African American families are multidimensional entities that change over time. This is particularly true when there is a child with a disability in the family. The communication and interaction of the family and parents with the teachers and school in which their child receives special education services are of crucial importance. The goal for all is a relationship based on equity and parity, but research indicates that often this is not the case for African American parents who have a child with a disability. Based on a review of the literature focused on African American parents with a child with a disability and their sense of alienation from their child’s school, a questionnaire is presented in which parents reflect on the barriers in five categories identified in the literature (e.g., personal concerns, work concerns, lack of interest, logistical concerns, teacher/parent relationships) that may impede the development of a professional partnership with those who provide special education services to their child. The questionnaire is presented and suggestions for its usage are provided.

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Educators bear the responsibility of creating an environment conducive to learning for all students. Active teacher enga gement contributes to building the vital characteristic of resilience needed for students to thrive (Murray & Naranjo, 2008). African American students with learning disabilities (LD) are disproportionately affected by negative school outcomes (Ogbu, 2004). African American students with LD often face an increased drop-out rate coupled with adverse social outcomes (Miller & MacIntosh, 1999). These outcomes are exacerbated by an increased risk of negative peer relationships and involvement in the criminal justice system.Resiliency is defined as the ability of a student to achieve positive developmental outcomes while avoiding maladaptive influences in adverse situations (e.g., home, school, community; Wyman et al., 1999). Researchers define students who achieve this characteristic as resilient (Ogbu, 2004;Patterson, 2002;Sagor, 1996). Educational resiliency focuses on the increased probability of academic and social accomplishments in spite of setbacks encountered in the home, school, or community (Brown, 2001;Milstein & Henry, 2000).

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In recent decades, there has been increasing pressure for teacher accountability. Additionally, interest in teacher evaluation throughout the field of education has grown. While research has been conducted on multiple factors contributing to student achievement, there is a lack of research in the Vietnamese culture on faculty perceptions of the meaning and interpretation of the faculty performance evaluation. This study addressed faculty perceptions of the evaluation process and overall impact on their teaching performance. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore full-time faculty members' perceptions of the performance appraisal (PA) process currently implemented at a local university (i.e., private university in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam). Data obtained from individual, semi-structured interviews with 12 full-time faculty was analyzed. After analysis of the data, salient findings were identified regarding the enhancement of teaching quality. Second, substantial factors contributing to the faculty's positive perceptions of the PA process and instructional methods were determined. Leading on from this, this study identified key factors that instructors believe are critical in an effective performance appraisal process. Furthermore, the leadership tools required to make the overall process meet instructors' expectations were met.