Date of Award

Summer 8-1-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

College

College of Education and Social Sciences

First Advisor

Lee Hunter

Second Advisor

Kimberly Shaw

Third Advisor

Erin Burt

Abstract

The purpose of this mixed methods study is to better understand the diverse needs of Latine newcomer families relocating to the United States and enrolling in a southeastern elementary school. Specifically, this study gathered and analyzed the unique experiences of these families immigrating into the U.S. to fully comprehend what they have been through to arrive here and how schools can help their families become involved in their children’s education. In K-12 education, there is a void which exists regarding who these families are and the need to humanize their journeys. This lack of research can be exacerbated by the fact that Latine newcomers are represented by educational data in state and federal reports, but school districts know nothing about the people enrolling children in their buildings.

Rather than focusing on the deficit commonly associated with Latine students and families that is often amplified by the media, this mixed methods study recognizes the various experiences that have occurred prior to their arrival in the U.S. and seeks to support these families based on their unique needs. Utilizing an exploratory sequential mixed methods research model, the researcher conducted five individual interviews and collected data in the first qualitative phase of research to create and disseminate a survey instrument as part of the second quantitative phase. This study differs from existing research on this topic because the data collected comes firsthand from the present-day people arriving to the U.S. and requiring the immediate support. It successfully gathers data from a hard-to-reach population of people and uses effective analysis strategies so this data can be generalized to a larger demographic. Results from both phases of research were analyzed to identify the obstacles encountered by the newcomer families as well as the supports they believe their families need to successfully transition to U.S. public schools. The findings were summarized to provide answers to the three research questions and were also organized into an action plan for school leaders to refer to when planning supports for their own Latine newcomer students and families. This action plan provides specific goals, action steps, costs, and funding sources for each program or support listed so it can be immediately implemented to assist the families that need it most.

Download

Share

COinS