May 15, 2023 • 25 mins
The National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI) is happy to present a podcast series based on our “Pursuing Equity at the Intersection of Language, Culture and Disability” Thought Leader Conversation Series. This series is focused on elevating equity in opportunity and achievement for students with disabilities or who may have disabilities and who are English learners. NCSI is committed to supporting SEAs and their partners in expanding their understanding of the intersection of language, culture, and disability in K-12 education.
Through a curated collection of highlights from the five live sessions, these podcast episodes are less than 30-minutes, designed to be engaging and interactive, and organized around NCSI’s four systems elements:
In this third episode, your hosts Angela McGuire and Eliana Tardio from the National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI) revisit the third session of the series, the authentic engagement of family, schools, and community partnerships, which took place on September 7, 2022 and included the following thought leaders:
- Dr. Julie Esparza Brown
- Dr. María Cioè-Peña
- Dr. Cristina Santamaria Graff
- Ms. Ximena Hurtado
- Ms. Debra Jennings
- Ms. Mireika Kobayashi
Included below are a few resources suggested by our thought leaders and National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI) staff to extend your learning and apply the knowledge to your improvement efforts related to supporting English learners with disabilities. Rather than an exhaustive list, this is a small sample of resources we hope will be particularly useful to leadership teams at both the state and district levels. Below you will find links and brief descriptions to help you decide which resources may be most relevant to you and your context and you can access the complete resource list here.
Quick facts on English learners with disabilities
As a quick introduction to this population, the Foundational session shared data from OSEP Fast Facts: Students With Disabilities Who Are English Learners (ELs) Served Under IDEA Part B. This interactive brief, also available as a PDF, uses data from school years 2012/13 through 2020/21 to describe this growing subgroup of students and notes some of the differences we see among English learners with disabilities and the broader population of students with disabilities in terms of identification, placement, and outcomes.
What does the research say?
In 2017, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) released Promoting the Educational Success of Children and Youth Learning English: Promising Futures. This report examined the research to make recommendations to better support English learners. Chapter 10 of the NASEM report is particularly relevant as it focuses on English learners with disabilities. The report brief Dual Language Learners and English Learners with Disabilities provides Chapter 10 highlights related to five specific disabilities, common myths, best practices in identification and evaluation, and considerations for individualized education programs (IEPs). Some of the myths address the erroneous idea that English learners with disabilities cannot or should not learn multiple languages. In reality, they can learn both English and their home languages and benefit from doing so. The Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) created an infographic on multilingualism’s cognitive, educational, economic, and sociocultural benefits.
This podcast is produced by the National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI) at WestEd which is funded by a grant from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the US Department of Education, #H326R190001. However, the contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Go
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
(gentle music)
- Welcome to episode threeof the National Center
for Systemic Improvement,or NCSI, podcast series
on Pursuing Equity at the Intersection
of Language, Culture, and Disability.
This podcast builds on the work
of the NCSI ThoughtLeader Conversation series
which aligns with NCSIfour system elements,
(00:23):
data literacy, stakeholderand family engagement,
research informed practiceand systems coherence.
This episode focuses onauthentic engagement of families,
and schools, and community partnerships.
In this work, NCSI commits to supporting
the state education agencies, SEAs,
(00:43):
and community partners inexpanding understanding
about the intersectionof language, culture,
and disability in K12 education.
We identify next steps for SEAsto enact system improvement
that focus on elevatingequity in both opportunity,
and achievement for students,
who are English learnerswith disabilities.
(01:05):
For more information about NCSI,
please visit our website, ncsi.wested.org.
My name is Eliana Tardioand I'm a content specialist
for the National Center forSystemic Improvement at WestEd.
and I'm the mother of a son anddaughter with Down syndrome.
(01:26):
- And my name is Angela McGuire.
I'm the parent of an individual
with intellectual disabilities.
I'm also co-lead of the Stakeholder
and Family EngagementSystems Element team for NCSI
and a project director onother work within WestEd.
In our previous episodes,our thought leaders
often return to the importanceof family engagement
as a key piece in achieving equity
(01:48):
at the intersection of language,culture, and disability.
For example, in a recentepisode on data literacy,
our thought leaders discussed how
when we meaningfully engage families
in the data collection anddecision making process
we are better able to capture the context
of each child's uniquecultural and linguistic assets.
(02:08):
- In today's episode, weare going to dig deeper
into what authenticfamily engagement means
by sharing highlightsfrom the third session
of the Thought Leader Conversation series,
which took place on September 7th, 2022,
and focuses on the importanceof collaborating with families
is schools and communitypartners to support students
(02:29):
with disabilities designatedas English learners.
In our conversation, we'llcenter the families as experts,
explore the varying degrees of interaction
between schools,families, and communities,
and discuss the conditionsand capacity building needed
to advance deeper levels of interaction.
- But first, it's importantto discuss the current reality
(02:51):
for many families as they try to engage
with their child's education system.
Mrs. Simena Hertado, a teacher
in Florida's Lee County School district
shares the experience of onenewly immigrated parent trying
to understand the services herdaughter's school provided.
- It says, "Since my daughterwas born and I was near
"to this country, in mycountry, we don't have
(03:14):
"the same economic situations as you guys
"and we don't have thesame kind of services.
"So in that point, I feel very lucky.
"The other side of the coin,I was really, really confused
"because I didn't know anything
"about those kinds of therapies.
"When the occupationaltherapist came into my house,
"I didn't know what to expect.
"What is she going to work with?
"Or one of the thingsthat we face as a Latina
(03:37):
"we don't know what those services mean.
"I have to learn in what way
"those services help my daughter."
- From this and otherstories shared during
the live session. as wellas her own experience
as a teacher workingwith families every day,
Mrs. Hertado summed up thedifficulties families face
in engaging with their child's education.
With statements like this.
(03:59):
- Most parents want achance to contribute.
The exclusion could make the parent feel
that their input is notvaluable, that their child
is viewed just as anotherpart of an assembly line.
This boils down to a passive racism,
the feeling that theparents are uneducated,
simply because of cultural differences.
- This exclusion, Ms. Hertadoexplains, is largely due
(04:21):
to a lack of culturallyresponsive strategies
that allows family to actively participate
in their child's education.
To address this, we need moreculturally responsive training
and strategies to evaluateour own behaviors as educators
and most importantly, anopen mind to learn from,
(04:41):
and in collaboration with families.
"The solution is not asimple translated flyer,"
Ms. Hertado says, "It isbuilding a cultural bridge
"between the family and the school."
Dr. Cristina Santamaria Graff,
professor at Indiana Universityand Purdue University
expands on what it means tobuild the cultural bridge.
(05:04):
- So as cultural liaisons,cultural mediators,
cultural bridges, we really need to think
about how to also describe to families
what is the operatingsystem that we're in,
and how we're navigating notonly language and terminology,
but being really informedabout how we can move forward,
(05:27):
and moving the dial for advocating
for the wellbeing of our students.
- Dr. Santamaria Graff introduces us
to the levels of interaction described
within the Leading by Convening Framework
for authentic engagement createdby the National Association
of State Directors of Special Education.
The framework describesfour levels of engagement:
(05:50):
informing, networking,collaborating, and transforming.
For more informationon Leading by Convening
you can visit NCSI'swebsite at ncsi.wested.org.
Dr. Santamaria Graff describeshow the framework considers
the intent, delivery, and reception
(06:11):
of the information provided to families.
- So instead of going from maybea top-down kind of approach
to, "I'm here to disseminateinformation to you."
We are moving toward, andthis is in the last...
in the arrows represented,the double arrows going up.
More of a grassrootsapproach to where families,
(06:33):
and individuals with disabilitiesare really moving the dial
and progressing oursystems into opening spaces
where they are able to, andwelcome to create opportunities
and pathways for their ownchild with the expertise
that they have as familiesabout their child.
(06:54):
- The first level ofinteraction, informing,
is the act of sharing, ordisseminating information.
However, as we heardearlier about the experience
of a newly immigrated parent,informing can get confusing,
if you are not familiar with the system,
services provided, or terminologyused in the communication.
(07:15):
Dr. Santamaria Graff explains why.
- The initial communicationsthat come home
in their home languagealthough, that is one step
toward being able to provide translatable
and accessible language, it's not enough
because some of the languageembedded and terminology,
as we know, embedded in those documents
(07:35):
can be very confusing and could be loaded
with historical meaning and nuances.
- Important details can easily get lost
in translation, if youare not careful to ensure
that the intent of the messageremains intact and clear.
To avoid confusion, Dr.Santamaria Graff says
(07:56):
it is important to explicitlydefine all language
and terminology used to foster
an inclusive and welcoming space.
- This whole idea ofinforming has to go beyond
just what families' rolesare or just, you know,
what the procedural safeguards are.
It's really sitting with andworking alongside families
(08:19):
to unpack language, and terminology,
and the conceptualunderstandings underlying
the language that providemore comprehension
to what's actually going on.
- For Dr. Santamaria Graff thekey to authentic engagement
is moving away from only using one-way
informing methods of communication
(08:40):
to approaches that facilitatetwo-way communication
between families andpersonnel from the school.
Networking is the secondlevel of interaction
in the framework and brings the family
to the table to engage ina two-way conversation.
- So this is really,networking is like a first step
into beginning that dialogueand what we have to remember
(09:04):
with dialogue, it's both, youknow, speaking and receiving.
It's both giving and receiving.
And that's where we needto really move toward.
- In order to have ameaningful two-way dialogue
at the networking level, Dr.Santamaria Graff explains
how it is necessary tohave supportive structures,
such as explicit definitionsfor language and terminology.
(09:26):
- But I want us to just be really open
about how we are considering the way
in which communication is being brought
to the table orally, visually,
through written word, through spoken word,
and all the ways that we canprovide networks of support
like scaffolds around that language
(09:48):
to make it moreaccessible, to scaffold it,
to make it more comprehensible,even to differentiate it
in ways that are gonna makesense from family to family.
And through these really intentional ways
of bringing forth supportivestructures around language
we can also mediate conversationsbetween the families,
(10:09):
and educators so that comprehension hits
at a much deeper level for the families.
- One essential supportive structure
is the participationof qualified, informed,
and unbiased interpreters and translators.
And Portland State University professor,
Dr. Julie Esparza Brown shares more about
(10:29):
what that kind ofsupport should look like.
- Interpreters and translatorsreally need to be trained.
They need to not justbe able to interpret IEP
into IEP in whateverlanguage, that makes no sense.
Jargon is jargon in any language.
So they really need to betrained to help with the basics,
(10:52):
understand the basicsof special education.
And trained to have the...You know, understand
that they can ask theprofessional for clarity
around when they know something is
just not gonna beunderstandable to families.
- But the two-way communication goes
(11:12):
beyond just interpretationand comprehension.
Dr. Esparza Brown introducesus to the third level
of interaction, collaborating,which involves working
with families at all levelsas a part of the team,
whether in the developmentof their child's IEP,
target setting within the SPP/APR,
(11:33):
or planning a school event.
- So we're moving thedial, engaging people
and trying to do something of value,
and working together around the issues.
And as our theme has been thus far,
communication is what is critical.
Establishing relationships,taking the time
(11:53):
to really form meaningful relationships
so that then, familiesfeel that they can trust
in the communication that's happening,
and that they're a part of it.
- To create trulycollaborative opportunities
to work together, it is also important
(12:13):
to include community partners,
and other education entitiessuch as parent centers,
and culturally specific agencies.
They can help usunderstand key differences
in our knowledge or beliefsas Dr. Esparza Brown explains.
- It should include those communities
to help us co-constructa plan that is centered
(12:34):
on the needs of the child, themultiple needs of the child,
and their culturalbackground, and their home,
their life experiences, their languages,
particularly when they'rean English learner.
Are we giving them theopportunity to continue
to develop their homelanguage and often, we're not.
(12:56):
So all of these discussions need to occur
with a team that includes,like I say, not only families,
but the communities thatunderstand the cultural,
and linguistic nuances of our families.
- To support collaboration,school leaders,
and teachers must addressall factors that could get
(13:16):
in the way of family andcommunity engagement.
For example, they mayconsider blocking extra time
for interpretation,scheduling meetings outside
of the workday, and providingaccessible information
about parental rightsand responsibilities,
which are often writtenat the college level.
- The final stage, transforming, expands
(13:37):
beyond collaborating.
As the school leaders and teachers,
partnered with familiesand community members
to set a vision and accomplish the work.
Dr. Santamaria Grafftalks about the importance
of not only listening to families,
but integrating what they have to say.
- But the transforminglevel is really about
(13:59):
not only listening towhat families have to say
in a very active way,like really listening,
but integrating what they have to say
into the decisions madefor their child in a way
where families are evendriving some of those decisions
about their child's educational,
and academic and overallwellbeing, their trajectory
(14:21):
- In transformative engagement,
families and community members are seen
as equals who are critical to success,
and can easily find entrypoints into the system.
Dr. Esparza Brown describes it,
as a multi-directionalwheel with no bottom.
- Where everybody has equal power
it's not top-down communication.
(14:43):
It really is about communication
where anybody can begin the communication.
We have processes, and procedures
where their interpreter'savailable when needed,
and the student is at the center of this.
So making sure that wealways have the student
(15:03):
as our center, and thatthe communication includes
the student and aboutthe student and, again,
everybody has a voice, and an equal voice.
So such multi-directionalcommunication then,
is what we really need forthis transformative engagement
because everyone is an equalpartner, they work to change
(15:28):
the system and they're a critical friend.
- At the transforming level,families and community members
are a crucial part of thesystem, but to ensure families
are authentically engaged, there need
to be certain conditions in place on both
the side of the familyand the school or system.
The dual capacity buildingframework is based
(15:48):
on existing research and practices,
and helps us establish thegoals and conditions necessary
to achieve effective family engagement.
We discuss the two essentialconditions laid out
in the framework inour conversation today,
but make sure to checkout dualcapacity.org
to explore it in more depth.
First are the process conditions,
(16:09):
which are the mindset shifts that are key
to the design of any initiativethat aims to build capacity
for family and school partnerships.
Thought leader and longtimeNational Parent Center director,
Debra Jennings, shares moreabout what that looks like.
- At the foundation,it's about mutual trust,
(16:29):
it's about strength-based thinking,
and strength-basedmindsets, and looking for
how are we going to lookat the child, the family,
and also the community interms of what each brings
to the engagement, whateach brings to the school,
what each brings to theclassroom, what each brings
(16:51):
to the community, the school,the state, the district?
- Other process conditions mentioned are:
cultural responsiveness,respect, and humility.
- Cultural humility because we know
that in many of ourschools the professionals,
the staff do not reflect thecultures of the children.
(17:13):
So it's important for those of us who are
in these places where weare different in culture
that we look at our own culture
not as what should behappening for everyone.
That everyone should have the same...
Should be of the same culture that we are.
And if they're not, that that's a deficit.
(17:35):
- Dr. Maria Cioe-Pena,professor at the University
of Pennsylvania, expands onwhat cultural humility means.
She says, "We, as educators, must reflect
"on our own positionality and acknowledge
"our outsider status on certain areas
"of the child's life inorder to authentically learn
(17:56):
"and collaborate with families."
- Right, we are outsiders to communities.
We are outsiders to cultural backgrounds.
We are outsiders in socioeconomic ways.
So it's really importantthat we create space
for understanding where wehave shared commonality,
and where there's alsospace for us to grow
alongside the growth that we believe,
(18:17):
or perceive that parents need.
- The Dual Capacity Building Framework
also addresses organizational conditions,
which ensure that familyengagement is embraced
across all system anddepartments in all strategies,
resources and infrastructure,Mrs. Jennings explains
(18:37):
- Family engagement needs to be embedded
across all of the pieces of education.
And it needs to reflectthe needs of families,
and how family, and alsothe strengths of families
that they can bring interms of supporting,
and building each of those areas.
Seeing families as co-creators of...
(19:01):
Seeing families asambassadors and sustainers
for the improvements that we are making
in our learning and systems.
- The Leading by Convening
and the Dual CapacityBuilding frameworks presented
at this session provideimportant information
on how to increase authenticpartnership with families.
And how we can apply theseconcepts in practical ways,
(19:23):
so we recognize familiesas equal co-creators,
and experts in thelives of their children.
Mireika Kobayashi,manager of the Department
of Student Services atCincinnati Public Schools,
expands on what it meansto maintain process,
and organizational conditions,and recognize families
as equal co-creators in our system.
(19:44):
- We need to honor what theybring, those funds of knowledge
the wealth of knowledge that they bring.
And then, we have to make surethat our educational systems
are creating welcomingenvironments for our families,
where our families and ourcommunities see themselves,
and see how they can be those co-creators,
and see how they canreally lead to success
(20:06):
for all the students that we serve.
- Ms. Kobayashi says, "Weneed to better understand
"the perspectives of families beyond
"just the technical matters.
"Ask them what are theirlong and short-term goal
"for their child beyond academics?
"How do they understand their role
"in their child's schooling?"
She shares why these kind ofquestions are so important.
(20:28):
- So many of our parentsthat I've worked with
when I ask them to be a equal partner,
they have this concept ofbeing that equal co-creator
is not something that they experienced
in their educational systemsin their home country.
So we need to make sure that we understand
(20:49):
where they're coming fromand help them co-create,
and recreate the systems inwhich they are equal partners.
- Parents are not empty vessels.
They are experts in thelives of their children.
And the family home is a place of learning
for their children when not at school.
Dr. Cioe-Pena explains why it's important
to honor their knowledgeand recognize them
(21:11):
as complex, multifaceted beings
- Right so, it's important tothink of parents in this way
as stakeholders, as membersof a child's educational team
without whose support the childwould cease to grow, right?
So, as such, it's importantthat we think of them
as experts, right, expertsof their own children,
(21:31):
but also of their ownsociocultural context
and content, right?
And that we think and designways to integrate them
into our practices in ourclassrooms, and in our schools
in ways that position them as equals
rather than as guests, or visitors.
That parent is also anexpert on migration, right?
(21:53):
On binational family communication.
They are anthropologistswho study new communities
in order to carve outspaces for themselves.
They're explorers looking for reflections
of their previous lives in new lands.
- As experts of their children
and their sociocultural context
Dr. Cioe-Pena highlights the importance
of involving families in discussions
(22:14):
around their specificneeds and preferences
to actively participatein their kids' education.
- Your key audience andyour key constituency
also holds the answer,right, and those are parents.
Ask your parents, "Howdo you want to show up?
"How do you want us to support you
"so that we can understandthat we are mutually
(22:35):
"in this work of raisingthis child together?"
- We want to finish thisepisode with a powerful quote
that serves as a reminder that authentic
and meaningful collaboration can make
a positive differencein the lives of students
with disabilities and their families.
- In my experience, the bestexperiences for my son were
(22:56):
when myself, and theteacher, and other partners
within the school wereable to work together,
and to really figure out what was better
for him, and help him get success.
- When we work with a commitment
of honest collaboration and partnership
to foster relationshipsthat support families
in feeling valued and heardwe see, as school leaders
(23:18):
and teachers, investing in tools
and in strategies thathonor the family voice
in the education of their children.
A voice that is irreplaceablebecause regardless
of the accent, language,or cultural background
it brings love, it brings passion,
it communicates dreams,and it provides a set
(23:39):
of unique information that no assessment,
or evaluation can capture alone.
- But I think at all levels,we really need to look
at our processes, andour systems, and our...
You know, how we createpolicy and processes,
and ask ourselves, "Who's at the table?
(23:59):
"Do we have the voices of the families
"at the table at all levels?"
Because again, we don'tknow what we don't know.
And it's in those conversations that then,
we see where the gaps are in our systems.
- We all win when we work together.
And, most importantly, thebig winner is the student.
(24:24):
- That's all for thisepisode of Pursuing Equity
at the Intersection of Language,Culture, and Disability.
This podcast summarized thethird session in our journey
of pursuing equity at theintersection of language,
culture and disability.
Up next, we will explore twoadditional systems elements
that are critical to transformingour education systems
(24:44):
to improve services for Englishlearners with disabilities:
research informed practiceand systems coherence.
We hope you join us forthese additional discussions.
And if you haven't yet,don't forget to listen
to our first two episodes,the Foundational Session
and session two focused on data literacy.
Thanks for tuning in, we want to express
(25:06):
our deepest gratitudeto our thought leaders
for their contributionand passion for this work.
We're your hosts, Angela McGuire and...
- Eliana Tardio.
To learn more about theThought Leader series
and the work of the NationalCenter for Systemic Improvement
funded by the Office ofSpecial Education Programs,
or to watch the recording ofthe Full Authentic Engagement
(25:28):
of Families, Schools, andCommunity Partnership session
visit our website at ncsi.wested.org
(gentle music)
(gentle music)
- Welcome to episode threeof the National Center
for Systemic Improvement,or NCSI, podcast series
on Pursuing Equity at the Intersection
of Language, Culture, and Disability.
This podcast builds on the work
of the NCSI ThoughtLeader Conversation series
which aligns with NCSIfour system elements,
(00:23):
data literacy, stakeholderand family engagement,
research informed practiceand systems coherence.
This episode focuses onauthentic engagement of families,
and schools, and community partnerships.
In this work, NCSI commits to supporting
the state education agencies, SEAs,
(00:43):
and community partners inexpanding understanding
about the intersectionof language, culture,
and disability in K12 education.
We identify next steps for SEAsto enact system improvement
that focus on elevatingequity in both opportunity,
and achievement for students,
who are English learnerswith disabilities.
(01:05):
For more information about NCSI,
please visit our website, ncsi.wested.org.
My name is Eliana Tardioand I'm a content specialist
for the National Center forSystemic Improvement at WestEd.
and I'm the mother of a son anddaughter with Down syndrome.
(01:26):
- And my name is Angela McGuire.
I'm the parent of an individual
with intellectual disabilities.
I'm also co-lead of the Stakeholder
and Family EngagementSystems Element team for NCSI
and a project director onother work within WestEd.
In our previous episodes,our thought leaders
often return to the importanceof family engagement
as a key piece in achieving equity
(01:48):
at the intersection of language,culture, and disability.
For example, in a recentepisode on data literacy,
our thought leaders discussed how
when we meaningfully engage families
in the data collection anddecision making process
we are better able to capture the context
of each child's uniquecultural and linguistic assets.
(02:08):
- In today's episode, weare going to dig deeper
into what authenticfamily engagement means
by sharing highlightsfrom the third session
of the Thought Leader Conversation series,
which took place on September 7th, 2022,
and focuses on the importanceof collaborating with families
is schools and communitypartners to support students
(02:29):
with disabilities designatedas English learners.
In our conversation, we'llcenter the families as experts,
explore the varying degrees of interaction
between schools,families, and communities,
and discuss the conditionsand capacity building needed
to advance deeper levels of interaction.
- But first, it's importantto discuss the current reality
(02:51):
for many families as they try to engage
with their child's education system.
Mrs. Simena Hertado, a teacher
in Florida's Lee County School district
shares the experience of onenewly immigrated parent trying
to understand the services herdaughter's school provided.
- It says, "Since my daughterwas born and I was near
"to this country, in mycountry, we don't have
(03:14):
"the same economic situations as you guys
"and we don't have thesame kind of services.
"So in that point, I feel very lucky.
"The other side of the coin,I was really, really confused
"because I didn't know anything
"about those kinds of therapies.
"When the occupationaltherapist came into my house,
"I didn't know what to expect.
"What is she going to work with?
"Or one of the thingsthat we face as a Latina
(03:37):
"we don't know what those services mean.
"I have to learn in what way
"those services help my daughter."
- From this and otherstories shared during
the live session. as wellas her own experience
as a teacher workingwith families every day,
Mrs. Hertado summed up thedifficulties families face
in engaging with their child's education.
With statements like this.
(03:59):
- Most parents want achance to contribute.
The exclusion could make the parent feel
that their input is notvaluable, that their child
is viewed just as anotherpart of an assembly line.
This boils down to a passive racism,
the feeling that theparents are uneducated,
simply because of cultural differences.
- This exclusion, Ms. Hertadoexplains, is largely due
(04:21):
to a lack of culturallyresponsive strategies
that allows family to actively participate
in their child's education.
To address this, we need moreculturally responsive training
and strategies to evaluateour own behaviors as educators
and most importantly, anopen mind to learn from,
(04:41):
and in collaboration with families.
"The solution is not asimple translated flyer,"
Ms. Hertado says, "It isbuilding a cultural bridge
"between the family and the school."
Dr. Cristina Santamaria Graff,
professor at Indiana Universityand Purdue University
expands on what it means tobuild the cultural bridge.
(05:04):
- So as cultural liaisons,cultural mediators,
cultural bridges, we really need to think
about how to also describe to families
what is the operatingsystem that we're in,
and how we're navigating notonly language and terminology,
but being really informedabout how we can move forward,
(05:27):
and moving the dial for advocating
for the wellbeing of our students.
- Dr. Santamaria Graff introduces us
to the levels of interaction described
within the Leading by Convening Framework
for authentic engagement createdby the National Association
of State Directors of Special Education.
The framework describesfour levels of engagement:
(05:50):
informing, networking,collaborating, and transforming.
For more informationon Leading by Convening
you can visit NCSI'swebsite at ncsi.wested.org.
Dr. Santamaria Graff describeshow the framework considers
the intent, delivery, and reception
(06:11):
of the information provided to families.
- So instead of going from maybea top-down kind of approach
to, "I'm here to disseminateinformation to you."
We are moving toward, andthis is in the last...
in the arrows represented,the double arrows going up.
More of a grassrootsapproach to where families,
(06:33):
and individuals with disabilitiesare really moving the dial
and progressing oursystems into opening spaces
where they are able to, andwelcome to create opportunities
and pathways for their ownchild with the expertise
that they have as familiesabout their child.
(06:54):
- The first level ofinteraction, informing,
is the act of sharing, ordisseminating information.
However, as we heardearlier about the experience
of a newly immigrated parent,informing can get confusing,
if you are not familiar with the system,
services provided, or terminologyused in the communication.
(07:15):
Dr. Santamaria Graff explains why.
- The initial communicationsthat come home
in their home languagealthough, that is one step
toward being able to provide translatable
and accessible language, it's not enough
because some of the languageembedded and terminology,
as we know, embedded in those documents
(07:35):
can be very confusing and could be loaded
with historical meaning and nuances.
- Important details can easily get lost
in translation, if youare not careful to ensure
that the intent of the messageremains intact and clear.
To avoid confusion, Dr.Santamaria Graff says
(07:56):
it is important to explicitlydefine all language
and terminology used to foster
an inclusive and welcoming space.
- This whole idea ofinforming has to go beyond
just what families' rolesare or just, you know,
what the procedural safeguards are.
It's really sitting with andworking alongside families
(08:19):
to unpack language, and terminology,
and the conceptualunderstandings underlying
the language that providemore comprehension
to what's actually going on.
- For Dr. Santamaria Graff thekey to authentic engagement
is moving away from only using one-way
informing methods of communication
(08:40):
to approaches that facilitatetwo-way communication
between families andpersonnel from the school.
Networking is the secondlevel of interaction
in the framework and brings the family
to the table to engage ina two-way conversation.
- So this is really,networking is like a first step
into beginning that dialogueand what we have to remember
(09:04):
with dialogue, it's both, youknow, speaking and receiving.
It's both giving and receiving.
And that's where we needto really move toward.
- In order to have ameaningful two-way dialogue
at the networking level, Dr.Santamaria Graff explains
how it is necessary tohave supportive structures,
such as explicit definitionsfor language and terminology.
(09:26):
- But I want us to just be really open
about how we are considering the way
in which communication is being brought
to the table orally, visually,
through written word, through spoken word,
and all the ways that we canprovide networks of support
like scaffolds around that language
(09:48):
to make it moreaccessible, to scaffold it,
to make it more comprehensible,even to differentiate it
in ways that are gonna makesense from family to family.
And through these really intentional ways
of bringing forth supportivestructures around language
we can also mediate conversationsbetween the families,
(10:09):
and educators so that comprehension hits
at a much deeper level for the families.
- One essential supportive structure
is the participationof qualified, informed,
and unbiased interpreters and translators.
And Portland State University professor,
Dr. Julie Esparza Brown shares more about
(10:29):
what that kind ofsupport should look like.
- Interpreters and translatorsreally need to be trained.
They need to not justbe able to interpret IEP
into IEP in whateverlanguage, that makes no sense.
Jargon is jargon in any language.
So they really need to betrained to help with the basics,
(10:52):
understand the basicsof special education.
And trained to have the...You know, understand
that they can ask theprofessional for clarity
around when they know something is
just not gonna beunderstandable to families.
- But the two-way communication goes
(11:12):
beyond just interpretationand comprehension.
Dr. Esparza Brown introducesus to the third level
of interaction, collaborating,which involves working
with families at all levelsas a part of the team,
whether in the developmentof their child's IEP,
target setting within the SPP/APR,
(11:33):
or planning a school event.
- So we're moving thedial, engaging people
and trying to do something of value,
and working together around the issues.
And as our theme has been thus far,
communication is what is critical.
Establishing relationships,taking the time
(11:53):
to really form meaningful relationships
so that then, familiesfeel that they can trust
in the communication that's happening,
and that they're a part of it.
- To create trulycollaborative opportunities
to work together, it is also important
(12:13):
to include community partners,
and other education entitiessuch as parent centers,
and culturally specific agencies.
They can help usunderstand key differences
in our knowledge or beliefsas Dr. Esparza Brown explains.
- It should include those communities
to help us co-constructa plan that is centered
(12:34):
on the needs of the child, themultiple needs of the child,
and their culturalbackground, and their home,
their life experiences, their languages,
particularly when they'rean English learner.
Are we giving them theopportunity to continue
to develop their homelanguage and often, we're not.
(12:56):
So all of these discussions need to occur
with a team that includes,like I say, not only families,
but the communities thatunderstand the cultural,
and linguistic nuances of our families.
- To support collaboration,school leaders,
and teachers must addressall factors that could get
(13:16):
in the way of family andcommunity engagement.
For example, they mayconsider blocking extra time
for interpretation,scheduling meetings outside
of the workday, and providingaccessible information
about parental rightsand responsibilities,
which are often writtenat the college level.
- The final stage, transforming, expands
(13:37):
beyond collaborating.
As the school leaders and teachers,
partnered with familiesand community members
to set a vision and accomplish the work.
Dr. Santamaria Grafftalks about the importance
of not only listening to families,
but integrating what they have to say.
- But the transforminglevel is really about
(13:59):
not only listening towhat families have to say
in a very active way,like really listening,
but integrating what they have to say
into the decisions madefor their child in a way
where families are evendriving some of those decisions
about their child's educational,
and academic and overallwellbeing, their trajectory
(14:21):
- In transformative engagement,
families and community members are seen
as equals who are critical to success,
and can easily find entrypoints into the system.
Dr. Esparza Brown describes it,
as a multi-directionalwheel with no bottom.
- Where everybody has equal power
it's not top-down communication.
(14:43):
It really is about communication
where anybody can begin the communication.
We have processes, and procedures
where their interpreter'savailable when needed,
and the student is at the center of this.
So making sure that wealways have the student
(15:03):
as our center, and thatthe communication includes
the student and aboutthe student and, again,
everybody has a voice, and an equal voice.
So such multi-directionalcommunication then,
is what we really need forthis transformative engagement
because everyone is an equalpartner, they work to change
(15:28):
the system and they're a critical friend.
- At the transforming level,families and community members
are a crucial part of thesystem, but to ensure families
are authentically engaged, there need
to be certain conditions in place on both
the side of the familyand the school or system.
The dual capacity buildingframework is based
(15:48):
on existing research and practices,
and helps us establish thegoals and conditions necessary
to achieve effective family engagement.
We discuss the two essentialconditions laid out
in the framework inour conversation today,
but make sure to checkout dualcapacity.org
to explore it in more depth.
First are the process conditions,
(16:09):
which are the mindset shifts that are key
to the design of any initiativethat aims to build capacity
for family and school partnerships.
Thought leader and longtimeNational Parent Center director,
Debra Jennings, shares moreabout what that looks like.
- At the foundation,it's about mutual trust,
(16:29):
it's about strength-based thinking,
and strength-basedmindsets, and looking for
how are we going to lookat the child, the family,
and also the community interms of what each brings
to the engagement, whateach brings to the school,
what each brings to theclassroom, what each brings
(16:51):
to the community, the school,the state, the district?
- Other process conditions mentioned are:
cultural responsiveness,respect, and humility.
- Cultural humility because we know
that in many of ourschools the professionals,
the staff do not reflect thecultures of the children.
(17:13):
So it's important for those of us who are
in these places where weare different in culture
that we look at our own culture
not as what should behappening for everyone.
That everyone should have the same...
Should be of the same culture that we are.
And if they're not, that that's a deficit.
(17:35):
- Dr. Maria Cioe-Pena,professor at the University
of Pennsylvania, expands onwhat cultural humility means.
She says, "We, as educators, must reflect
"on our own positionality and acknowledge
"our outsider status on certain areas
"of the child's life inorder to authentically learn
(17:56):
"and collaborate with families."
- Right, we are outsiders to communities.
We are outsiders to cultural backgrounds.
We are outsiders in socioeconomic ways.
So it's really importantthat we create space
for understanding where wehave shared commonality,
and where there's alsospace for us to grow
alongside the growth that we believe,
(18:17):
or perceive that parents need.
- The Dual Capacity Building Framework
also addresses organizational conditions,
which ensure that familyengagement is embraced
across all system anddepartments in all strategies,
resources and infrastructure,Mrs. Jennings explains
(18:37):
- Family engagement needs to be embedded
across all of the pieces of education.
And it needs to reflectthe needs of families,
and how family, and alsothe strengths of families
that they can bring interms of supporting,
and building each of those areas.
Seeing families as co-creators of...
(19:01):
Seeing families asambassadors and sustainers
for the improvements that we are making
in our learning and systems.
- The Leading by Convening
and the Dual CapacityBuilding frameworks presented
at this session provideimportant information
on how to increase authenticpartnership with families.
And how we can apply theseconcepts in practical ways,
(19:23):
so we recognize familiesas equal co-creators,
and experts in thelives of their children.
Mireika Kobayashi,manager of the Department
of Student Services atCincinnati Public Schools,
expands on what it meansto maintain process,
and organizational conditions,and recognize families
as equal co-creators in our system.
(19:44):
- We need to honor what theybring, those funds of knowledge
the wealth of knowledge that they bring.
And then, we have to make surethat our educational systems
are creating welcomingenvironments for our families,
where our families and ourcommunities see themselves,
and see how they can be those co-creators,
and see how they canreally lead to success
(20:06):
for all the students that we serve.
- Ms. Kobayashi says, "Weneed to better understand
"the perspectives of families beyond
"just the technical matters.
"Ask them what are theirlong and short-term goal
"for their child beyond academics?
"How do they understand their role
"in their child's schooling?"
She shares why these kind ofquestions are so important.
(20:28):
- So many of our parentsthat I've worked with
when I ask them to be a equal partner,
they have this concept ofbeing that equal co-creator
is not something that they experienced
in their educational systemsin their home country.
So we need to make sure that we understand
(20:49):
where they're coming fromand help them co-create,
and recreate the systems inwhich they are equal partners.
- Parents are not empty vessels.
They are experts in thelives of their children.
And the family home is a place of learning
for their children when not at school.
Dr. Cioe-Pena explains why it's important
to honor their knowledgeand recognize them
(21:11):
as complex, multifaceted beings
- Right so, it's important tothink of parents in this way
as stakeholders, as membersof a child's educational team
without whose support the childwould cease to grow, right?
So, as such, it's importantthat we think of them
as experts, right, expertsof their own children,
(21:31):
but also of their ownsociocultural context
and content, right?
And that we think and designways to integrate them
into our practices in ourclassrooms, and in our schools
in ways that position them as equals
rather than as guests, or visitors.
That parent is also anexpert on migration, right?
(21:53):
On binational family communication.
They are anthropologistswho study new communities
in order to carve outspaces for themselves.
They're explorers looking for reflections
of their previous lives in new lands.
- As experts of their children
and their sociocultural context
Dr. Cioe-Pena highlights the importance
of involving families in discussions
(22:14):
around their specificneeds and preferences
to actively participatein their kids' education.
- Your key audience andyour key constituency
also holds the answer,right, and those are parents.
Ask your parents, "Howdo you want to show up?
"How do you want us to support you
"so that we can understandthat we are mutually
(22:35):
"in this work of raisingthis child together?"
- We want to finish thisepisode with a powerful quote
that serves as a reminder that authentic
and meaningful collaboration can make
a positive differencein the lives of students
with disabilities and their families.
- In my experience, the bestexperiences for my son were
(22:56):
when myself, and theteacher, and other partners
within the school wereable to work together,
and to really figure out what was better
for him, and help him get success.
- When we work with a commitment
of honest collaboration and partnership
to foster relationshipsthat support families
in feeling valued and heardwe see, as school leaders
(23:18):
and teachers, investing in tools
and in strategies thathonor the family voice
in the education of their children.
A voice that is irreplaceablebecause regardless
of the accent, language,or cultural background
it brings love, it brings passion,
it communicates dreams,and it provides a set
(23:39):
of unique information that no assessment,
or evaluation can capture alone.
- But I think at all levels,we really need to look
at our processes, andour systems, and our...
You know, how we createpolicy and processes,
and ask ourselves, "Who's at the table?
(23:59):
"Do we have the voices of the families
"at the table at all levels?"
Because again, we don'tknow what we don't know.
And it's in those conversations that then,
we see where the gaps are in our systems.
- We all win when we work together.
And, most importantly, thebig winner is the student.
(24:24):
- That's all for thisepisode of Pursuing Equity
at the Intersection of Language,Culture, and Disability.
This podcast summarized thethird session in our journey
of pursuing equity at theintersection of language,
culture and disability.
Up next, we will explore twoadditional systems elements
that are critical to transformingour education systems
(24:44):
to improve services for Englishlearners with disabilities:
research informed practiceand systems coherence.
We hope you join us forthese additional discussions.
And if you haven't yet,don't forget to listen
to our first two episodes,the Foundational Session
and session two focused on data literacy.
Thanks for tuning in, we want to express
(25:06):
our deepest gratitudeto our thought leaders
for their contributionand passion for this work.
We're your hosts, Angela McGuire and...
- Eliana Tardio.
To learn more about theThought Leader series
and the work of the NationalCenter for Systemic Improvement
funded by the Office ofSpecial Education Programs,
or to watch the recording ofthe Full Authentic Engagement
(25:28):
of Families, Schools, andCommunity Partnership session
visit our website at ncsi.wested.org
(gentle music)
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