Educational involvement: How are parents of successful, low income, Latino students involved?

Research indicates that all parents, regardless of ethnicity, are concerned about their children and want to take an active part in their education (Chavkin & Williams, 1993). The benefits of parents being involved with their children's educational lives are significant (Ingram, Wolfe, & Lieberman, 2007), yet some parents are unsure about ways to participate. The purpose of this study is to learn about the educational involvement of parents in homes of successful, low income, Latino students.

This qualitative, exploratory study was designed to bring out the voices of low income, Latino parents who have previously not been heard. Through parent interviews, the researcher learned about the educational support offered by parents in homes of successful, low income, Latino students. In the case of all the study participants, parents insisted that their children complete homework assignments, supported and supervised their child's educational efforts, and frequently had critical conversations about education and future careers.

Additionally, it was found that the important involvement of these parents took place in the home. Although the parents were highly involved in the educational support of their children, with the exception of parent-teacher conferences, the study participants were involved with the education of their children in the home setting, rather than at the school. The low income, Latino parents portrayed great resilience in their personal lives, and they were dedicated to helping their children meet with success.