David W. Dillard AVCTC

Why Involve Parents and the Community

• Parent involvement is required under Title I, NCLB, Missouri MSIP, and a host of other laws

• Research shows that increased parental involvement increases academic achievement

• Many parents demand it

• Parent support and community partnerships are good for the school

• Schools need political support (bond issues)

• Its just a good idea

Community Relations

• Really talking about two different groups to achieve the same goal

– Parents

• Specific groups (Title, Spec. Ed.)

• Grade Level

– Community

• Groups and organizations

• Voters

• Community members

Qualities of Effective PR Planning

• Comprehensive: Reaching out to all families, not just those most easily contacted, and involving them in all major roles, from tutoring to governance.

• Well-Planned: Specific goals, clear communication about what is expected of all participants, training for both educators and parents.

• Long-Lasting: A clear commitment to the long-term, not just to an immediate project.

Planning

• Remember, there is no "one size fits all" answer to partnerships. Identify, with families, the strengths, interests and needs of families, students, and school staff and work from there.

• Set clear and measurable goals based on family and community input.

• Develop a variety of outreach mechanisms to inform families, businesses, and the community about family involvement policies and programs. These can include newsletters, flyers, personal contacts, slide shows, videotapes, local newspapers and cable TV, web sites, and public forums.

• Provide a varied menu of opportunities for participation geared to the diverse needs of families, including working families. Schedule programs and activities flexibly. Recognize that effective family involvement takes many forms that may not necessarily require parents' presence at a workshop, meeting, or school.

Planning

• Ensure that families and students have complete information about the standards students are expected to meet, examples of student work that meets these standards, and understanding of how students will be assessed. For example, hold curriculum nights to feature the standards and exhibit student work. Provide workshops about the state's testing program, with a chance for parents to take the test.

• Ensure that families and students have access to information about nutrition and health care, after-school programs, and community service agencies.

Planning

• Find positive messages to send to all families about their child on at least once a month.

• In addition to parent-teacher conferences, offer regular opportunities for families to discuss their children's progress, raise concerns, and work as partners with school staff to solve problems that arise. To promote student success, create a support team for each student and include a family member.

• Involve families in evaluating the effectiveness of family involvement programs and activities on a regular basis and use this information to improve them.

Planning

• Make sure that family members acting as volunteers in the school have opportunities to help teachers in meaningful ways such as assisting with instructional tasks and administrative functions. In addition to being tutors and classroom aides, family members might speak to students about their careers, explain customs from their cultural traditions, or demonstrate a special skill.

• Provide professional development opportunities for educators and families to enable them to work together effectively as partners in the educational process.

School Policies should recognize the following:

• The critical role of families in their children's academic achievement and social well being.

• The responsibility of every school to create a welcoming environment, conducive to learning and supportive of comprehensive family involvement programs that have been developed jointly with families.

• The need to accommodate the diverse needs of families by developing jointly, with families, multiple, innovative, and flexible ways for families to be involved.

School Policies should recognize the following:

• The rights and responsibilities of parents and guardians, particularly in their right to have access to the school, their child's records, and their child's classroom.

• The value of working with community agencies that provide services to children and families.

• The need for families to remain involved from preschool through high school.

Good school policies should -

Outreach to ensure participation of all families, including those who might lack literacy skills or for whom English is not their primary language.

Recognition of diverse family structures, circumstances and responsibilities, including differences that might impede family participation. Policies and programs should include participation by all persons interested in the child's educational progress, not just the biological parents.

Opportunities for families to participate in the instructional process at school and at home.

Opportunities for families to share in making decisions, both about school policy and procedures, and about how family involvement programs are to be designed, implemented, assessed and strengthened.

Good school policies should -

Professional development for all school staff to enhance their effectiveness with diverse families.

Regular exchange of information with families about the standards their children are expected to meet at each grade level, the objectives of the educational programs, the assessment procedures, and their children's participation and progress.

Links with social service and health agencies, faith-based institutions and community groups to support key family and community issues.

Assessing Present Practices

–What partnership practices are currently working well at each grade level?

–Which partnership practices should be improved or added in each grade?

–How do you want your school's family involvement practices to look three years from now?

–Which present practices should change and which should continue?

Assessing Present Practices

– Which families are you reaching and which are hard to reach?

– What can be better done to communicate with the latter?

– What costs are associated with the improvements you want?

– How will you evaluate the results of your efforts?

– What opportunities will you arrange for teachers, parents, and students to share information on successful practices in order to strengthen their own efforts?

Student Benefits:

• The studies have documented these benefits for students:

• Higher grades and test scores. • Better attendance and more homework

done. • Fewer placements in special education. • More positive attitudes and behavior. • Higher graduation rates. • Greater enrollment in postsecondary

education.

School Benefits:

• Schools and communities also profit. Schools that work well with families have:

• Improved teacher morale. • Higher ratings of teachers by parents. • More support from families. • Higher student achievement. • Better reputations in the community.

Parent Benefits:

• Parents develop more confidence in the school

• The teachers they work with have higher opinions of them as parents and higher expectations of their children, too.

• Parents develop more confidence not only about helping their children learn at home, but about themselves as parents.

• parents often enroll in continuing education to advance their own schooling.

• Improved view of the school

Activities IActivities I

• Parent-Student-School Compact

Activities II: Service LearningActivities II: Service Learning• Community activities - Work with

community agencies• Kiwanis• University of Missouri Extension (4H)• East Mo Action Agency• Iron County Library• Police, Sheriff, Ambulance• Chamber of Commerce• County Health Department• Baptist Home, Meadowbrook Nursing

Home, Degonia Senior Citezen Center• Relate curriculum to community

Activities II: Service LearningActivities II: Service LearningRelate curriculum to community

4th Grade makes holiday cards for senior citizens

HS Government class develops community action plans

Graphic Arts Class maintains community web page

HS FACS senior citizens parties and cards

Activities II: Service LearningActivities II: Service Learning

Welding class makes signs for the Chamber of Commerce and bleachers, picnic tables, basketball goals for the Sports Complex

Activities III: VolunteeringActivities III: Volunteering

• Assist in reading program

• After school activities

• Classroom activities

• Technology assistance

• Tutoring

– Need to develop guidelines

– Policies

Activities IV: NewslettersActivities IV: Newsletters

Lets do homework

Reading assistance

Math assistanceGeneral newsEventsHuman interestRecent

accomplishments

Activities V: Family NightsActivities V: Family Nights

Make them fun and educational Offer when parents can get there Invite other family members Think about providing daycare if the event is

for the parents Specific nights for parent-child activities Parenting education Homework assistance What’s happening/coming Explain reforms

Activities V: Family NightsActivities V: Family Nights

Specific activitiesReading/math activities & gamesReading togetherChildren read to their parentsBuild-a-book www.readinga-z.com

Activities VI: Adult ClassesActivities VI: Adult Classes

Short-term, low costTopics

Technology & computersHomework assistance for childrenReading & math in the homeHealth topicsConsumer educationTopics based on community

surveys

Activities VII: Other IdeasActivities VII: Other Ideas

Review of student testing and scores (individual and composite)

EventsDevelop a “Home-School”

handbook with suggestions and activities for parent’s to use at home (this could be grade-level &/or building)

Activities VIII: Other IdeasActivities VIII: Other Ideas

Parent-teacher ConferencesWebpageHomework hotlineParent phone callsHome visits (PAT, Early Childhood,

Even Start)Newspaper articles (21st CCLC will

have a weekly section for 4H and K-Kids)

Open-House/Technology Nights

School Climate: Key Points ISchool Climate: Key Points I

• Parent/Community – School relationship is reciprocal

• Keep it positive• Engage parents in decision

making• Accommodate parents’ work

schedule• Be accessible

School Climate: Key Points IISchool Climate: Key Points II

• Develop a “shared” responsibility for student learning

• Creation of more opportunities for students

• Develop connection between school curriculum and the “real world”

School Climate: Key Points IIISchool Climate: Key Points III

• Express the value of learning

• Raise the bar for student expectations

• Share higher standards with parents

• Encourage reading at home – parent and child time

• Parents should realize that their participation is critical

• We are doing “this” for the students

http://www.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/hyc.html

Books in the Helping Your Child Series

– Helping Your Child Be Healthy and Fit – Helping Your Child Get Ready for School – Helping Your Child Learn History – Helping Your Child Learn Math – Helping Your Child Learn Science – Helping Your Child Learn Responsible Behavior – Helping Your Child Learn to Read – Helping Your Child Use the Library – Helping Your Child Succeed in School – Helping Your Child With Homework

Easily reproducible two-page fact sheets from the Learning Partners Series

– Being Responsible! – Get to School Safely! – Let's Be Healthy! – Let's Do Geography! – Let's Do History! – Let's Do Math! – Let's Do Science! – Let's Get Ready for School! – Let's Read! – Let's Succeed in School! – Let's Use the Library! – Let's Use TV! – Let's Write! – Let's Do Art!

http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/LearnPtnrs/index.html

http://www.projectappleseed.org/chklst.html

http://www.connectforkids.org/resources3139/resources_subject.htm?doc_id=82761

http://www.ncpie.org/

http://www.schoolsuccessinfo.org

Tool Kit

Process for Developing Community InvolvementProcess for Developing Community Involvement

Develop a committee, focus team, or assign the duty to “someone”

Review school policies and set the climate

Assess where your school/district is currently at in working with parents and the community

Process for Developing Community InvolvementProcess for Developing Community Involvement

Committee – Who & Committee – Who & Why?Why?

Review What policies do Review What policies do you have?you have?

Assess current status?Assess current status?

Process for Developing Process for Developing Community InvolvementCommunity Involvement

Develop a written plan to strengthen Set goals: This will set the answers for the

next steps. It all depends on what you (your school wants to achieve)

Locate resources Develop partnerships Develop school policies Plan and establish activities