Browsing by Subject "Family involvement"

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    Engaging the Intersection of Language and Ability Differences Toward More Equitable Family-Centered Models
    (Velázquez Press, 2023) Santamaría Graff, Cristina; Artiles, Alfredo J.
    We center this paper in Dr. Leonard Baca’s scholarship focused on bilingual special education which he and his colleagues defined as: “the use of the home language and the home culture along with English in an individually designed program of special instruction for the student in an inclusive environment” (Baca, Baca, & Valenzuela, 2004, p. 18). Using Baca et al.’s definition, we consider core ideas and features of bilingual special education to teaching emergent bilinguals with disabilities and make connections to family involvement. Family involvement in bilingual special education relies on strong family-school partnerships where “active parent and community participation in the education of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students is necessary for a responsive and effective education system” (Valenzuela et al., 2004, p. 362). Through past and current scholarship involving emergent bilinguals with disabilities and their families, we demonstrate Baca’s initial vision (Baca & Cervantes, 1984) for creating equitable opportunities through two models of family involvement and their influence and continued importance in bilingual special education. Also see this description for more information about the book: https://www.colorado.edu/education/2023/12/04/new-book-highlights-incredible-legacy-cu-boulders-bueno-center-multicultural-education
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    Models of school-family relations
    (Oxford University Press, 2020) Santamaría Graff, Cristina; Sherman, Brandon
    For educators located in the Global North or South what it means to work with families in inclusive settings is often a reflection of fundamental conceptions of the very nature of schooling and learning. These conceptions, whether implicit or explicit theories, inform teacher practice, interaction, communication, and involvement when it comes to students’ parents, families, and communities. Understanding how theories of learning relate to family engagement and inclusive practices allow for (a) an accounting of established knowledge and practices, and (b) more innovative future directions for engaging parents, families, and communities in schooling. Three specific theories of learning (behaviorist, sociocultural, and critical) demonstrate stark differences in how the roles of parents and family are understood in their children’s education. Each of these theoretical lenses produce different answers to the question of what it means to work with families. They entail different conceptualizations of parent/family engagement and inclusion, the challenges to this engagement and inclusion, and the tools used to address these challenges. Families can be positioned as passive recipients of knowledge, contributors to knowledge, or as knowledge-makers. Regarding their child’s schooling, parents can be seen as supporters, contributors, or collaborators. They can be situated on the periphery of schooling or in the center. Contrasting and complementary elements of behavioral, sociocultural, and critical theories of learning provide insight into traditional, relational, and transformative approaches to working with families, presented through three visual models. These theoretical approaches entail practical implications as well, both reflected in standard educational practices and in extant findings in the field of educational research. This theoretical/practical approach allows for insight into why, in application, there is dissonance in perspectives among educators about how to work with families and what this work may entail and look like, and provides suggestions for how families and communities might come to play a more central role in the education of their children.