Systemic, Structural, and Internal Barriers to Parent Involvement for those Living in Poverty

Abstract:

In the United States the number of children living in or near poverty is staggering,
with estimates as high as 31 million.  Many of these students come to school facing
multiple challenges that can and do affect their academic performance.  Their parents
often face a host of challenges as well, including finding ways in which they can
participate in their children’s education.  According to California’s new Local Control
Accountability Plan (LCAP), which was enacted in 2014, school districts are required to
include parents in the decision-making process.  The way parents are to be involved is still
nebulous and up to each district in the state.  Unfortunately, parents living in poverty are
not always able to participate in the day-to-day education of their child, let alone assist in
making decisions for the school or district at large.  There is a large body of research that
shows the positive effects of parent involvement on a student’s academic performance. 
The consequences of a parent’s inability to participate is often less academic success
for their child.  There have also been studies done to ascertain many of the barriers that
prevent parents living in poverty from participating within the school system.  There
remains a need for research to uncover the systemic, structural, and internal barriers to
parents’ participation and involvement in their children’s schools.  This research is vital as
without this deeper understanding of these three types of barriers, true remediation of the
problem cannot occur.