Creating a College-Going Partnership with Latina/o Parents of Elementary School Students

The pursuit of higher education has become the desire for more children in the United States, yet many of these children are not able to make their dream a reality. Research data reveals that students of color and lower socioeconomic status are largely under-represented in institutions of higher education (Choy, 2001). Latina/o/x students continue to have some of the lowest levels of educational attainment. Education scholars contend that a college going culture can help negate the educational limitations experienced by low income, students of color, and potential first-generation college students. Using an action research design, this study aims to show how a more inclusive parental engagement framework will push research forward in understanding the experiences of an educational leader and Latina/o/x parents within the school site as they collaboratively develop and implement strategies to support a college-going culture. Data will be collected from multiple sources, including focus group interviews, and the researcher/participant observations and memoing journal. Responses will be analyzed for themes and findings surrounding parental engagement and involvement, and practices leading to higher educational attainment for Latina/o/x students. The findings will indicate an increase in the knowledge that Latina/o/x parents have regarding higher educational attainment for their children. Furthermore, this parental knowledge will result in the development and implementation of college-going practices at an elementary school by an educational leader and Latina/o/x parents. Keywords: parent engagement, parent involvement, Latina/o/x parent