Moderator: Gloria Rodriguez, University of California Davis
This organized session examines school-community partnerships under parental engagement frameworks to center pressing 21st Century challenges to education equity and problematize models applied to people of color within rural educational contexts. Geographical isolation, income and wealth gap, limited school and community resources and lower educational attainment, are some of the pressing challenges and disadvantages of rural communities (Bauch, 2001). Using mixed methods, presenters explore dominant and non-dominant forms of parent involvement and engagement as it pertains to rural contexts and minoritized populations.
Paper one, a qualitative research study (Lara, A.) focuses on the parental influences of undocumented Latina/o students to pursue their education beyond the baccalaureate degree. Using Latino Critical Theory (Solórzano & Yosso, 2001) this study challenges cultural deficit perspective and explores how parental sacrifice and motivation influences students’ decision to continue their education. Data was gathered from a larger sample of 20 undocumented Latina/o graduate students attending four year institutions of higher education. Findings demonstrate parental guidance, familial sacrifices, and lack of parental opportunities for an education influenced students’ educational and occupational aspirations. Study participants highlighted the immense support their parents and families provided for them even in the worst of economic situations.
Paper two (Nava, P.) examines the intersection of parents’ immigration status and social class and racial background and their school engagement. This study draws from CRT and Latino Critical Theory (LatCrit) (Solorzano & Yosso, 2000) frameworks utilizing a qualitative case study design from a purposeful sample of 8 Mexican origin, mostly undocumented (im)migrant farmworking families in rural California. Life narratives revealed parents’ nuanced conceptions of engagement best captured by the concept of apoyo—broad based, culturally specific forms of familial support. Specific practices of apoyo went beyond school-based expectations and consisted of: 1) providing economic support, 2) cultivating their children’s agency 3) making meaningful sacrifices, and, 4) modeling academic excellence.
Paper three is a mixed methods study (Gonzalez, A.) seeking to understand dominant/non-dominant forms of parent involvement/engagement among Mexican immigrant families. Employing Epstein, et al.’s (1997) six-type model of parental involvement, this study surveyed a total of 150 mothers about their perceptions and participation in educational opportunities in-school and at-home. Preliminary results demonstrate school sanctioned forms of involvement guide direct and indirect parental practices while noting important limitations to inclusion and genuine engagement. These results provide an additional unique set of information to building meaningful school-family partnerships.
