Supporting Immigrant Families and Rural Schools: The Boundary-Spanning Possibilities of an Adult ESL Program

2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 537-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Dunn Shiffman
Keyword(s):  
School District ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Immigrant Families ◽  
The United States ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Esl Programs ◽  
School District Leaders ◽  
Adult Esl ◽  
The Right ◽  
K 12

Purpose: There has been a significant increase in the number of immigrant families moving to rural communities across the United States. Yet limited research exists that explores relationships between immigrant families and schools in these communities. Rural school districts are often challenged by insufficient resources, expertise, and infrastructure to respond. Adult English as a second language (ESL) programs can be valuable partners. This article explores how instructors in a regional adult ESL program supported relationships between immigrant families and schools in a rural Virginia school district. Research Methods: A case study was conducted between 2014 and 2015. Data collection included observations of adult ESL classes; semistructured interviews with adult ESL instructors, parents of school-age children, and school district leaders and teachers; open-ended questions on a parent survey; and documents. Findings: Four interrelated practices of the adult ESL instructors facilitated understanding and communication between immigrant families and K-12 educators. Adult ESL instructors disseminated information, explained cultural norms and expectations, coached family-school interactions, and created opportunities to connect families and educators. Supporting conditions included characteristics of the adult ESL classes, district leadership and sense of urgency, and multilayered relationships of professionals and actions of the adult ESL coordinator. Implications for Practice: Given the right conditions, adult ESL programs can be valuable partners for rural education leaders seeking to strengthen engagement with immigrant families. These programs can facilitate linkages between schools and adult ESL learners who are parents or caregivers and can be a professional development resource for building district capacity to engage with immigrant families.

“It's Different Here”: Complicating Concepts of College Knowledge and First Generation through an Immigrant Lens

2018 ◽  
Vol 120 (11) ◽  
pp. 1-36
Author(s):  
Chrystal A. George Mwangi
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
College Preparation ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Immigrant Families ◽  
The United States ◽  
College Knowledge ◽  
K 12 ◽  
First Generation To College ◽  
College Educated ◽  
The U.S

Background/Context Children of immigrants are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. child population, and these children are increasingly entering the U.S. educational pipeline and seeking access to college. Gaining access to college in the United States requires college knowledge. Yet, obtaining college knowledge can be difficult for immigrant families, who may lack familiarity with the U.S. education system. Although one third of all immigrants possess a college degree, many earned their degree abroad or in the United States as international students and/or adult learners. Therefore, the children of college-educated immigrants may be the first in their family to seek access to college via the U.S. K–12 system. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study This study explores how African immigrant multigenerational families engage in college preparation. All families had at least one parent who had attained a college degree. In each family, the college-educated parent(s) either received their degree abroad or received their degree in the United States as an international student or adult returning student. The research questions are: How do immigrant families explain navigating the college-going process when their children are first in the family to prepare for college via the U.S. K–12 system? How do immigrant families describe their level of comfort with college preparation when their children are first in the family to prepare for college via the U.S. K–12 system? Research Design A qualitative, multiple case design was used. Findings/Results The findings demonstrate that although the children in this study were not first generation to college in a traditional sense, they experienced many of the same challenges. For the families in this study, the parents possessed institutionalized capital but often lacked what emerged as “U.S.-based college knowledge,” which impacted their experience with the college choice process. Conclusions/Recommendations Families’ lack of familiarity with the U.S. college preparation process (college testing, academic tracking, cost of college/financial aid) leads to a call for complicating concepts of “college knowledge” and “first generation” to college in a globalized society.

scholarly journals Enabling School Librarians to Serve as Instructional Leaders of Multiple Literacies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Lewis
Keyword(s):  
School District ◽  
Administrative Support ◽  
School Library ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Instructional Leaders ◽  
Multiple Literacies ◽  
School Librarians ◽  
School District Leaders ◽  
Library Program ◽  
K 12

Research has demonstrated that school leaders have little to no understanding of the instructional leadership role of the school librarian and have received little to no training in how to lead this population (Lewis, 2018; 2019). Though the standards of the school library field state that school librarians should be equipped and able to serve as instructional leaders of multiple literacies in K-12 education, barriers exist that inhibit this from becoming a reality in many schools. One of these barriers is a lack of administrative support in the form of a district library supervisor to develop a vision for and provide support to the district’s school library program and its personnel. Very little research has been conducted to examine the support needs of in-service school librarians (Weeks et al., 2017), and no research has been conducted to explore how to equip existing leadership to effectively lead its population of school librarians in a school district that lacks an official district library supervisor. The purpose of this study is to explore how school district leaders can foster the development of an effective school library in which school librarians serve as instructional leaders of multiple literacies.

scholarly journals Rehabilitation of an Internet network in 40 schools in Nabón, Ecuador

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronny Israel Cabrera-Tituana ◽  
Andrea Katherine Carrión-Herrera
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
The Internet ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Digital Gap ◽  
The Right ◽  
Internet Network

Internet access is necessary to ensure respect for the right to education, however, worldwide about 75% of school-age children in rural areas do not have access to the Internet at home, which makes it imperative the need for actions to reduce the digital gap to improve the quality of education in rural communities in Ecuador. This article describes the rehabilitation of an Internet network of 40 schools in the Nabón community, Ecuador. An earlier initiative implemented the Internet network, but lack of maintenance left it non-functional. With the support of the Municipality of Nabón, Motorola Foundation and IEEE SIGHT, a group of volunteers from IEEE Ecuador evaluated the state of the network to identify opportunities using the existing infrastructure. The commitment to the community, as well as the development of capacities, are at the center of the intervention to guarantee the sustainable development of the project. This document reports on the design, implementation, achievements and lessons learned from the rehabilitation of the Internet network.

Changing the Landscape: A Look at a Market District as an Emerging Model of K-12 Schooling

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-100
Author(s):  
Ann Allen ◽  
Marytza Gawlik
Keyword(s):  
School District ◽  
Charter Schools ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
The United States ◽  
School Governance ◽  
Market Model ◽  
School Board Members ◽  
Local Actors ◽  
K 12

Despite research indicating significant challenges of market-based schooling, charter schools remain a growing trend in the United States. In this article, we examine an emerging market model: a K-12 system of charter schools under one charter board meant to serve as a city’s school district. To assess the fit of the market model, we employed a qualitative case study design, using interviews with school board members and the superintendent, and document analysis of school governance documents including the district’s bylaws, organizational charts, and state law. We analyzed our findings against a theory of school governance and found that despite the intent of local actors to create a school district that served all students, the market approach to whole-district schooling created gaps in service. This article raises important insights into the use of market models and the underlying philosophy of governance in shaping educational offerings for students, families, and communities.

The Common Core and the Evasion of Curriculum

PMLA ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 130 (3) ◽  
pp. 666-672 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Guillory
Keyword(s):  
Public Education ◽  
Common Core ◽  
High Stakes Testing ◽  
The United States ◽  
State Standards ◽  
National Standards ◽  
High Stakes ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Right ◽  
K 12

Although the common core state standards initiative was adopted with little controversy in forty-eight states, it soon became the target of attacks both on the right, for the mistaken perception that public education was being taken over by the federal government, and on the left, in response to the institution of an all-too-real draconian testing regime that served the needs more of the testing companies and other corporate agents than of students or teachers. Despite these attacks, it seems likely that the initiative will prevail in most states, perhaps both for better and for worse. My position is that real national standards—not simply state standards— are a desirable goal for the United States today, and long overdue. The “local control” of public education by states and school districts has been, let us admit, the greatest flaw of the K-12 system and a powerful obstruction to the reform of that system. On the other hand, I agree with many (Bryant; Hacker and Dreifus; Ravitch) who see the Common Core as a misguided effort at reform, fatally undermined by the use of punitive, high-stakes testing as the driver of implementation (Loveless). Opting for this strategy, the promoters of the Common Core unfortunately imposed a top-down procedure just where it is least appropriate. Testing, by its very nature, ought to arise from the classroom, the scene of a unique relation between teacher and students. This is not to deny that universal testing is possible and even necessary but rather to acknowledge that the more distant tests are from the scene of teaching, the more limited their informational value.

scholarly journals Developing Leadership Capacity in New Rural School District Leaders: The Kansas Educational Leadership Institute

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna Augustine-Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Educational Leadership ◽  
School District ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Rural School ◽  
Leadership Capacity ◽  
Professional Organization ◽  
District Leaders ◽  
School District Leaders ◽  
Leadership Institute

Understanding the context of rural school settings is critical to beginning school district leaders.  Rural communities present multifaceted challenges that leaders must embrace as diverse community expectations unfold.  The majority of Kansas school districts are in rural settings.  Mentoring and induction shapes the experiences encountered during the first year of practice.  The Kansas Educational Leadership Institute provides high quality mentoring and induction for new superintendents and principals in Kansas.  Mentoring and induction provided by veteran superintendents familiar with leadership complexities in rural communities is offered through on-site visits.  In addition, new superintendents participate in activities focused on building capacity through regional cohort networks, attendance at professional organization and state meetings, and in professional learning seminars.  The rural superintendent wears many hats in serving their local district. Professional learning opportunities that provide leaders with strategies to focus on achievement, plan for change, and build leadership capacity in rural environments are critical for success.

scholarly journals The Economics of a Four-Day School Week: Community and Business Leaders’ Perspectives

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 168
Author(s):  
Jon Scott Turner ◽  
Kim Finch ◽  
Ximena Uribe-Zarain
Keyword(s):  
School District ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Economic Impact ◽  
The United States ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Business Leaders ◽  
Day School ◽  
School Week ◽  
The Impact

The four-day school week is a concept that has been utilized in rural schools in the United States for decades and the number of schools moving to the four-day school week is growing. In many rural communities, the school district is the largest regional employer which provides a region with permanent, high paying jobs that support the local economy. This study collects data from 71 community and business leaders in three rural school districts that have transitioned to the four-day school week within the last year. Quantitative statistical analysis is used to investigate the perceptions of community and business leaders related to the economic impact upon their businesses and the community and the impact the four-day school week has had upon perception of quality of the school district. Significant differences were identified between community/business leaders that currently have no children in school as compared to community/business leaders with children currently enrolled in four-day school week schools.  Overall, community/business leaders were evenly divided concerning the economic impact on their businesses and the community. Community/business leaders’ perceptions of the impact the four-day school week was also evenly divided concerning the impact on the quality of the school district. Slightly more negative opinions were identified related to the economic impact on the profitability of their personal businesses which may impact considerations by school leaders. Overall, community/business leaders were evenly divided when asked if they would prefer their school district return to the traditional five-day week school calendar.

Stressors among Hispanic adults from immigrant families in the United States: Familismo as a context for ambivalence.

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 408-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sasha M. Rojas ◽  
Joseph G. Grzywacz ◽  
Martha I. Zapata Roblyer ◽  
Rebecca Crain ◽  
Richard C. Cervantes
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Immigrant Families ◽  
The United States ◽  
Hispanic Adults

Tennessee Education Savings Account: Tipping the Scales From Equity to Choice

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 98-110
Author(s):  
Erin Curtin
Keyword(s):  
School District ◽  
School Choice ◽  
State Level ◽  
Poverty Line ◽  
Comprehensive Education ◽  
Policy Window ◽  
Federal Poverty Line ◽  
Scholarship Program ◽  
Shelby County ◽  
K 12

This article provides an analysis of Tennessee’s newly signed Education Savings Account policy, a school choice initiative. The policy provides vouchers, in the form of a debit card, to students in grades K-12 who are at or below 200% of the federal poverty line and are zoned to attend a Nashville, Shelby County, or Achievement School District school. Using the Policy Window Framework the author uncovers that the policy was created in a federal and state-level political convergence, which attempted to place equity at the forefront of the issue. However, using Levin's Comprehensive Education Privatization Framework, we can see that neoliberal ideals of choice and efficiency conquer equity in the finalized policy. The author predicts the outcomes of this new policy using this framework in tandem with 3 case studies: Louisiana Scholarship Program, DC Opportunity Scholarship Program, and Tennessee’s Individualized Education Accounts.

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