Two studies of low income parents' involvement in schooling

School Influences on Parents' Role Beliefs

“…It would also allow comparisons of teachers' and parents' beliefs about their respective roles and responsibilities in establishing family-school partnerships. Such information could identify 'road blocks' in the processes of building family-school relationships, and elucidate the reasons why low-income parents are perceived by teachers as less involved in students' learning (Epstein & Dauber, 1991;Klimes-Dougan, 1992;Moles, 1993).…”

Parent Involvement and Mathematics Achievement: Contrast Across Racial and Ethnic Groups

“…Hispanic Americans represent one of the largest and fastest growing minority groups in the United States (Paratore & Hindin, 1999). When compared with European American and African American parents, researchers found that the Hispanic parents were less involved in their children's education (e.g., Klimes-Dougan, López, Nelson, & Adelman, 1992). In a 2-year qualitative study of Hispanic parent participation in a family literacy program, Rodgríguez-Brown and colleagues revealed that a strategy such as Project FLAME can (a) increase Hispanic parents' ability to provide literacy opportunities for their children, (b) increase parents' ability to act as positive role models, and (c) improve parents' skills as well as relationships between Hispanic families and schools.…”

Handbook of the Sociology of Education

“…This includes parents with less formal education or lower incomes who might not have otherwise become involved on their own (Ames, deStefano, Watkins, & Sheldon, 1995;Caimey & Munsie, 1995;Comer & Haynes, 1991;Dauber & Epstein, 1993;Epstein, 1986;Griffith, 1998;Johnson, 1994; Kilmes-Dougan, Lopez, Nelson & Adelman, 1992;Sanders, Epstein & Connors-Tadros, 1999;Swap, 1993). Also, family practices of involvement are as important as or more important than family background variables for determining whether and how students progress and succeed in school.…”