IMPROVING HISPANIC PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN A RURAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Abstract

The purpose of this problem of practice was to improve Hispanic parental involvement in a rural elementary school. As a basis for improvement, Joyce Epstein's six types of involvement were utilized throughout the study. In the study, the researcher investigated the barriers for Hispanic parents, investigated ways to alleviate those barriers, and along with Hargrove's staff formed a home to school partnership with the Hispanic families so all stakeholders could understand their role in their children's education and student achievement. The staff made changes in the number of available translators, communicated everything in English and Spanish, and consistently gathered feedback to use for continuous improvement. The researcher related the research to Epstein (2009) six types of parental involvement: parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making and collaborating with the community. The researcher found that there was some improvement in the types of parental involvement primarily Learning at Home and Communicating. There was also gains in the benchmark scores over the course of the study. However, more training is needed in order to improve with Volunteering and Collaborating with the Community. The researcher recommended the school write a grant to provide training for staff and parents, transportation for the parents and an extra translator to be hired at the school. Implementing these changes will allow this rural elementary school to continue to improve Hispanic parental involvement.