Assessing Spanish-speaking immigrant parents’ perceptions of climate at a New Language Immersion School: A critical analysis using “Thinking with Theory”

Abstract

Parent involvement in schools is often developed through one-way, deficit-oriented relationships, where information flows from schools to families and parents are perceived to lack some capacity or knowledge. However, little is known about the conditions facing Spanish-speaking families at Spanish language immersion schools, which presumably might employ fewer deficit perspectives due to the language and culture focus of their educational model. In turn, this study asked: How does school climate discourse shape Spanish-speaking parents' abilities to engage at a Spanish immersion elementary school (SIES)? Do parents enact relational power at SIES, and if so, how? Data analysis centered on school climate surveys completed by 19 Spanish-speaking mothers. Framed by Ecologies of Parental Engagement (EPE) and Foucault's concepts of power, the study ultimately examined not only parent perceptions, but also the research project and its own deficit-driven norms. Findings include: While parents reported trusting the school and teachers, many felt discouraged in Education Policy Analysis Archives Vol. 25 No. 112 2 SIES's climate. Some blamed their level of involvement on their own (lack of) language or ability. Analyses also explore how the language immersion school and design of the research project-despite good intentions-were not bridging the gap between hegemonic Englishspeaking society and Spanish-speaking families. The discussion then considers the implications for school climate, parent engagement policies, and research at diverse multilingual schools. Keywords: language immersion schooling, parent engagement, parent involvement policy, school climate, Thinking with Theory Examinando las percepciones de padres de familia emigrantes sobre el ambiente de una escuela nueva de inmersión de lengua: Un crítico análisis utilizando "Pensando con Teoría" Resumen: La involucración de padres de familia en las escuelas usualmente se desarrolla por medio de relaciones con sentido único y orientación déficit, donde la información fluye de escuela a familias y los padres son percibidos con falta de capacidad o conocimiento. Pero poco se sabe sobre las condiciones que los padres de familia hispanohablantes en escuelas de inmersión en español, donde presumiblemente pueden emplear menos perspectivas con características déficit debido a la lengua y el enfoque cultural de su modelo educacional. Por esta razón, este estudio pregunta: ¿Como el discurso del ambiente de la escuela forma las habilidades de los padres de familia hispanohablante para comprometerlos en una escuela primaria de inmersión en español (SIES)? ¿A caso los padres de familia promulgan poder relacional en SIES, y si es cierto, como lo hacen? Los análisis de datos fueron centrados en encuestas sobre el ambiente escolar de 19 madres de familia hispanohablante. Enmarcados por conceptos de Ecologías del Compromiso de Padres de Familia (EPE) y el concepto de poder por Foucault, este estudio examino no solo las percepciones de las madres, sino también sobre el mis...

Bilingualism, Biliteracy, Biculturalism, and Critical Consciousness for All: Proposing a Fourth Fundamental Goal for Two-Way Dual Language Education

“…Another example of critical listening occurs when those in power "read the world" through visiting with immigrant families and community organizations in their neighborhoods and getting to know community advocates. As opposed to impersonal surveys or routinized communication systems, educators can reach out personally or organize focus groups to understand the concerns and aspirations of immigrant parents and students (Aguayo & Dorner, 2017). Parents or community members from marginalized communities ultimately need to experience school interactions where they select the issues and make their voices heard in spaces where they have power.…”

An Approximation to What Language Immersion Programs are Like

“…As mentioned previously, García (2012) pointed out the lack of parental participation during important decision made for the SEI programs in California. Likewise, Aguayo and Dorner (2017) discussed the one-way relationship of SEI programs in the United States. That is to say, policies were issued by the schools or their administration board, and the participants´ parents were not considered when making decisions or implementing the model.…”

Generational status, social capital and family engagement in immigrant families

“…ESSA does not specify why they renamed it, but I speculate that this is in line with researchers who have started to replace the terminology parental involvement to family engagement (Aguayo & Dorner, 2017;Barton et al, 2004;Carreón et al 2005;Fenton et al 2017;Reynolds & Shalfer, 2010). While parental 'involvement' has been used to denote the tasks that parents can carry out specifically in schools (Barton et al, 2004;Reynolds & Shalfer, 2010), the term, family 'engagement' includes parents' orientations to the world and the process through which those orientations were shaped (Barton et al, 2004).…”

“…First, results from this study could inform school or district guidelines for enhancing immigrant family engagement to school. Although immigrant parents are willing to engage with their children's schools (Carreón et al, 2005;Guo, 2006), it remains challenging for many (Aguayo & Dorner, 2017;Plunkett & Bamaca-Gomez, 2003;Ruiz-de-Velasco et al, 2000). Schools and teachers have also suffered from the lack of information and knowledge regarding how to properly assist immigrant parents; they need more practical assistance for how to work effectively with immigrant parents from different cultural and language backgrounds (Guo, 2006;Griego Jones, 2003).…”

“…Although immigrant families have similar characteristics distinguishable from native-born families, significant diversities exist across their ethnicities with regard to family engagement. In particular, immigrant parents have different definitions of family engagement by culture, ethnicity, or origin country (Dorner & Aguayo, 2017;Kim et al, 2018). For example, Korean immigrant parents considered family engagement support to their children's nonacademic life at home such as teaching moral values, care, and kindness (Kim et al, 2018).…”