Culturally Responsive Parental Involvement: Concrete Understandings and Basic Strategies

Abstract

This booklet explains that strong parental involvement in a child's education and school environment is essential to the success of the child and the school. It explores culturally biased beliefs many educators frequently have toward their students and their students' families, examining a variety of ways in which educators and parents can work together to benefit students. The booklet describes key assumptions of culturally responsive parental involvement (e.g., diverse cultural backgrounds of families demand new strategies to encourage parental involvement, parents want to be involved in their children's education, and partnerships are key to successful reform). Next, it examines common misconceptions (e.g., parents who do not visit schools, do not care about their children's education, good parental involvement looks a certain way, and all parents respond to the same strategies). Finally, it presents concrete steps for initiating culturally responsive parental involvement (e.g., inventory parents' concerns, perspectives, and ideas; plan a series of parent-teacher seminars or parent-teacher team building activities based on surveys of parent interests and needs; assign a family liaison; and develop a school cultural resources binder).