The alleged invisible parent: Examining practices and perspectives of African-American parent involvement in Title I schools

This study focused on the experiences of African-American parent involvement in two Title I schools in an urban southeastern school district. It specifically sought to understand the role of parent involvement as practiced in two schools that have a majority economically disadvantaged population, predominately African-American, where students have been successful in attendance, grades, and state standardized test. In addition, it attempted to understand if there is an impact of cultural attitudes and identify practices on the actions of African-American parents and what factors influence their involvement in their children's education. It found three major themes that influenced involvement with African-American families: (1) Strong, innovative leadership, (2) the impact of community associations, (3) adapting and creating programs that teach parents how to reinforce curriculum.