Cambodian Family-School Partnership: Toward an Evolving Theory

Abstract

This article explores the current debate around family-school partnerships. Traditional family-school partnership theories do not account for the intended voices of Cambodian families. This article draws from existing research on Southeast Asian families more generally in order to develop a research-based, data-driven family-school partnership conceptual framework for Cambodian American families. It is believed that a pro-ethnic, voice-centric family-school partnership fosters an inclusive, supportive learning environment for Cambodian children. The logic undergirding that belief assumes that this partnership is likelyto increase cultural awareness between critical home-school partners. At the very least, the proposed concept model serves as a theoretical building block upon which an empirical research study can be built. That study is encouraged to explore the implications of establishing a family-school partnership that reflects the sense and sensibilities of Cambodian families, particularly those stemming from lower income backgrounds. Implicit in the review is the premium placed on challenging Eurocentric, middle-class partnership paradigms to account for the authentic voices of ethnic minorities, and the utility of disaggregating data for Southeast Asians, given the array of cultural and linguistic differences spanningthe Asian American community.