parent engagement ny style m. howlett & j. maloney

Joel I. Klein, Chancellor

THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION



Parent Engagement

‘New York Style’

Challenging Perceptions

Manchester

11th September 2008

Martin Howlett & Julie Maloney

http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/





What can schools do to ensure they fully support the strategic direction of other public services?

Task






Perceptions:

Lack of support for parents

Top down model for direction

No clarity on external influences

Reality:

Some families lack basic social skills

School is different

Powerful nature of team work

Empathy

Ability to support

Partnership or Dictatorship?






WANTED

:

Mature adults for 24-hour, seven days a

week duty. Must be patient, determined,

and self motivated. Will need to work

with people who are at times totally

dependent, demanding,

and

unreasonable. Duties include shopping,

financial management, housekeeping,

counselling, cooking, and emergency

first aid. Must provide frequent

transportation. Lifetime commitment but

no formal education required. No job

training provided. No monetary

compensation, but generous fringe

benefits.

Would

You

Apply?

Parents need support

to be involved in

meaningful

education

engagement…






Within Authority:

Transparency

Clear channels of communication

Supporting ECM agenda

Clear commitment to parents

Empowering constructive engagement

Standards of achievement

Within Locality:

Transparency





Directed support through ext. services

Responsive to local diversity/needs

Parent Engagement – Cheshire Model






Schools Visited:

Millennium High School – Manhattan (close to Ground Zero)

University Neighbourhood High School – City East Side

The Eagle Academy – Bronx

Law & Justice High School – Bronx

International Baccalaureate School – Queens

Long Island City High School – Queens

Harriet Tubman Charter School - Bronx






Chancellor

Chancellors Parent

Advisory Council

Region PresidentsAdvisory

Council (x10)

PTA PA PA PTA PTA

Strategic Communication Levels

For

Parent Advisory Councils






• Create a shift to empower parents by creating the capacity within the system to support parents in the process of engagement

• Through the cascade methodology, train parents to be professionally involved in schools

• Initial setup caused much infighting as parents on the PTA were angry about an individual being paid to do the role of parent coordinator. A lack of understanding of the role was the primary cause

• PCs operate ‘parent friendly’ rooms/spaces

• PCs report directly to the Principal with good Principals empowering the PC to provide intervention strategies to support parental issues with school

• Principle of PCs is that support services must be local

• PCs have been instrumental in supporting abuse cases and report directly to Child Abuse representative in such cases

Parent Coordinators – General Observations






• Different cultures within the community create issues with parent involvement. Latino families see the schools as an authority rather than a mechanism for parental involvement

• Transparency in the school decision making process is vital if parent involvement is to be successful. Having this PC appointed with parents on the panel ensures parental transparency

Parent Coordinators – General Observations

Parent Coordinators work in the context of NYC. Praise across the board for the move has ensured passion and positive outcomes for all involved – this is transforming the way parents interact with schools






Gives strong link with other public services

Diffuses situations and confrontations with leadership

Maintains good relationship with school and parents

Makes school ‘more contactable’

Improves communications

Ensures parents/carers have support to make the difference

Gives students a ‘go between’ for school and home

Allows monitoring of home situations

Improves effectiveness of internal communications for issues facing individual students

Provides immediate response to home issues

Makes parents feel welcome into the school






Careful introduction required for teaching staff

Must find the right person

Positioning of room vital

Training required for individual appointee

Job progression for appointee






Ensuring partnership delivery for ECM agenda

NYC Dept. of Education willing to support in implementation by providing appointment support, training, ‘on the job experience’, ongoing for coordinator, school and LA

Transform relationships between school and parents

Establish school as centre of the community






Support mechanisms within services and LA

Single status

Gaining ownership from teaching staff

Space

Poor appointment of staff






Within Authority:

Transparency





Standards of achievement

Within Locality:

Transparency





Directed support through ext. services

Responsive to local diversity/needs

Parent Engagement – Cheshire Model






InternalSupport

Structures

SchoolPartnerships

VoluntaryOrganisations

Police

HealthCareTrust Youth

Services

Connexions

Auth.SupportGroups

EWO

YOT

CAMHS

SocialServices

ParentCoordinator






Responsibility to Headteacher

First point of contact with parents/carers (via mobile phone) 24/7

Request for information

Effective rapid response for home/school communication

Parental/Community support

Maintaining a ‘parent friendly’ environment

Breaking down ‘eduspeak’

Provides filtering for appropriate response

Facilitating ‘wrap around support’ following initial contact for ECM referral

Contribute to the dynamic responsiveness of services for families and children

Providing transparency and understanding of the systems within which parents have to operate

Parent Coordinator

Core Roles & Responsibilities






Employment of correct person with correct experience

Training delivery within authority context

Through Locality Managers, raise awareness/importance of role with other service providers

Use/develop expertise offered with partnership (NYCED)

Schools addressing policy/structures to ensure effective introduction of role

Utilise channels of communication to raise awareness of role throughout parental body of schools

Provide quality external review of role

Key Elements to Success






Twelve Months on…

External evaluation very positiveMany interventions as a result9 cp issues discoveredInclusion enhancedReduced pastoral loadCommunications improvedOne hot phone!!






• 24/7 Availability (parent friendly) improving communication

• Families supported , feel listened to• Individuals attendance improved• Individuals attainment improved• Parenting skills improved• relationships between parent and child

improved• Parental involvement in school increased






• Individuals needs identified and dealt with appropriately

• Increase in opportunities for families to become involved within the school

• Improved transition from primary school to High School

• Issues resolved swiftly• Swift referrals to other organisations• Increase in knowledge of local community

for families and school






TASKS

TASK 1

List 3 key needs your

service would want

a high school family coordinator to carry

out in relation to sexual health

TASK 2

List 3 key needs

a parent would want from their high school family coordinator in

relation to sexual health






Community EngagementShort, medium & long term strategyListening, translating key issues Indirect multiagency approachChange of direction from schools ‘true’ joined up thinking & workingUnderstanding of demographic factors of

individual communitiesProactive education strategies led by

extended services from birth


parent engagement ny style m. howlett & j. maloney

Education

support services

school decision

school strength

lack of support

train parents

way parents

appointment support

support mechanisms