Deck 12: Parents and Families, and Caregivers of Culturally Diverse Backgrounds

Question 1

You have a culturally diverse group of students in your classroom. At the beginning the school year, you have decided to involve all of the parents in an educational activity but you have encountered difficulty with parent involvement. What reasons might some parents have for resisting your efforts and how can you alleviate these stumbling blocks?

Answer 1

There are several reasons why some parents might resist getting involved in educational activities at the beginning of the school year.

Firstly, language barriers could be a major factor. If some parents do not speak English fluently, they may feel uncomfortable or intimidated by the idea of participating in educational activities. Additionally, some parents may have had negative experiences with the school system in the past, leading to a lack of trust and reluctance to engage.

Cultural differences and misunderstandings about the purpose of the activity could also play a role. Some parents may not see the value in participating in school activities outside of the home, or they may have conflicting priorities that make it difficult for them to commit time to such activities.

To alleviate these stumbling blocks, it is important to communicate with parents in a way that is respectful and understanding of their unique circumstances. Offering translated materials and providing interpretation services can help bridge the language barrier. Building trust through open and honest communication, and demonstrating the value of parental involvement in their child's education can also help to alleviate resistance.

It's also important to be flexible and accommodating, recognizing that parents have busy schedules and competing priorities. Offering a variety of ways for parents to participate, such as through online platforms or at different times of the day, can help make it easier for them to get involved. Overall, creating a welcoming and inclusive environment that acknowledges and respects the diverse backgrounds and needs of all parents can help to overcome resistance and encourage greater involvement in educational activities.

Question 2

What steps could be taken to include parents who possess limited English skills in a parent involvement program?

Answer 2

There are several steps that could be taken to include parents who possess limited English skills in a parent involvement program.

1. Provide language support: Offer translation services or provide materials in multiple languages to ensure that language is not a barrier for parents to participate in the program.

2. Offer bilingual staff or volunteers: Having staff or volunteers who can communicate with parents in their native language can help facilitate their involvement in the program.

3. Provide language classes: Offer English language classes for parents who want to improve their English skills, which can help them feel more confident and comfortable participating in the program.

4. Use visual aids and non-verbal communication: Utilize visual aids, such as images and videos, and non-verbal communication techniques to convey information to parents who may have difficulty understanding verbal instructions.

5. Create a welcoming and inclusive environment: Ensure that the program environment is welcoming and inclusive for parents from diverse language backgrounds, and provide opportunities for them to connect with other parents and build a sense of community.

6. Seek input from parents: Involve parents with limited English skills in the planning and implementation of the parent involvement program to ensure that their needs and concerns are taken into account.

By taking these steps, parent involvement programs can effectively include parents who possess limited English skills and create an environment where all parents feel valued and engaged.

Question 3

Discuss the steps for planning and implementing a parent survey. What cautions should you consider in developing this instrument?

Answer 3

Planning and implementing a parent survey involves several important steps to ensure that the survey is effective and provides valuable information.

1. Identify the purpose: The first step in planning a parent survey is to clearly define the purpose of the survey. What specific information are you hoping to gather from parents? This could include feedback on programs and services, satisfaction with communication, and suggestions for improvement.

2. Define the target audience: Determine which parents will be included in the survey. Will it be all parents, parents of a specific grade level, or parents of students in a particular program?

3. Select the survey method: Decide how the survey will be administered. Options include online surveys, paper surveys, or phone interviews. Consider the best method for reaching the target audience and maximizing response rates.

4. Develop survey questions: Carefully craft survey questions that will elicit the information you are seeking. Questions should be clear, unbiased, and relevant to the survey's purpose. It's also important to include a mix of open-ended and closed-ended questions to gather both qualitative and quantitative data.

5. Pilot test the survey: Before distributing the survey to all parents, pilot test it with a small group to check for any issues with question clarity, length, or formatting. This will help ensure that the survey is effective and will yield useful data.

6. Distribute the survey: Once the survey has been finalized, it's time to distribute it to the target audience. Provide clear instructions for completing the survey and communicate the deadline for responses.

7. Analyze results: After the survey has been completed, analyze the results to identify key findings and trends. This data will be valuable for making informed decisions and improvements.

When developing a parent survey, it's important to consider several cautions to ensure that the instrument is effective and provides accurate and useful information.

1. Avoid leading questions: Questions should be neutral and unbiased to ensure that respondents are not influenced in their answers.

2. Ensure confidentiality: Assure parents that their responses will remain confidential and will not impact their child's experience at the school.

3. Keep the survey concise: Long surveys can lead to respondent fatigue and lower response rates. Keep the survey as brief as possible while still gathering the necessary information.

4. Consider language and accessibility: Ensure that the survey is accessible to all parents, including those with limited English proficiency or disabilities.

5. Use clear and simple language: Avoid using jargon or complex language that may be difficult for parents to understand.

By carefully planning and implementing a parent survey while considering these cautions, schools can gather valuable feedback and insights from parents to improve programs and services.

Question 4

How can parents and families be useful as volunteers in the educational setting? What advantages do you see for both parents and families and the professional staff?

Question 5

Present a scenario of an effective parent-teacher conference with the parents of a culturally diverse student.

Question 6

Why should educators involve parents of all cultural, ethnic, racial, and social class groups in their children's and adolescents' education?

A) to help all parents understand the U.S. school system
B) to allow parents to expect high achievement in all areas from their children
C) to strengthen positive parent-child communication
D) all of the above
E) a and c only

Question 7

Educators can use the following methods to learn about culturally diverse parents and families:

A) develop a prototype of the family to use in their analysis
B) visit the parents and families in the home
C) lower expectations from culturally diverse families
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 8

The single most important basis for understanding and involving parents and family in educational decisions is:

A) social class
B) an aptitude for speaking English
C) objectivity
D) b and c only
E) none of the above

Question 9

What is the best proven method for gaining insight into cultural diversity?

A) sensitivity training
B) graduate studies in multicultural education
C) foreign movies & cultural events
D) first-hand contact
E) extensive knowledge of demographics

Question 10

What advantages are there to making home visits?

A) a caring attitude may be perceived by learners and their families
B) culturally diverse parents may feel more comfortable by being in their own environment
C) realizing that culturally diverse homes and families are delineative of most learners
D) all of the above
E) a and b only

Question 11

In order to avoid misunderstandings when communicating by telephone with culturally diverse parents, educators should consider the following:

A) speaking very slowly and very loudly in order to be understood
B) respect and gentility should be evident in one's tone of voice
C) parents should be addressed as Mr. or Mrs.
D) all of the above
E) b and c only

Question 12

Parent-teacher conferences should be centralized on:

A) school function areas
B) family issues
C) social issues
D) psychological/behavioral areas
E) all of the above

Question 13

Parents from multicultural backgrounds may report that:

A) the institutional structure of U.S. schools can be intimidating
B) they sometimes feel uncomfortable approaching school personnel
C) they feel the teacher is supposed to be the expert
D) they are confused by approaches to learning in the U.S.
E) all of the above

Question 14

The most important factor in gaining parental participation is which of the following:

A) making parents aware of their responsibility
B) culturally sensitive communication with parents
C) persistence and directness
D) a relaxed approach
E) using the student as a messenger

Question 15

Which of the following is not a valid reason for promoting school volunteer programs?:

A) relieving the professional staff of non-teaching duties
B) providing needed services to individual students
C) promoting citizen support of, and involvement in, public education
D) enriching learning experiences for students beyond what the school can provide
E) all of the above

Question 16

Many cultures regard grandparents, aunts, and uncles as a threatening influence in their children's education.

Question 17

The family can be viewed as a social system which is a strong, autonomous, homogeneous unit.

Question 18

Because some culturally diverse parents may not be fluent in speaking the English language, they should probably be discouraged from participating in parent involvement groups.

Question 19

Parent surveys can be used as an effective means of developing an understanding of culturally diverse parents and families.

Question 20

Communication with culturally diverse families should involve passive listening rather than active listening, since it is less threatening.

Question 21

When placing a call to a culturally diverse parent, discussing their child's positive points prior to the problem to be solved can be helpful.

Question 22

In order to avoid losing focus, culturally diverse parents should probably serve only on committees concerned with multicultural issues.

Question 23

Prepackaged parent education programs, though they require few revisions and little preparation time, are still able to contribute positively to the vast majority of diverse parents and families.

Question 24

A legitimate function of a parent-teacher conference is to actually include parents directly in the planning and implementing their child's educational program.

Question 25

Only after an immigrant family attains citizenship is it safe to assume that the parents understand the U.S. school systems.