Date of Award

1-1-2013

Document Type

Open Access Dissertation

Department

Educational Studies

Sub-Department

Language & Literacy

First Advisor

Amy Donnelly

Abstract

In doing this work, I sought to shed light on the ways that schools and parents interact while challenging stereotypes and misperceptions that may be preventing such collaboration. I conducted and exploratory study that used qualitative methods to better understand the ways that Black families demonstrate involvement in their children's schooling--ways that often go unnoticed or are not legitimized within the school setting. I spent 13 months with nine Black families and interviewed and surveyed teachers in the schools in those communities. This work makes visible the experiences of nine Black families, their children, and the schools in a community rarely studied--a poor, rural Black community in the southern United States (US). Findings in this study challenge schools' definitions of parental and family involvement by uncovering resources and support structures that exist in those homes and communities.

Rights

© 2013, Michele Evonne Myers

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