Promoting Latino Family Engagement in Catholic Bilingual School

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: Roundtable: Cultural Responsiveness in Catholic Education

Abstract

By employing a survey for principals in Two-Way Immersion (TWI) Network for Catholic Schools, this study examined how Catholic bilingual schools engage families in activities. Our data demonstrated that the rate of engagement is similar between Latino and non-Latino parents, but the nature of the activities in which they engaged was different. Despite the long-held belief that Latino parents were less likely to participate in schooling than non-Latino parents, we found that Latino parents took an active role in school activities that were either cultural, linguistic or religious in nature. This study provides evidence that Latino parents invigorated school communities with their assets and TWI program facilitated this in pursuing the core of Catholic values on equity and community engagement.

Authors

• Eunhye Cho, Stonehill College

• Ahrum Jeon, Boston College

• Gabrielle Oliveira, Harvard University