How Schools Can Support Families to Build Effective Partnerships Presented by: DJ Markey & Lynne Farlough Pyramid Community Family Resource Center

P EOPLE F IRST L ANGUAGE Kathie Snow. (n.d.) A few words about People First Language. Disability is Natural. Retrieved August 1, 2012 from sh09.pdf “People First Language puts the person before the disability and describes what a person has, not who a person is.”

 The Pyramid Community Parent Resource Center was established in 1991 by parents of children with disabilities.  The program is designed to support, assist and provide expertise to parents in traditionally underserved areas of New Orleans.  For more information, visit

DJ Markey, Co-Director Karran Harper-Royal, Assistant Director Lynne Farlough, Parent Associate/ SPDG Family Facilitator Tiffany Powell, Development Coordinator

What Are Traditionally Underserved Communities? They are communities that are described by Congress as people of “diverse racial, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds Who are isolated by geographic, social, language, cultural or racial factors” Senate Bill 717: Report of the Committee on Labor and Human Resources, 1997

 Advocacy Training  IDEA Roundtables  PBIS Workshop  One-to-One Assistance  Leadership Development

 What is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA)  No Child Left Behind (NCLB)  Parents Rights  Response to Intervention (RTI)  The Individualized Education Program  Discipline  Next Steps

 Quarterly Workshops  Talk about the positives in children  Discuss Behavior and Discipline  What PBS is and What it’s Not  The Simple Definition  The Seven Strategies  Taking Data and Functional Behavioral Assessment  Creating a Plan  Support

 With Individualized Education Programs (I.E.P) and Individualized Transition Programs (I.T.P)  On meeting preparation  On understanding education and agency language  With mediation  With linkage to support services

 Leadership Theory and Practice  Team Building  Strategic Planning Skills  Listening Skills  Advocacy Skills

 Get to know your families and caregivers  Don’t make assumptions  Ask families what kind of supports they need

 Let parents and caregivers know they are partners  Make sure parents and caregivers are part of the School Improvement Team  Give parents the strategies they need to help their children learn  Let parents know you have high expectations for their children  Parents need to know that their children are progressing

 Effective communication requires a two-way flow of information  Ask parents what’s important to them  Meet a parent where they are  What is the best way to communicate?  Help a parent to figure out ways to be involved

 Are there barriers to supporting families at your school?  Are the right people at the table?  Do you need to check the fidelity of the programs at your school?  What are the support needs of parents?

 Safety  Fear of the unknown  Inclusion  Friendships

 Information about community resources  Information about Parent Organizations  Internet Resources (NICHY, Autism Speaks, Pacer etc.)

Questions? You can also contact us at DJ Markey Co-Director Karran Harper Royal Assistant Director Lynne Farlough Parent Associate/SPDG Family Facilitator Tiffany Powell Development Coordinator Pyramid Helpline: (504)

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The contents of this PowerPoint presentation were developed under a grant from the US Department of Education, #H323A However those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.