When schools effectively engage families, they are more aware of the needs and strengths of families and students, and they can provide more appropriate academic, social, and emotional supports for them. With this grant, Chan and colleagues will examine whether and how the Dual Capacity-Building Framework’s 5Cs (capabilities, connections, cognition, confidence, and critical consciousness) can increase family engagement and improve student outcomes. Critical consciousness is a new element in the framework and includes three components: 1) ability to analyze social and political conditions critically, 2) endorsement of equity, and 3) action to change inequities. The team will conduct a mixed-methods study to understand whether and how culturally sustaining and racially just school conditions contribute to increases in 5Cs in families and teachers, which in turn are thought to improve family engagement and student outcomes. Altogether, Chan and colleagues aim to develop a theory of racial justice-oriented family engagement that incorporates critical consciousness in the Dual Capacity-Building Framework.
What school conditions support family engagement for English learner families, families of color, and teachers?
