Issues Among Parent Involvement

 Parent involvement among ELL populations 1. What are the barriers to parent involvement among ELL populations? 2. What are successful parent involvement programs? 3. What can we do, as ELL teachers, to promote parent involvement?

 English Language Learners (ELLs) are part of the fastest growing segment of school age population : 2 million ELLs present in U.S. schools : 5 million ELLs present in U.S. schools In , ELLs represented 10.5% of total public school population (Arias & Morillo-Campbell, 2008)

 Nebraska alone has experienced a 350% growth rate in ELL student enrollment (2000) Lincoln Public Schools (LPS)  Hartley Elementary: 310 total students-23% ELL students  Holmes Elementary: 373 total students-34% ELL students  Park Middle School: 859 total students-12% ELL students  North Star High School: 1783 total students-7% ELL students ( Retrived November, 2009)

 When parents are involved, students are more likely to: Achieve higher grades and test scores Have better attendance records Complete homework more consistently Obtain higher graduation rates and greater enrollment rates in post-secondary education, and Have better social skills and adapt well to school and surroundings (Antunez, 2000)

 Most importantly, students achieve most when the student’s family is able to: Create a home environment that encourages learning Set reasonable, yet challenging expectations for the children’s achievement Become involved in the child’s academic development process (Antunez, 2000)

 Language skills: inability to understand the language spoken at school  Parent Educational Level: the lack of previous exposure to U.S. schools and limited educational background  Work Interference: conflicts between parent and school schedules  Lack of Communication: the lacking communication between teachers, schools, and parents  School and Parental Perceptions: Addressing and accepting various cultural beliefs and values (Arias & Morillo-Campbell, 2008)

 Better our communication skills: Provide home-school coordinators or liaisons Initiate home visits by teachers All newsletters are to be sent home in native languages Create a multilingual homework line Support the strengths of ELL parents, not their perceived failings (Antunez, 2000)

 School and Parental Perceptions Acknowledge and accept parent’s and student’s cultural values Incorporate family, cultures, and community into the curriculum (Antunez, 2000)

 Logistics Adjust meetings to accommodate parents work schedules Provide child care to facilitate parental attendance at school functions Arrange transportation to facilitate parent and student involvement in school functions (Antunez, 2000)

 Perseverance in Maintaining Involvement Keep ideas new and fresh Allow parents time to adjust; however, continue to be understanding and accepting of each ELL family’s background Be consistent with approaches, programs, and communication (Antunez, 2000)

 Traditional Model Offers suggestions for how parents can support student academic development  Non-traditional Model Attempts to develop a reciprocal understanding of schools and families (Arias & Morillo-Campbell, 2008)

 Parent Teacher Association (PTA) “provides parents and families with a powerful voice to speak on behalf of every child while providing the best tools for parents to help their children be successful students.”  Three main principals proposed for building successful partnerships between parents and schools : Raising awareness Take action Celebrate success ( Retrived November, 2009)

 The Georgia Project, Whitfield County, GA “…As they explored the problem further the group discovered that no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solutions were available…” (Narcisse, 2007 qtd by Montgomery, 2008) “…parent participation rose from one percent in 1996 to 95% in 2006.” (Narcisse 2007 qtd by Montgomery, 2008)  Latino Outreach: The School Connection, March

 National Parent Teacher Association (PTA)  National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement Programs  Family Resource Center Coalition of Nebraska, Inc. Suite West Scott Road Beatrice, NE Phone: (402) Fax: (402) or Website:  Nebraska Parent Information and Resource Center (PIRC) Suite Centennial Mall South Lincoln, NE Phone: (402) Toll-Free: (877) Website:

 “Too often we focus on what is lacking in children’s home environment rather than on the potential resources that might exist in them.” (Diamond, Wang, & Gomez, 2004)