Strengthening the voice of African American parents : a study of the College Bound San Diego program

The academic achievement gap between African American and Latino students and their White and Asian peers in K-12 American schools is an educational crisis of major proportions. While achievement gaps in schools exist for various subgroups, this study focused on the gaps between African American and White students. Of particular interest was the research that indicated the achievement gaps are not only present in low-performing, high-poverty, diverse school settings, but exist even at high-performing schools with higher socio-economic status (SES) levels. This study examined a parent educational and support program in an affluent, high performing, suburban school district. A descriptive case study design was used to study College Bound San Diego (CBSD), a community-based intervention created and operated by parents of African American children. The specific goals of the program are to close the achievement gaps for African American students, and to promote their preparedness for, and attendance at, colleges and universities. The specific goal of this study was to determine if the College Bound San Diego (CBSD) program contributed to parents' involvement in their student's educational experience, and in what ways involvement in the program impacted students' educational experience. The data collected supported the finding that involvement in CBSD has made a significant difference for parents and their children on a variety of factors. The seven themes that emerged from the analysis of the interview data illustrate the various aspects of CBSD that parents identified as benefits of the program. These seven themes were: a) Parent knowledge; b) College expectations; c) School/district relationships; d) Parent involvement actions; e) Parent self-efficacy; f) Parent empowerment/voice; and g) Parenting beliefs and practices. Similar to the analysis of parent data, the qualitative data gathered through student focus groups, program documents, and researcher observations provided a clear indication that involvement in CBSD had a positive impact on students. Increased college knowledge, enhanced parent involvement, and enriched cultural identity were three themes that emerged from the analysis of the student focus group data. Each of these areas has been documented through research as contributing to the success of African American students in high school and beyond, speaking to the importance of parent involvement in education. Conclusions and recommendations for practice, implications for the case study district, and recommendations for further study are addressed at the end of the stud