Chapter 5: Listening to Parent Voices: Home–School Collaboration for Diverse Communities

English Language Learners (ELLs) are among the largest group of underserved students in the nation. Currently there are over five million ELLs in the United States, representing an increase of 57% over the past ten years (Ballantyne, Sanderman, & Levy, 2008). The requirement for strong home-school partnerships to address the needs of ELLs has never been more acutely important. Study after study reveals great academic achievement gaps according to race, language, and socioeconomic differences. Simultaneously, parents of ELLs face significant barriers in attempting to become informed and involved in their child’s school experience. Common barriers have been identified as: (1) school-based barriers; (2) lack of English language proficiency; (3) parental educational level; (4) disjunctures between school culture and home culture; and (5) logistical issues (Arias & Morillo-Campbell, 2008).