Abstract
Factors inhibiting Hispanic parental involvement in non-metropolitan area schools were studied. With the mandates of No Child Left Behind intensifying the need to improve the academic achievement of all at-risk groups of students in American schools, and with the relatively new phenomenon of large numbers of Hispanics settling in non-metropolitan areas, findings of this qualitative study of fifteen Hispanic parents should be highly useful to educators working with Hispanic youth. Primary factors inhibiting Hispanic parental involvement were the following: the failure of the school to send correspondence, school calendar, lunch menus or newsletters written in Spanish; the inability of the parents to speak and understand English in personal communication with the school, and the reluctance of the parents to question authority or to advocate for the rights of their children.
Highlights
The rapid influx of Hispanic students in America’s schools is placing pressure on these schools as they attempt to meet the mandates of No Child Left Behind
A qualitative study was devised with the lines of questioning shaped by the issues previously identified in this study from the research literature pertaining to the involvement of Hispanic parents in metropolitan schools such as the language barrier, cultural differences, a lack of trust, a lack of understanding of the operation of school, logistical issues, and a lack of education of the parents themselves
The research previously identified in this study discussed the following factors that impede Hispanic parent involvement: the school’s low level of receptivity and cordiality as perceived by the parents (Bauch, 1992; Lopez, 2001); the lack of effective communication channels between parents and the school (Chavkin & Gonzalez, 1995; Scribner, Young & Pedroza, 1999); the low level of support training and encouragement given by the school to enlist greater parent participation (Gibson, 2002); low English proficiency of the parents (Chavkin & Gonzalez, 1995; Hyslop, 2000); lack of child care; economic and transportation issues (Floyd, 1998; Hampton, Mumford, & Bond, 1998); and parental aspiration for their children’s success (Costa, 1991; Bauch, 1992)
Summary
The rapid influx of Hispanic students in America’s schools is placing pressure on these schools as they attempt to meet the mandates of No Child Left Behind. The stereotypical view of Hispanics, held by many in the not-so-distant past, was of migrant workers moving with the harvest or other seasonal work. According to the U.S Department of Agriculture (2002), many Hispanics who initially entered this country as migrant or seasonal workers have selected communities in which to put down roots as they seek a more permanent way of making a living than following the agricultural harvests. Rural and non-metropolitan areas have become the destinations where increasing numbers of Hispanic immigrants decide to settle down. Oftentimes, rural schools and communities lack the resources found in metropolitan areas (e.g., bilingual teachers, books and materials in Spanish, and Catholic churches) resulting in less communication with the Hispanic families. This study gave fifteen Hispanic parents an opportunity to identify and describe their inability to be engaged with professional school personnel
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