Parents' Perceptions of Their Children's Status: The Case of Long-Term English Language Learners in High School

Referred to in the literature as the English language learners who "struggle," a group of students has recently become a concern of California's Department of Education (CDE). Called long-term English language learner (LTELL) students, these are children who have not been reclassified as "fluent English proficient" after the expected six years in California's public schools. Consequences for LTELL students include limited access to curricula measured in statewide testing and higher drop-out rates. That parents have an effect on their children's persistence and academic success is well established. However, if parents are unaware of difficulties, they are less likely to seek solutions. Lacking are data on what parents do know about their children's academic status. For that reason, this mixed methods study explored the links between the social networks that provide parents with information about their LTELL high school students' academic status, the accuracy of that information, and parents' resulting perceptions of their children as students.;For this study, 31 parents of LTELL high school students participated. Thirteen completed surveys while 16 completed surveys and interviews. Parents' survey responses stating students' performances on three academic indicators were compared with district portal data that parents shared. The extent of parents' information accuracy regarding their reports of student performance was calculated. Four levels of parent information accuracy were identified. The more comprehensive social network data from interviews was disaggregated for each parent information accuracy level in order to determine network features of parents with more versus less accurate information.;Findings revealed that a slim majority of participants were accurate in their reports of their children's status on at least two of three academic indicators: Most knew their children were struggling in school. Despite this, parents expressed beliefs in their children's ability to improve. Network heterogeneity, or the variety of contact types, did not explain the differences in parent information accuracy, although network extensity did to a limited degree. More crucial to parents' information accuracy were the types of communication exchanges they had with their LTELL students, as well as school communications. It was evident that there were limited communication channels available to parents and that there was a mismatch between the communication tools parents had and those the schools used. Based on the questions parents asked and the concerns they expressed, they were lacking information they needed to facilitate their children's academic progress. The study revealed ways in which schools can strengthen parents' "information getting" and help them to help their children succeed.