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##  Involving Migrant Families in Education. ERIC Digest.                        

Children of migrant farm workers, more than other children, confront            a number of risk factors for school failure (Menchaca &                         Ruiz-Escalante, 1995). Some of these factors--including mobility,               poverty, and lack of access to schooling--were recognized and                   described as early as the 1940s. School-level data, however,                    indicate that educators frequently attribute school failure to a                lack of parent involvement ("parents just don't care"). This digest             describes parent involvement in the education process from the                  perspective of parents and educators and offers strategies to                   enhance the experience of schooling for migrant students and their              families. PARENT INVOLVEMENT IN EDUCATIONIn the move toward a             more inclusive education system, parents are encouraged, and often              expected, to visit their children's school regularly. These                     expectations are guided by a set of assumptions, held mostly by                 teachers, regarding the role parents should play in their children's            education. According to Lareau (1989, p.2-3), parent involvement as             perceived by teachers involves 
Preparing children for                         school (i.e., teaching children the alphabet, talking and reading to            children to promote language development), attending school                     events (i.e., parent-teacher conferences) and fulfilling any                    requests teachers make of parents (i.e., to play word games with                their children at home). 
It is no wonder that migrant parents are             so often perceived as uninvolved: Their life circumstances preclude             fulfillment of the expected role. 
Definitions of                              education. 
Although most migrant parents are financially unable to            buy their children expensive educational toys, and lack the time or             educational background to participate in their children's education             as schools expect, they do make a significant contribution to their             children's education. To understand migrant parent involvement,                 educators must understand how migrant parents define education and              the role they play in the process of education thus defined. 
A                study of the similarities and differences in the way school teachers            and migrant parents perceive education revealed a basic difference              between "education" and "instruction" (Martinez, 1997). Mothers                 defined education in terms of forming the child's                               character--focusing on such issues as development of morals, values,            respect for self and others, good manners, responsibility towards               self and the community, and so forth. Teachers, on the other hand,              defined education in terms of academically oriented                             instruction--learning to read, developing writing skills, and                   mathematical problem-solving. 
Willingness vs. capability. 
Some              migrant parents are nonetheless aware of schools' expectations for              them. These parents cite barriers that impede participation in their            children's educational activities. Lack of English proficiency                  limits the extent to which migrant parents can help their children              with homework and can also limit parents' ability to communicate                with teachers. Lack of educational skills becomes an even greater               factor when helping their older children, as described by one                   migrant mother (Martinez, 1997, pp. 71-72): 
With two of my                    children, I do very little because they go to higher grades...I                 can't participate with them because I don't have the education. What            I do is...take them to the library so they can find information in              books...the one I do a little more with is the youngest, she is in              fifth grade, so I sit with her and help her and I go over her                   homework. 
Lack of time, frequently cited as a barrier to parent               involvement, presents particular hardships to migrant farm workers              who enter the fields before dawn and return home late in the                    evening. One migrant worker put it this way: 
There are times when             you get up so early in the morning that you only have time to get               your children dressed and take them to someone to take care of them.            In the evenings, sometimes you pick them up and they are already                asleep . . . sometimes you can pick them up earlier . . . but then              you have to go home and clean, wash clothes, cook . . . Sometimes               you are so tired that you get home in a bad mood and maybe you take             it out on your children . . . I think that a person who works in the            fields is affected by having to invest so much time in that                     work . . . (Martinez, 1997, p. 75) OVERVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON              PARENT INVOLVEMENT IN EDUCATIONWhile most migrant parents want              their children to succeed in school (Lareau, 1989; Martinez, 1991),             not all parents construct the path to success in the same way.                  Valdes (1996) suggests that efforts to involve migrant parents must             take into account social inequalities, educational ideologies,                  educational structures, and interpersonal interactions, as well as              the interplay of these factors. Such diverse influences inevitably              shape educational outcomes for migrant children. 
According to                 Valdes (1996), family intervention programs have been "prescriptive"            for the most part--parents are rarely engaged or invited to                     participate in describing or diagnosing a dilemma. She argues that              families themselves should play an integral role in this effort by              using their resources, networks, and traditions. 
Family                       intervention programs based on an understanding, appreciation, and              respect for the internal dynamics of these families, as well as for             their values and beliefs, are essential to improving the involvement            of migrant parents in education. Practitioners involved in such                 programs will not only help to maintain the integrity of migrant                families, they will themselves begin to recognize that new                      immigrants bring with them successful lifeways that enrich our                  society as a whole. 
Following Delgado-Gaitan's (1990, 1993)                   argument, parents' contributions to the education process can be                accessed through "environmental resources" or "emotional and                    motivational resources." "Environmental resources" refer to parents'            economic resources, education level, familiarity with education                 systems, participation in social networks outside the home, and so              forth. Thus, "environmental resources" are the cumulative result of             parents' economic and education backgrounds and their participation             in and familiarity with the system (Delgado-Gaitan,                             1990). 
"Emotional and motivational resources" refer to parents'               perceptions of education as important for socioeconomic success.                Emotional support, thus, is provided through stories of how                     difficult life was for them without an education. The idea of                   cultural narratives as a powerful educational tool among Mexican                American families was explored by Delgado-Gaitan (1993) through her             seven-year work with a Mexican family. Cultural narratives in the               form of "consejos" were used by parents with low education levels to            encourage their children to do well in school and to listen to their            teachers. 
Although migrant parents may lack access to some                    elements of environmental resources, they nonetheless provide a                 wealth of emotional resources to their children. Often, this                    grounding rests on a very strong work ethic that transfers to other             realms of life. Parents often mention the desire for their children             to have an education, something they wish they had attained                     themselves (Delgado-Gaitan, 1990; Valdes, 1996; Martinez, 1997).                Parent contributions are also significant in areas that teachers                might not readily recognize--for instance, encouraging their                    children to be responsible citizens who not only earn self-respect              but who are ready to grant respect to others. MIGRANT FAMILY                  INVOLVEMENT STRATEGIESOpportunities for migrant student success             can be nurtured through family involvement activities that are                  sensitive to their mobile way of life and culture. The following                strategies can enhance the schooling experience for migrant students            and their families (for details see Menchaca & Ruiz-Escalante, 1995;            Whitaker, Salend, & Gutierrez, 1997; Romo, 1999; Murray & Velazquez,            2000): 
*  Bilingual community liaisons can help bridge language               and cultural differences between home and school (i.e., they can                train parents to reinforce education concepts in the native language            and/or English). 
*  Child care, transportation, evening and                   weekend activities, and refreshments can increase the likelihood of             migrant parent participation. 
*  Curriculum that reflects the                 culture, values, interests, experiences, and concerns of the migrant            family can enhance learning--parents can more easily relate to                  such "homework" and will be more inclined to help their child with              subjects that affirm their experiences (also increasing their                   confidence and self-esteem). 
*  Flexible instructional programming            that allows students to drop out of school to work or take care of              family responsibilities and that allows them to return and pick up              their academic work without penalties can increase migrant student              success. 
*  Multiple, coordinated "second-chance" opportunities               for education and training-at work sites, community centers,                    churches, and school sites--can be made available for both students             and families. 
*  Distance learning efforts in public computer                 centers can provide migrant students and their families with                    continuous access to on-line links to college and ESL courses (e.g,,            Kentucky Migrant Technology Project: http://www.migrant.org). 
*               Partnerships with the agriculture industry can help cultivate                   potential collaborative activities that allow schools to tap into               parents' knowledge, skills, and talents through "flex time," (i.e.,             allowing parents to attend school activities during work                        hours). 
*  Parent-teacher conferences can give migrant parents an             opportunity to express ways they believe they can contribute to                 their children's education. 
*  Social and health outreach efforts             can be coordinated with local school community involvement                      activities, making them less threatening to migrant parents who are             hard to reach. 
*  Bilingual and Spanish language books in schools             and public libraries can help promote family reading at home. 
*               Transcribed library collections of oral family histories or                     experiences provide parents, grandparents, and other family members             with links to school and community. 
*  Bilingual community                    liaisons and others--secondary school advisors, advocates, and peer             and cross-age tutors or mentors--can effectively reach out to                   parents and secondary school students. 
*   Parent programs can                include workshops or retreats at colleges and universities, which               would also provide an early orientation to the postsecondary                    education process. 
*  Parent workshops that include such                      activities as "sharing secret talents" help to expose untapped                  parent skills (e.g., singing, craftsmanship, crocheting, etc.) that             can be tapped to benefit students and schools. 
*  Career                      education (in the community) and work-study positions (with parent              inclusions) promote higher aspirations among students and                       families. 
* Thinking "family" rather than just "parent" when                  planning involvement activities will help ensure program                        effectiveness. 
Involving migrant parents in their children's                  education is an essential component in the educational success of               migrant children. This Digest highlights the importance of                      understanding migrant families' strengths, the challenges their                 mobile lifestyle creates, as well as the positive contributions                 migrant parents "already" make to their children's                              education. REFERENCESDelgado-Gaitan, C. (1993). Parenting in              two generations of Mexican American families. International Journal             of Behavioral Development, 16(3), 409-27. 
Delgado-Gaitan,                     C. (1990). Literacy for empowerment: The role of parents in                     children's education. New York: The Falmer Press. 
Lareau,                     A. (1989). Home advantage: Social class and parental intervention in            elementary education. New York: The Falmer Press. 
Martinez, Y.                G. (1997). Migrant farmworker families, cultural capital and                    schooling: An anthropological analysis of implications for                      interventions. University of South Florida, Tampa: Unpublished                  doctoral dissertation. 
Martinez, Y. G. (1991). Educating the                  children of migrant agricultural workers: An anthropological                    perspective. University of South Florida: Unpublished master                    thesis. 
Menchaca, V. D., and Ruiz-Escalante, J. A. (1995).                    Instructional strategies for migrant students (ERIC Digest).                    Charleston, WV: ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small                 Schools. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 388                         491) 
Murray, Y. I., & Velazquez, J. (2000). Promoting reading                 among mexican-american children (ERIC Digest). Charleston, WV: ERIC             Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools. (ERIC Document              Reproduction Service No. ED 438 150) 
Romo, H. D. (1999). Reaching             out: Best practices for educating mexican-origin children and youth.            AEL, Inc., ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools:             Charleston, WV. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 432                  432) 
Valdes, G. (1996). Con respeto: Bridging the distance between            culturally diverse families and schools: An ethnographic portrait.              New York: Teachers College Press. 
Whitaker, C. R., Salend, S.                 J., & Gutierrez, M. B. (1997). "Voices From the Fields": Including              migrant farm workers in the curriculum. The Reading Teacher                     50(6),482-493. 
Yolanda G. Martinez, Ph.D., is a research associate            at the Orange County Health Department, Orlando, FL. 
Jose A                   Velazquez, M.Ed., is a language arts teacher at Eagle Elementary                School in Van Horn, Texas. 
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This publication was prepared              with funding from the Office of Educational Research and                        Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, under contract no.                   ED-99-CO-0027. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily                 reflect the positions or policies of OERI, the Department, or AEL.           **Title:** Involving Migrant Families in Education. ERIC Digest.                        **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** ERIC/CRESS, P.O. Box 1348, Charleston, WV 25325-1348; Tel:                      800-624-9120 (Toll Free). Full text at Web site:                                http://www.ael.org/eric/digests/edorc004.htm.                                **Descriptors:** Disadvantaged, Elementary Secondary Education, Family Involvement,               Migrant Education, Migrant Workers, Parent Background,  Parent                 Participation, Parent School Relationship,  Parent Student                      Relationship                                                                 **Identifiers:** ERIC Digests                                                                 
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