African American Parental Involvement in Their Children's Middle School Experiences.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that influence African American parents' involvement in their children's middle school experiences. Two focus group interviews were conducted with African American parents. While the participants viewed parent involvement as important, they reported that family structure and socioeconomic status, school personnel's expectations of parents, and the practices and policies of middle school personnel influenced their level of involvement. The participants suggested that: setting higher expectations for African American students, establishing flexible meeting locations, offering workshops for homework help at home, and creating cultures that believe parents care would likely increase African American parent involvement. Parental involvement is strongly associated with the academic achievement among African American students (Educational Testing Service, 2007; Epstein, 2001; Hill & Craft, 2003; Jarrett & Burton, 1999). Collaboration between parents and schools has become increasingly more important as society has recognized that schools alone cannot educate students (Epstein & Sheldon, 2006; Machen, Wilson, & Notar, 2005). Racial biases within schools have, however, dissuaded many African American parents from folly participating in their children's academic experiences. Typically, school personnel view African American parents as being uneducated and as a result interact with them in a negative manner (Lareau & Horvat, 1999). Accordingly, many African American parents have become critical of the school's agenda and unwilling to support or respect its goals and objectives (Williams & Baber, 2007). Teachers' responses become those of apathy and distrust when parents approach them to discuss these goals and objectives with regard to their children. Thus, when African American parents do try to become involved, reject their efforts, further widening the divide between African American parents and the school (Lareau & Horvat, 1999). The tendency to criticize schools and is more prevalent among working-class and poor African American parents than middle-class and affluent African American families. In addition, middle class African American parents are generally pleased with their children's education, while working-class African American parents tend to be more dissatisfied, often perceiving schools as being resistant to their involvement (Diamond & Gomez, 2004). Research suggests that typically African American parents are less engaged in their children's academic experiences than their White counterparts (Abdul-Adil & Farmer, 2006). Consequently, many educators do not believe that African American parents care about their children's (Thompson, 2003). However, Field-Smith (2005) found that although many teachers often perceive African American parents as uninvolved and disinterested in their children's education (p. 130), they valued the of their children and made it a priority in their lives (p. 133). Parents have the potential to increase school performance (Bowen & Bowen, 1998a, 1998b; Hango, 2007). Parents who talk with their children about school generally score higher on reading and mathematics tests (Bracey, 1996; Jeynes, 2005). Gutman and McLloyd (2000) found that parents of high-achieving African American students used various strategies to assist their children at home such as tutoring, additional academic work, and close monitoring of their children's homework schedule. They also held high expectations for their children's academic performance, supported their academic aspirations, were actively involved in their children's schooling, and maintained contact with school personnel. High-achieving African American parents also ensured that their children were actively involved in various types of community-based activities such as dance, art, music, and religious groups. …