Family Engagement Practices as Sites of Possibility: Supporting Immigrant Families Through a District-University Partnership

• In Event: Imagining Sites of Possibility in Immigrant and Refugee Education

Abstract

Although multiple social services support acculturation, schools serve as an initial point of contact for many immigrant families (Suárez-Orozco & Suárez-Orozco, 2001). Not only do they provide access to instruction, social integration and emotional support for immigrant youth, they also serve as crucial gateways to other resources and services (Fennelly, 2008; Hopkins & Lowenhaupt, 2016; Marrow, 2011). In this paper, we discuss a district-university partnership focused on expanding family engagement to establish productive sites of possibility for immigrant families.

Framework
We position our work within a growing body of research on culturally relevant family engagement practices that emphasizes how efforts to engage parents often fall short for some marginalized groups, particularly immigrant families (Carreón, Drake & Barton, 2005; Lowenhaupt, 2014; Lopez, 2001; Valenzuela, 1999). Our work focuses on establishing mechanisms to promote two-way communication (Swap, 1993) and overcome barriers to participation (Christenson, 2004). Culturally appropriate family engagement practices not only facilitate two-way communication, but also help overcome substantial barriers to participation (Villenas, 2002).

Methods
Drawing on a case study of district-university partnership, we discuss efforts to identify and resolve ‘engagement gaps’ between immigrant and non-immigrant families. As a collaborative team, we conducted a Needs Assessment of family engagement practices. Based on these results, a set of partnership initiatives were undertaken. The authors of this paper participated in the partnership and therefore we adopt tenets from participatory action research in our engagement in this process (McIntyre, 2007).

Data sources
This paper is based on documentation of the collaborative partnership process and data collected throughout that process. Data sources included participation data from parent-teacher conferences and committees, teacher survey data, and meeting field notes. Multiple focus groups were held with various stakeholders, including administrators, teachers, families, and community leaders. We also analyzed memos written by the research team. We conducted iterative, thematic analysis, developing matrices and data displays to identify themes (Miles & Huberman, 1994).

Results
We present findings in two areas. First, based on our needs assessment, we identified three barriers as potential causes for these engagement gaps. The first barrier was structural, and primarily related to time constraints on the part of both educators and families. A second barrier was communication, which was not geared toward families who did not speak English. A third barrier related to the need for greater cultural proficiency among educators. Many staff were unaware of the cultural norms and practical realities among non-English speaking communities. The full paper discusses the collaborative response to these findings through several key initiatives. In the full paper, we also discuss features of the university-district partnership that facilitated this process.

Significance
Although district priorities demonstrated a commitment to support growing diversity, structural and practical barriers to participation kept many families from accessing many district resources and kept them at the margins of educational decisions. This commitment led the district to seek opportunities to collaborate, bringing external resources to bear on this issue. In this case, establishing a district-university partnership provided momentum to more effectively bridge home and school.

Author

• Rebecca Jane Lowenhaupt, Boston College