What Really Is School Readiness? A Critical Investigation of Rural, Marginalized Families’ Perspectives

• In Event: Early Childhood Education (ECE) Equity: Unpacking Racial Injustice in ECE Access, Readiness, Relationships, and Disparities

Abstract

The exclusion of historically marginalized perspectives in establishing school expectations and state policies, as early as school entry, perpetuates educational injustice. For instance, current expectations for school readiness are often developed without the input of such families, who are directly impacted and serve as children’s first educators and advocates (Brown, 2023). This study seeks to reimagine school readiness through a critical paradigm that uplifts the voices of historically marginalized people facing the most inequitable opportunity (Schon, 1993) and that counters deficit narratives (Graue, 2006). Uplifting family voice during the transition from the household to school is crucial given their expertise on their children (McAllister et al. 2005; Sheridan et al., 2020). Furthermore, this historical moment represents an opportunity for reimagining schooling and readiness given rapid technological shifts, rising anxiety, and pushback against neoliberal, accountability policies.
To gather and empower the voices of marginalized families with children in pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten, we conducted two culturally responsive focus groups investigating family perspectives of kindergarten readiness expectations, barriers, and facilitators. Culturally responsive focus groups, specifically, acknowledge and connect to participants’ intersectional identities, involve researcher reflexivity, and facilitate the co-creation of knowledge (Hall, 2020). Participants were eight female caregivers (e.g., mothers, grandmothers) who self-identified as Black (n = 4), Latina (n = 2) and White with multi-racial children (n = 2) from one school district in Appalachia. Semi-structured focus groups consisted of two 90-minute sessions over two weeks and an optional virtual resource tour in between sessions. The focus groups were designed to answer four research questions: How do families conceptualize school readiness (i.e., literacy, math, self regulation, and social skills)? What are barriers and facilitators that families experience trying to make use of early childhood education resources for their young children? In what ways can the State Department of Education and schools be responsive to the needs of marginalized families and children? What feedback and suggestions do family members have about early childhood resources (e.g., developmental materials or programming)?
Through grounded theory qualitative analysis, we defined four themes from family members’ recommendations for school readiness: (1) Redefine school expectations to prioritize the humanization of children including opportunities for play, (2) Shift away from neoliberal compliance as well as test-accountability practices toward a whole-child approach, (3) Promote family-school partnerships and increased structured collaboration, and (4) Incorporate different cultural perspectives and awareness of contemporary societal issues. Preliminary findings build on past work (Brown 2023; Wesley & Buysse, 2003), suggesting the need to align school policies with a humanizing and civic philosophy of education, in the face of anxiety, late-stage capitalism, and rapid technological change. The significance of our study is based on critical theories of action that center the voices of historically marginalized families in shaping change. Implications for redefining school readiness expectations that foster “education spaces free of racial injustice” include prioritizing the humanity of young children by moving away from test-based accountability, increasing relationships and individualized attention for students and families, and culturally-responsive social emotional and identity development practices.

Authors

• Liz D. Nigro, University of Virginia

• Allison Rae Ward-Seidel, University of Virginia