Is the Feeling Mutual? Examining Parent-Teacher Relationships in Low-Income, Predominantly Latino Schools

Authors

Hannah Miller, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Jessa Lewis Valentine, DVP-Praxis
Rachel Fish, University of Notre DameFollow
Michelle Robinson, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Author ORCID Identifier

Rachel Fish: 0000-0002-5720-021X

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-1-2016

Publication Title

American Journal of Education

Abstract

Strong parent-teacher relationships are critical to students’ academic success. Mismatches in parents’ and teachers’ perceptions of each other may negatively affect children’s outcomes. Using survey data collected from parents and teachers in 52 low-income, predominantly Latino schools, we explore subgroup variation in parents’ and teachers’ perceptions of their relationship, and we examine the potential of a school-based family engagement program to shift these perceptions. We find notable misalignment in parents’ and teachers’ perceptions when parents are Spanish-dominant Latinos. We also find that a family engagement program improves parents’ and teachers’ perceptions of their relationship but does not eliminate the gap between teachers’ and Spanish-dominant Latino parents’ perceptions of one another.

Volume

123

Issue

1

First Page

37

Last Page

67

DOI

10.1086/688167

ISSN

01956744

Comments

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Recommended Citation

Miller, Hannah; Valentine, Jessa Lewis; Fish, Rachel; and Robinson, Michelle, "Is the Feeling Mutual? Examining Parent-Teacher Relationships in Low-Income, Predominantly Latino Schools" (2016). Education and Child Study: Faculty Publications, Smith College, Northampton, MA.
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/edc_facpubs/33