Insight on strengthening educational outcomes among immigrants ESL by partnering with parents
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Department
Social Work
Abstract
In the education world today, teachers are not adequately trained to teach a diverse student community, where some students speak languages other than English. As a result, these students are not engaged in an optimal education. They underperform or drop out, with social and economic costs to their families and the community. The project proposal: ‘Insight on strengthening educational outcomes among immigrants ESL by partnering with parents’ tests the proposition that educational outcomes will improve by inviting students’ guardians to participate in the education of their children – in their primary language. My starting assumptions are (1) every child has a predisposition to learn and develop language; (2) speaking multiple languages strengthens cognitive development; (3) parental engagement in the education of their children is a key contributor to educational success. The project will examine the outcomes of intervening to help the parents and guardians of students with home languages other than English to support their children’s schoolwork. The East End Community School (EECS) is the pilot school. The administration and the teacher body are helping to facilitate the project. Students have been contacted. Parents/guardians are willing and determined to assist their children with their learning, using their first language. Our initial results indicate that Initial subjective impressions validate the project assumptions. For example, one participating student guardian commented: “Why is it that this program was not started earlier? Where have you been?”. It shows how they feel being empowered to assist in the education of their children. Launched in the second half of January 2022, the project has recruited 20 students, speakers of other languages. Parents/guardians of the twenty students signed the consent form allowing their children to participate in the project study. They are receiving newsletters and directions to accompany their children’s learning. By the end of the school year surveys on parents/guardians’ engagement and academic progress will be conducted. Our next step consists of keeping parents/guardians informed and engaged and providing a model for all diverse schools that gives academic contents to Parents/guardians in the language that they understand, fosters academic achievement, and prevents unnecessary costs to learning.
Insight on strengthening educational outcomes among immigrants ESL by partnering with parents
In the education world today, teachers are not adequately trained to teach a diverse student community, where some students speak languages other than English. As a result, these students are not engaged in an optimal education. They underperform or drop out, with social and economic costs to their families and the community. The project proposal: ‘Insight on strengthening educational outcomes among immigrants ESL by partnering with parents’ tests the proposition that educational outcomes will improve by inviting students’ guardians to participate in the education of their children – in their primary language. My starting assumptions are (1) every child has a predisposition to learn and develop language; (2) speaking multiple languages strengthens cognitive development; (3) parental engagement in the education of their children is a key contributor to educational success. The project will examine the outcomes of intervening to help the parents and guardians of students with home languages other than English to support their children’s schoolwork. The East End Community School (EECS) is the pilot school. The administration and the teacher body are helping to facilitate the project. Students have been contacted. Parents/guardians are willing and determined to assist their children with their learning, using their first language. Our initial results indicate that Initial subjective impressions validate the project assumptions. For example, one participating student guardian commented: “Why is it that this program was not started earlier? Where have you been?”. It shows how they feel being empowered to assist in the education of their children. Launched in the second half of January 2022, the project has recruited 20 students, speakers of other languages. Parents/guardians of the twenty students signed the consent form allowing their children to participate in the project study. They are receiving newsletters and directions to accompany their children’s learning. By the end of the school year surveys on parents/guardians’ engagement and academic progress will be conducted. Our next step consists of keeping parents/guardians informed and engaged and providing a model for all diverse schools that gives academic contents to Parents/guardians in the language that they understand, fosters academic achievement, and prevents unnecessary costs to learning.
