A Qualitative Case Study to Investigate How Educators Promote Parent Collaboration and Involvement for African American Elementary Males with Learning Disabilities

The disproportionate identification and achievement gap of African American students and their peers are inexhaustible. African American students continue to lag tremendously behind their Asian and Caucasian peers. There is limited research of African American students with disabilities as it relates specifically to various components of special education. To understand the narrative surrounding African American males, their achievement, and the collaboration between their parents and educators, the researcher will evaluate various components in conjunction with educators’ composition and characteristics and various parent’s attributes and behaviors. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to investigate how educators promote parent collaboration and involvement through (a) home visits, (b) parent-teacher conferences, (c) Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings, and (d) school-based activities and events to serve urban elementary school African American males diagnosed with learning disabilities. The target population will include educators and parents of African American males with learning disabilities in urban elementary charter schools in Washington, D.C