ABSTRACT
The parents' and school's view of parental involvement may differ due to cultural differences between the family and school staff, parents' attention focused on meeting other needs, or the school's lack of understanding of the challenges families in poverty face. This in no way means that they do not care about their child's education, because many of them do. Because of the lack of resources that they are able to obtain, their attention may be focused on meeting the needs of their families. These are important notions to consider when examining issues of homework completion, as each entity may view their roles differently. When working with diverse populations, it is essential that teachers and other school staff members understand the school culture. There are several communication skills that are essential to successful consultation. These skills include active listening, empathy, and effective questioning. Frequent and productive communication played a large role in the consultation process.
