Systemic, structural, and internal barriers to parent involvement for those living in poverty

In the United States the number of children living in or near poverty is staggering, with estimates as high as 31 million. Many of these students come to school facing multiple challenges that can and do affect their academic performance. Their parents often face a host of challenges as well, including finding ways in which they can participate in their children's education. According to California's new Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), which was enacted in 2014, school districts are required to include parents in the decision-making process. The way parents are to be involved is still nebulous and up to each district in the state. Unfortunately, parents living in poverty are not always able to participate in the day-to-day education of their child, let alone assist in making decisions for the school or district at large. There is a large body of research that shows the positive effects of parent involvement on a student's academic performance. The consequences of a parent's inability to participate is often less academic success for their child. There have also been studies done to ascertain many of the barriers that prevent parents living in poverty from participating within the school system. There remains a need for research to uncover the systemic, structural, and internal barriers to parents' participation and involvement in their children's schools. This research is vital as without this deeper understanding of these three types of barriers, true remediation of the problem cannot occur.