PALMS... College Within Their Grasp

Postsecondary Access for Latino Middle-grades Students

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. My school already has some parent outreach events in place. Will we have to drop these or replace them if we implement the PALMS process? Not at all. The PALMS process helps you develop an outreach program based on your school's strengths. If your existing outreach events have been successful, we encourage you to integrate them into the overall structure that you will develop for reaching out to families.
  2. Does PALMS require that we implement specific curricula or activities? No. Schools have complete ownership and control over their outreach process. This includes selecting materials, curricula, and activities that meet the particular needs of your community. The PALMS framework guides you through the different phases of program development, and for this reason, we DO require that all network members use the project's Tools for Latino Family Outreach. As a service to our members, from time to time we will provide information about existing, high-quality curricula or programs, but no member is under any obligation to use these.
  3. If I use the PALMS process, am I limited to reaching out only to Latino students and families? Certainly not. The process can be used to reach out to any underrepresented group. The materials we provide for students and families are only available in Spanish, however. If you want to work with another population with limited English proficiency, you will need to have these materials translated into your target language.
  4. What changes can I expect to see at my school once I start implementing the tools? As with many things, the level of change you will experience depends on the level of commitment that your principal and your team can make to the process. Schools who have dedicated significant time and effort to PALMS, have seen improved communication between parents and school personnel, greater Latino parent attendance at school events, increased academic engagement among their Latino students, and positive changes in school climate.
  5. How does PALMS address the challenge of increasing college access among undocumented students? Educators across the country are struggling to help undocumented students pursue dreams of education beyond high school. PALMS does not have a prescribed solution to this challenge, as the legal landscape varies from state to state. We encourage our members to network with one another, with organizations that compile resources specifically for these students (e.g., databases of scholarship opportunities), and with local higher education representatives with knowledge of this issue.
  6. How does PALMS address the parent involvement provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)? By implementing the PALMS process in their buildings, school leaders can be responsive to the requirements and guidance contained in the legislation, including what is found in Section 1118 of Title I. For example, the PALMS tools guide and encourage schools to make a regular practice of soliciting parent input while developing their programs. This feedback can be used to inform the school’s parental involvement policy, and, down the road, to evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s outreach activities and/or program. School leaders who use the tools have the flexibility to offer activities that will best suit the needs of their parent audience. Programs developed with the tools have included activities such as College Nights, workshops on how to prepare students for high school, and potluck dinners for parents of English Language Learners.