Family Involvement Parents as Partners

Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships Anne T. Henderson, Karen L. Mapp, Vivian R. Johnson, and Don Davies

Family-School Partnerships When schools, families and community groups work together to support learning children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more.

Core Belief #1 All parents have dreams for their children and want the best for them Assuming that all families want the best for their children is the first step in cultivating and maintaining strong partnerships. To support families’ dreams educators must demonstrate their belief that parents can help them achieve them

Core Belief # 2 All parents have the capacity to support their child’s learning. Parents are more motivated to support their children’s learning when they receive clear invitations and support from teachers and other school staff to be engaged, are confident about their ability to help their children, and are clear about what they should do to support their child’s learning.

Core Belief #3 Parents and school staff should be equal partners Parents often see school staff as the “professionals,” who have the power to assign children to their teachers, dole out discipline, make the rules, and control access to desirable programs. As a result, parents may feel that they are supposed to help their children at home and come to school only when asked.

Core Belief #4 The responsibility for building partnerships between school and home rests primarily with school staff, especially school leaders Reaching out to parents is easier for educators than “reaching in” to teachers and other staff is for parents. The principal and teachers must take the first step, especially when parents already feel intimidated by school staff.

Barriers to Achieving the Beliefs When the faculty and other staff are from a different cultural and social background than students and their families, fears and feelings that people carry may prevent them from embracing these beliefs. What are your barriers?

Developing Relationships The school feels warm and friendly People are accessible Smaller is better Honor families by recognizing their strengths and contributions Adopt a partnership philosophy Embrace our families Listen and respond to families Make parent-teacher conferences family friendly Accentuate the positive Embrace families’ confidence Set ground rules for involvement

Linking to Learning All programs at your school should help families: Get a clear idea of what their children are learning and doing in class Promote high standards for student work Gain skills to help their children at home Understand what good teaching looks like Discuss how to improve student progress

Examples Back- to school nights/ Adopt a theme School grounds Book Fair Family fun nights/themes Parent group meetings / workshops What’s new? Working in the classroom Student-led conferences Homework Safety Special Education Enrichment Classroom visits Class meetings School newsletters Curriculum nights

Addressing Differences Recognize and support different forms of parent involvement. Make sure there are no “hidden rules” Recognize, learn about and affirm all cultures in the school. Connect families’ cultures to what students are learning. Get to know your community and identify its assets Address unequal resources

Sharing Power The starting point for teachers and administrators to see families as partners and not simply as clients or guests. Make sure parents are prepared to become effective members of councils and committees Develop effective and meaningful policies and compacts.

Title I Requirements 1 % of Title I budget allocated for parent involvement 95 % goes directly to school sites District-level and school-level policies School-Family compacts

District Policy Goals for 2011 / 2012 Provide a series of workshops on district initiatives Provide updates on Title I initiatives through the district websites Participate in School-a-bration Translate district policy into Spanish Provide reimbursement for background checks Recognize outstanding commitment to school and family partnerships