Helping Families Understand What Is Happening In the Classroom The more a program or event at school is designed to improve student achievement, the more impact it will have. Linking to Learning

Goals: To get a clear idea of what your child is learning and doing in the classroom To promote high standards of student work To understand what good teaching looks like To discuss with the teacher how to improve your child’s progress

Arizona State Standards The Arizona Department of Education uses this document to help teachers guide their instructional practices during the school year. There are connections between grade levels to ensure consistency and continuity. Classrooms should have these standards posted in a student friendly manner. You can access these standards electronically: Then select the grade level, then click on standards

Sample of State Standards Reading Standards: Concept 6: Comprehension Strategies  Kinder: Make predictions based on title, cover, illustrations, and text  First grade: Predict what might happen next in a reading selection.  Second grade: Compare a prediction about an action or event to what actually occurred within a text.

Sample of State Standards, con’t Reading Standards: Concept 6: Comprehension Strategies  Fifth grade: Use graphic organizers in order to clarify the meaning of the text.  Sixth grade: Apply knowledge of the organizational structures (e.g., chronological order, time-sequence order, cause and effect relationships) of a text to aid comprehension.  Seventh grade: Use reading strategies (e.g., drawing conclusions, determining cause and effect, making inferences, sequencing) to interpret text.

Classroom Visits Find out how the classroom is setup to encourage learning. What are the different areas in the room used for? Schedule a time to see a lesson presented by the teacher to see how learning and teaching takes place. Ask how and when the standards are presented and used.

Parent Meetings Talk to your child’s teacher about how learning takes place in the classroom How does the learning that my child is participating in relate to the state standard expectations? How can I support my child with his/her homework?

Student Work What are the students learning? What does good work for my child’s age and grade level look like? How many students are working at a proficient level and how do you know? What is the school doing to improve achievement? What can I, as a parent, do to help? What is a student portfolio?

Regular Communications About Learning Attend the Parent-Teacher Conference and use a prepared list of questions as a guide How often does your child’s teacher send home a newsletter? Does it include learning goals for the week? Do you know how to reach your child’s teacher by phone or ? Does the school send out a school-wide newsletter? How often?

District Parent Involvement Policy Governing Board Policy Developed by parents for parents Policy Title: Parental Involvement in Education Policy Code: KB Lead Department: Academic

School Parent Involvement Policy 6 components Statement of purpose Parental participation, feedback Annual meeting School parent compact Building of parent capacity Evaluation

Family and School Compact The No Child Left Behind law, now known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, requires every Title 1 school to develop a school-family compact or agreement that should describe: How parents, school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improving student progress How the school and families will build a partnership to help children meet high standards and communicate regularly.

After School Program If your child’s school offers this program, check to see if it is linked to the school’s curriculum. Do they know what the state standards are at the different grade levels? Are they familiar with and are they connecting what is being taught in the classrooms to what is being offered after school? How is my child benefiting from this program?

What are you doing to be actively involved in your child’s education? Ask questions about what your child is learning and what you can do at home to support the learning. Request workshops or parent meetings to become better informed. Respond to the communications between you and the school

Honor the Teacher’s Efforts Teachers work very hard to create lessons to help insure that the curriculum is implemented effectively Please take time to send a note, make a phone call, or to visit your children’s teachers to let them know that you appreciate all the energy, effort and time they spend to make sure that your child receives a quality education.

Questions Maria Teresa Yrigoyen