three major themes emerged from parent data: inadequate communication, low Latino representation, and need for cultural competency. Also, three themes emerged from school staff data: inadequate communication, engagement of county school system, and parental involvement. Suggested strategies to improve the parent/teacher relationship and promote parental involvement in the public school were more trained interpreters, translated materials in Spanish, Latino parent committee, and welcoming environment. Both school staff and parents expressed the need for Latino cultural awareness. School staff expressed the need for Latino parents' active engagement in school events, parent teacher conference, and reaching out to teachers to discuss children school needs. These results have implications toward bridging the gap between Latino parents and public schools.

Author: Concha Delgado Gaitan
Publisher: Corwin Press
ISBN: 148336030X
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 161

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Book Description
"Anyone involved in preservice training for future and present classroom teachers should read this book. Both the content and context of the book are practical, timely, and necessary as our country and classrooms become more diverse." Michele Dean, Principal Montalvo Elementary School, Ventura, CA Raise school attendance, reduce dropout rates, and improve academic performance of Latino students! Often marginalized by poverty, linguistic isolation, or prejudice, Latino students face many academic obstacles. And while research has shown that parental involvement plays a key role in academic achievement, most schools have failed to modify their parent involvement programs to address social and cultural realities of Latino families. Involving Latino Families in Schools provides tools and strategies for including Latino parents in developing sustained academic improvement. Sharing numerous first person success stories, author Concha Delgado Gaitan stresses three conditions of increased parental participation: connecting to families, sharing information with parents, and supporting continued parental involvement. Offering easily applied techniques for cultivating communication, this practical handbook examines Latino families and their educational aspirations for their children The communication systems needed between schools and Latino families How Latino families can assist their children at home Techniques to foster Latino parent involvement How to organize schoolwide parent involvement programs Through suggested activities, case examples, and vignettes, the author provides insights and instruction for planning, designing, and implementing parental participation programs that enhance the classroom curriculum and effectively engage Latino students. Designed primarily for elementary and secondary school principals and teachers, this innovative text is also an indispensable resource for district-level administrators.

Author: Tiffany L. Castleman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 162

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Book Description
The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain an understanding of Hispanic parent perspectives about school involvement. The interview questions were semi structured and open-ended to allow for the participants to share their personal recollections and add further insights to the information. Hispanic parents do not think of parental involvement in the same way as staff in school districts, in that they place a value in supporting their child emotionally, teaching life skills at home, and by showing respect. Parents take their role of instilling values and manners in their children very seriously. The challenges arise from language barriers, low English proficiency of the parents, and economic struggles such as multiple jobs and lack of transportation. Suggestions include the creation of welcome centers for parents, inviting parents to share cultural and family information, and connecting the school resources with parents.

Author: Soo Yeohn De Santiago
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 140

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Book Description
The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors that contribute to the involvement of Latino parents in a Title I elementary school. The participants were thirteen Latino parents from Mexican origins that resided in Southern California. They answered a cross-sectional survey that focused on their experiences, perceptions, and attitudes on parental participation. After the data was collected and analyzed a clearer picture of Latino parent participation was painted through the demographic information and consistent trends started to surface. The common themes that emerged from this research were that parents with more education and income participated more in school and their child's education. Marital status, lack of time, and childcare were contributors or barriers to parent participation. Language was not a barrier that hindered parent involvement at this school. There was immense lack of male participation, technology literacy, and a high desire from the parents to learn computer skills and English. Overall, there was an incredible need for more research on Latino parental participation in order to meet the growing needs of this underserved population.

Author: Alejandro Delgadillo
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
Statement of the Problem The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that impact the participation of Latino parents in their school site's English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC). Even though Latino, especially ELL, parents have tried through different school venues for decades to be included in the education of their children, there is still the unfortunate perception from many educators that Latino parents do not value nor prioritize education. All literature compiled in the study verify that Latino parents want and are enthusiastic to be included in the education of their children. Latino parents that have entered the education field have encountered many institutionalized, economic, social, and racial barriers that have prevented them from being active school parent participants. The Latino parents that are able to enter the institution do not only empower themselves, but "seek to transform parent involvement with the goal of making education a democratic and reflective action" (Olivos, p. 112, 2010). Sources of Data Personal observations, one-on-one interviews, a focus group meeting, and multiple recordings were conducted in an effort to find the specific factors that affect Latino parental involvement in ELAC. There were five (one father and four mothers) that were randomly selected of which all self-identified themselves as English language learners (ELL), Latino, active ELAC parent, and had at least one elementary (K - 6th) child at the school site. Conclusions The results of the study confirm that Latino parents are and continue to be interested in the education of their children. All participating parents agreed ELAC served as an important bridge which influenced parent participation in American Schools in spite of the cultural and gender differences. Their participation in ELAC made them aware of the differences in their approach to schooling in México in stark contrast to expectations to U.S. schools. The conformism (conformismo) that is brought by many Latino parents prevents them from fully participating in school related events and meetings. Moreover, they see upholding the traditional views of their home country education could potentially be detrimental to their children's U.S. education. Furthermore, involvement in ELAC provide an environment for parents to become self-aware to the degree in which they themselves could start critiquing the varying levels of these differences they see among other Latino parents, as they lament over such low parent involvement. The decrease in parent involvement beyond second and third grade may be tied to premature autonomy parents present indirectly to their children. Finally they articulated, even with encouragement from school staff, the difficulty in crossing over to other parent school groups. They described feeling invisible and unheard.

Author: Evangelina M. Cantu
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781303136108
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 200

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Book Description
Significant evidence suggests that parent participation and involvement are beneficial for student success. Latino parents, however, have historically been portrayed negatively in their role in their children's education. Deficit thinking paradigms have framed much of the negative depictions about Latino parents. This study proposes that the negative portrayals of Latino parents may in part be a result of how parent involvement has been traditionally defined. Schools define parent involvement in ways that Latino parents may not conform to. As a result, schools label parents as non-involved. In an effort to demystify the myth that Latino parents do not value nor care for their children's education, this study set out to examine Latino parents' perceptions about parent involvement as well as how they involve themselves in their children's education. The findings suggest that Latino parents define and perceive parent involvement in ways that differ significantly from the way schools have defined it. Furthermore, parents' perceptions of their roles, the role of the school and the teachers point to a need to examine how these perceptions intersect with the perceptions of the school and the teachers. This study presents an alternative way to view parent involvement. It is concluded that the negative depiction of Latino parents is due in part to the fact that schools are expecting them to conform to practices and engage in activities that are not necessarily what they view as important in their children's education. Further research that provides a more inclusive definition and expands the discourse about Latino parent involvement is suggested.

Author: Nelly Peña-Gaviria
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Education, Elementary
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
The purpose of this study was to investigate and describe the stakeholders' perceptions of Latino parental involvement in one elementary school of a district that had recently shifted from majority Anglo enrollment to majority Latino enrollment, and to describe how the characteristics of the school affected the participation of Latino parents in the education of their children. This case study provided the opportunity to listen to the voices of the parents', front desk personnel, teachers', and administrators' and use exploratory techniques to understand the stakeholders' points of view of Latino parental involvement. This investigation sought to gain a deeper understanding of the relationships between parents and educators and help school personnel be more attentive to the needs and concerns of Latino parents, evaluate their practices, and create a school environment that encouraged and supported Latino parental involvement. The study found that the children were being explicitly or implicitly named as a motivating factor for Latino parents to become involved in the school, that there were a limited number of Latino parents that were actually involved in the education of their children, and that the school's stakeholders had conflicting points of view about Latino parental involvement. Moreover, the study found that Latino parents wanted to be involved; however, there were barriers that diminished the desires of Latino parents to be involved.

Author: Joanna Danielle Saldaña
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 196

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Book Description
Much of the literature on parent involvement from the educator's perspective focuses on programs designed to include parents in the process of schooling (Cutrona, Cole, Colangelo, Assouline, & Russell, 1994). That is, parental involvement from most educators' points of view is about how to get parents into schools, or how parents can support the school's efforts at home by doing things like reading to their children. Many efforts are directed toward "training" parents about the American system of schooling and how parents can help their children succeed in that system (Bermudez, 1996; Epstein, 1992; Rioux & Berla, 1993). The goal of most educational research on parental involvement efforts is to find out how to make children more "ready" for school and how to improve academic achievement by supporting more rigorous school initiatives at home. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact parent engagement has on the academic performance of Latino students attending a 4-year private institution. A quantitative multiple-choice questionnaire was given to 139 Latino students from University of the Pacific. By surveying Latino students enrolled at a private 4-year university, the researcher aimed to identify if certain aspects of parental engagement impacted their perceptions of their own ability and desire to pursue a college degree. Descriptive statistics were compiled from the data into graphs. Different families may require different responses or treatments from an institution to become more engaged. If policy and practice are designed to serve only one type of parent--namely, parents who are eager to be involved---others, such as parents of first-generation college students, may be left out. Those left out could provide an important source of support for their students in college.