Describes the institutional communication barriers faced by Latino immigrant parents as they deal with teachers and school administrators. Background information on effective parental involvement programs throughout the country indicates that parental involvement improves student performance. In contrast, interviews with parents in a predominantly Latino Southern California community illustrate the frustrations of immigrants after attempting communication with schools. Barriers are cited in three areas: (1) Communications: lack of translators at meetings and poor notification of key home/school events; (2) Expectations: conflict between the school???s expectation of parental involvement and job responsibilities, and also perceived lower teacher expectations from Latino children; and (3) Accountability: parental fears of retaliation if they expressed concerns or dissatisfaction with the school???s acceptance of poor quality student work. Suggestions include: translation services, family English literacy programs, parent centers, new family orientation workshops, home visits, and teacher incentives to increase their training in language and distinctions between Hispanic cultures.
