Date of Award

5-2024

Document Type

Project

Degree Name

Master of Social Work

Department

School of Social Work

First Reader/Committee Chair

Deirdre lanesskog

Abstract

Parent involvement has been identified as a vital factor in determining children's success in school and life. Research has largely shown that direct parent involvement improves grades and graduation rates. Research has also shown that the major factors contributing to parent involvement are socioeconomic status and educational attainment. This study explores what prevents Latino parents from effectively engaging in their children's high school education. For Latinos, parent involvement is a struggle due to significant barriers to higher education system knowledge, level of parental acculturation, and technology limitations. This study used a quantitative descriptive approach. The researchers created a survey instrument using Qualtrics. The sample size for the study was 66 participants with a non-probability convenience sampling method. The findings show that participants with technological access better understand the education system. Additionally, the findings demonstrate that Latino parents’ level of acculturation relates to their involvement—school system knowledge related to their awareness and comfortability with their students' schools. In summary, educational marginalization for Latino groups contributes to the perpetuation of a lack of educational attainment. Social workers can advocate for training and awareness in this community by highlighting the importance of technology and its role in improving parental involvement. Future research should explore in-person surveying options to gauge participation from parents who may not have access to technology.

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