Transcript Michelle Swanger-Gagne, PhD, NCSP Lisa Hiley, PhD Resources for Learning

Michelle Swanger-Gagne, PhD, NCSP
University of Rochester Medical Center
The Institute for the Family
Lisa Hiley, PhD
EnCompass: Resources for Learning
I. EnCompass: Resources for Learning
MISSION: EnCompass, an organization focused on evidence-based educational services and
support, improves academic outcomes for students of all ages who struggle to learn.
Non-profit
founded in 2006
Provides innovative educational services for struggling learners and their families
Programs in elementary and secondary schools, as well as off-site tutoring services, serving over
1,500 students each year.
◦ Academic Support & Tutoring (Secondary)
◦ Extended Learning Programs (Elementary and Secondary)
◦ Summer Enrichment (Elementary)
II. Institute for the Family at the University of Rochester Medical Center’s
Psychiatry Department
The
IFF provides connecting framework for research, clinical services, and training all with the goal
of helping families cope with illness, loss, reduce family violence, and improve outcomes for
children.
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Comprised of three services: 1) The Wynne Center for Family Research, 2) The Family Therapy Training Program,
3) Family Therapy Services
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There are numerous settings in which children learn
◦ Children spend an estimated 91% of their time between birth to the age
of 18 outside of school (Usdan, 1990); once in school, they spend an
estimated 70% of their time outside of school (Clark, 1990).
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Families provide the single most important influence on a child’s
development, where schools provide the second most important
influence.
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Families provide unique contributions to children’s academic,
behavioral, and socioemotional outcomes.
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The interface of families and schools provide children, families, and
educators with favorable outcomes.
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Providing indirect support and assistance to families increases the
likelihood these families can directly mediate their child’s behavior
and development more efficiently than can direct services aimed
toward the child (Dunst, Trivette & Deal, 1998).
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Family’s strengths, needs, and priorities along with the needs of their
children guide the provision of local resources and services (Dunst,
1985; Rappaport, 1981).
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Family-centered services strengthen the family’s capacity to meet
their needs and the needs of their child (Dunst, 1985; Rappaport,
1981).
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Families are their child’s first and best advocate.
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Families and educators are unique, co-equal partners and
contributors, to a child’s learning.
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An extension of family-centered principles wherein educators or
other support personnel contribute to the child’s learning and
development.
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Underlying principles:
◦ No fault approach (i.e., shared ownership)
◦ Nondeficit approach (i.e., strengths-based)
◦ Facilitates empowerment
◦ Facilitates an ecological approach (i.e., emphasis on the
mesosystem)
(Christenson & Hirsch, 1998)
Parent-professional partnerships are predictive of:
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increased academic performance (higher grades and test scores)
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increased homework completion rates
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better work habits
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more consistent school attendance
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reduced drop-out rates
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school completion or increased graduation rates and higher postsecondary education enrollment
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socioemotional benefits (better social skills and reduced conduct problems
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decrease in negative behaviors such as alcohol and drug use and violence
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increase in positive attitudes (especially towards learning) and behaviors
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greater connections between home and school
In the presence of effective family-school
partnerships, parents have been shown to:
◦ demonstrate greater understanding of the work of schools and
positive attitudes about school (Epstein, 1986);
◦ report increased contacts and communication with educators,
and a desire for more involvement (Hoover-Dempsey & Sandler,
1997);
◦ improve their communication with their children, report
improved parent-child relationships, and develop effective
parenting skills (Becher, 1984); and
◦ become more involved in learning activities at home (Epstein,
1995).
In the presence of effective family-school
partnerships, schools have been shown to:
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receive higher effectiveness ratings, and
implement more successful school programs.
Have better reputations of schools within the community;
Better performance of school programs that involve parents versus
identical programs that do not include parents.
(Christenson & Sheridan, 2001)
 *It can be hypothesized that extended learning programs show similar
effects from partnering with families.
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TYPE 1: PARENTING (assist and educate)
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TYPE 2: COMMUNICATION (communicate with family about
school programs and student progress. Home-school communication)
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TYPE 3: VOLUNTEERING or INVOLVEMENT
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TYPE 4: LEARNING AT HOME (connect home activities to school or
curriculum activities) or CONNECTIONS AND ENGAGEMENT
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TYPE 5: DECISION-MAKING (PARTNERSHIP AND
COLLABORATION)
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TYPE 6--COLLABORATING WITH THE COMMUNITY
General Purpose
General Outcome Goal
Family/School
Communication
Less Intense
High Frequency
OUTCOME EXPECTATION
Family/School
Connections
Family
Engagement
INTENSITY
Family/School
Partnerships
Specific Purpose
Shared Outcome Goal
Family/School
Collaboration
High Intensity
Low Frequency
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Engaged Partnerships…
◦ Empower both families and schools and community
partners
◦ Are bi-directional
◦ Are ongoing, mutual, reciprocal
◦ Are coordinated interventions across settings
◦ Send congruent messages across settings
◦ Require shared information and resources
◦ Require open communication and dialogue
◦ Promote collaboration and joint decision making in
planning for the child – “Collaborative Planning”
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Partnerships with University Medical Center
and Non-profit organization
Partnerships between organization and
educational system
Partnerships between organization and family
systems
*For all forms and levels of partnerships-a
partnership oriented framework or
collaborative framework can be used.
School
Staff
Family
Community
Partner
Eco-Map of School-Family-Community Partnerships
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Supporting Documents:
◦ Rochester Afterschool Model
◦ Rochester City School District Strategic Plan
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School-based programming and integration
Regular contact and meetings with school
and district leadership
Sharing reports and progress (program &
student)
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Revised Application
Edited Logic Model
Organizational Position Statement
Leadership strategic planning
Identification of key staff for professional learning
across program areas
Data capture and management of activities
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Professional Learning Presentations
Site-based consultation
Mentoring and Technical Assistance
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Family-Student-Community Showcases
Newsletters
Family Involvement Coordinators
Learner Summaries / Progress Notes
Family Program Surveys of satisfaction, experience
and relevance
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Training on a general partnership model with
the aim to shift employees' framework of how
to work with families.
Increasing family engagement in decision
making process.
Share curriculum activities with families so
they can reinforce the learning at home. Gain
input on curriculum from families.
Tie in two-way communication tools such as,
two-way postcard
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Family involvement and engagement is crucial to
impact a child’s academic functioning.
A family-centered and family-partnership oriented
philosophy can help engage parents.
Family-educator partnerships can be developed
through a collaborative model
Each family is different and therefore professionals
must be flexible and sensitive to families needs.
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Accessing resources
Capacity within organization
Need for mindful practice
Coordinating conversation(s)
Reinforcing relevance to leadership, staff,
stakeholders
On-going embedded nature of commitment at
organizational and programmatic levels
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Continued collaborative partnership
promoting positive and two-way
communication
Recognizing individual and organization
motivation for change
Commitment to professional learning
Setting realistic expectations of what we can
do and should do.
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You’re agency/program are identifying family
engagement and partnership as a priority area for
the upcoming year – what are the steps you will
take to ensure success?