An Analysis of State Policies Related to Culturally Responsive Family Engagement in Special Education
Open Access DepositedThe authentic and culturally responsive engagement of families in their student’s education impacts the child’s lifelong development, academic outcomes and overall health and wellbeing. This partnership between the school and home is particularly fundamental to the development of students with disabilities from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, as well as those from historically underserved communities (Banks, et al., 2024). Historically, family engagement has been consistently mandated at both the federal and state levels. One of the foundational principles of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004) is the right of families to participate in the education of their child with a disability. However, many families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds still encounter barriers and inequity in their participation in their child’s special education services (Rosetti et. al, 2017). Progress towards educational equity for all learners depends on the meaningful, culturally responsive engagement of all families participating the special education process. While many districts, schools and educators recognize the importance of culturally responsive family engagement in special education, state leadership and policy impact whether or how well schools design, implement, and continually improve their programs. This study provides an analysis of existing state-level policies and family-facing documents, as well as recommendations for state policy and practice surrounding culturally responsive family engagement in special education. Directed content analysis found that states varied widely in the number, content, and type of policies or documents regarding culturally responsive family engagement in special education. Additionally, states differed in how they acknowledged and described family engagement and culturally responsive family engagement in special education. The overarching themes embedded in select states’ policies also supported best practices in culturally responsive family engagement in special education. Through the lens of social justice theory and centered around the human rights of learners and their families, this study used Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth Framework (2005) to examine how states’ policies and family-facing documents maximize six types of cultural capital that families of culturally and linguistically diverse students with disabilities contribute to the special education process. Several areas of potential future research are identified, and the results of this study provide recommendations informing both policy and practice to stakeholders including families, educators, school and district leadership and state policymakers.
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Clarkson_gwu_0075A_17249.pdf | 2025-04-09 | Open Access |
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