parents’ role in preparing students for the future
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Parents’ Role in Preparing Students for the Future. Presented by: Caroline Allen, President Michele Morrow, President-elect. What is “Parent Involvement”?. The 3 Essential Components:. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Parents’ Role in Preparing Students for the Future
Presented by:
Caroline Allen, President
Michele Morrow, President-elect
What is “Parent Involvement”?
The 3 Essential Components:
1. Family involvement occurs in all the contexts where children and youth live and learn and should be part of a broader complementary learning approach.
The 3 Essential Components:
2. Family involvement matters from birth through adolescence but changes as children mature.
The 3 Essential Components:
3. Family involvement must be
co-constructed and characterized by mutual responsibility among families, schools, and other institutions and stakeholders.
Source: Harvard Family Research Project’s series, Family Involvement Makes a Difference”
Working together
Families and schools, but what about the business community? Impact
Determine parents’ schedule flexibility Time off Help families find creative strategies for
involvement even in the face of difficult work schedules
Working together
Trust Shared values Continuous communication Mutual respect Attention to all parties’ needs and
expertise= greater benefit to children
Working together
“Family and community engagement is often seen as an add-on. There hasn’t been a whole-hearted acceptance of the fact that family involvement is a strategy that must be seen as part of the instruction core and not something that is separate.”
Karen Mapp, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Working Together
Pennsylvania Parent Information and Research Center
+
Data Driven results
There is a positive and convincing relationship between family involvement and student success, regardless of race/ethnicity, class, or parents’ level of education.
A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement, Anne T. Henderson and Karen L. Mapp
Finding 1:
Involvement programs that link to learning improve student achievement.
•Family nights on math or literacy. •Family-teacher conferences that involve students. •Family workshops on planning for college.
Finding 2:
Speaking up for children protects and promotes their success. Become knowledgeable about the
operations of schools and the laws that govern those operations.
Be confident about their ability to work with schools.
Expect only the best from their children and for their children.
Join PTA.
Finding 3:
All families can contribute to their children’s success. Teaching their children the importance of education. Finding out what their children are expected to know
and to be able to do and reinforcing lessons at home. Sending their children to school ready to learn every
day.
Principals and teachers must support parent involvement by Making parent involvement a priority. Recognizing and removing barriers to
parent involvement. Sharing decision-making power with
parents and community members. Working to understand class and cultural
differences.
Finding 4:
Community organizing gets results. Provide expanded learning opportunities. Build broad-based support for increased
school funding. Provide quality after-school programs.
PTA National Standards for Family-School Partnerships
Standard 1: Welcoming all families into the
school community—Families are active participants in the life of the school, and feel welcomed, valued, and connected to each other, to school staff, and to what students are learning and doing in class.
Standard 2:
Communicating effectively—Families and school staff engage in regular, two-way, meaningful communication about student learning.
Standard 3: Supporting student success—Families and
school staff continuously collaborate to support students’ learning and healthy development both at home and at school, and have regular opportunities to strengthen their knowledge and skills to do so effectively.
Standard 4: Speaking up for every
child—Families are empowered to be advocates for their own and other children, to ensure that students are treated fairly and have access to learning opportunities that will support their success.
Standard 5:
Sharing power—Families and school staff are equal partners in decisions that affect children and families and together inform, influence, and create policies, practices, and programs.
Standard 6: Collaborating with community—Families
and school staff collaborate with community members to connect students, families, and staff to expanded learning opportunities, community services, and civic participation.
Early Childhood Parents as Teachers
(PAT)an international early
childhood parent education and family support program serving families throughout pregnancy until their child enters kindergarten, usually age 5.
4 Components of PAT
1. Home visitation
2. Group meetings
3. Developmental screenings
4. Resource and referral the program
Results
Increases parent knowledge of early childhood development and improve parenting practices
Provides early detection of developmental delays and health issues
Prevents child abuse and neglect Increases children's school readiness and
school success
Transition to Kindergarten
Best practicesSending letters home Inviting families to an
open houseTeachers conducting
home visits
Results
Improved academic achievement Especially helpful for low-income children Increased parent-initiated involvement
Elementary School
Examples of best practices Host a “Welcome School Walk Through” Give families tools to support their children’s learning. Create a family resource room. Implement 2 family involvement activities each
quarter. Exhibit student work throughout the school and
community. Use surveys, visits and conversations to find out what
parents’ goals are for their children
Middle School
Greatest impact of student achievement: High expectations for student success Discussing plans for future education Helping students prepare for college Monitoring progress Knowledge of courses and classes Knowledge of social issues
High School
Academic rigor for all studentsShared standards for rigor in all courses.Uniform course content and teaching quality
are monitored and supported.All students are offered college prep and AP
classes, plus tech/career courses with academic content.
Every student’s progress is closely monitored.
High School
Network of Timely Supports An adult mentor is available to every student. Advisories inform students and families how to reach
academic and career goals. Academic and technical courses coordinated with higher
education requirements Timely, short-term interventions allow students to catch
up quickly. Many strategies offered to improve students’ test-taking
skills.
High School
Culture of College Access All students/families exposed to college Parents involved in planning and supporting goal of
attending college Information on required test/courses, aid, admissions,
and colleges given in 9th grade. Community members, graduates, and college reps show
students/families value of college. “College office” gives information, pplication help, and
college counseling.
High School
Effective Use of Data Staff track 4-5 year graduation rates, percent
applying/attending college PSAT and SAT/ACT test-taking rates monitored. High school GPA/GED scores and test scores analyzed Data on financial aid and test scores are received by all
students. School keeps track of graduates’ experiences and
retention rates in colleges.
High School
Parents = Key Partners 9th grade summer bridge program welcomes whole family, sets goal
of 4 year college Advisory system/adult mentor main contact for families to monitor
progress Data shown on what’s needed for college Exhibits of student work, window on classroom Parent nights, workshops, and assistance with financial aid
applications College fairs and trips to colleges
Source: Anne Henderson, “Beating the Odds: Involving Families in College Pathway Programs”
Fact 1:
Students with involved parents do better in school
Earn higher grades and test scores Better attitudes, behavior an attendance Graduate and enter post-secondary
education
Source: The Children’s Aid Society
Fact 2:
Parent Involvement is actually a better predictor of academic success than standardized test scores.Better for studentsBetter for parentsBetter for teachers
Source: The Children’s Aid Society
Fact 3:
Parent Involvement is defined as “any of a variety of activities that allow parents to participate in the educational process at home or in the school.” School/parent dialogue, volunteering and advocacy
efforts At home, it is captured in a “family process”, any
behaviors, activities or attitudes on the part of parents that support children’s learning.
Source: The Children’s Aid Society
Fact 4:
Degrees and types of favorable parent involvement vary widely, but all work to support positive student outcomes.
Source: The Children’s Aid Society
Fact 5:
Parental involvement declines with the age of students.
Source: The Children’s Aid Society
Fact 6:
Socioeconomic status affects parent involvement.
Source: The Children’s Aid Society
Fact 7:
Teachers and schools can overcome barriers to parent involvement by reaching out and building trusting relationships.
Source: The Children’s Aid Society
Conclusion?
Parents Matter!
Resources
Pennsylvania Parent Information and Resource Center: www.center-school.org/pa-pirc
Beyond the Bake Sale; The Essential Guide to Family/School Partnerships by Anne T. Henderson, Karen L. Mapp, Vivian R. Johnson, and Don Davies, ISBN: 978-1-56584-888-7
Harvard Family Research Project: www.hfrp.org
SEDL, www.sedl.org
Contact Information
Pennsylvania PTA
4804 Derry St.
Harrisburg, PA 17111
Phone: 717-564-8985