Examining the Role of Parent Involvement in College Access for Low-Income Students: A Qualitative Study of the Families United in Educational Leadership Program

• In Event: Promising Scholarship in Education: Dissertation Fellows and Their Research

Abstract

In this dissertation study, I conduct a qualitative study to examine how one college access program, Families United in Educational Leadership (FUEL), utilizes parents as a strategy to encourage college preparation among low-income students. Parents play a key role in developing their children’s college aspirations, encouraging their academic preparation, providing financial resources, and accessing postsecondary supports, all of which influence college enrollment. However, many college access initiatives do not include parents in their efforts to encourage college preparation among the students they serve. Unlike other college access programs, FUEL prioritizes parental involvement as a fundamental component of its model, thereby providing an appropriate context in which to investigate parental involvement within a college access program. In this study, I examine 1) if and how the level of parent knowledge about college preparation changes after participating in FUEL; 2) how parents make sense of their experiences with FUEL and how they use the information learned; and 3) students’ perceptions of their parents’ involvement in FUEL. The research project has taken place over the course of one academic year, and has included parent surveys, parent and student focus group interviews, and one-on-one parent interviews. The research site was Chelsea High School, located in Chelsea, Massachusetts, where the FUEL program holds monthly workshops for parents.

Author

• Jodut Hashmi, Teach For America, Inc.