Past efforts to increase engagement in the schools among minority parents include the Mexican American Defense and Education Fund teaming up with the National Education Association to launch the Minority Parent and Community Engagement initiative. In their report, they noted that language barriers often limit communication between minority parents and the schools which can interfere with parents being able to support their children’s learning. Studies have linked parent involvement to student success, and best practices outlined in that report include valuing parents’ voices, hiring staff that understands the different cultures in the communities and developing parent trainers that can bridge the cultural gaps.
