Theoretical and Conceptual Framework
Dana Saif
School of Education, William and Mary
EPPL604- Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives in Education
Leslie W. Grant, Ph.D.
04/21/2025
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Introduction
In recent years, U.S. immigration policies, particularly those being enacted during the
current Trump administration, have had a profound impact on immigrant communities,
influencing learners’ psychological safety, cultural adjustment, and access to equitable
educational opportunities. At institutions such as the International Language Academy (ILA),
which serves diverse adult learners, including asylees, F-1 visa holders, and workforce
development students, these policy shifts are felt acutely in the classroom. As such, a growing
need exists to explore how systemic forces such as immigration policy and racialized discourse
affect academic performance, engagement, and retention among students enrolled in English as a
Second Language (ESL) programs.
This paper examines Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a theoretical framework for
understanding the intersection of race, power, and policy in shaping the educational experiences
and outcomes of marginalized adult ESL learners. Originally developed within legal studies,
CRT offers a powerful lens to interrogate how racism operates through overt discrimination and
institutional practices and structures, including those embedded in adult education and workforce
development programs. This paper also draws on how CRT has been adapted in educational
research, specifically through Yosso (2005) and Fries-Britt et al. (2014).
Theoretical and Conceptual Framework
Critical Race Theory CRT is an intellectual movement that emerged from law in the
1970s and began gaining currency in the United States in the late 1980s and the 1990s (Lin,
2022, p. 2). CRT’s theoretical framework examines how racism is deeply embedded within the
fabric of legal systems, institutions, and societal structures. Rather than viewing racism as a
series of isolated incidents or individual prejudice, CRT posits that racism is ordinary, systemic,
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and maintained through the normalization of white dominance and the marginalization of people
of color (Delgado & Stefancic, 2017). While rooted in law, CRT also incorporates insights from
other disciplines. For example, it draws on sociological concepts of race as a social construct and
how institutions and structures perpetuate inequality. It also considers psychological aspects of
racism and its impact on individuals. Additionally, it may draw on anthropological perspectives
on culture and society to understand how race is constructed and experienced (Britannica, 2024).
Application of CRT in Education
In education, researchers use CRT to examine how systemic racism, power structures,
and privilege influence educational policies, practices, and outcomes. Research challenges
traditional narratives by highlighting the experiences of marginalized groups and emphasizing
the importance of counter-storytelling to understand the complexities of racial dynamics in
schools: “Adopting and adapting CRT as a framework for educational equity means that we will
have to expose racism in education and propose radical solutions for addressing it.” (Taylor et
al., 2016, p.26). Solorzano and Yosso (2001) identified five elements of CRT that can inform
theory, research, pedagogy, curriculum, and policy: the intercentricity of race and racism, the
challenge to dominant ideology, the commitment to social justice, the centrality of experiential
knowledge, and the utilization of interdisciplinary approaches. To expand CRT’s application in
education, Yosso (2005) introduced the Community Cultural Wealth CCW framework, which
shifts the focus from a deficit model to an asset-based perspective. Rather than viewing students
from underrepresented backgrounds as lacking social or academic capital, Yosso’s model
identifies six forms of wealth that communities of color possess: aspirational, linguistic, familial,
social, navigational, and resistant capital.
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A study by Fries-Britt et al. (2014) reinforces CRT's assertion that race is not an innate
identity but a socially constructed and context-dependent category. According to Fries-Britt et al.
(2014), many foreign-born students did not identify with U.S. racial categories before arriving in
the United States; however, once they were here, they were often racialized and expected to
navigate systems of power and discrimination they were unfamiliar with. The study presented the
Learning Race in a U.S. Context LRUSC framework that emphasizes the students'
developmental and disorienting process of racialization, further validating CRT’s assertion that
race is socially constructed and embedded within educational systems.
Application to the Workforce Program Evaluation
In the context of ILA’s Workforce Program, which serves adult ESL learners from
immigrant and refugee backgrounds, the Community Cultural Wealth CCW framework provides
a practical lens for evaluating and enhancing the learning experience of students in the program.
Many students bring rich linguistic capital through multilingualism, navigational capital from
traversing complex immigration systems, and aspirational capital driven by strong educational
and professional goals despite systemic barriers. Applying CCW to program evaluation at ILA
allows for a more equitable interpretation of performance indicators such as attendance,
retention, and academic achievement. Rather than attributing irregular attendance or fluctuating
performance solely to lack of motivation, this framework encourages evaluators to consider
external pressures such as legal uncertainty, economic hardship, or caregiving responsibilities,
while recognizing the resilience and determination students demonstrate in their pursuit of
language acquisition and workforce integration.
In addition to CCW, the Learning Race in a U.S. Context LRUSC framework offers a
perspective for understanding how foreign-born students recognize and navigate racialization in
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the American educational system. Many adult ESL learners at ILA may not have previously
identified through a racialized lens in their home countries but are confronted with racialized
encounters, institutional biases, or sociopolitical stigma after arrival in the U.S. The LRUSC
framework outlines a progression from unexamined racial identity to integrative awareness,
mirroring many immigrant learners’ emotional and cognitive journey. When paired with CCW,
the LRUSC framework helps situate students' academic performance within a broader context of
racial identity development, cultural adaptation, and resilience.
Conclusion
Critical Race Theory offers a framework for examining the intersection of race, power,
and policy in educational systems, especially for adult ESL learners facing immigration
challenges. Utilizing the Community Cultural Wealth CCW framework shifts the focus from
deficiency to the linguistic, navigational, and aspirational strengths these learners bring.
Furthermore, the Learning Race in a U.S. Context LRUSC framework adds a developmental lens
to the racial identity formation experienced by foreign-born students in the U.S.
As a theoretical framework, CRT, coupled with CCW and LRUSC frameworks,
highlights the need for inclusive educational environments that recognize systemic barriers while
affirming students’ cultural identities. Evaluations based on these frameworks can lead to fairer
interpretations of student performance by considering the sociopolitical forces influencing
participation, attendance, and persistence.
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References
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Delgado, R., & Stefancic, J. (2012). Critical Race Theory: An Introduction, Second Edition.
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Fries-Britt, S., George Mwangi, C. A., & Peralta, A. M. (2014). Learning race in a U.S. Context:
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