Transcript Beyond the Bake Sale‖ - Home

Beyond the Bake Sale‖
Engaging Families for Student Growth
Beyond the Bake Sale‖
Are you interested in stimulating some
creative discussions among teachers about
how to work more effectively with families
to improve student achievement?
Beyond the Bake Sale‖
Does your school want to develop more
exciting plans to engage families of all
backgrounds?
“…partnerships among schools,
families and community groups are
not a luxury –they are a necessity.‖
Page 1
Focus
•This presentation focuses on “meeting you
where you are.”
•To do so, think critically about where you
and your school are on a parent involvement
spectrum.
Where are you?
Where is the School?
Parent Involvement on a Spectrum…
Intermediate
How involved
are we talking?
Novice
How do we
do this?
Beginner
What’s the
point?
Expert
Parents and
Community as
Partners. Period.
As we study
Beyond the Bake
Sale
Think about where you and your
school are located on the
spectrum…
1. Partnership and Student
Academic Achievement are Closely
Linked
“When schools, families, and
community groups work together to
support learning, children tend to do
better in school, stay in school longer,
and like school more.” Page 2
“Students whose families are involved
in their learning earn better grades,
enroll in higher-level programs, have
higher graduation rates, and are more
likely to enroll in postsecondary
education.” Page 2
“When families take an active interest
in what they’re learning, students
display more positive attitudes toward
school and behave better both in and
out of school.” Page 2
“Children do best if parents can play a
variety of roles in their learning:
helping at home, volunteering at
school, planning their children’s
future, and taking part in key
decisions about the school program.”
Page 3
“Children from diverse cultures tend
to do better when families and school
staff join forces to bridge the gap
between home and school cultures.”
Page 3
School programs are more effective
when schools enlist families in these
processes. When parents are involved
at school, they tend to become more
active in the community.
Page 3
2. Partnerships
help build and
sustain public support for the
schools.
Public schools are seeking increased support as we live in an era of
market-driven education reforms including charter schools
Page 4
Effective partnership strategies are:
•
Conducting active programs to engage
parents and families.
(This year SCS will have 4 family engagement
activities – Curriculum Night, Reading Night,
Math Night, and an EOG/Transition Event)
Page 4
At each of these 4 events, SCS will
actively engage families with family
friendly research based information
and “Ziploc Bag” take home activities
for families to use at home to support
their child.
Page 4
Other Effective Partnership
strategies Are:
•
Working with community organizations to help
students and families to improve educational
quality
Invite outside agencies such as Employment
Security Commission, Health Department,
Partnership for Children, SCC, etc. to share
information with families at PTO/PTA events
Page 4
Greater Engagement with Families
By partnering with community agencies…Families and Communities
benefit when basic needs are met for housing, food, transportation,
and employment. Many studies have documented the resulting
benefits for families and children, including:
• Increased knowledge of child development
• Greater confidence in their role as their child’s first teacher
• More frequent attendance at school meetings and a stronger
sense of responsibility for children’s schooling
• Improved literacy and other skills
• Better communication with schools and teachers
Page 5
Reaching for Greater Engagement
with Families
Facts
• During the 1990’s, between 14 & 16 million people entered the
country
• During 2000-2004, the foreign-born population increased by over
1 million per year
• As poverty rates rise and manufacturing jobs decline, families
and communities face multiple economic and social problems
• High percentages of the US Population are highly mobile due to
the economy and shortages of affordable housing
• About 40% of children in the US live in low-income families (as of
2007)
Page 5-7
Reaching for Greater Engagement
with Families
Facts
• The 2000 census showed that over 4 million children are living
with grandparents. One-fourth of these grandparents have sole
responsibility for these children.
• Nearly half of low-income children, those in the bottom 20
percent, live with only one parent, and nearly half move every
year.
• Cultural differences are being seen in our schools due to these
and other changing cultural facts
Page 5-7
Teachers can Benefit from Parent and
Community Partnerships
• Involved families are more likely to understand the goals of the
teacher and the school and to be more supportive of proposed
changes.
• Teachers who involve families positively and consistently tend to
rate families more positively.
• Teachers who involve parents and other volunteers report that
they have more time to devote to teaching and to giving children
individual attention
Page 8-9
Teachers can Benefit from Parent and
Community Partnerships
• Involve families in the SIT (include regular people – people that
do not hold leadership positions and whose voices are not
commonly heard…average citizens) p. 4
• Use the SIT to Develop and Revise Yearly:
1. The School-Parent Compact
2. The Parent Involvement Policy &
Help parents understand the annual report card for your school
Page 8-10
Teachers can Benefit from Parent and
Community Partnerships
Communicate! Communicate! Communicate!
Title I Parent involvement is defined as …
“regular, two-way, and meaningful
communication about student learning and
other school activities.”
A contact log is on the SCS Title I website for your convenience
under Beyond the Bake Sale Chapter 1
Page 11
Other Useful tools to help you are located on the
SCS Title I webpage under
Beyond the Bake Sale - Chapter 1
Tools include:
1. Parent Contact Log
2. Community Agency Contact Information
3. This PPT. Presentation
4. http://tinyurl.com/adror7
Page 11 & Tapping the Potential
of Parents – Patricia Edwards
Beyond the Bake Sale‖
Session Homework
1) Go to http://tinyurl.com/adror7
2) Choose one of Joyce Epstein’s six types of parent
involvement
3) Choose one “sample practice” item that your school is
not currently working on that you can focus on to
improve this year
4) Have the principal email
[email protected] to share which
strategy your school will implement.