Chapter 13 Parents, Families, and the Community Building Partnerships for Student Success

Parents, Families, and the Community Parents, families, and communities have become instrumental to the process of educating children today. Teachers play a vital role in parent, family, and community involvement, as they are often the school contact to each of these groups on behalf of children. Chapter 13 focuses on changes in parent-school relations, and includes strategies that will benefit teachers as they engage this important professional responsibility. Upon completion of this chapter, you will be able to recognize the importance of working with families and communities of the children you serve.

Involving Parents and Communities The involvement of families in the education of their children has increased in importance. Evidence suggests that when families are involved, children are more likely to earn higher grades and test scores attend school regularly adapt well to school have better social skills and behavior

Current Views of Parent/Family and Community Involvement Bolstered by accountability and education reform movements, parents are more assertive in their demands for high quality education, to include high quality teaching and care, and high quality teachers. Parents are more likely to be involved in school decisions (i.e., hiring decisions, curriculum decisions) in addition to traditional parent involvement activities (e.g. fundraising). School-to-home and home-to- school reciprocal relationships support the increased emphasis on student achievement. Working parents look to school to help them raise their children. Teachers work with parents to help children learn, but also teach parents how to work with their children.

Grandparents as Parents One in ten grandparents are the primary caregivers for their grandchildren—nearly 8 percent of children under the age of 18 live in their grandparents’ homes. Grandparents raise grandchildren when the children's’ parents are absent due to reasons such as  drug abuse  divorce  mental or physical illness  abandonment  incarceration  military deployment  death See page 348 for ways to ensure meaningful involvement of all families including those headed by a grandparent.

Types of Parental Involvement Families, children, and schools/programs are all part of parent/family involvement, which can be viewed as a process for families/parents to use their abilities for the benefit of their children. Different types of family/parent involvement include:  Family-centered teaching – where the family is central to meeting the learning needs of children;  Two-Generation and Intergenerational Programs –where the focus is helping parents and their children, and parents, children and grandparents strengthen the family unit (see page 349 for guidelines used to effectively involve parents and grandparents).

The Federal Government and Parental Involvement No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandates procedures and activities related to parental involvement. Schools must Convene meetings at convenient times for parents and explain the rights of parents to be involved in the education of their children Involve parents in the planning, review, and improvement of school programs—to include the schools’ parental involvement policies Involve parents in the development of the school-wide program plan Provide parents with curriculum and assessment information to include proficiency levels students are expected to meet Provide opportunities for parents to be involved in meetings to make suggestions for and to participate in decisions regarding the education of their children

Epstein’s Six Types of Parental Involvement Families learn about parenting skills, child development, and home conditions that support learning and development. Schools learn about families. Type 1: Parenting Skills and Knowledge Focuses on effective school-to-home and home-to school communications. Type 2: Communicating Between Home and School Focuses on recruitment, training, and schedules to involve parents as volunteers and audiences for schools and other locations that support students and school programs. Type 3: Encouraging Volunteering at School and in the Community Family involvement with children in learning activities in the home. Type 4: Supporting Student Learning at Home Focuses on family involvement in school decision making, governance and advocacy through a variety of committees and parent organizations. Type 5: Involvement in Decision-making and Advocacy Coordination of schools’, families’, and students’ needs for resources and services with businesses, agencies and other group who may address these needs. Type 6: Collaboration with the Community

Epstein’s Six Types of Parental Involvement Teachers can organize a number activities that will directly involve parents along Epstein’s Six Types of Parental Involvement (see pages ).

Home Visits Programs such as Head Start require two home visits per year. Other programs are increasingly incorporating home visits as an avenue for connecting with parents. Home visits are a means by which teachers show an interest in students’ families. Teachers also understand more about their students when they are able to observe the child’s home environment. Home visits facilitate stronger relationships between teachers and parents. These relationships are particularly important when teacher and parent need to resolve problems. Home visits will not always take place in a home—some may occur at community centers or churches. See page 356 for guidelines to successful home visits.

Parent Teacher Conferences Parent teacher conferences are often the first contact between schools and families. Carefully planned and conducted conferences help teachers and families accomplish their goals on behalf of children. Hints for preparing for and conducting conferences are listed on pg. 357.

Contacting Parents Telephone Contact  Efficient means of contact when face-to-face meetings are not possible  Building rapport with parents may take longer on the phone  Constant clarification of what is said and agreed upon reduces the possibility of misunderstandings  Teachers need to make sure they do not appear rushed on the phone as the contact may be a major part of the family’s support system Electronic Contact  The Internet can be used to post calendars, discussion topics, assignments, tips, etc.  Other electronic means for contacting parents include: Website Twitter Video chat Teacher-parent blog

Working with Families from Diverse Backgrounds Children have different home lives, given the social, economic, and linguistic backgrounds of their parents. These include children living with: Single parents, where one parent is primarily responsible for the child’s needs; Linguistically diverse parents with limited English proficiency and a lack of understanding of social norms in the U.S.; Homeless parents where parent and child lack a stable home address and may live with relatives or in a homeless shelter. Each one of the situations above call for extra efforts and sensitivities among teachers for the child’s home living situation. Situation specific strategies must be engaged to ensure parent involvement by these parents in the education of their children takes place (See pgs ).

Community Involvement Parent/family involvement programs should also include a community involvement component. Teachers’ work with families is enhanced by their Knowledge of and access to community resources and businesses willing to support their efforts. Communities may offer resources to support teaching in addition to resources that help teachers meet the needs of children and their families. Business are interested in school-business so that schools can better educate children. Businesses offer materials, information, and volunteers to help support schools, families, and communities.

What’s next Benefits of parent/family involvement Current views of parent, family, community involvement Reasons grandparents become primary caretakers Ways to ensure meaningful family/parent involvement Percent of children living with a grandparent Family-centered teaching Two generational/Intergenerational Programs Meaning of parent/family involvement NCLB requirements for family involvement Epstein’s Six Types of Parental Involvement Activities for Epstein’s Six Types of Parental Involvement Home visits Purpose Benefits Value of parent-teacher conference Means for contacting parents Telephone contacts Electronic contacts Issues related to working with Single parents Linguistically diverse parents Homeless families Community involvement Benefits Community resources Business partnerships