Every Family Succeeds: The Contrast between Title I and Non-Title I Schools in Terms of Limited-English Proficient Parents’ Engagement Experiences in their Children’s Education

Abstract

This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to compare the engagement experiences of Limited-English Proficient (LEP) parents in urban public schools receiving Title I funds under the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 with those in non-Title I schools within the same school district in the Midwestern US. Data were analyzed thematically and comparatively to explore the experiences of the participants. A major theme of LEP parents’ lack of engagement in their children’s education was revealed in non-Title I schools versus those in Title I schools. The study calls for a schemed federal monitoring process and a restructuring to schools’ funding allocation in order to uphold LEP parents’ civil rights and ensure the fulfillment of their needs as a matter of social justice.