1 Engaging Immigrant and Refugee Families in the Schools Lyn Morland, MSW, MA Bank Street College of Education

Agenda 1. 1.To relate the national PTA Standards for family, school, and community engagement to immigrants and refugees To provide participants with ideas and resources to facilitate refugee and immigrant parent, family and community engagement with the schools. BRYCS/ Claudia Gilmore

1 in 4 children in the US today is the child of an immigrant (18.7M, 16M US-born citizens) 41.3M immigrants in the U.S. today total; the majority enter on visa to join family or to work – Of these, 70,000 are refugees (enter the U.S. on humanitarian grounds, fleeing persecution); 11.7M are undocumented, most from Mexico, some from Central America and other countries. 55% are from Latin America (vast majority from Mexico) and 17% from Asia (India, Philippines, China) From over 130 countries; refugees alone represent about 70 different countries and speak 288 different languages Immigrant and Refugee Families

All immigrants bring tremendous strengths (family, value education, optimism) – overall “immigrant paradox” in education. But this trend masks many differences. Immigrants from Mexico and Central America, and many refugees, have risk factors for school success: – Parents have low levels of education, low literacy; many children are Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE) – Families live in high-poverty communities, children attend under- resourced schools – Majority are English Language Learners (ELL) – May have experienced traumatic stress, undergo acculturative stress, migration can result in family separation, reunification Immigrant and Refugee Families

Education backgrounds - incomplete secondary schooling, low literacy, LEP, negative experiences with school Lack of knowledge of the U.S. school system Logistical barriers - inflexible work hours, lack of transportation, etc. Cultural differences regarding school involvement Immigrant and Refugee Families: Barriers to School Engagement ©iStockphoto.com/daniel-rodriguez

Parent Involvement: Varies by Culture 6 In our culture, you send the kids to school and they are the school’s responsibility … Sometimes the teachers have a problem understanding the mothers, I help them translating for them. The first thing the mother will ask is, “What is she complaining for? Isn’t that her job? Isn’t she the one who is supposed to fix the child? Why is she telling me?” Nderu, E.N. (2005). Parental Involvement in Education: A Qualitative Study of Somali Immigrants in the Twin Cities Area.” BRYCS/ Claudia Gilmore

National PTA Standards 7

PTA Standard 1: Welcoming all families into the school community Families are active participants in the life of the school, and feel welcomed, valued, and connected to each other, to school staff, and to what students are learning and doing in class.

Are trained interpreters and translated notices available? Do staff establish personal connections with parents? Are multilingual, multicultural posters, etc. on display? Does the school have an effective link with ethnic communities, cultural and religious organizations? Does the school recognize the trauma and stress experienced by some immigrant and refugee families? Are all staff trained to understand immigrant/refugee backgrounds and to help everyone feel welcomed? Welcoming Refugee and Immigrant Families

School systems and parents’ roles with them are very different around the world – ask parents about their views. Use existing Web-based multilingual materials (curricula, print, video, etc.) to share information about U.S. schools. Remember that not all families may be literate. Use a range of communication methods: ethnic media, cultural events and welcome dinners at the school, etc. Provide clear information, but create a dialog, listen to parents about their expectations, questions, etc.

Use or Build On Existing Materials BRYCS -

PTA Standard 2: Communicating Effectively Families and school staff engage in regular, two-way, meaningful communication about student learning. BRYCS Photo / Courtesy of CSS Anchorage

Interpretation/Translation Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibits national origin discrimination in federally funded programs OCR Memo: school districts must help newcomers overcome language barriers (upheld by 1974 Lau v. Nichols) 1982 Plyler v. Doe Supreme Court decision: all children must attend school, regardless of immigration status.

Interpretation/Translation 1970 Memo: “School districts have the responsibility to adequately notify national origin-minority group parents of school activities which are called to the attention of other parents. Such notice in order to be adequate may have to be provided in a language other than English.” ESEA/NCLB: Many items must be provided “to the extent practicable, in a language parents can understand.”

Home-School Communication Tools for Immigrants & Refugees International Rescue Committee. (2006). Educational Handbook for Refugee Parents.

Refugee/Immigrant Home-School Liaisons Purpose is to bridge the cultural/linguistic gap between home and school, ensure Usually immigrant background; sometimes called “cultural brokers” Purposes vary – Academics? Family issues? Case management? Interpretation? Could be hired by a refugee agency or the school district ©iStockphoto.com/Ana Abejon BRYCS -

Parent-Teacher Conferences: Sample Questions to Ask Families 1. 1.Please describe what schools are like in the country you come from What are the big differences between schools in the country from which you came and schools in [your community]? 3. 3.How do parents help the teachers? What is their role in helping a child learn? 4. 4.How can the schools help your children be successful? 5. 5.What are your dreams/expectations for your child? Iowa Statewide Parent Information Resource Center. ( 2006). Sample Questions to Ask Families to Learn about Their Culture and Their Views on Parent Involvement.

PTA Standard 3: Support Student Success Families and school staff continuously collaborate to support students’ learning and healthy development both at home and at school, and have regular opportunities to strengthen their knowledge and skills to do so effectively. BRYCS Photo/Courtesy of Catholic Charities of Atlanta

School to Families Workshops Family literacy programs English classes for parents BRYCS Photo/Youth Arts & Voices BRYCS -

Families to School Professional development trainings that incorporate parents as speakers Language courses taught by parents to the teachers Home-school liaisons Students’ work Parent panels ©iStockphoto.com/eduardo-jose-bernardino BRYCS -

PTA Standard 6: Collaborating with the Community Families and school staff collaborate with community members to connect students, families, and staff to expanded learning opportunities, community services, and civic participation.

22 Spotlight on Engaging Refugees in Head Start Goal: To increase refugee engagement in EHS/HS (2 counties, AZ & NY) Actions: Refugee resettlement and EHS/HS programs worked as equal partners, collaboratively Met regularly, discussed mutual goals, barriers to refugee EHS/HS enrollment. Developed and implemented collaborative strategies to address barriers Refugee leadership and ethnic community-based organizations held key roles Result: 200% - 500% increase in refugee enrollment

Resources on Immigrant Family, School, & Community Partnerships Office of Head Start’s National Center on Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness: Refugee Families linguistic/refugee-families/main-refugee-families.html linguistic/refugee-families/main-refugee-families.html BRYCS Spotlight on Parent Engagement; On-line Training on Family and Community Engagement; Schools Toolkit; Resource Lists: iStockphoto.com /theboone

Resources Bhutanese Refugee Families Refugees from Burma Refugee Families from Iraq Refugee Families from Somalia Illustrated Parent Handbook Cultural Backgrounders

25 Questions? Contact Us! Lyn Morland, MSW, MA Bank Street College of Education ©iStockphoto.com/daniel-rodriguez