The purpose of this study was to examine parental involvement in a predominant Latino school lacking parental involvement support. The research focused on the relationship between parents and teachers. Specifically, this study sought to (1) study the relationships between teachers and Latino parents to identify characteristics among families lacking in parental involvement, (2) survey the perception of teachers regarding the reasons for the lack of parent involvement, and (3) use the generated data and perceptions to formulate recommendations for improving parental involvement.

The study begins with a review of the literature on parental involvement: both qualitative and quantitative data support the importance of parents being involved in their students' education and the necessity of cooperative teacher—parent relationships. Qualitative data from 21 participants (6 teachers and 15 parents or sets of parents) at a low-performing elementary school in a predominantly Latino community was collected in the fall of the 2009–2010 school year. The parent and the teacher data were compared.

The study found four emergent themes: (1) Parents became less active in higher grade levels. (2) The lack of understanding between parents and teachers was not based on language ability. (3) The reported literature findings regarding the reasons for the lack of parental involvement among immigrant parents and the working class correlated with the findings in this study. (4) Teachers had some misimpressions about the participation level in parental involvement.

This study contributes to the field of research by providing data from a specific sample size population—low-performing elementary school within a predominantly Latino community. It includes a sample of teachers and the Latino parents who directly impact them. Findings illustrate the importance of parent-teacher relations within a predominately Latino school. The data from this study can help educators utilize strategies and approaches to improve parental involvement in similar communities.