Latino Families Experience with Public Education in Summit County

1
Latino Families Experience with Public Education
in Summit County
Key Findings Emerging from a Community-based
Needs Assessment Conducted Spring/Summer 2003

• This effort was made possible
• through funding support provided by The Summit
  Foundation

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Presentation Overview

• Section 1 Background and Methods
• Section 2 Key Findings
• Section 3 Implications

3
Section 1

• Background and Methods

• Partners
• Key Topic Areas Explored
• Recruitment
• Sample

4
Partners

• The following partners initiated, and provided
  oversight for, the needs assessment process
• Family and Intercultural Resource Center
• Youth and Family Services Division, Summit County
  Government
• The Summit Prevention Alliance

5
Steering Committee

• The steering committee involved a diverse
  stakeholder group, including representatives of
  the following entities
• Colorado Mountain College
• Colorado Workforce Center
• Social Services
• Summit School District
• Keystone Resort
• Human Services
• Family and Intercultural Resource Center
• Summit Prevention Alliance
• Early Childhood Connections

6
Research Support

• OMNI Research Training, Inc. supported the
  needs assessment process by
• Facilitating partner discussions to prioritize
  topics
• Developing focus group guides and other materials
  to support facilitators
• Providing a facilitators training
• Translating and transcribing recorded focus
  groups
• Conducting qualitative data analysis
• Summarizing key findings

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Key Topic Areas Prioritized for the Needs
Assessment

• Access to Services and Resources
• Community Involvement and Social Inclusion
• Parental Involvement in Education

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Key Topic Areas Prioritized for the Needs
Assessment

• Parental Involvement in Education
• Social norms regarding parental involvement
• Experiences and interactions with school faculty
  and staff
• Degree to which the school system is responsive
  to Latino families culture and values

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Recruitment

• Partner agencies recruited 12 to 16 participants
  for each focus group

• Recruitment focused on Latinos living in the
  county at least one year

• Other selection criteria depended on the
  particular topic of the group for which
  participants were being recruited

• Parents of school-age children were recruited for
  the community discussion group focusing on
  Parental Involvement in Education

10
Sample

• 10 parents (including some parent couples) of
  school-age children
• Both mothers and fathers, therefore, were
  represented
• A meal, childcare and gift certificates were
  provided to facilitate and reciprocate
  participation

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Section 2

• Key Findings

• Social norms regarding parent involvement in
  education
• Differences in education systems (also provides a
  sense of what Latino parents expectations might
  be)
• Facilitators of parent engagement and involvement
• Barriers to parent engagement and involvement

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• Social Norms regarding Parent Involvement in
  Education

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Similarities between US and Country of Origin

• Parents are expected to facilitate childs
  academic success by
• Teaching children at home
• Establishing appropriate disciplinary boundaries
• Communicating with teachers
• Talking with child about what he or she is
  learning

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Similar Social Norms regarding Parent Involvement
in Education
In my country of origin, they expected that we
paid attention to the childrens education, that
we communicated with the teachers And, always,
to talk with your child. Thats really important
here, as well.
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Similar Social Norms regarding Parent Involvement
in Education

• The teachers expected that we didnt leave all
  of the work to them -- that we help to teach
  and discipline the children at home that we
  also were teachers with our children at home

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Different Social Norms regarding Parent
Involvement

• Parent involvement in activities occurring at
  school
• Parent-teacher conferences
• Field trips
• PTA meetings

• Latino parents were not accustomed to attending
  such school events
• Some events (parent-teacher conferences) were not
  a regular part of the school environment in
  parents country of origin

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Different Social Norms regarding Parents
Attending School Events
In Latin America, at least in Mexico, its not
very often that the parents go on the school
activities with their children.
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Different Social Norms regarding Parents
Attending School Events
The teachers are really interested and want
parents to be there with the children. In
reality, were not used to this. When I went,
the other parents in attendance were almost all
Americans. There were almost no Hispanics,
because were not used to this. Here, they want
you to be present at an event that they have.
They expect a lot of you as a parent -- more than
in my country.
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• Differences in School Systems (more broadly)

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Differences in Education Systems

• More economic/material support for childrens
  learning
• Scholarships supporting post-secondary education
• Books provided by schools
• Hot meals served for lunch everyday (financially
  subsidized for children of families that are
  unable to afford the lunch program)

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Differences in Education Systems

• Different social norms regarding
• Corporal punishment, and
• The role of the schools/ teachers in prescribing
  appropriate forms of parental discipline

• In countries of origin, teachers might condone
  the use of or use corporal punishment (e.g.,
  spanking)

22
Emergent Cultural Tension
Clash of Social Values
Strict discipline (Latino parents)

Ensuring the safety of children (school
system)
23
Emergent Cultural Tension

• Latino parents expressed concern that, if they
  disciplined their child in a manner that they
  felt was appropriate, they might be suspected of
  child abuse in a society that held different
  views regarding appropriate forms/styles of
  punishment

• This exacerbated the sense of vulnerability,
  particularly among more recent immigrants and
  those who may have come to this county illegally

24
Cultural Tensions surrounding Discipline
You cant touch or talk to children very
strongly, because the child goes to the teacher
and says, My dad yelled at me and scolded me
This is something that is good if a child is
neglected, but there are children that learn that
they can show contempt towards their parents --
that they can do what they want and that you
cant do anything to them or youre going to
have problems that you have mistreated your
children.
25
Cultural Tensions surrounding Discipline
My son is seven years old, and he tells me, My
teacher said that you shouldnt yell at me
because its very bad . Hes very young, and
he says, I can call the police. And, that would
get us in a lot of trouble, right? I dont like
that the schools get involved in the type of
discipline that a parent would give to their
children Were not used to that in our country.

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Cultural Tensions surrounding Discipline
When its more aggressive, when they are
mistreated, then the children inaudible part of
the tape but, when its discipline, because
the child is not behaving, inaudible part of the
tape A child doesnt know how to distinguish
the situation. The only thing they know is that
you have to call the police if you dont want to
be disciplined
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Differences in Education Systems

• Proactive stance of teachers in fostering the
  academic success of students
• The sense that teachers are willing to go above
  and beyond to help every pupil

The teachers here -- a difference from our
country -- they are very tender with the
children. If a child begins to loose control
of the subject, they call you and tell you whats
happening. And they help the children with their
homework. In my country, its not like that.
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• Facilitators of Parent Involvement in Education

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Facilitators of Parent Involvement in Education

• Similar social and cultural norms regarding
  parent involvement (highlighted earlier)
• Parent attitudes and beliefs
• Teachers

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Facilitators of Parent Involvement in Education

• Similar social and cultural norms regarding
  parent involvement (highlighted earlier)
• Parent attitudes and beliefs
• Teachers

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Attitudes, Beliefs that Facilitate Parental
Engagement in Childs Education

• Parents aspirations for their childrens future
  success
• Parents understanding of the importance of their
  involvement in their childrens learning
• Parents are motivated by their children to become
  or remain involved

• Parents and children as co-learners

32
Parents Aspirations for their Childrens Future
Success
I want my child to study and be able to do well
in school in order to have a good career,
because, here, everything is within her reach.
33
Parents Understanding of the Importance of their
Involvement

• You have to be involved with them to help them
  apply themselves. Thats what I think.

34
Parents are Motivated by Their Children to Become
or Remain Involved

• When you go to the school, the children like
  it. They ask that you go. My son is happy then.
  He says, Ill translate for you.

35
Children and Parents as Co-learners
I have a daughter thats four years old. And, my
husband reads to her in English and me in
Spanish, so that we can facilitate her learning
in Spanish and English. And, when I read in
English, I read as if I understand. And, shes
correcting me, Its like this, Mom. Shes only
four years old. And, I ask her, Mhija, how do
you pronounce this? I think that we can learn
a little bit along with our children.
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Facilitators of Parent Involvement in Education

• Similar social and cultural norms regarding
  parent involvement (highlighted earlier)
• Parents attitudes and beliefs
• Teachers

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How Teachers Serve as Important Facilitators of
Parent Engagement

• Teachers are attentive to the academic needs of
  Latino children
• Teachers communicate openly with Latino parents
  regarding their childs progress
• Teachers support children becoming fluent in both
  English and Spanish
• Teachers help Latino parents feel welcome
• Teachers encourage the involvement of
  mono-lingual Spanish-speaking parents

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Teachers Attention to the Academic Needs of
Latino Children
They help the children who are newly arrived.
They start to teach them, to translate for them,
explain things to them They are very attentive
to our child, and they make us feel very well
liked. We are glad for all the attention that
the teachers have given our son.
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Teachers Communication with Latino Parents
One feels that the teachers are very good with
the children. They make one feel very good
They tell you how your child is advancing,
subject by subject, or going from one teacher to
another. And, they communicate everything in
regards to your child.
40
Teachers Support Latino Children in Becoming
Fluent in both Languages
The teachers make them feel good, your son or
daughter, that theyre a child who speaks both
languages, that its very good. And, I feel good
about this They say about your child, Theres
a future for him being bilingual.
41
Teachers Help Latino Parents Feel Welcome
I think that the teachers arent just teachers
I have seen that all the teachers seem to be like
this very open, friendly. They talk to you like
someone trust-worthy. Its not just like a
teacher to a parent. They really try to make you
feel comfortable here. And, this is what
motivates one to do well in school.
42
Teachers Help Latino Parents Feel Welcome
I have always felt comfortable. Ive never seen
that they treat us any differently They want
us to be a part of whats going on.
43
Teachers Engage Mono-lingual Spanish-speaking
Parents
One teacher told me that if I didnt understand
English, that, in any case, that I read to my
child -- that I dont say that I dont
understand, that I read the lesson and, if
possible, write it.
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• Barriers to Parent Involvement in Education

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Barriers Parents Experience to Supporting their
Children Academically

• Parents and children at different levels
• Educational attainment
• Language skills acquisition
• Language barriers that inhibit parent-teacher
  communication
• Economic pressures that make it necessary for
  both parents to work long hours
• Leaves parents with little time or energy to
  support their children academically

46
Parents and Children at Different Levels of
Educational Attainment
The teachers always want us to be involved with
the children But, the situation is very
difficult for us, because the education level
at which the child is Maybe, if its the
primary level (kindergarten and the first years),
one can help them a lot. You can explain things
to them The difference is that, when theyre in
high school, then it becomes more difficult
Were not going to be able to reach the same
level.
47
Parents and Children at Different Levels of
Language Acquisition
Its very difficult for those people who have not
learned sufficient English In the elementary
school, maybe we are able to help them But, the
problem starts when they begin to do more
complicated homework
48
Language Barriers that Inhibit Parent-Teacher
Communication
Every two or three months, they have a conference
with parents Sometimes this can be very
complicated, like, for example, for me, I dont
know the language.
49
Economic Pressures Force Both Parents to Work
Long Hours
The work schedules are rough the shifts are
eight hours or more. So, the children are almost
always with someone else that takes care of them.
The little time that one has is spent making
sure that they eat, that they go to bed One
doesnt have any time left to study and to be
able to help them with their homework.
50
Economic Pressures Force Both Parents to Work
Long Hours
We dont have credit, for example, to say, Okay,
it doesnt matter I can allow myself to work a
little bit less so as to be able to help my
child, to have more time with my child.
Because, realistically, as none of us have any
credit, we worry about being able to have the
money to survive. And, one looses time with
ones children. Its very difficult.
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Economic Pressures Force Both Parents to Work
Long Hours
We work a lot and, at times, we dont really pay
them the children much attention I arrive
home late and tired. Even though we arrive
late, at times, I read to them Its very
important the attention that you give them,
whether its an hour or two.
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• Recommendations

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Recommendations to Support and Foster Parent
Involvement

• Formalize opportunities for parents and children
  to become co-learners
• Particularly when children are younger, may serve
  to promote
• Language acquisition among adults
• Ongoing parent engagement as child advances
  through the grade levels
• A learning environment within the family

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Opportunities for Co-learning among Parents and
Children
Weve been talking about how we dont know
English, so we are not going to understand the
teacher. But if, for example, there was a class
in the school that would say, Okay, your
children, during the next month, are going to
learn these things at school. This is what
theyre learning in math or science We would
have an idea, then, of what the teachers are
talking about and what the children are
learning learn English and help them at the
same time.
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Recommendations to Support and Foster Parent
Involvement

• Continue to support bilingual education
• Make interpreters/Spanish-language resources more
  available in schools

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Support Bilingual Education
I hope that they dont stop the bilingual
program, because there are a lot that have
discontinued it and only have English It helps
people It helps the children.
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Enhance Language Access within the Schools
If they had a bilingual person, that could help,
because, at times, there isnt anyone to help
translate what the teacher wants or to help me
understand what shes telling me. At times, I
understand some of the words, and I guess at what
theyre trying to say, because there arent
people or a person that could translate for me.
When one goes alone and youre still learning the
language, at times, youre left with doubts.
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Recommendations to Support and Foster Parent
Involvement

• Celebrate and recognize the teachers!
• Comments of focus group participants highlight
  the diligent efforts of school faculty and staff
  that reportedly promote parent involvement
  (despite the barriers and challenges) and foster
  students academic success
• Involve the Latino community in celebrating and
  recognizing the teachers