The impact of parent English as a second language classes on children's school performance and parent-school interactions

Increasing numbers of English Language Learners (ELLs) in the United States (U.S.) public schools, who perform academically below their English speaking counterparts, make it necessary to examine how to best help these children succeed in school. One factor crucial to their academic success is parental support both in and out of school. For parents who do not speak English, or who are limited in their English proficiency, advocating for and supporting their children in public school can be challenging. This study examines English as a Second Language (ESL) classes for parents whose school age children attend the school where the classes are held. It investigates (1) the extent to which the parents feel these ESL classes have helped their children in school, (2) how these classes helped promote interactions between parents and school personnel, and (3) if these interactions were a result of deliberate planning on the part of the ESL teacher or as a byproduct of participation in the ESL course. Through questionnaires and interviews, this study discovered that Spanish speaking parents in one school reported both (1) improvement in their children's academic performance and their behavior in and out of school and (2) increased parental involvement in the school as a result of ESL classes in which they participated within their children's school. The ESL teachers in this study incorporated activities deliberately to build parental confidence and help parents give support to the children in school. The parents reported that they used these classroom activities as a pattern to advocate for their children in school. Parents and teachers expressed that even more help of this nature would be beneficial.