Power of Family Voice: A Study of Two Elementary Schools Applying the Principles of Equitable Collaboration

With the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015, as part of the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), it prioritized schools to include families as collaborative partners in schools’ improvement efforts. Minimal family voice existed at two elementary schools. Thus, this mixed-methods action research study investigated both schools as they applied the principles of equitable collaboration (PEC), explored how participants experienced family voice through collaboration, and whether it strengthened school-family partnerships. The Equitable Collaboration Framework, Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) Model, and Appreciative Inquiry (AI) Model were the theoretical perspectives in applying the principles of equitable collaboration (PEC). Data analysis and its triangulation were derived from family and teacher participants through surveys, interviews, observations, and field notes from a series of workshops. Results suggested there were mixed views on family voice prior to the application of PEC. Experiencing family voice during family-teacher collaboration resulted in varied outcomes: one school acknowledged families as assets and equal contributors to schools’ decision-making processes, whereas the other school, in ways, reverted to the traditional school-centric approach. Results also identified strengths as schools developed teacher-family relationships. Implications for these findings point to the concerted efforts that must occur at school sites, recognizing the importance of family voice and seeing families as shared partners in school improvement. To build strong school-family collaboration requires commitment and support in overcoming barriers, such as language and the issue of time, to ensure that all families are invited to participate and provide the power of family voice into school’s decision-making processes.