Date of Award

Spring 3-24-2025

Document Type

Open Access Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education/Leadership in Urban Schools

First Advisor

Patricia Krueger-Henney, Associate Professor Chairperson of Committee

Second Advisor

Wenfan Yan, Professor Member

Third Advisor

Mary Bridget Burns, Senior Researcher American Institutes for Research Member

Abstract

Terms such as English as a Second Language (ESL), English Language Learners (ELLs), and Limited English Proficient (LEP) are widely used by educators and policymakers. However, these broad classifications often reflect deficit-based language and obscure the individuality of the students they describe—students who have diverse educational needs, represent a range of cultural backgrounds, and bring valuable assets and funds of knowledge to their school communities. The dominance of English in the United States has reinforced a normative standard of English proficiency, positioning those who meet this standard as typical while marginalizing and segregating those who do not. Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE) represent a distinct student population, often consisting of refugees or migrants whose education has been disrupted by factors such as poverty, displacement, or civil unrest. As the refugee and SLIFE population continues to grow, their underrepresentation or overgeneralization perpetuates inequities which leads to SLIFEs’ marginalization and miseducation in English dominated spaces.

This study employs descriptive phenomenology and qualitative research methods, including arts-based inquiry, River of Life to examine the educational challenges and experiences of immigrant SLIFE as they navigate migration, schooling, and social integration. The study’s findings are organized within three central themes: Bodies in Transition, Language as a Lifeline, and Navigating Connections and School Mobility. Together, these themes provide a rare insight into SLIFEs’ lived realities across time and contexts, offering a more holistic understanding of their educational journeys. By exploring both the challenges they face and the unique assets they bring, this study highlights the complexities of their integration into Massachusetts newcomer programs.

Comments

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