The Igbo community in Chicago is a newer immigrant community, compared to the German, Polish, Italian, or Irish communities. Just as for these older immigrant communities, education is essential for Igbo immigrants who have come to start a new life in the United States. Adapting well and thriving in the new environment requires immigrants to tread the path of education. The number of Igbo children and other such immigrants is increasing. The way they are educated is importantnot only to the individual child, but also to society. Igbo children are enrolled in both public and private schools in the Chicago metropolitan area. Ka umu anyi wee karia anyi (So that our children will be more successful than us) is one of the many reasons Igbo families in Chicago are involved in the education of their children. Education of children occurs in the home, the school, and the community. This study seeks to understand the nature of parental engagement of Igbo families in Chicago in the education of their children. Not all immigrants are the same. Knowing about Igbo experiences will enable scholars and educators to recognize both similarities with and differences from other immigrant communities. It is immaterial whether their kind of involvement fits the prescribed or standardized form of parental involvement in the literature or in practice elsewhere. The crucial question is, given their circumstances, are Igbo parents perceptions and practices of parental involvement promoting the education of their children in Chicago?

Parental participation has long been recognized as a positive factor in children’s education. Research consistently shows that parents’ contributions to their children’s education lead to improvements in their academic and behavioral outcomes, from elementary through middle and secondary school. Recognizing the critical role of school psychologists in this equation, Parental Involvement in Childhood Education clearly sets out an evidence-based rationale and blueprint for building parental involvement and faculty awareness. The author’s starting point is the gap between the ideals found in the literature and the reality of parental involvement in schools. An ecological analysis identifies professional, institutional, and societal factors that keep schools and parents distant. Methods for evaluating parental involvement are detailed, as is a model for developing and maintaining strong parental relationships at the instructor, school, and education system level, with an emphasis on flexible communication and greater understanding of parents’ needs. This empirically sound coverage offers readers: A detailed understanding of obstacles to parental involvement. An evidence-based model for parental participation. A three-nation study of parental involvement practices in schools. Guidelines for implementing parental involvement activities and initiatives. A review of effective communication strategies with parents. Analysis of key interpersonal skills for effective work with parents. Parental Involvement in Childhood Education is essential reading for practitioners and researchers in school psychology and counseling, social work, and educational psychology, whether they work directly with schools or in providing training for teachers and other professionals who work with children and their parents.

This book is based on the empirical work of a large-scale project to investigate the possible impacts of diversified forms of parental involvement on children and school by first exploring through a series of ethnographic case studies how principals, teachers and parents perceive and act on parental involvement in the primary schools of Hong Kong and, then, examining how the different forms and levels of parental involvement are related to individual and institutional factors through a series of survey studies on all these stakeholders in children’s education. Finally, the book assesses the extent to which different forms of parental involvement affect student performance based on student survey results and available school records.​

This book addresses central questions regarding parental involvement across European educational systems; exploring the commonalities and differences across European countries and the extent to which current policy and practice pertaining to parental involvement is inclusive of diversity. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach that draws from the fields of education, sociology and psychology, it presents a description of the policy context and empirical research on critical perspectives relating to parental involvement. Comprising a rich varied cross-section of national experiences from eleven European countries and the contexts surrounding them, case studies provide insights into parental involvement across Europe and identify challenges in the field. This volume’s in-depth approach and comprehensive interrogation of parental involvement across European education systems make it an ideal resource for parents, teachers and academics, researchers and post-graduate students in the fields of education policy and comparative education, as well as teacher educators and policy makers.

It is acknowledged that effective schools involve parents effectively. This study describes how schools can achieve this aim, and how to increase standards of achievement. It covers the field from nursery to secondary schools, and is aimed at teachers, governors, welfare workers, advisers and PTAs.

Describes how some schools and their communities have overcome key barriers -- finding the time, increasing their information about each other, bridging school-family differences, improving schools, and tapping external supports to strengthen school-family partnerships. Successful partnerships require the sustained mutual collaboration and support of school staffs and families at home and at school. Business or community groups can also help schools and families to work together. This Book is based on case studies of 20 successful education programs around the country. They include elementary and secondary schools and districtwide programs.