Family-professional partnerships between resettled refugee families and their children’s teachers: exploring multiple perspectives

ABSTRACT

Family-professional partnerships are linked to student success, yet little research has explored the nuances of such partnerships with refugee families new to the U.S. school system. To explore this phenomenon, we conducted an embedded case study through which we qualitatively examined the family-professional partnerships between 10 newly resettled refugee families of adolescents and their children’s teachers in the U.S. We found a lack of meaningful relationships among the participating families and teachers and identified many factors that affected family-professional partnerships with refugee families, including (a) assumptions teachers and families held about each other, (b) communication challenges, and (c) different perceptions of student achievement and progress. Using the equity literacy framework, we convert our findings to implications for practice, including school systems’ prioritization of family partnership with refugee families, and implications for research, including the replication of this study with more families across a longer timeframe and researching promising techniques to build stronger relationships.

KEYWORDS:

• Family-professional partnerships
• family engagement
• refugee education
• equity literacy

Acknowledgements

This study was made possible by funding from the College of Education and Social Services at the University of Vermont.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Shana J. Haines

Shana J. Haines is an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Vermont. Cynthia C. Reyes is an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Vermont. Hemant Ghising is a doctoral student at the University of Vermont. Ashraf Alamatouri is a doctoral student at the University of Vermont. Rachel Hurwitz is an EL teacher. Madina Haji is a paraprofessional who works with EL students.

Cynthia C. Reyes

Shana J. Haines is an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Vermont. Cynthia C. Reyes is an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Vermont. Hemant Ghising is a doctoral student at the University of Vermont. Ashraf Alamatouri is a doctoral student at the University of Vermont. Rachel Hurwitz is an EL teacher. Madina Haji is a paraprofessional who works with EL students.

Hemant Ghising

Shana J. Haines is an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Vermont. Cynthia C. Reyes is an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Vermont. Hemant Ghising is a doctoral student at the University of Vermont. Ashraf Alamatouri is a doctoral student at the University of Vermont. Rachel Hurwitz is an EL teacher. Madina Haji is a paraprofessional who works with EL students.

Ashraf Alamatouri

Shana J. Haines is an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Vermont. Cynthia C. Reyes is an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Vermont. Hemant Ghising is a doctoral student at the University of Vermont. Ashraf Alamatouri is a doctoral student at the University of Vermont. Rachel Hurwitz is an EL teacher. Madina Haji is a paraprofessional who works with EL students.

Rachel Hurwitz

Shana J. Haines is an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Vermont. Cynthia C. Reyes is an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Vermont. Hemant Ghising is a doctoral student at the University of Vermont. Ashraf Alamatouri is a doctoral student at the University of Vermont. Rachel Hurwitz is an EL teacher. Madina Haji is a paraprofessional who works with EL students.

Madina Haji

Shana J. Haines is an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Vermont. Cynthia C. Reyes is an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Vermont. Hemant Ghising is a doctoral student at the University of Vermont. Ashraf Alamatouri is a doctoral student at the University of Vermont. Rachel Hurwitz is an EL teacher. Madina Haji is a paraprofessional who works with EL students.