What African American Parents Want Educators to Know

by Gail L. Thompson

Overview

Thompson designed an empirical study to gather feedback from African-American parents on numerous issues pertaining to their children's schooling experiences. The results, discussed in this book, can be utilized to improve the schooling experiences of African-American children nationwide.

The African-American parents/guardians who participated in this study were biological parents in two-parent homes, single parents, grandparents, foster parents, and stepparents who were rearing school-age children. Some had been deterred from completing their own formal education as a result of peer pressure, temptation outside of school, or stressful circumstances. Others had positive schooling experiences and stable childhoods. Regardless of the differences in their background experiences, the majority of these parents or guardians were single-minded about wanting a better life for their children, believing that a good K-12 education and college education were crucial to their children's advancement. And while most believed resolutely in the hope offered by the public school system, they recognized that schools couldn't do it all.

African-American parents and guardians are willing to work with teachers and administrators to ensure that their children receive a quality education. Yet if the historic achievement gap is ever to be eradicated, teachers, administrators, researchers, and policymakers must be more willing to view African-American parents/guardians as assets. African-American parents/guardians must be invited to verbalize their concerns, and those concerns must be taken seriously to effect meaningful and lasting change in the public school system.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780897898935
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	05/30/2003
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.56(d)

About the Author

GAIL L.THOMPSON is Assistant Professor, School of Educational Studies, Claremont Graduate University.

Table of Contents

TablesTablesTablesTable 1.1 Variables That Were Correlated to Children's Attitude about School in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 5Table 2.1 Academic Problems That Concerned Parents/Guardians 15Table 2.2 Variables That Were Correlated to Grade Retention/Course Failure in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 16Table 2.3 Variables That Were Correlated to Math Problems in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 17Table 2.4 Variables That Were Correlated to Writing Problems in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 18Table 2.5 Variables That Were Correlated to Reading Rate Problems in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 20Table 2.6 Variables That Were Correlated to Reading Comprehension Problems in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 21Table 2.7 Variables That Were Correlated to Disliking Reading in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 22Table 2.8 Variables That Were Correlated to Grammar Problems in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 23Table 3.1 Variables That Were Correlated to Listening to Children Read in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 35Table 3.2 Variables That Were Correlated to Reading to Others in the Household in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 36Table 3.3 Variables That Were Correlated to Parents/Guardians Reading to Children in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 36Table 3.4 Variables That Were Correlated to Children Owning Books in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 37Table 3.5 Variables That Were Correlated to Buying Books for Children in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 39Table 3.6 Variables That Were Correlated to Encouraging Children to Use the School or Classroom Library in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 40Table 3.7 Variables That Were Correlated to Taking Children to the Public Library in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 41Table 4.1 How Parents/Guardians Rated Their Academic Assistance to Their Children 49Table 4.2 Variables That Were Correlated to Parents'/Guardians' Self-Rating in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 51Table 4.3 How African American Parents/Guardians Assisted Their Children Academically 52Table 4.4 Variables That Were Correlated to Helping with Homework in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 53Table 4.5 Variables That Were Correlated to Contacting Teachers in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 54Table 4.6 Variables That Were Correlated to Talking to Children about School in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 55Table 4.7 Variables That Were Correlated to Encouraging Children to Check Their Work in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 56Table 4.8 Variables That Were Correlated to Helping Children Study for Tests in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 57Table 4.9 Variables That Were Correlated to Limiting Daily Television Viewing in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 58Table 4.10 Variables That Were Correlated to Serving as a Classroom Volunteer in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 59Table 5.1 Variables That Were Correlated to Discipline Problems in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 71Table 5.2 Variables That Were Correlated to Suspension in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 73Table 6.1 Variables That Were Correlated to Parents'/Guardians' Beliefs about Whether or Not Most Teachers Care about Students in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 89Table 6.2 Variables That Were Correlated to Parents'/Guardians' Beliefs about Whether or Not Most Teachers Had Treated Their Children Fairly in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 91Table 6.3 How African American Parents/Guardians Rated Their Children's Elementary School Teachers 91Table 6.4 Variables That Were Correlated to How Parents/Guardians Rated Elementary Teachers in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 93Table 6.5 How African American Parents/Guardians Rated Their Children's Middle School Teachers 94Table 6.6 Variables That Were Correlated to How Parents/Guardians Rated Middle School Teachers in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 95Table 6.7 How African American Parents/Guardians Rated Their Children's High School Teachers 96Table 6.8 Variables That Were Correlated to How Parents/Guardians Rated High School Teachers in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 97Table 7.1 How Parents/Guardians Rated Their Children's Elementary School Course Work 105Table 7.2 Variables That Were Correlated to How Parents/Guardians Rated Their Children's Elementary School Course Work in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 106Table 7.3 How Parents/Guardians Rated Their Children's Middle School Course Work 107Table 7.4 Variables That Were Correlated to How Parents/Guardians Rated Their Children's Middle School Course Work in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 108Table 7.5 How Parents/Guardians Rated Their Children's High School Course Work 109Table 7.6 Variables That Were Correlated to How Parents/Guardians Rated Their Children's High School Course Work in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 110Table 7.7 How Parents/Guardians Rated Their Children's Elementary School Homework 110Table 7.8 Variables That Were Correlated to How Parents/Guardians Rated Their Children's Elementary School Homework in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 112Table 7.9 How Parents/Guardians Rated Their Children's Middle School Homework 112Table 7.10 Variables That Were Correlated to How Parents/Guardians Rated Their Children's Middle School Homework in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 113Table 7.11 How Parents/Guardians Rated Their Children's High School Homework 114Table 7.12 Variables That Were Correlated to How Parents/Guardians Rated Their Children's High School Homework in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 115Table 8.1 Variables That Were Correlated to Whether or Not Parents/Guardians Believed That Most Counselors and Administrators Care about Students in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 122Table 8.2 Variables That Were Correlated to Whether or Not Parents/Guardians Believed That Most Administrators Had Treated Their Children Fairly in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 124Table 9.1 How Parents/Guardians Rated the Public School System 129Table 9.2 Variables That Were Correlated to How Parents/Guardians Rated the Public School System in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 131Table 9.3 African American Parents'/Guardians' Recommendations for Improving the Public School System 132Table 10.1 Variables That Were Correlated to Experiencing Racism at School in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 145Table 10.2 Variables That Were Correlated to the Source of Racism in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 147Table 10.3 Variables That Were Correlated to Parents'/Guardians' Perception of the School District's Racial Climate in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 149Table 13.1 Variables That Were Correlated to the Value African American Parents/Guardians Placed on Their Children's Education in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 182Table 13.2 Variables That Were Correlated to Encouraging Children to Attend College in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 183Table 13.3 Variables That Were Correlated to Believing That One's Children Planned to Attend College in the Order of the Strength of Each Correlation 185

Editorial Reviews

This volume arrives at a timely point in educational research. Recent studies suggest black parents must become more involved in their children's education, and Thompson's research responds to these numerous calls for parental involvement. The avenue Thompson takes, however, is a "common-sense" approach. She asks African American parents what educational outcomes they desire for their children. The purpose of the study is to provide relevant information to educators and policy makers on (1) improving teacher quality in schools; (2) suggesting ways parents can be more active in educational settings....Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above.

January 2004 Choice

Recommended as a "working tool" for public school administrators.

Multicultural Review