Parental Involvement

What is Parental Involvement? Taken from Henderson & Mapp (2002). A new wave of evidence: The impact of school, family, and community connections on student achievement. National Center for Family & Community Connections with Schools.

Parental Involvement Defined Staff Parents Visibility in the school Attendance to family functions Trusting and community environment Intimacy of relationships emotional support and different opportunities visibility in the school communication with teachers

What is Parental Involvement? Parents’ definition emotional support and different opportunities visibility in the school communication with teachers Staff definition Visibility in the school Attendance to family functions Trusting and community environment Intimacy of relationships Taken from Henderson & Mapp (2002). A new wave of evidence: The impact of school, family, and community connections on student achievement. National Center for Family & Community Connections with Schools.

Influences of Parental Involvement (cited in Henderson & Mapp, 2002) Parents’ perceptions of their own skills, interests, and abilities Parents’ experiences of other demands on time and energy (burden of family responsibilities) Specific suggestions and invitations for involvement Beliefs about involvement (cultural norms and values) language childcare

What are you already addressing? Influences of Parental Involvement Parents’ perceptions of their own skills, interests, and abilities Parents’ experiences of other demands on time and energy Parents’ experiences of specific suggestions and invitations for involvement beliefs about involvement as shaped by cultural norms and values burden of family responsibilities language childcare What are you already addressing? What can we do to address some of these issues at Parents Night? ----- Meeting Notes (9/25/14 10:27) ----- childcare--> counseling with childcare; students on wait list barrier--> language; no full-time translator; 40% Hispanic/Latino; 30% limited to no English Pablo coming--> always one representative who is parenting?--> grandparents (hands-off) ----- Meeting Notes (9/25/14 11:17) ----- childcare room reserved; parents thinking overburdened--> have meetings on different days (Mondays with Pablo when he's here)

Communicating the Vision Cultural considerations? recreate? Suggestions: make the definition more general team of people who come up with the definition: parents, teachers, support staff, students, etc. ----- Meeting Notes (9/25/14 11:17) ----- different definitions of parental involvement even from the staff; not in a high school and see what needs are from parents;

Parent Night Goals Keep the numbers small and intimate Engage the parents Collaborate—learn from the parents as they also learn from you Parents should have some tool, strategy, or sheet of explanations that they can take with them Utilizing skills from the “Why Try” workshop Nametags what else? ----- Meeting Notes (9/25/14 11:17) ----- name tags: who you are who your child is music between transition

Opportunity to BUILD RAPPORT and RELATIONSHIPS with the parents Parent Night Goals Opportunity to BUILD RAPPORT and RELATIONSHIPS with the parents Quality vs. Quantity ----- Meeting Notes (9/25/14 11:17) ----- -weekly feedback and making sure we are doing it quality -teachers model feedback and conversations with the parents

Parent Night Agenda 6:00-8:00pm Eat/welcome/mingle (25 min) Welcome and ready for transition with about 5 minutes remaining transition (5 min) 3 Breakout Sessions (25 min each with approx. 5 min. of transition in between) ----- Meeting Notes (9/25/14 11:17) ----- decrease 2-3 rotation; decrease amount of time

Sessions- Discussion How to motivate your child getting them to come to school (school leadership opportunities/activities) work completion High school graduation requirements (general) Options after graduation How to support your child advocating for your child? communicating with teachers and staff? how to have conversations about future?

Session Outlines Brief introduction (2 min) Discussion/Presentation (10-14 min) strengths of the parents? any ideas that they might have? what have you done that’s been successful? Ms. Jones, Ms. Bair, Ms. Haymer for ideas to do this How can you/staff here be utilized after tonight? (3 min) Q&A (parking lot/Poll Everywhere) (2-7min) Tangible item to leave with (1-3 min) (brochure, business card, worksheet, etc) ----- Meeting Notes (9/25/14 11:17) ----- walk out with something; take off tangible; staff be utilized to 1; question 2-5; discussion keep to 10 minutes

Sessions-Sign-up ________________ _________________ How to motivate your child getting them to come to school (school leadership opportunities/activities) work completion High school graduation requirements (general) Options after graduation How to support your child advocating for your child? communicating with teachers and staff? how to have conversations about future? ----- Meeting Notes (9/25/14 11:17) ----- number on name tag or give them a rotation; group move together; Motivate: Administration Graduation Requirements: Covington Options: Moore & Haymer Support: Jones

Spanish Session? How long? Topics to discuss? 2 sessions for 45 min High school requirements How to navigate the American schools/communicate with faculty give input on what might be most helpful ?? ----- Meeting Notes (9/25/14 11:17) ----- Translators and headsets in the room 4 translators

Additional Ideas/Responsibilities Giveaways Duke ticket raffle State fair ticket? food bank supplies Calendar ready for the parents that night for upcoming events Child care Food Get information about interests Talk to the students ----- Meeting Notes (9/25/14 11:17) ----- 4 bags for the giveaway; Haymer for calendar Survey for the parents/rating of the sessions Poll Everywhere and written survey

Future Events/Ideas Student Night Parent Focus Groups Activities Workshops Talking about the future Navigating schools as your own guardian High school with kids College application help Parent Focus Groups Family Coordinator Using parents Phone calls as relationship building ----- Meeting Notes (9/25/14 11:17) ----- email about weekly calls and ed connect for the principal; blurb about the Parent Night

References Henderson, A.T., & Mapp, K.L. (2002). A new wave of evidence: The impact of school, family, and community connections on student achievement. National Center for Family & Community Connections with Schools.