Term

Fall 2020

Capstone

Thesis

Degree Name

MAESL

Primary Advisor/Dissertation Chair

Andreas Schramm

Secondary Advisor/Reader One

Laura Lenz

Peer-Reviewer/Reader Two

Claire Sagstuen

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to investigate Somali families’ priorities and perspectives regarding middle school engagement. A survey was used which asked parents to rate the importance of different school engagement efforts, both at home and at school. Parents were then asked to answer open-ended questions regarding school engagement. Findings suggest that Somali parents prioritize those events and activities that directly benefit the child’s academics, more so than events and activities related to school-wide information and involvement. Furthermore, parents asked for better communication, more resources, and more equitable practices from educators. They also saw the importance of the education that school offered and sought to reinforce that at home. Recommendations are then given based on these findings, so that educators and parents can build more meaningful partnerships, with the goal of enhancing students academic achievement.

Research Methodology

Survey (attitude scale, opinion, questionnaire)

Keywords

ESL/ ELLs, Parent Involvement

dc_type

text

dc_publisher

DigitalCommons@Hamline

dc_format

application/pdf

dc_source

School of Education Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Included in

Education Commons

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