Principals' effective strategies and practices in involving Hispanic parents

The purpose of this study was to examine the strategies principals use and their effect on the decisions of parents to become involved in their children's education. In particular, this study focused on Hispanic parents' thoughts about the principal's parental involvement strategies and their perceptions of the involvement practices of principals. This research was deliberate in providing descriptive information concerning principal's successes with involvement of low socioeconomic Hispanic parents. Also, additional information was obtained to comprehend the relation between cultural factors and educational responsiveness, level of comfort in schools, and motivational factors that affect the active participation of low socioeconomic Hispanic parents. Twenty public elementary school principals and 57 Hispanic parents from seven public elementary schools that offer Bilingual Education in a large suburban school district served as subjects.; The study involved both quantitative and qualitative research methods through a combination of interviews and questionnaires to collect data from both principals and parents. It was exploratory in nature with the intent to add to the body of knowledge concerning parental involvement, specifically about the practices and strategies of principals with regards to Hispanic parents.; The study revealed general agreement between principals and parents in reports of type and importance of parental involvement strategies and practices. Principals used a wide variety and range of strategies and practices with regards to Hispanic parent involvement and parents felt more involved in their children's education with those principals who actively used strategies and practices to influence their involvement. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for educational practice and future research. It is the hope that the information about the parental involvement of principals and low socioeconomic Hispanic parents, gathered from this study, will benefit educators working with all language-minority parents and students and that findings will be added to the growing literature on parental involvement in language-minority students' education.