Supporting newcomer and racialized students: An examination of Anglophone School District policies in New Brunswick

Abstract

This project examined how policies within the Anglophone School District Sector in New Brunswick support newcomer and racialized students, focusing specifically on ASD-S-368 and EECD Policy 703. Using Critical Race Theory (CRT) and intersectionality as analytical lenses, the research applied thematic policy analysis to explore how racism, inclusion, representation, and safety are constructed and enacted in policy language. The findings indicate that while both policies acknowledge systemic barriers and express commitments to inclusive environments, their implementation relies heavily on behavioral regulation, race-neutral disciplinary practices, and symbolic measures rather than structural transformation. Inclusion often appears conditional, depending on students’ conformity to dominant institutional norms, which may reinforce assimilation expectations. Additionally, equity is primarily addressed through procedural inclusion, while institutional power structures remain intact. The study concludes that policymakers who serve the New Brunswick Anglophone sector must move beyond acknowledgment of systemic inequities and implement clear, enforceable structural equity measures within educational policy and practice.