Restructuring the Participation of African-American Parents in Special Education

1992 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beth Harry
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
African American ◽  
Future Research ◽  
African American Parents ◽  
Legal Compliance ◽  
Professional Educators ◽  
Parental Roles ◽  
Ethnographic Studies ◽  
Deficit View

Two traditions have combined to contribute to a form of discourse that is detrimental to the participation of African-American parents in special education procedures: first, a deficit view of African-American families and, second, the deficit view of children's learning difficulties on which P.L. 94–142 is based. These deficit views, together with the focus by many professional educators on legal compliance rather than collaboration, have cast parents in the role of consent-giver in a grossly asymmetrical form of discourse, with power residing mostly with professionals. Four specific parental roles—including parents in assessment, placement, policymaking, and advocacy—would restore the balance of power in parent-professional discourse. Future research should focus on the documentation of egalitarian participation structures for African-American parents and on action-oriented ethnographic studies.

scholarly journals The role of trust in health information from medical authorities in accepting the HPV vaccine among African American parents

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 1723-1731 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoli Nan ◽  
Kelly Daily ◽  
Adam Richards ◽  
Cheryl Holt ◽  
Min Qi Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Hpv Vaccine ◽  
African American Parents

Exploring the Perspectives of Middle-class African American Parents Who Are Charter School Skeptics

2020 ◽  
pp. 016059762091496
Author(s):  
Paul T. Knudson ◽  
Crysta Ascolillo
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Charter Schools ◽  
Middle Class ◽  
Future Research ◽  
African American Parents ◽  
Academic Quality ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Corporate Business ◽  
Depth Interviews

The expansion of charter schools continues to be one of the most hotly debated topics in American K–12 education. Through the use of in-depth interviews, this article explores the perceptions of charter schools among middle-class African American parents in Albany, NY, who have largely chosen traditional, city public schools over city charter schools. Findings reveal that the majority of parents disliked charter schools in that they connected them with the corporate/business model of education visible in the trend toward neoliberalism. Their critiques centered on three broad categories: skepticism of their academic quality, political or philosophical objections to charter schools, and a dislike of charter schools’ policies. This article concludes with limitations of the data and suggestions for future research.

African American Parents With Children With Disabilities: Gathering Home–School Reflections

2021 ◽  
pp. 105345122110018
Author(s):  
Regina R. Brandon ◽  
Kyle Higgins ◽  
Vita L. Jones ◽  
Nicole Dobbins
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
African American ◽  
African American Families ◽  
African American Parents ◽  
Special Education Services ◽  
Crucial Importance ◽  
Education Services ◽  
The Family ◽  
Teacher Parent Relationships ◽  
Child With A Disability

African American families are multidimensional entities that change over time. This is particularly true when there is a child with a disability in the family. The communication and interaction of the family and parents with the teachers and school in which their child receives special education services are of crucial importance. The goal for all is a relationship based on equity and parity, but research indicates that often this is not the case for African American parents who have a child with a disability. Based on a review of the literature focused on African American parents with a child with a disability and their sense of alienation from their child’s school, a questionnaire is presented in which parents reflect on the barriers in five categories identified in the literature (e.g., personal concerns, work concerns, lack of interest, logistical concerns, teacher/parent relationships) that may impede the development of a professional partnership with those who provide special education services to their child. The questionnaire is presented and suggestions for its usage are provided.

Communication versus Compliance: African-American Parents' Involvement in Special Education

1995 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 364-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beth Harry ◽  
Norma Allen ◽  
Margaret McLaughlin
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
African American ◽  
Parental Influence ◽  
Urban School District ◽  
African American Parents ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Ethnographic Interviews ◽  
Parents Involvement ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Children's Schooling

A longitudinal, 3-year study investigated the participation of African-American parents of 24 preschoolers in special education programs in a large urban school district. Data were collected through ethnographic interviews with parents and professionals, observations of conferences, and examination of students' documents. Despite current perceptions of low levels of participation by African-American parents, the data show consistent initial efforts by families to support their children's schooling, eventually giving way to disillusionment with the separations created by special education placements and the lack of avenues for parental influence. The article explores ways for professionals to move from preoccupation with compliance to true communication.

African American Homicide Bereavement: Aspects of Social Support That Predict Complicated Grief, PTSD, and Depression

2010 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurie A. Burke ◽  
Robert A. Neimeyer ◽  
Meghan E. McDevitt-Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
African American ◽  
Complicated Grief ◽  
Psychological Adaptation ◽  
Support Network ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Traumatic Loss ◽  
Specific Support ◽  
Negative Relationships

Psychological adaptation following homicide loss is challenged not only by the violent nature of the death itself but also by the bereaved's relationships with would-be supporters. Recruiting a sample of 54 African-American homicidally bereaved individuals, we examined perceived and actual support, the size of the support network, family- versus non-family support, and number of negative relationships to gauge the role of social support in bereavement outcomes such as complicated grief, PTSD, and depression. Results of quantitative assessments revealed that size of available network, quantity of negative relationships, and levels of grief-specific support were correlated with bereavement outcome. Clinical implications and suggestions for future research on the role of social support in adaptation of African Americans to traumatic loss are discussed.

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