Although many studies make important contributions to understanding the process and outcomes of school-based parent involvement initiatives, more work needs to be done to measure parent perceptions of parent involvement practices, policies, and barriers in low SES schools serving minority students. This qualitative case study looked to identify the differences in parents' and staff's perceptions regarding effective parental involvement in Title I elementary schools based on Epstein's (1995) six types of parental involvement and the factors that influence the level of parental involvement. Survey data was collected from 83 parents, 43 teachers, and 15 administrators from public Title I elementary schools in a large district in Southern California. The researcher used a constant comparative method to was analyze and organize the qualitative data into groups based on similar attributes or themes. The findings revealed that communication was found to be important for enhancing parent involvement, but there were discrepancies between parents and staff perceptions of barriers and opportunities. Common barriers included work schedules, daycare, transportation, and language barriers. The results of this study provide valuable insights into the perspectives of parents and school staff on parent involvement, barriers and effective strategies that can benefit the development of programs and initiatives that aim to increase and improve parent involvement in Title I schools. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]