Abstract

This article explores the social processes and outcomes associated with a school-linked, community-based program that successfully engages Latino parents and children in a low-income school community. Framed by an ethnographic, embedded case study design, the authors collected data from 32 Latino parents. The findings detail parents' experiences when first entering the neighborhood and how these experiences shape their engagement with other parents in the program and neighborhood community. We conclude that efforts engaging low-income parents as communities of practice hold special promise for reducing barriers to children's learning, especially when school leaders, community-based organizations, and social researchers leverage their resources and capital in ways that support parents' efforts, insights, and aspirations. KEYWORDS: collective parent engagement, community engagement, parent involvement, parent engagement, school-family-community partnerships A s the number of ethnic, immigrant, and (often) undocumented Latino families continues to increase in urban communities, needs for innovations that involve and engage parents and entire families also are increasing. Unfortunately, the resource and service capacities of low-income schools MICHAEL A. LAWSON, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Human Development, College of Community and Public Affairs, at Binghamton University (SUNY), PO Box 6000, Binghamton, NY 13902; e-mail: mlawson@binghamton.edu. His current research projects center on innovative designs for student, family, and community engagement as well as mixed-method evaluations of school-based and community-based prevention programs. TANIA ALAMEDA-LAWSON, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Social Work, College of Community and Public Affairs, at Binghamton University (SUNY) and is Co-Director of the Center for Best Practices in Full-Service Community Schools; e-mail: talawson@binghamton.edu. Her current research interests include innovative designs for family and community engagement, full-service community schools, and interprofessional education and training programs.