Latino Parent Involvement in Elementary Schools

Introduction: Economic Pressures and the Latino Education Question

"The parent is the primary force that propels the child into the world of discovery, the world of literacy, and the world of success… parents are eager to help their children, and, when instructed in appropriate literacy activities, can make a difference in the academic progress that their children make…" (Gilliam et al., 2004, p. 226).

Parents of elementary students experience tremendous pressure during periods of economic recession. Job security, making the mortgage on time, and keeping nutritious food on the table for their children — these issues take on a far greater level of importance during times of economic hardship. Notwithstanding these additional economic and social stressors, what is the extent of Latino parents' involvement in their children's education at the elementary school level? What research has been done, and what additional research is needed?

Why Latino Parental Involvement at the Elementary Level Is Vital

Unfortunately, by the time they reach high school, young Latinos have been — and often still are — on the fringe of the dropout milieu. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), in 1980 the dropout rate for Hispanic youth ages 16–24 was 35.2%. Compare that with Caucasian youth of the same age (11.4%) and African American youth (19.1%). By 2001, the Latino youth dropout rate had been reduced to 27%, and by 2007 the rate had shrunk to 21.4% — compared with 8.4% dropping out in the Black community and 5.3% of Caucasian youth (NCES). Given these data, a strategy of strong parental participation while children are in elementary school helps build a foundation for the future and fosters a desire to succeed.

Compelling reasons for focusing on this aspect of the Latino education experience include: (a) Latino youth experience disproportionate rates of mental health problems, including depression and suicide; (b) Latino youth account for almost 30% of the total Latino population in the United States; and (c) the dropout rate for Latino youth is unacceptably high, especially in comparison to other cultural groups (Garcia et al., 2008, p. 487). Writing in the Journal of School Health, researcher Carolyn Garcia asserts that 1 in 5 Latino high school students reported suicidal thoughts in 2009, with ninth-grade girls being most prone to consider taking their own lives (Garcia et al., 2008, p. 487). According to Garcia's data, between 30% and 40% of Latino girls in 9th grade reported suicidal thoughts, and between 14% and 19% of those same students actually attempted suicide in 2009.

Beyond mental health, Latino youth "experience disproportionate rates of health problems including mental health problems" — and these barriers to optimal mental and physical well-being are due to "economic, social, and political realities in their lives" (Garcia, p. 487). The need for parental participation and influence at the elementary school level is therefore paramount to the later success of these children. If a Latino child in elementary school does not have parental support, and the parent is not an occasional willing participant in school life, a critical opportunity is missed to provide the cultural and practical guidance needed for later academic and career success.

Cultural Barriers to Latino Parental Participation

Some Latino parents trust the school system to carry out the full responsibility of educating their children. Nena Torrez writes, "Latino parents are not advocates for their children at the school site" (Torrez, 2004, p. 54). The reason is cultural in nature, Torrez explains: "the structure of the school systems in Mexico is different [from that of the U.S.]." Given their "ignorance of the system, parents tend to rely on the decisions made by school faculty and counselors." However, Torrez cautions against confusing "the lack of participation with apathy." There are a number of different reasons for low participation, "such as low levels of English proficiency, little understanding that they should be proactive in advocating for their [child]… work schedule demands, negative experiences with schools, a lack of sensitivity [from] school personnel…" (Torrez, p. 58).

Conclusion

The research reviewed here consistently demonstrates that Latino parental involvement at the elementary level is not merely beneficial but essential to long-term academic and personal success. High dropout rates, elevated mental health risks, and cultural and linguistic barriers all point to the need for schools and communities to actively cultivate partnerships with Latino families. Models such as the La Familia Initiative show that when Latino parents are given the space and support to organize, communicate, and engage, meaningful academic gains follow. Empirical work like Villalba's further reveals that listening directly to Latino parents — in their own language and on their own terms — is critical to designing effective interventions. Continued research into this area is needed to expand and refine the strategies that best support Latino children from their earliest years in school.

References

Garcia, Carolyn, Skay, Carol, Sieving, Renee, Naughton, Sandy, and Bearinger, Linda H. (2008). Family and racial factors associated with suicide and emotional distress among Latino students. Journal of School Health, 78(9), 487–496.

Gilliam, Brenda, Gerla, Jacqueline Parten, and Wright, Gary. (2004). Providing minority parents with relevant literacy activities for their children. Reading Improvement, 41(4), 226–234.

Jasis, Pablo, and Ordonez-Jasis, Rosario. (2005). Convivencia to empowerment: Latino parent organizing at La Familia. High School Journal, University of North Carolina Press, 88(2), 32–42.

National Center for Education Statistics. (2009). Fast facts: What are the dropout rates of high school students? Retrieved November 19, 2010, from http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=16.

Torrez, Nena. (2004). High School Journal, 87(3), 54–62.

Villalba, Jose A., Brunelli, Maria, Lewis, Lucy, and Orfanedes, Dean. (2007). Experiences of Latino children attending rural elementary schools in the southeastern U.S.: Perspectives from Latino parents in burgeoning Latino communities. Professional School Counseling, 10(5), 506–510.