An Introduction to the Right Question School-Family Partnership Strategy

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AGENDA Overview Asking questions using the Question Formulation Technique Working with questions using the Framework for Accountable Decision Making Reflection and Lessons

The Right Question School-Family Partnership Strategy focuses on: Sharing two skills: Asking better questions Participating more effectively in decisions So that parents can play three roles: Support Monitor Advocate

“We don’t go to the school because we don’t even know what to ask. LAWRENCE, MA, 1990 “We don’t go to the school because we don’t even know what to ask.

An integrated strategy A Strategy, NOT a program Complementary to existing programs

Integration opportunities… Meeting with a parent A teacher helps a mother generate questions to address an issue Question Focus: Sam seems to be having trouble doing his homework.

The Questions: Is he behaving? Is he causing problems? Is he doing his homework? What do you mean by “trouble”? How do you know he’s having trouble? When did this start? Did he do his homework before?  Is he getting punished for not doing his homework? What’s going to happen to him? Why do you think he’s having trouble? What should I do to make sure he does his homework? What happens when he doesn’t do his homework? Will he be held back?

Developing partnerships…

Parent Engagement Activities www.rightquestion.org Parent Engagement Activities

Outcomes Parents have foundational skills they can use to partner and advocate more effectively Parents and school staff are resources for each other on behalf of children Educators and school staff have tools and a strategy for building strong partnerships with families

AGENDA Overview Asking questions using the Question Formulation Technique Working with questions using the Framework for Accountable Decision Making Reflection and Lessons

Asking Questions about Decisions Using the Question Formulation Technique (QFT)

Rules for Producing Questions Ask as many questions as you can Do not stop to answer, judge or discuss Write down every question exactly as stated Change any statements into questions

Question Focus (QFocus) We will use a new process next year for assigning students to specific teachers.

Prioritizing Questions Review your list of questions Choose the three questions that are most important to you. While prioritizing, think about your QFocus: We will use a new process next year for assigning students to specific teachers.

Prioritizing Questions After prioritizing consider… Why did you choose those three questions?

AGENDA Overview Asking questions using the Question Formulation Technique Working with questions using the Framework for Accountable Decision Making Reflection and Lessons

DECISION: A decision is the selection of one option from among two or more options.

We make decisions every day

What decision(s) are embedded in the QFocus What decision(s) are embedded in the QFocus? We will use a new process next year for assigning students to specific teachers.

What decision(s) are embedded in the QFocus What decision(s) are embedded in the QFocus? We will use a new process next year for assigning students to specific teachers.

The Framework for Accountable Decision-Making When decisions are made it is important to focus on: REASON: the basis for a decision. PROCESS: the steps and actions taken, people involved, information used in making the decision. ROLE: the part the people affected by the decision play in the decision-making process. In your list of questions, identify one question about reason, one about process, and one about role.

Share: SHARE Your questions about reason process role

The Framework for Accountable Decision-Making (Summary) Identifying decisions Decisions are the selection of one option among two or more options Focusing on three key points in decisions Reason Process Role

AGENDA Overview Asking questions using the Question Formulation Technique Working with questions using the Framework for Accountable Decision Making Reflection and Lessons

Reflection What did you learn? How did you learn it? How can you use what you learned?

Democracy “We need to be taught to study rather than to believe, to inquire rather than to affirm.”- Septima Clark See Chapter 6 on Septima Clark in Freedom Road: Adult Education of African Americans (Peterson, 1996).

Decision-Making and Democratic Principles In a democracy, we should expect and require that all decisions are guided by the following criteria. There should be: Legitimate reasons: The decisions are based on policies, standards, rules that are fairly applied. Transparency: The process used to make the decision is visible to all. Opportunities for participation: There is a role in the decision making process for the individual affected by the decision. These principles can be used as criteria for accountable decision-making in a democracy.

The three criteria correspond to key democratic principles: Reason Process Role Legitimacy Transparency Opportunities for participation

Outcomes Increased ability to: asking questions about decisions focus on three key areas in a decision: the reason, the process and their role participate in decisions beginning at a micro-level

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