Outcomes Participants will…

Family-school connections and partnerships are important

Socio-Historical Context

Challenges Facing Schools and Families

Explanations for Achievement Disparities Au, 1998

Access to Resources AP and IB Course Fees. Access to Resources AP and IB Course Fees. School/District Policies Identification procedures for Gifted Programs that include cut of scores on standardized test. School/District Policies Identification procedures for Gifted Programs that include cut of scores on standardized test. Educators’ Beliefs Parents who care about their children’s education attend parent-teacher conferences. Educators’ Beliefs Parents who care about their children’s education attend parent-teacher conferences. Gaps in opportunities present challenges for students and families. Lack of information “The student’s parents don’t speak English. I can’t communicate with them.” Lack of information “The student’s parents don’t speak English. I can’t communicate with them.” School/District Practices Housing New Comers Program in one school in the district. Students attend that school, irrespective of their neighborhood. School/District Practices Housing New Comers Program in one school in the district. Students attend that school, irrespective of their neighborhood.

Diverse Perspectives About Parent – Teacher Role

Barriers to School-Family Partnerships

Culturally responsive family engagement includes three key qualities: 1. Focusing on building trusting, collaborative relationships among teachers, families, and community members 2. Recognizing, respecting, and addressing families' strengths and needs, as well as class and cultural differences 3. Embracing a philosophy of partnership where power and responsibility are shared

Appreciative Model of Diverse Families

Transcending Barriers

Inviting facilities Availability and Time Two-way communication with Families Varied and frequent opportunities for positive interactions Engaging families in their students’ learning experiences Establishing a welcoming and family friendly school community

To effectively partner with diverse families, educators must become skilled intercultural communicators

Understanding differences in communication styles Capacity to address Language Diversity

Increasing families’ accessibility to information

Culturally Responsive Strategies to Increase Family-School Partnerships

Improving family and school partnerships require a shift in how schools think about family involvement.

Tools for Learning

Equity exists, in part, to the degree that all students feel they belong, are included, and are empowered.