Transcript Family Engagement Webinar

Parental Involvement
Family Engagement
A Look at the Community Compact Model
Spring 2014
Parental Involvement
It is generally understood that
parental involvement increases student
achievement. If we can agree with this
statement, then the question arises:
Parental Involvement
How do we get parents to
become more involved in
their students’ academic
progress and process?
Family
First, we need to define ‘parents’. In
years past, a nuclear or traditional
family consisted of a mother, a father
and their biological offspring.
Family
However, the familial structure in the United
States has changed drastically in recent years. In
fact, according to the Census Bureau, only 23% of
American households with children are part of a
nuclear family.
Family
Some of the family units that our students are a part of
now include but are not limited to:
The single parent family.
The extended family.
The same-sex family.
Even within these categories
There are more subcategories
For example:
Single Parent Household
• Can be a result of divorce
• Can be a matter of choice
Extended Family
• 1 or both parental figures
is a grandparent(s).
• Parental figures are
aunts/uncles or cousins.
• Parental figures are siblings.
Same-Sex Parents
• Two mothers make up the parental figures.
• Two fathers make up the parental figures.
Family Engagement
In recognition of the many
different family structures of
our students and for the
purposes of this webinar, we
will refer to Family
Engagement as opposed to
Parental Involvement.
Family Engagement
• Family engagement is the participation of
parents in every facet of a child’s education and
development from birth to adulthood knowing
that parents are the primary influence in
children’s lives
• The word parent is used to refer to all who are
involved in a child’s education because the
National PTA recognizes that today other adults
such as grandparents, aunts, uncle,
stepparents, and guardians also carry the
primary responsibility for a child’s education
Family Engagement
Now that we know who the parents are, it is very
important to be aware of our students’
demographics. A person’s demographics include,
among other things:
• location
• gender
• household size
• income
• religion
Location
The location of our students’ home is obviously
within the vicinity of the school. Sounds simple,
yet even with this there are challenges to
consider.
• The distance from home to school-Florida State
only busses students who live over 2 miles from
their zoned school.
• The safety of the students on their way to and
from school events.
Gender
Educators must take care
not to plan gender specific
activities for their students
and their families so as to
be inclusive of everyone.
Household Size
As educators, if we’re interested in family
engagement, then it stands to reason that we need to
be fully aware of our students’ family size. This is
useful in figuring out some of the needs that must be
met before it can be expected for our students’
families to take an active role in their children’s
education.
Ideally
A child’s
education should
be something that
their family has a
personal and
vested interest in.
Realistically
It is quite difficult for a
single mother with small
children to secure
adequate child care in
order to attend school
functions.
Income
We can all probably agree that money
plays a role in almost everything we do. This is
true even for school related events.
• Is it in the family’s budget to pay for child care
for non-school aged children, in order to attend
a school event?
• Is it in the family’s budget to pay for
transportation to get to and from the school
event?
• Is it in the family’s budget to pay for take-out
because it’ll probably be too late to cook a meal
at home on the night of a school event?
Religion
For the most part, we
tend to assume that religion is
completely separate from
education. However, in order
to be able to plan accordingly
and serve them to the best of
their ability, educators need to
be aware of their families’
religious preferences.
Why is Family Engagement
Important ?
•
There is no single best practice to encourage family engagement
and parental involvement- what seems to work best is for parents to
be involved in many different roles over time.
•
It is important that parent involvement be well planned,
comprehensive, and long lasting than it take any particular form.
•
Family engagement has many different forms and levels and is a
collaborative effort involving families, schools, communities,
employers, and faith-based groups and organizations.
•
Family assistance at home is crucial and affects a child’s
attendance, achievement, and behavior in school. Parents do not
have to come to school to be involved
•
Everyone benefits from parental involvement. Greater family
involvement in a child’s learning is a crucial link to achieving a high
quality education and a safe , disciplined learning environment for
every student (U.S. Department of Education)
Advantages of Family
Engagement
• Student achievement for disadvantaged
children not only improves, it can reach levels
that are standard for middle-class children. The
children who are farthest behind make the
greatest gains.
• The most accurate predictor of a student’s
achievement in school is not income or social
and economical status but the extent to which a
student’s family is able to 1. create a home
environment that encourages learning, 2.
express high, but not unrealistic expectations of
a child’s achievement, and 3. become involved
in their child’s education
Family Engagement
What can we do to facilitate
and encourage family
engagement in our schools?
Student-Parent Contract
All involved parties are not fully invested
in a child’s education. A written document
can place accountability on all parties
involved.
School-Parent Contract
• Contract is a written agreement that
pledges to support a student and parent to
achieve academic standards.
• The POPS PLUS Community Compact
Student & Parent contract is a template for
compacts to use for accountability.
Student- Parent Compact
Template
School Involvement
 Encourage parent involvement from the time
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children first enter school
Teach parents that activities such as modeling
reading, behavior and reading to their children
increases interest in learning
Parents are partners of the school and their
involvement is needed and valued
Communicating to parents that their involvement
and support makes a difference in their child’s
school performance important
Engage the effort of disadvantaged students who
benefit most from parental involvement
Provide training and orientation for parents
Develop parental/family engagement programs at
school
Get Involved
Parents are the first educators in the home, as
partners with school and as advocates for all
children, parents can foster involvement in the
following ways:
• Parenting
• Volunteering
• Learning at home
• Advocacy and decision making
• Community Collaboration
Parental Involvement
• Parents always value and have a positive
attitude about education
• Set aside regular time and space for homework
• Talk and listen to your child about school
• Use the library and other community resources
• Set limits on behavior and discipline with
patience
• Make sure your child is well rested, well fed,
and healthy
• Form a two way communication between
school and home
Communication
Reach out to your families. Find out what their
needs are and how the school can become a
more accessible place for them.
Variety of Ways to Communicate
• E-mail is probably the fastest and easiest way to
communicate information to your families.
However, you can’t rely on this alone!
• Telephone calls still work in this age of constant
new technology, but this is not always the answer
either!
• Good old snail mail is great for reminders, don’t
count on it for a speedy delivery, though!
 Your best bet is to use a combination of all of
these methods to reach your families. It may
seem redundant at times, but better you get your
message across than have uninformed families.
Relevancy
Be sure that your students and their families can
relate to the events held at your school. They are
more likely to attend if it makes sense to them and
they see a reason for it.
Does it Make Sense?
If your school has been focusing on math for the
last few weeks because there is a big math test
coming up, then an event that has to do with math
would resonate with your students and their
families. However, fun as it may be, it might make
less sense to hold an art show during this time
when the focus has been on math!
Know the Families
Oftentimes your students’
families possess a vast
number of talents that can
be helpful in all kinds of
school events. Use that to
the full advantage of your
school, students and
families.
Along with talents, know
your families needs.
Personal Talents
• You may come across a family that loves to
sing. This family can be pivotal in helping you
plan a talent show for all.
• How about a family that loves to cook? They
can help with cooking for any number of
different events held at your school.
• There may be a family in your school that’s very
health conscious. They can come in for a
workshop where they give other families some
helpful tips on healthy living.
Eliminating Barriers to Parental
Involvement
• Time. Time may be the most valuable and
precious commodity that families need to
support their children
• Uncertainty. Lack of knowledge about how to
help cannot be equated with lack of interest
• Attitude. Teachers and educators who have
low expectations can cause parents to be
reluctant
Sample Parent Survey
Page 1
Sample Parent Survey
Page 2
Sample Parent Survey
Page 2
Family Engagement
The only limits to the
ways you can encourage
family engagement in
your school are set by
the limits of your own
creativity.
Quote
“Tell me and I’ll forget.
Show me, and I may not
remember.
Involve me, and I’ll understand
”
References
• Parent Teacher Association of America (2008) What is
Parent Involvement ? Retrieved May 2014
http:// www.cpta.org
• Education .com (2011Family Involvement : A Key
Ingredient in Children’s Reading. Retrieved May 2014
http:// www.education .com/workbooks
Thank you for participating!
If you have questions about this
presentation, contact:
Janna M. Willett
POPS PLUS Community Compact
[email protected]
(407) 843-1202