ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT This study was conducted to understand parents’ beliefs about their relationships with their children’s schools. The research surveyed parents of African-American children enrolled in public school in grades K-12. These children represent a small minority in a school district of Latino and Anglo students. We were interested in understanding how these parents perceived their roles as partners, how satisfied they were with both their own and the school’s efforts to build partnerships, and how they believed their efforts related to their children’s school achievement and adjustment. Based on a content analysis of interview protocols, responses were classified according to three broad themes: parents’ beliefs about home-school relationships, parents’ perceptions of their children’s school experiences, and parents’ satisfaction with the schools’ performance in educating their child. The need for improved home-school communication was one of two major themes to emerge from these data; the second major theme was the need for cultural awareness and sensitivity at the school site. The data suggest that respondents, while endorsing the ideal of school site involvement, are much more likely to actually engage in home-based activities than to participate at the school site. These findings are discussed relative to various models of parental involvement that have been put forth in the literature.
