Inclusive Approaches to Parent Engagement for Young English Language Learners and Their Families

Abstract

Parent involvement today is accepted in educational circles and across most communities as necessary for student success. Studies have shown that engaged and active parent involvement in the schooling of children heightens a sense of belonging and improves children's academic and behavioral performance. However, the literature also depicts that schools' conception, design, and implementation of parent involvement programs can defeat their purposes, as the traditional unidirectional program design disenfranchises parents from nontraditional backgrounds (i.e., other than White, educated middle class). For this reason, scholars have argued for collaborative parent involvement programs for minority students and English language learners' (ELLs) families to improve their academic success. Despite the trend toward collaboration, students' home languages and culture continue to be seen as a liability in the learning process; this sentiment has created a backlash position that claims children have a linguistic (human) right to retain their language, even when learning in school.Schecter and Cummins (2003) used the term "inclusive" as an alternative to these arguments, since "it highlights the interests of the entire society rather than those of a particular minority group and, in so doing, transcends the 'us' versus 'them' mentality that characterizes much of the debate" on ELLs in public schools (p. 5). In the introduction of Inclusive Pedagogy, Verplaetse and Migliacci (2008) listed the tenets of inclusive

From Attendance to Collaboration: Contextual Differences in Teacher Perceptions of Multilingual Family Engagement

“…However, many teachers are still not aware of alternatives to the “participation” model. Although many scholars have contended that teachers need to move beyond basic informational events—such as back-to-school nights, which are often rooted in deficit thinking (Chávez-Reyes 2010; García & Kleifgen, 2018; Lowenhaupt, 2014; Lowenhaupt & Montgomery, 2018; Lowenhaupt & Reeves 2017)—many teachers and schools need direction on how to effectively reach out to marginalized families and facilitate multicultural social activities and events in which multilingual families are valued for their linguistic and cultural resources (Brooks et al, 2021; Gándara et al, 2005; García & Kleifgen, 2018; Lopez et al, 2021). One way to do this is through providing PD on effective family engagement strategies.…”

“…Removing barriers to access is often the first step in engaging multilingual families in meaningful ways. In her review of literature for working with families of young designated ELs, Chávez-Reyes (2010) argued that schools are responsible for creating environments that value and employ multiple languages, service-oriented leadership, and multicultural curricula. Research has shown that changing teachers’ perceptions of “access'' through PD, so that they more purposefully reach out to families, has improved multilingual family engagement (Lowenhaupt, 2014; Protacio et al, 2021).…”

“…Although information regarding the success of parent engagement PD for teachers of multilingual students and their families is limited, prior research has found that attempts to create inclusive school climates by partnering with parents and the broader community are essential for student success, especially for immigrant-origin families and their children (Baquedano-López et al, 2013; Chávez-Reyes, 2010; B. He & Thompson, 2022).…”

Se Acabaron Las Palabras: A Post-Mortem Flores v. Arizona Disproportional Funding Analysis of Targeted English Learner Expenditures

“…Parents and students require educational support that bridges linguistic and cultural gaps to navigate the educational pipeline (Chavez-Reyes, 2010; Lawson & Alameda-Lawson, 2012). Engaged parents can increase a community sense of educational belonging, helping to improve student educational outcomes (Cammarota, 2006; Chavez-Reyes, 2010; Jasis & Ordoñez-Jasis, 2012).…”

“…Parents and students require educational support that bridges linguistic and cultural gaps to navigate the educational pipeline (Chavez-Reyes, 2010; Lawson & Alameda-Lawson, 2012). Engaged parents can increase a community sense of educational belonging, helping to improve student educational outcomes (Cammarota, 2006; Chavez-Reyes, 2010; Jasis & Ordoñez-Jasis, 2012). School and districts, however, require the necessary resources to engage in supportive school improvement plans that include linguistically and culturally relevant communication from the institution of education to the community, and, by proxy, to the parents (Betters-Bubon & Schultz, 2017; Jasis & Ordoñez-Jasis, 2012; Ramirez, 2010).…”