Parent identity and family-school partnerships: Animating diverse enactments for (special) education decision-making
Issue Date
2019Author
Kurth, Jennifer A.
Miller, Amanda L
Love, Hailey R
Zagona, Alison L.
Publisher
American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Type
Article
Article Version
Scholarly/refereed, author accepted manuscript
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Family-school partnerships between family members and school personnel can be successful as
well as unproductive for parents who have children and youth with developmental disabilities.
This qualitative study sought to capture parents’ identities as they negotiated family-school
partnerships when making inclusive education decisions and discussing special education
service-delivery options for their children and youth with developmental disabilities. Seventeen
participants shared their personal narratives in interviews and focus groups. Data were
thematically analyzed after an initial round of open-coding generated broad themes. Findings
revealed the experiences parents have in partnering with schools span an identity spectrum,
including: (a) victim, (b) advocate, (c) perseverer, (d) educator, (e) broker and negotiator, and (f)
surrenderer. Implications for policy, practice, and research focus on parent identity and familyschool
partnerships.
Collections
Citation
Miller, A. L., Love, H. R., Kurth, J. A., & Zagona, A. L. (2019). Parent identity and
family-school partnerships: Animating diverse enactments for (special) education
decision making. Inclusion, 7, 91-110. doi:10.1352/2326-6988-7.2.92
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