Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to identify which parenting behaviors are most commonly practiced and least commonly practiced by the Mexican American parents whose children experience success in high school. The second purpose was to determine the degree to which the parents hold traditional Mexican cultural values or additional values which may support student success. The final purpose was to determine the relationship between a child's level of high school success and the level of acculturation of his/her parents. Methodology. This research utilized case study design. Twelve parents of high school graduates were selected and assigned to one of three levels of student success groups. A parent questionnaire, acculturation inventory, and semistructured interview questions were utilized to obtain data. Findings. Of the twelve parenting behaviors identified in the literature, the following were practiced to the greatest degree by Mexican American parents of high school graduates: offers praise, communicates high expectations, expects positive behaviors, values, and character traits, and communicates with teachers. In addition to the twelve parent behaviors identified in the literature review, the parents in this study identified six additional behaviors as supportive of school success. The traditional Mexican American cultural values, of the five identified in the literature review, most strongly held by these parents were: external locus of control and family. The additional cultural values they identified as being supportive of student success were: family support of education, pride, faith/religion/God, importance of children, instilling confidence, and the value of hard work. Conclusions. There are parenting behaviors supported by schools that support Mexican American student success. The behaviors most commonly practiced were passive in nature. There are more action-oriented behaviors practiced by the parents of highly successful Mexican American students. It does not appear that traditional cultural values prevent Mexican American parents from supporting student success, and in fact, some cultural values are supportive of student success. Mexican American parents do not necessarily need to become acculturated to support students' success, as there was no significant correlation between a student's GPA and attendance and the parent's level of acculturation. Recommendations. The researcher makes ten recommendations, which include the following: universal preschool supported with state funds, gender education as part of the curriculum at all age levels, recruit minority educators, reinstitution of ethnic studies and mentoring programs at the high school and university level and create a parenting education class and materials specific to Mexican American parents and cultural values.