The tenth key topic of the Dear Colleague Letter focuses on communication with MLs’ families. Federal regulations explicitly state that schools and state education agencies are obligated “to ensure that parents and guardians [of MLs] have meaningful access to district and school-related information” (U.S. Department of Justice & U.S. Department of Education, 2015, p. 2).
Guiding Questions
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This guide is also available in a PDF version for download and printing.
- What do the federal regulations require of local education and state education agencies to ensure that parents and guardians of MLs have access to school-related information?
- What is important to know about the research on family-school partnerships and engagement?
- What action steps should be taken to ensure meaningful communication with MLs’ parents and guardians?
A Note on Terminology
- The strengths-based term multilingual learner is used throughout this document to recognize and value students' existing language abilities and highlight what they know. Keep in mind that states may use different terms and that many federal documents use the terms "English learner" and "Limited English Proficient students." See the federal definition of a multilingual learner in Who Are Multilingual Learners?
- The terms "parents and guardians" and "families" are used interchangeably to refer to the legal guardians of a child (e.g., parents in two-parent or single-parent families, grandparents, stepparents, foster parents, custodial parents, and in some cases, other relatives with guardianship). More broadly, "families" can also include siblings, relatives, and members of students' extended families and communities who are involved in students’ lives and education.
What Schools Need to Know
Federal regulations explicitly state that schools and state education agencies are obligated “to ensure that parents and guardians [of MLs] have meaningful access to district and school-related information” (U.S. Department of Justice & U.S. Department of Education, 2015, p. 37). Further, federal regulations specify:
“This essential information includes but is not limited to information regarding: language assistance programs, special education and related services, IEP meetings, grievance procedures, notices of nondiscrimination, student discipline policies and procedures, registration and enrollment, report cards, requests for parent permission for student participation in district or school activities, parent-teacher conferences, parent handbooks, gifted and talented programs, magnet and charter schools, and any other school and program choice options.” (U.S. Department of Justice & U.S. Department of Education, 2015, p. 38).
Additionally, research on family engagement affirms that all parents and guardians including two parent, single parent, grandparent, stepparent, foster parent, custodial parent, extrafamilial member, and others in our ever-changing society are important partners in their child’s education. While we are familiar with the importance of family involvement, we sometimes overlook its special relevance for families from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds. Partnerships between and amongst school and ML family communities have been shown to support students to flourish socially and academically. Creating partnerships with families of MLs calls for educators to:
- Help families understand the routines and practices of school.
- Help the school community understand the family communities of MLs.
- Bring together the collective assets of families, educators, and local communities before-, after-, and in-school by partnering with them on behalf of their child’s success.
Related resources
See more in this related resource collection on multilingual family engagement and English Learner Toolkit: Chapter 10.
Wolfe Street Academy, Baltimore |
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An example of the type of family/school partnerships is Wolfe Street School, a community school serving a large ML population in Baltimore, MD. Like many schools across the globe, it made the rapid shift from in-person to remote schooling when COVID-19 struck. Prior to the pandemic, its after-school programming had been an integral part of students’ lives. Rather than forgo this mainstay, Wolfe Street quickly and adeptly launched several after-school remote activities including yoga, robotics, art, and debate classes taught by staff, ML families, and members of the local community (Zacarian, 2023; Zacarian, Calderon, and Gottlieb, 2021). See more from Wolfe Street in this special Colorín Colorado video project, How a Community School Helps ELLs Succeed. |
Tools for Educators
These tools can support educators in their work related to avoiding unnecessary segregation of MLs. A printable version of these questions is available in the PDF version of this guide.
Action Steps: Ensure Meaningful Communication with MLs' Parents and Guardians |
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The following resource of action steps, drawn from Zacarian (2023, p. 202), is intended to support meaningful communication with parents and guardians of MLs.
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Copyright© 2023 by Corwin. All rights reserved. Adapted from Transforming Schools for Multilingual Learners: A Comprehensive Guide for Educators, Second Edition by Debbie Zacarian. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, www.corwin.com. Posted with permission from Corwin Press.
Video: A warm welcome for immigrant families in the front office
Norieah Ahmed, the Child Accounting Secretary at Salina Elementary School in Dearborn, MI, talks about her role in welcoming newcomer immigrant families to the school from the moment they walk in the door.
This video is an excerpt from our 20-minute film, You Are Welcome Here: Supporting the Social and Emotional Health of Newcomer Immigrants (#DearbornWelcome).
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