Current research suggests that parents are a key component to the school success of their children. However, in today’s world, parents often work long hours, have more than one job, and participate in multiple responsibilities that may limit their participation. Because of the variety of factors that impinge on parents, educators often criticize them for their nonparticipation or limited participation in the school environment. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of alienation, if any, that African American parents feel toward public education. A modified version of the Barriers to School Involvement Survey was administered to 421 African American parents. The questionnaire was factored into five problem categories for analysis (e.g., personal concerns, work, lack of interest, logistics, teacher/parent relationships). Although significance was found among the five problem categories and across the six research questions (e.g., problem categories, employment status, economics, special education vs. general education, family composition, and parent education levels), the findings indicate that parents did not view the five problem categories as a concern impacting their school involvement.
Adelman, H.S. ( 1994). Intervening to enhance home involvement in schooling . Intervention in School & Clinic, 29, 276-288.
2.
Bempechat, J. ( 1992). The role of parent involvement in children’s academic achievement. School Community Journal, 83, 85-102.
3.
Bloom, L.R. ( 2001). "I’m poor, I’m single, I’m a mom, and I deserve respect": Advocating in schools as and with mothers in poverty. Educational Studies, 32, 300-316.
4.
Blumenkrantz, D., & Tapp, J.T. ( 2001). Alienation and education: A model for empirical study . Journal of Educational Research, 71, 104-109.
5.
Brown, M.R., Higgins, K., & Paulsen, K. ( 2003). Adolescent alienation: What is it and what can educators do about it? Intervention in School and Clinic, 39, 3-9.
6.
Calabrese, R.L. ( 1989). Public school and minority students. Journal of Educational Thoughts, 23, 187-196.
7.
Calabrese, R.L. ( 1990). The public school: A source of alienation for minority parents. Journal of Negro Education, 59, 148-154.
8.
Comer, J.P., & Haynes, N.M. ( 1991). Parent involvement in schools: An ecological approach . Elementary School Journal, 91, 271-277.
9.
Coots, J.J. ( 1998). Family resources and parent participation in schooling activities for their children with developmental delays. Journal of Special Education, 31, 498-520.
10.
Davis, C., Brown, B., Bantz, J.M., & Manno, C. ( 2002). African American parent’s involvement in their children’s special education programs. Multiple Voices , 5(1), 13-27.
11.
Drummond, K., & Stipek, D. ( 2004). Low-income parents’ beliefs about their role in children’s academic learning. Elementary School Journal , 104, 197-213.
12.
Epstein, J.L. ( 1996). Advances in family, community, and school partnerships . New Schools, New Communities, 12(3), 5-13.
13.
Field-Smith, C. ( 2005). African American parents before and after Brown. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 20, 129-135.
14.
Greenwood, G.E., & Hickman, C.W. ( 1991). Research and practice in parent involvement: Implication for teacher education. Elementary School Journal, 91, 279-288.
15.
Harrison L.H., & Mitylene, A.H. (1995). Strategies for increasing African American parental participation in the special education process. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 22, 230-235.
16.
Harry, B. ( 1992a). Cultural diversity, families, and the special education system. New York: Teachers College Press.
17.
Harry, B. ( 1992b). Restructuring the participation of African Americans in special education. Exceptional Children, 59, 123-131.
18.
Hill, N., & Craft, S. ( 2003). Parent-school involvement and school performance: Mediated pathways among socioeconomically comparable AfricanAmerican and Euro American families. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95, 74-83.
19.
Johnson, V.R. ( 1990). Schools reaching out: Changing the message to good news . Equity and Choice, 6, 20-24.
20.
Lincoln, C.E., & Mamiya, L.H. ( 1990). The Black church in the African American experience. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
21.
Lynn, L. ( 1997). Teaching teachers to work with families. Harvard Education Letter, 13(5), 7-8.
22.
Mapp, K. ( 1997). Making the connection between families and schools. Harvard Education Letter, 13(5), 1-3.
23.
Morris, J.E. ( 1999). A pillar of strength: An African American school’s communal bonds with families and community since Brown. Urban Education, 33, 584-605.
24.
Nicholson, K., Evans, J.F., Tellier-Robinson, D., & Aviles, L. ( 2001). Allowing the voices of parents to help shape teaching and learning. Educational Forum, 65, 176-185.
25.
Payne, W.J. ( 1995). Directory of African American religious bodies: A compendium by the Howard University School of Divinity. Washington, DC: Howard University Press.
26.
Pena, D.C. ( 2000). Parent involvement: Influencing factors and implications . Journal of Educational Research, 94, 42-54.
27.
Rao, S.S. ( 2000). Perspectives of an African American mother on parent-professional relationship in special education. Mental Retardation, 38(6), 1-14.
28.
Reglin, L.G., King, S., Losike-Sedimo, N., & Ketterer, A. ( 2003). Barriers to school involvement and strategies to enhance involvement from parents at low performing urban schools. Journal of at Risk Issues, 9(2), 1-7.
29.
Scott-Jones, D. ( 1987). Mothers-as-teachers in the families of high-and low-achieving low-income Black first graders. Journal of Negro Education , 56, 21-34.
30.
Smalley, S.Y., & Reyes-Blanes, M.E. (2001). Reaching out to African American parents in an urban community: A community-university partnership . Urban Education, 36, 518-533.
31.
Smrekar, C., & Cohen-Vogel, L. (2001). The voice of parents: The intersection of family and school. Peabody Journal of Education , 76, 75-100.
32.
The Progress of Educational Reform (2003). Education Commission of the States, (4) 1.
33.
Thompson, G.L. ( 2003a). No parent left behind: Strengthening ties between educators and African American parents/guardians. Urban Review, 35(1), 7-23.
34.
Thompson, G.L., (2003b). Prediction in African American parents’ and guardians’ satisfaction with teachers and public schools. Journal of Educational Research, 96, 277-286.
35.
Trotman, M.F. ( 2001). Involving the African American parent: Recommendations to increase the level of parent involvement within AfricanAmerican families. Journal of Negro Education, 70, 275-285.
36.
U.S. Census (2000). We the People: Blacks in the United States. Retrieved February 26, 2006, from www.census.gov/prod/2005pubs/censr-25.pdf
37.
U.S. Department of Education. (2001). Family involvement in children’s education: An idea book [abridged version] . Jessup, MD: Office of Educational Research and Improvement.
38.
Winters, W.G. ( 1994). Working with African American mothers and urban schools: The power of participation. Paper presented at Safe School, Safe Students: A Collaborative Approach to Achieving Safe, Disciplined and Drug Free Schools Conducive to Learning, Washington, DC (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 383959).
