Transcript Family-School Collaboration & Problem Solving

Family-School Collaboration:
Building Positive
Parent-Teacher Relationships at
the Schoolwide Level
Maine Association of School Psychologists
November 20, 2010
Kathleen Minke, Ph.D., NCSP
University of Delaware
NASP President, 2010-11
[email protected]
Objectives
Review strategies for teaching systems concepts and
encouraging a positive approach to families.
Review communication strategies that teachers can use
to support development of good working relationships
with families.
Review schoolwide strategies that make a school more
“family friendly.”
PBS Training in Delaware
Intensive
PCP
FBA/BSP
Targeted
Targeted Team
1-5% of
students
w/6+
referrals
5-10% of
students
w/1-5
referrals
80-90% of
students
w/0-1
referrals
Universal
Developing Self-Discipline in the Classroom
Family-School Collaboration
Creative Response to Conflict
School-wide Team Training
Family Collaboration at all Levels
PCP
Wraparound
FBA/BSP
Problem solving
meetings
Family-School Conferences
Family participation in planning,
implementing, and evaluating schoolwide program
Information sharing to and from families
Family-School Relationships
• Families have a profound impact
on academic, social, and emotional
development of their children (Parke
& Buriel, 2006).
• Positive school-home relations are
an important characteristic of
effective schools; instrumental in
comprehensive school reform
efforts (e.g., Comer, Haynes, Joyner, & Ben-Avie,
1996).
Family-School Relationships
• There is increasing evidence of a
CAUSAL relationship between parents’
participation and achievement
• Parents’ efforts increase child
engagement in academics that, in turn,
leads to improved achievement
“PARENT INVOLVEMENT”
VS.
FAMILY SCHOOL
COLLABORATION
Involvement vs. Collaboration
Unidirectional
Educators:
– design family-school
activities, without parent
consultation, to help the
school achieve its goals.
– summon parents to school
to hear information, not to
contribute information.
“We want you
to....”
Transactional
Educators:
– work together with families to
develop plans that advance the
shared goal of school success.
– acknowledge and consider the
beliefs, and preferences of
children and their families.
“How can
we....”
Involvement vs. Collaboration
Expert-Driven
Educators:
Multiple Expertise
Educators:
–are experts about the child
and the child’s problems;
parents are learners.
–presume that each person,
including the child, has important
information to share.
– tell parents how to assist
the school in fixing the child
and/or how they should assist
with homework.
–accept that each individual may
have different, and equally valid,
perceptions of the same
situation.
“I will tell you
how...”
“Help me
understand..”
Involvement vs. Collaboration
Universal
Educators:
– recommend to families
how to improve family
participation in school; these
apply to all families.
Individualized
Educators:
– know that each family, teacher,
classroom, and child is different.
They respect these differences
when planning interventions.
– assume that families who do not
participate care about their
children’s education and have
good reasons for their behavior.
“One size
fits all.”
“Each child, family,
teacher, classroom is
unique.”
Collaboration:
a COOPERATIVE
relationship…
In which system members share both the power
and the responsibility needed to support child
success
It is an approach that includes each family in the
education of their children in ways congruent
with the family’s values, goals, and culture.
…and a BALANCED relationship!
Parents- assume responsibilities within their
roles as parents (not professional educators)
Educators- assume responsibilities within their
roles as instructors (not parent substitutes).
Students- assume their responsibilities as
learners
Overview of Skills/Strategies
The CORE Model of Collaboration
Connected
Optimistic
Respected
Empowered
Overview of Skills/Strategies
The CORE Model of Collaboration
THINKING DIFFERENTLY
Ecosystemic approach
CORE beliefs
TALKING DIFFERENTLY
7 Communication Strategies
BEHAVING DIFFERENTLY
Proactive outreach strategies
Conferences and Problem-solving Meetings
Home Alone…
Read the instructions on the index card
at your table
Take notes as you watch the clip
System’s Theory
Systems are units,
composed of sets of interrelated parts,
that act in organized, interdependent
ways
to promote the adaptation or survival
of the whole unit.
-Pianta
Thinking Differently
Systems Theory/Principles
Wholeness
Each member affects, and is affected by, every
other member
When a member is added, subtracted or changes
behavior in some way, the entire system must
reorganize to accommodate the change.
System as a whole is greater than the sum of its
parts
Thinking Differently
Systems Theory/Principles
Patterns of Interaction
Behavior occurs in circular patterns with each
person contributing
Circularity = Repetitive cycles in which the same
outcomes occur repeatedly
a to b to c to a
Punctuation = View of reality reflected by
arbitrary starting point
Behavior Problem from a Systemic View
A to B to C to D to A
Teacher criticizes
child
Child
misbehaves in
class
Child complains
about teacher to
parent
Parent criticizes
teacher
Behavioral Patterns of Interaction
Significance:
Intervention possible at any point in the
circle
“how” not “why”
No Blame!!!
Thinking about Problems:
Solutions
Solutions
There are multiple perspectives from which
to view the same situation and each leads to
different alternatives in the search for
solutions.
System’s perspective looks for solutions
based on interrupting the pattern and on
individual abilities and resources.
Overview of Skills/Strategies
The CORE Model of Collaboration
Connected
Optimistic
Respected
Empowered
Activity 2
CORE Beliefs Discussion
Step 1: In pairs, each person describe
BRIEFLY each of the beliefs selected and
why.
Step 2: Look for commonalities and
differences.
Step 3: For each challenging belief
identified, brainstorm ways that you might
“think differently” to allow that belief to
become part of your approach to families.
Talking to Families
Communication
Strategies/Skills
By using good communication
strategies, you can increase the
chances that:
you understand what the other is
saying
they understand you
Potential Miscommunications
Teacher says:
“He doesn’t always do his homework.”
“Her pre-reading skills are a bit low.”
“He really loves to watch television,
doesn’t he?”
CORE Model:
Talking Differently
7 Communication Strategies
Attend to non-verbal communication
Listen to understand: reflecting and summarizing
Model the collaborative role: avoid labeling, jargon
and advice giving!
Search for strengths
Reframing
Delivering/Receiving negative information
Blocking blame
Skill#2
Listen to understand:
reflect/clarify/empathize
An empathic response:
Helps the other feel heard and
understood
Usually involves both content and
affect
NEVER involves judgment
Does not introduce the speaker’s
point of view
Build Empathic Responses
Main content (what the person said or implied):
____________________
Affect/Feelings (stated or implied):
_____________________
Combine content and affect into brief response
(paraphrase):
______________________
Add “checkout” (Is that right?), if needed (invite
the other to keep talking)
Empathy Practice
Parent (speaking quickly and in great
distress):
My son is driving me crazy. At ten years old you would
think he could be responsible for himself at least a little
bit! He can’t accomplish a single thing unless I’m
standing right there, nagging him all the way through.
Homework is a nightmare! I feel like I’m the one with
homework and we struggle for at least two hours
before it is done. This can’t go on. He’s not learning
and I’m out of patience!
How can I help him?”
Skill #3
Model the collaborative role
Resist the role of “expert”
Participants may seek your expertise…
…directly
“How should I help Johnny with his homework?”
…indirectly
by listing a variety of concerns and looking to you for
solutions.
Skill #3
Model the collaborative role
Conversation Stoppers to avoid
1. Labeling –
Negative adjectives- e.g., lazy, unmotivated
• Describe actual behavior instead
Diagnoses as explanations- e.g., ADHD, LD
• Do Not make child a diagnosis; use person-
first language
Skill #3
Model the collaborative role
Conversation Stoppers to avoid
2. Jargon- eliminate the “ABCs of Education”
example: “The IST discussed the DIBELS data
and decided to continue RTI at Tier 3 for the
next MP. If that doesn’t work, an IEP and
SCC might be needed because JT is LD.
3. Laundry lists- telling every problem all at once
Skill #3
Model the collaborative role
Strategies to use
 Validate others’ feelings & views through
empathic responding
 Seek related information
 More details on the problem
Past solution attempts and their effectiveness
Ideas considered but not yet tried
 Give related information in a tentative way
(Some families I know…)
 Be specific and clear
Skill #3
Model the collaborative role
First commandment of collaborationAsk before you answer!!!


Solicit the other participants’ ideas before offering
your expertise.
Do this even when you have valuable suggestions.
“PRAY” for Collaboration
Pause
Reflect & elicit more information
Ask others’ opinions, previous solutions, etc.
You offer your view and any necessary
supporting information
Activity 4: Reframing Practice
DESCRIPTOR
POSSIBLE REFRAME
1. Controlling
2. Defiant/uncooperative
3. Argumentative
4. Immature
5. Impulsive/hyperactive
6. Withdrawn
7. Passive
8. manipulative
9. Rigid
Adapted from Murphy (1997)
Skill #6 Delivering/Receiving
Difficult Messages
A main source of educator’s trepidation
about working with parents is the need to
both give and receive information about
problems.
Educator’s worry about being blamed for
problems.
Natural reaction of defensiveness can shut
down communication
Skill #6: Delivering Difficult Messages
Limit:
Choose no more than one or two negative pieces of
information to be delivered. (Think about the most
important pieces of information the parent needs from
the school.).”
Be calm and “wondering” in your
presentation.
Wondering, tentativeness, willingness to be wrong,
Be clear and specific. Cite observable
behaviors instead of judgments.
“Johnny is unmotivated” vs. “Johnny seems to have a
difficulty time getting started on his seat workespecially if it is math”
Skill #6: Delivering Difficult
Messages
Be brief and ask for reaction after a
couple of sentences.
Do not support your positions with a lot of
examples
Convey confidence (optimism) the
problem can be solved.
Not me vs. you
But you and me vs. the problem
Skill #6: Delivering Difficult
Messages
• Several of your students comes to talk to
you about the field hockey team. They tell
you that the coach, Ms. Howell, has been
belittling, crude, and downright mean to
the team. She yells and calls them fat and
lazy.
• Your students want to just quit the team,
but they agree that it is ok for you to talk to
the coach about the problem. You are
meeting with the coach.
Skill #6 Delivering/Receiving
Difficult Messages
Receiving
Listen: Actively listen & try to fully understand the concern
(Be quiet first!)
Understand: Try to understand other person’s goal.
Often just being heard will be enough.
Clarify: Reflect both content and emotion.
Validate concerns by showing you heard their message.
Do NOT defend yourself
Concentrate on listening and understanding.
Give yourself time to think.
STOP if you find yourself becoming angry.
An Angry Parent
“I need to talk to you about the bad grade you
gave Fred on his literacy project. It is
ridiculous to expect a 4th grader to
complete such a huge assignment in such
a short time. One day!
And we had to go to the library and search on
the internet! We were up until midnight and
it still wasn’t finished! But he had to go to
bed!”
Dialogues Example
Parent: Kelly is so
impulsive! Will she
always be like this?
Non-collaborative
Teacher: Oh, I’m sure
she’ll grow out of it.
Lots of girls go through
these stages.
Collaborative Teacher:
She is very energetic
and spontaneous. In
what kinds of situations
do you find those
qualities most
challenging?
Rationale: a reframing
response - looks for
positive interpretation;
avoids cliché; avoids
opinion; avoids
minimizing; seeks
additional information
CORE MODEL:
Behaving Differently
Proactive Outreach Strategies
Conferences and Problemsolving Meetings
Proactive Strategies for
Reaching Out to Families
overview
The school-wide team
The physical plant
Written communications
(policies and personal)
Activities at school
Proactive Strategies:
Getting information FROM
families
Family members as participants on the
school-wide team?
School climate data from families?
Input from families in planning,
implementing, and evaluating the
school-wide discipline plan?
Proactive Strategies:
The Physical Plant
How welcoming to families does the
school appear?
Are visitors a priority?
Create an Inviting Physical Plant
What are some ways to the message
that families are welcome here?
 Welcome signs, mission statement, &
school map in languages common among
students
 Someone/everyone to greet visitors
 Arrange office in an inviting way
 Greet all visitors promptly and courteously
courteously
Create an Inviting Physical Plant
All visitors must report
to the office.
Proactive Strategies:
Written Communications
Forms and policies
Personal communications
Written Communications:
Forms and Policies
What reading level is required to interpret the
documents?
Is there jargon that can be removed or better
explained?
How do we ensure that families with limited written
English literacy have access to this information?
To what extent do documents encourage:
Parental choices and options
Two way communication
Teacher to Parent Messages
Invitations
Should be specific (not just sent home in
newsletter)
Should be “non-institutional”
Should make clear how the activity affects
the parent’s own child.
Written Communications:
Personal
Good intentions…
…Questionable choices
Minke, 2009
Written Communications:
Personal
“Good news” notes are usually
welcome and helpful.
Avoid using notes home or emails to
communicate about problems.
Communicate about concerns early and
directly.
Concentrate on your main goals.
Consult with others when needed.
Proactive Strategies:
Activities at School
Examine Current Activities for
Opportunities for Relationshipbuilding
Needs Assessment/Evaluation
Build in Options
Relationship-building activities
How often have you heard (or
said!)…
“We never see the parents
we need to see!”
Relationship-building activities
Examine Current Opportunities
Orientation/Back to School Night
Workshops
Good news phone calls
Newsletters
Communication systems
Contracts/agreements
Student progress reports
Information on supporting students at
home
Relationship-building Activities
Start of the year questionnaire:
For parents:
What are your hopes and goals for your child
for this school year?
What gets your child excited about learning?
How has your child changed over this past
summer?
For students:
What did you learn this summer?
What do you want to learn this year?
Relationship-building Activities
“See and Be Seen”
Teacher walks around the school
Map the neighborhood for resources
Shop in the neighborhood (or otherwise
spend some non-school time there)
Home visits
From Kyle, et al. (2002)
Relationship-building activities
Examine Current Opportunities
Needs Assessment/Evaluation
Survey those in attendance at events
What could be done differently to encourage
more parents to come?
Survey parents when they register their
children
Ask parents for their views at conferences
Sample Evaluation Questions
To what extent are the following present
in our school community:
 Recognition that the quality of the family-school
relationship influences children’s success.
 A non-blaming, no-fault, problem-solving stance in
interactions with families.
 Parental and school trust in each other.
 Policies and practices that support shared
responsibility for children’s learning.
Needs Assessment/Evaluation:
Open-ended approach
What information would you like to receive from
your child’s teachers that you are not receiving now?
What changes do you recommend for how
conferences and meetings are conducted?
What ideas do you have about ways to help parents
support their children’s learning?
What would you like teachers to know about your
child that they don’t know now?
Relationship-building activities
Examine Current Opportunities
Needs Assessment/Evaluation
Build in Options
Choices for families of whether or
how to participate
Continuous process of evaluation
and information gathering FROM
families
Relationship Building Opportunities
Gain administrative support
Provide information on the importance of the
family-school connection
Model collaboration in your own work
Discuss ways to improve communication
Volunteer to work on policy
Look for ways to improve bidirectional aspect of
policy
Get information FROM families (needs
assessment)
Take a systems change approach
Behaving Differently:
Routing Conferences and
Problem-Solving Meetings
Two types of conferences are
discussed
Routine
Problem-solving
Traditional Conferences
Ritualized experiences where
both parties demonstrate
they care about the child but
little actual information is
exchanged…
Susan Swap
Conferences and Meetings
5 ways family-school conferences
are different
All parties prepare in advance
Students are active participants
Educator concentrates on receiving rather
than giving information.
Educator acknowledges, expands and
underscores the strengths of the family.
The conference is a “conversation.” At no
time is the educator the “presenter.”
Conferences and Meetings
Outcome goals
A plan is developed collaboratively
for supporting the student’s continued
success, including plans to remediate
identified difficulties
All participants leave feeling hopeful
about their participation and future
success
Students leave feeling greater
ownership of their own learning
Conferences and Meetings
Process goals
Each participant has ample time to
share thoughts in the conference
Shared expectations for the child are
developed by the group
Each participant is both a teacher
and a learner
Family-School Conferences
Outcomes
Participating parents and teachers
agreed that the conferences were
beneficial and they wanted to
continue using the FSC style.
Children were active participants.
Parents and teachers valued
watching each other interact with the
child
Family-School Conferences
Outcomes
FSCs took roughly the same amount of
time but participants felt more
information exchange occurred.
Teachers felt they needed lots of
practice and feedback to do the process
well.
Evaluation Data
Does participation in collaboration
training have a positive effect on
teacher:
Beliefs about parent involvement
Practices (e.g., number and type of contact
with families)
Reflections
Activities
Systems Principles
CORE Elements and Beliefs
Communication Strategies
The School-wide Team and Families
Physical Plant
Written Communications
Relationship-building opportunities
Conferences
Required Reflection
Think about the operation of your school-wide
team. Describe:
the ways in which your practices have changed as a result
of what you learned in the family-school collaboration
workshop (if any);
your plans for further development of family-school
collaboration in your practice (if any);
barriers that must be overcome in order for change to
occur
Reflections Data
Most frequent positive comments concerned
communication strategies
Increased positive contacts
More attention to wording of notes home
Increased effort to translate documents and
positive notes
Greater attention to seeking information and
limiting advice giving
Reflections Data
Meeting changes were discussed frequently
Avoiding jargon
Avoiding advice
Listening more carefully
Including positive information
Reflections Data
Innovative strategies
Welcome back activity for “frequent flyers” and
their families
Using email to elicit parent ideas on the schoolwide program
Creating a spreadsheet to monitor positive
contacts
Using the district’s world languages teachers to
help with parent contacts
Reflections Data
Barriers to change
Time (teachers and parents)
Language
Lack of support from administration
The importance of relationships…
An understanding heart is everything in a
teacher, and cannot be esteemed highly
enough. One looks back with
appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but
with gratitude to those who touched our
human feeling.
Carl Gustav Jung
Thanks for playing!
Contact: [email protected]