The missing piece in higher education: Latina/o/x parent involvement in the pre-college preparation process from the South Texas border region

Abstract

This qualitative study examines Latina/o/x parents’ perceptions and involvement in the pre-college process from the South Texas border region. Researchers have expressed student success and the likelihood of students pursuing postsecondary education is dependent on the level of parent involvement. As student demographics and enrollment rates continue to shift in education, parent involvement has received attention from policymakers, practitioners, and researchers as a discussion topic to advance educational outcomes for students of color, specifically for Latina/o/x students. Although existing literature on parent involvement is not new, Latina/o/x parents’ experiences and contribution to their student’s success have been absent from the literature. In which has constructed a deficit perspective in which places the responsibility on Latina/o/x parents for their student’s success. This paper aims to examine how Latina/o/x parents are involved and contribute to their student’s success to identify how school settings can leverage and include parents in collective efforts that support students.

Keywords:

• Texas border region
• parent involvement
• pre-college process

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Leticia Palomin

Dr. Leticia Palomin works in the Office for Student Success at Texas A&M University -College Station. She teaches undergraduate-level courses focused on first-generation college students. As a qualitative scholar, her work examines cultural contexts, systems, and policies that impact educational achievement across the P-16 educational pipeline for first-generation, low-income, and/or historically minoritized and marginalized communities. She is a native from the Rio Grande Valley and earned her Ph.D. in Educational Administration from Texas A&M University.