A Hispanic parent-participation study of their role and responsibility in their child's education at one elementary school

Public schools with a large Hispanic student population often claim lack of parental involvement (Le. classroom volunteers, participation in ParentTeacher Organizations) as a major cause of poor academic achievement by the students. Many Hispanic parents have a different idea about what their roles are in their child's education and are not familiar with the research on parental involvement as defined in the United States. The purpose of this study was to explore the thoughts, and the perceived roles and responsibilities of Hispanic parents, and their involvement in their child's education at home and school. The research participants of this study were the parents of nine, Hispanic English Learner (El) students of an elementary school in a middle class neighborhood of a city in southwestern Riverside County. Parent questionnaires and recorded interviews were used to collect pertinent data for this project. It was found that most parents felt that their role in their child's education was centered on helping their child with homework. In this way, they perceive themselves as being actively involved in the education of the child. This study highlights the need for administrators and teachers to further their under-standing of the factors that create barriers for Hispanic parents within schools