| Over the years, there have been significant discussions concerning the connection between parental values and student achievement. Students in U.S. schools come from a plethora of environments and backgrounds. Some students come from stable, traditional, and supportive home environments and others from unstable, broken, and homeless environments. Educators are faced with the challenging task of providing proficient instruction to a wide range of learning abilities, learning disabilities, and diverse family value structures. By purposeful sampling, this qualitative study examined Hispanic American and African American families in a specific region. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between family involvement and academic performance among a specific group of successful Hispanic American and African American students. Parents of the students, teachers of the students, and school administrators were participants in the study. Results from this study indicated that parents who placed a high value on education were actively involved in the education of their children. Finally, the conclusion made was that both African American and Hispanic American parents believe that they play an important role in the educational process. Parents reported that they believed that frequent communications with the school is a key attribute in assisting academic success. Furthermore, conclusions from this study suggest that school principals should maintain regular communications with teachers and parents about the involvement of parents in the education of their children. All participants agreed that parental involvement is critical for the success of students. |
