Discussion. In this study, I investigated how schools are reaching out to CLD parents and guardians and what the key components are to effective parental involvement and outreach when forging partnerships with CLD families. The research I explored showed that by combing aspects of traditional and non-traditional approaches to EB parental involvement, teachers and parents can form effective partnerships to better their child’s educational experience.
The first theme that emerged is that parental involvement must be meaningful. This is supported by the outcome of the FPS program in LAUSD. The program was not successful at reaching out to CLD parents with content and strategies that they understood, both linguistically and culturally. To better meet the needs of CLD families, schools must begin with a needs assessment, inform instructors with best practices for teaching adult learners of English, incorporate scaffolding and sheltered instructional practices, give parents suggestions about home literacy practices that use their native language to support learning English, and to encourage instructors to make personal and cultural connections with parents.
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Schools should always communicate in the language that the parents understand (Ovando, 2006). Schools should also take into account the educational background and attitudes toward the value of schooling that each culture brings. I have observed through my research that knowing how to partner and work with families allows teachers to understand their student’s background and culture. Understanding a student’s background enhances the ability for the teacher to include the families’ funds of knowledge in the school and