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Wyoming Family Engagement ProjectWebinarApril 13, 2017

Lacy Wood, Principal Technical Assistance Consultant, AIR

April 2017

Copyright © 20167 American Institutes for Research. All rights reserved.

Sharing Power

AMERICAN INSTITUTES FOR RESEARCH

Introduction

Lacy Wood

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All participants have been muted for this webinar. If you have a question, please feel free to un-mute your line or type the question in the chat box.

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Webinar Objectives• Identify characteristics of meaningful, shared decision

making with families

• Explore strategies for building parent leadership and strengthening family voice

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WDE Resources

Wyoming Project WIN(Wyoming Instructional Network)

http://wyominginstructionalnetwork.com/

Wyoming Family Engagement Projecthttp://wyominginstructionalnetwork.com/resources/fscpeducators/family-engagement-project/

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PTA’s National Standards for Family-School Partnerships


PTA’s National Standards for Family-School Partnerships• Standard 1: Welcoming all families into the school

• Standard 2: Communicating effectively

• Standard 3: Supporting student success

• Standard 4: Speaking up for every child

• Standard 5: Sharing power

• Standard 6: Collaborating with community

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AMERICAN INSTITUTES FOR RESEARCH 8

Sharing Power


Questions for Reflection• Are families partners in making decisions on

issues affecting their children both at school and within the community?

• Do you offer families, staff, and community leaders regular opportunities to discuss concerns with each other?

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Sharing PowerFamily Engagement Roles:

• Partners in learning

• Advocates and advisors

• Decision makers

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Sharing PowerFamilies and school staff are equal partners in decisions that affect children and families and together inform, influence, and create policies, practices, and programs.

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National PTA (2008). PTA National Standards for Family-School Partnerships Assessment Guide. National PTA: Washington, DC.


Sharing PowerWhy do we want to share power with families?• Schools that provide opportunities for shared

leadership with families are better able to meet the needs of the school and community.1

• Family advocates and leaders may help organizations become aware of a range of issues, and provide valuable insights about their family experiences.

1 Auerbach, S. (2010). Beyond coffee with the principal: Toward leadership for authentic school-family partnerships. Journal of School Leadership, 20(6), 728–757.

Delgado-Gaitan, C. (1991). Involving parents in the schools: A process of empowerment. American Journal of Education, 100(1), 20–46.

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Sharing PowerParent leaders and partners in decision making. . .• Participate in parent meetings, advisory committees,

parent committees, policy councils, and other governing bodies, as well as community or state coalitions

• Provide input on academic goals and curricula• Represent children and families in the development of

policy and legislation

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Sharing PowerStrong parent advocates and leaders can. . .• Organize others• Mobilize community members• Share their commitment• Work effectively with other families

and professionals toward a common goal in their community and beyond

Delgado-Gaitan, C. (1991). Involving parents in the schools: A process of empowerment. American Journal of Education, 100(1), 20–46.

Trainor, A. A. (2010). Diverse approaches to parent advocacy during special education home-school interactions: Identification and use of cultural and social capital. Remedial and Special Education, 31(1), 34–47.

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Sharing Power: Goals1. Strengthening the Family’s Voice in Shared Decision

Making

2. Building Families’ Social and Political Connections

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Goal 1: Strengthening the Family’s Voice in Shared Decision Making

Are all families full partners in making decisions that affecttheir children at school and in the community?

How can we ensure families have a voice in district and school decision making?

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Goal 1: Strengthening the Family’s Voice in Shared Decision MakingActions for Schools and Districts• Develop a policy to ensure that parents have an equal

voice in all major decisions that affect children (examples: Principal selection, budget allocation).

• Work to recruit interested families from all backgrounds and neighborhoods.

• Work with parents to adopt effective strategies to engage families to address issues and help reduce achievement gaps.

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Goal 2: Building Families’ Social and Political Connections

Do families have a strong, broad-based organization that offers regular opportunities to develop relationships and raise concerns with school leaders, public officials, and

business and community leaders?

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Goal 2: Building Families’ Social and Political ConnectionsActions for Schools and Districts• Host meetings with local officials, such as school board

members, local police, and other community leaders, so that families can learn about resources and issues in the community.

• Identify ways that families and parent groups can support one or more goals of the school improvement plan.

• Create opportunities for families to connect with each other and build relationships.

• Provide leadership training for parents.

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What Are Social and Political Capital?

Effective leaders and advocates have strong. . .

• Political capital: knowledge about issues and rights

• Social capital: relationships with key players such as teachers and other parents

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Creating a Collaborative Environment• Create a climate of belonging.

• Build trusting relationships.

• Develop and communicate common goals.

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Creating a Collaborative EnvironmentDistrict culture, environment, and administrators’ leadership styles can have an impact on developing family leaders.

District leaders should model a collaborative approach that focuses on relationships and encourages staff and family leadership.

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Providing Access to Knowledge and InformationFamilies need information about. . .

• Program expectations

• Standards and curriculum

• Student and school progress

• Legal rights and responsibilities

• How various systems operate

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Providing Opportunities for All Families

Be strategic about how information, communication, and leadership opportunities are presented.

Be creative and intentional to ensure that all families can have a voice.

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Questions for Reflection• Are families partners in making decisions on

issues affecting their children both at school and within the community?

• Do you offer families, staff, and community leaders regular opportunities to discuss concerns with each other?

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Strategies to Support Sharing Power


Questions for Reflection• Do you provide leadership opportunities and training for

parents?

• Do you provide support for parent groups (PTA, PTO, PAC) and encourage parent networking?

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Preparing Families for Shared Decision Making• Provide training in facilitation skills such as brainstorming,

role-plays, and small-group activities that encourage everyone to speak.

• Provide information on how the education system and local government work.



Preparing Families for Shared Decision Making• Offer communication and leadership training for families

and professionals together.• Encourage and provide opportunities for parent

networking.



Building Social and Political Capital• Take families on field trips to district offices and school

board meetings.• Invite candidates running for school board and local office

to speak to families; have families co-develop the agenda for discussion.

• Involve families in action research — conducting surveys of other families and investigating problems in the community.

• Provide opportunities for families to share their stories and get to know each other.


Henderson, A.T., Mapp, K.L., Johnson, V.R., & Davies, D. (2007). Beyond the bake sale: The essential guide to family-school partnerships. New York: The New Press.


Developing Parent Leaders

Meaningful parent leadership in schools occurs when parents gain the knowledge and skills to function in meaningful leadership roles and represent the “parent voice” to help shape the direction of their schools’ programs and student achievement outcomes.



A Parent Leader. . .• May be a parent, grandparent, relative, guardian, foster

parent, or anyone else in a parenting role• Has experience or knowledge about using resources

and/or services to strengthen the family• Speaks and acts from a parent’s perspective • Is a strong advocate for themselves,

their children, and other families in their community



Parent Leadership. . .• Is a strengths-based approach recognizing that families

are most knowledgeable about their children, other families, and the community

• Builds knowledge and skills and empowers families to develop and implement plans to reach specific goals

• Prepares parents to take on leadership roles outside the school and district

• Models positive, productive behaviors for adults and students




Parent-to-Parent Leadership Development

Programs

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Reducing Barriers to Shared Decision Making• Provide childcare, transportation, translated materials, and

interpreters for meetings, workshops, classes, or other activities.

• Hold meetings at a convenient time for all.• Hold initial orientation and ongoing training focused on

mission, vision, and goals.• Reassure families that their voice counts and they are

being heard.• Use terminology that is common and understandable.

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Strategies to Support Sharing PowerFocusing on Collaboration and Democratic Decision Making

• Create teams that are small yet inclusive of all family and community stakeholder groups.

• Help participants find mutual ground in their conversations rather than focusing on differences.

• Use everyday language to increase communication and sharing among stakeholders.

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Strategies to Support Sharing PowerFocusing on Collaboration and Democratic Decision Making

• Create visuals (charts and infographics) that help participants understand, explore, and analyze important issues.

• Use a variety of engagement strategies to make sure everyone’s voice is heard.

• Make sure everyone involvedreaches consensus.

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Strategies to Support Sharing PowerEncouraging Family Voice

• Share information in a family-friendly context• Present data to ignite a sense of urgency • Use words, graphics, and recordings• Split information up, focus on big picture ideas that

matter • Provide guiding handouts that help engage group

discussion• Ask targeted questions, moving from broad to

more specific 39


Strategies to Support Sharing PowerCharacteristics of Consensus Decision Making• All members contribute. • Everyone’s opinion is encouraged and considered.• Differences are viewed as helpful rather than hindrances

and disruptive.• Team members who continue

to disagree are willing to experiment and “live with” a decision for a while.

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Strategies to Support Sharing PowerCharacteristics of Consensus Decision Making• Everyone has an opportunity to share feelings about an

issue through discussions or group surveys.

• All members share in the final decision.

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Strategies to Support Sharing PowerIdeas for Involving Families in Decision Making

• Establish a governance council that has a voice in major decisions and includes parents elected by parents.

• Include parent and community members on staff selection committees.

• Survey parents annually; have parents co-design the survey and analyze results.

• Hold focus groups to elicit ideas and surface concerns.

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Questions for Reflection• Do you provide leadership opportunities and training for

parents?

• Do you provide support for parent groups (PTA, PTO, PAC) and encourage parent networking?

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Ideas for Implementation

Resources


Resources – School Level Reflection Rubric: Sharing Leadership (Family, School, and

Community Partnerships in New Mexico)» http://nmengaged.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Sharing-Leadership-Rubric-Toolkit-10.pdf

– Building Parent Leadership (Manual from the Georgia Department of Education)» http://www.gadoe.org/School-Improvement/Federal-

Programs/Documents/Parent%20Leadership%20Manual%20REVISED.pdf

– Families as Advocates and Leaders (National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement)» https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/family/docs/advocates-pfce-rtp.pdf

– Ripples of Transformation: Families Leading Change in Early Childhood Systems (Center for the Study of Social Policy)» http://www.cssp.org/young-children-their-families/body/Ripples-of-Transformation-Family-

Engagement-Toolkit.pdf

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Questions?

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Contact Information

Lacy Wood

[email protected]

4700 Mueller BoulevardAustin, TX 78723-3081

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Evaluation

Lacy [email protected]

4700 Mueller BoulevardAustin, TX 78723-3081General Information: 512-476-6861 | 800-476-6861TTY: 512-391-6578www.air.org