Equity Futures from the Borderlands: Mixed‑Methods Analysis of Speculative Design for Multilingual Learner Policy Compliance

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 7:45 am - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Policy, Equity, and Critical Perspectives in Bilingual Education

Abstract

This convergent parallel mixed‑methods study examines how K‑12 educators in the U.S.–Mexico borderlands enact federal equity policy for multilingual learners (MLs). We integrated rubric ratings and narrative comments across ten compliance domains detailed in the 2015 Dear Colleague Letter issued by the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice. Quantitatively, teachers rated program access, progress monitoring, and family engagement highly, but flagged staffing, professional development, and dual services for MLs with disabilities as weak. Qualitatively, educators described asset‑based innovations (e.g., dual‑language curricula, culturally sustaining outreach) that serve as prototypes for equity‑oriented futures, while resource gaps triggered systemic tensions. Using a speculative design framework, we reconceptualize compliance as a collective project of future‑making aimed at developing equitable education systems across the ever‑evolving educational landscape.

Author

• Sumin Lim, Hunter College