The educational plight of Latino students in the U.S. is an increasing concern given the low achievement and attainment status of this population. Although many risk factors associated with underachievement are difficult to alter, parent educational involvement has been shown to positively impact learning outcomes. In this study, parental home- and school-based involvement practices and educational aspirations were compared in a large (n = 6085), nationally representative sample of Latino (n= 1,313) and non-Latino white (n = 4,772) first grade students. The role of these forms of involvement in predicting student achievement in third grade was then assessed. Findings indicate that Latino parents had higher educational aspirations for their children but were less involved at home and school than non-Latino white parents. Multiple hierarchical regression analysis showed that socioeconomic status and parental aspirations, respectively, were the most significant predictors of achievement among Latino and non-Latino white students, even when controlling for SES. While higher levels of school-based and lower levels of home-based educational involvement significantly predicted achievement among non-Latino white students, educational participation was not predictive of achievement among Latino students. Language status served as a meaningful barrier to Latino parent involvement. Findings suggest that educators should harness Latino parents' high aspirations for their children by making greater efforts to communicate and engage them in their native language. Future research should assess non-traditional forms of Latino parents' educational involvement and explore involvement practices that are culturally sensitive and meaningful to Latino parents.

Parent involvement in the classroom is a challenge to acquire for communities that have not had positive experience with schools, specifically Latinos. The issues with overcoming the lack of Latino parental involvement can be addressed by educators with a focus on culture, andragogy and effective outreach. This project includes a set of workshops to reach out to Latino parents and help them understand schooling and learn how to support their child's learning at home. The workshops are designed with a focus on Latino culture (culturally relevant pedagogy), best practices for adult learning (andragogy) and effective instruction (Understanding by Design (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005). The project consists of five workshops: What are (Homework) Boundaries?, How to Make a Special Place to Do Homework, Better Communication Between Parent and Child, Math Support Strategies, and Getting Involved with the School. Each workshop has been developed to provide engaging activities that are supported by culture and language. The workshops focus on the importance of parent involvement, culture, and developing a relationship between parents, children, and teachers.

First Published in 2002. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

"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.

This book offers a strengths-based, family-focused approach to improving the educational performance and school experience of struggling Black and Latino students. The book discusses educational challenges faced by low-income families of color and the different strengths within Black and Latino family life that can affect these challenges. It focuses building on these strengths within the children’s home environments that can serve as a foundation for subsequent learning. The chapters describe a wide range of family practices and beliefs, including development of interventions to support families that promote early language and literacy, early mathematics, and social skills. The chapters also present quantitative and/or qualitative studies using a strengths-based approach to parents’ socialization of their children’s early academic skills. Topics featured in this book include: Latino and Black parental resources, investments, and beliefs Academic socialization in the homes of Black and Latino preschool children Development of culturally-informed interventions to promote children’s school readiness skills Family-school partnerships as a tool for improving educational opportunities. Directions for future research Academic Socialization of Young Black and Latino Children is a must-have resource for researchers, educators, clinicians and related professionals, and graduate students in diverse fields including education, developmental and school psychology, family studies, counseling psychology and social work, and sociology of culture.

Providing an objective assessment of the influence of parental involvement and what aspects of parental participation can best maximize the educational outcomes of students, this volume is structured to guide readers to a thorough understanding of the history, practice, theories, and impact of parental involvement. Cutting-edge research and meta-analyses offer vital insight into how different types of students benefit from parental engagement and what types of parental involvement help the most. Unique among works on the topic, Parental Involvement and Academic Success: uses meta-analysis to enable readers to understand what the overall body of research on a given topic indicates examines research results in terms of their practical implications focuses significantly on the influence of parental involvement on minority students’ academic success Important reading for anyone involved in home-school relations/parental involvement in education, this book is highly relevant for courses devoted to or which include treatment of the topic.