©2014, Region One Education Service Center Poverty and School Climate Parental Involvement Directors May 2015 Office of School Improvement, Accountability & Compliance

©2014, Region One Education Service Center Agenda for Today: 1.What is Poverty? 2.What is Homelessness? 3.School Climate

©2014, Region One Education Service Center

Ruby Payne defines “poverty”as“the extent to which an individual does without resources. POVERTY IS…….

©2014, Region One Education Service Center Types of Poverty Situational Poverty – is generally caused by a sudden crisis or loss and is often temporary. Events causing situational poverty include environmental disasters, divorce, or severe health problems

©2014, Region One Education Service Center Types of Poverty Generational poverty – occurs in families where at least two generations have been born into poverty.

©2014, Region One Education Service Center Types of Poverty Absolute poverty – involves a scarcity of such necessities as shelter, running water, and food.

©2014, Region One Education Service Center Types of Poverty Relative poverty – refers to the economic status of a family whose income is insufficient to meet its society’s average standard of living.

©2014, Region One Education Service Center Types of Poverty Urban poverty occurs in metropolitan areas with a population of at least 50,000 people. The urban poor deal with a complex aggregate of chronic and acute stressors (crowding, violence, noise).

©2014, Region One Education Service Center Types of Poverty Rural poverty – occurs in nonmetropolitan areas with populations below 50,000. There are more single guardian households and families have less access to services.

©2014, Region One Education Service Center Effects of Poverty Emotional and social challenges – Access to adult relationships Acute and chronic stressors – Paying bills, sickness, limited healthcare Cognitive lags – Emphasis on survival over exploration Health and safety issues – Research shows that poverty is a major predictor of teenage depression

©2014, Region One Education Service Center Financial – having the money to purchase goods and services Emotional – Being able to choose and control emotional responses, particularly to negative situations Mental – Having the mental abilities and acquired skills to deal with daily life (reading, writing, computing) Spiritual – Believing in divine purpose and guidance Physical – Having physical health and mobility Support Systems – Having friends, family, and backup resources available to access in times of need. Relationships/Role Models – Having frequent access to adults who are appropriate, who are nurturing to the child, and who do not engage in self-destructive behavior. Knowledge of Hidden Rules – Knowing the unspoken cues and habits of a group.

©2014, Region One Education Service Center  Relationships/Role Models – Having frequent access to adults who are appropriate, who are nurturing to the child, and who do not engage in self- destructive behavior.  Knowledge of Hidden Rules – Knowing the unspoken cues and habits of a group.  Emotional – Being able to choose and control emotional responses, particularly to negative situations  Mental – Having the mental abilities and acquired skills to deal with daily life (reading, writing, computing)  Understand the child of poverty’s potential view on “Fairness and Access” (Rawlinson chapters) These are 4/8 resources from Ruby Payne’s A Framework for Understanding Poverty We can help provide these resource for our students on a daily basis.

©2014, Region One Education Service Center

Quick Write: Write down your definition of homelessness and/or homeless children and youth Homeless Children and Youth

©2014, Region One Education Service Center Definition: “homeless children and youth are individuals who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence.” Homeless Children and Youth

©2014, Region One Education Service Center McKinney Vento Definition of Homeless  Sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason  Living in motels, hotels, camping grounds due to lack of adequate alternative accommodations  Living in emergency or transitional shelters  Living in a public or private place not designed for humans to live  Living in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus/train stations  Migratory children living in above circumstances  Children/youth awaiting foster care placement

©2014, Region One Education Service Center McKinney Vento Definition of Homeless  Sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason  Living in motels, hotels, camping grounds due to lack of adequate alternative accommodations  Living in emergency or transitional shelters  Living in a public or private place not designed for humans to live  Living in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus/train stations  Migratory children living in above circumstances  Children/youth awaiting foster care placement

©2014, Region One Education Service Center Homeless Children and Youth often experience these common problems…  Family mobility due to housing instability  Frequent change of schools  Loss of friends  Overcrowded living conditions with lack of privacy  No place to play  No place to study or be alone  Lack of basic resources  Inability to complete assignments requiring special materials (think science project)  Possible loss of parents, siblings, family members  Loss of personal possessions or pets  Little or no access to running water

©2014, Region One Education Service Center Homeless Children and Youth often exhibit…  Anxiety  Withdrawal  Depression  Restlessness  Hyperactivity  Aggressive behavior  Inappropriate acting out  Immature peer interaction  Inappropriate social interaction with adults  School behavior problems  Regressive behavior  Persistent tiredness  Immature motor behavior

©2014, Region One Education Service Center School Climate “School Climate is the study of the social-psychological attributes of the school (such as school members' shared ideologies, values, norms, beliefs, feelings, methodologies and expectations for school members' behaviors and for the school's structure and operation), and how these attributes are organized in formal and informal school groups, with particular interests in their relation to student learning and achievement and to effective functioning classroom and schools.” - American Educational Research Association

©2014, Region One Education Service Center What can Schools and Districts Do?  Provide a supportive and stable environment  Create linkages to families so students know they are supported  Support parents’ needs (and they will support you)  Communicate in a variety of ways  Provide a clean environment (even if the building is old)  Celebrate when students exemplify positive character traits  Include students in decision making (provide a sense of value)  Allow for differences in students ‘home’ environment

©2014, Region One Education Service Center Student-Centered Tune in to students. Include students in decision making. Promote active learning. Provide variety. Allow for student differences. Conduct follow-up studies. Students listen better when they are actively involved in the process.

Positive Expectations Expect the best from each other. Send positive messages. Model high standards. Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them. James Baldwin

Feedback Catch others succeeding. Watch your praise. Be candid but positive. “Kind words can be short & easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” --Mother Teresa

©2014, Region One Education Service Center Recognition Vs. Rewards Applaud pacesetters. Use multiple & varied award programs. Showcase academic achievement. Doing little things well is a step toward doing big things better.

©2014, Region One Education Service Center Sense of Family Help new people. Support school activities. Be involved. Acknowledge & deal with conflict. Celebrate special occasions.

©2014, Region One Education Service Center Closeness to Parents & Community Assure parents & community of a commitment to quality. Showcase your school. Invite feedback. Respond positively to feedback. Strive not only to be understood but also to understand.

Communication Keep others posted. Be an active listener. Choose your words carefully. Communicate progress. You get further by persuading people than by arguing with them.

Achievement Set & track personal goals. Set & track classroom goals. Set & track grade level goals. Set & track school goals.

©2014, Region One Education Service Center Trust Be reliable. Guard confidentiality. Be understanding. Forgive & forget. Tell the truth. Be respectful. “Important consequences play out in the day-to-day social exchanges within a school community. Recent research shows that social trust among teachers, parents, and school leaders improves much of the routine work of schools and is a key resource for reform.” - Anthony S. Bryk and Barbara Schneider

©2014, Region One Education Service Center What can PI’s Do?  Assess the school climate for the Comprehensive Needs Assessment of the School Improvement Plan

©2014, Region One Education Service Center School Culture and Climate 1. How do students describe the school climate? How does this compare to staff? 2. What evidence is there that students and staff are collectively aligned with the vision and mission of the school? 3. How do students and staff describe attitudes, respect, relationships, belonging, support, etc.? How does this data compare across groups? Which groups respond in which manner?

©2014, Region One Education Service Center School Culture and Climate 4. What does the data reflect regarding student behaviors, discipline, etc.? 5. To what degree do students and staff feel physically safe? 6. What do students and staff indicate about expectations: academic, behavioral, social, extracurricular, etc.?

©2014, Region One Education Service Center School Culture and Climate 7. Which students are most satisfied with the school’s culture and climate? How does this compare to the students’ attendance, tardies, and other behaviors? 8. What does the data indicate regarding classroom management and organization? How does this compare to classroom student achievement data? 9. What does the data reflect regarding gang, substance abuse, weapons, and other safe schools areas? Who are the students involved? What do we know about these students? What services have these students received?

©2014, Region One Education Service Center School Culture and Climate 10. What students are involved in extracurricular, club, and other areas? Who are these students? What does student achievement reflect about these students versus others who are not involved? 11. What are the students’ and staffs’ perceptions of facilities and the physical environment? What is the impact of the facilities on culture and climate?

©2014, Region One Education Service Center

Rubén Degollado Turnaround Specialist Foster Care Champion Region One Education Service Center Office of School Improvement, Accountability & Compliance O: C: F: E: