African American Parental Involvement in Their Children's Middle School Experiences.

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that influence African American parents' involvement in their children's middle school experiences. Two focus group interviews were conducted with African American parents. While the participants viewed parent involvement as important, they reported that family structure and socioeconomic status, school personnel's expectations of parents, and the practices and policies of middle school personnel influenced their level of involvement. The participants suggested that: setting higher expectations for African American students, establishing flexible meeting locations, offering workshops for homework help at home, and creating cultures that believe parents care would likely increase African American parent involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]