And at these schools, standardized test scores are also below grade level. Where Catholic school scores are higher than at neighboring public schools, it's probably the result of the Catholic schools' ability to selectively enroll students whose parents offer more academically effective support. Across town from Murchison, St. Milton and St. Felipe are parish schools in an impoverished African-American community. Parents in both parish schools are required to sign contracts to volunteer for 30 hours per year. Staff and parents often blame each other for the disappointing test results.
Parents say they've paid the tuition, and it is the teachers' job to boost academic achievement.
One Mashita teacher complains that she spends an hour a week telephoning parents whose children are doing well and whose children are not, but gets little response from either group. Three years ago, Mashita established a focus group of parents and teachers to develop ways to increase parent involvement. The group developed plans for parent training, but there was almost no parental response. Mashita parents may undervalue education because of a misplaced faith that good jobs will always be available on the docks for high school dropouts. At other lower-income schools, different preconceptions, even culture, may contribute to parents' failure to give the kind of support children need for academic success.