Family and Community Engagement (FCE) School District FCE Coordinator’s Meeting September 23, 2010

Why Family and Community Engagement? “It takes a village to raise a child”, African Proverb proliferated by current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton  It’s a requirement - Ohio HB 1 has identified family and civic engagement in schools as a key component of education reform in Ohio. The bill sets June 30, 2010, as the deadline for all Ohio school districts to have Family and Civic Engagement Plans submitted to their local Family and Children First Councils, which will be partners in districts' FCE efforts.  It is designed to help Ohioans close achievement gaps, increase graduation rates and improve the well-being of children.  Sustainability of relationships will assist in a community-wide sharing of resources and ultimately shared responsibility for student success.

I’m the FCE Coordinator – What are my responsibilities?  Collaborative Planning Process  Service Coordination and Integration of Programs, Services, Strategies  System Level Capacity Building

Lorain County Model Schools Families Community LCCFC P- 16 ESCESC STUDENT

FCE Teams: District and County-wide  County-wide Team structure consists of all FCE Coordinators from each district meeting quarterly. System and community provider representatives also available to provide assistance.  Local District Structure – recommendation to meet monthly to monitor plan progress. Team comprised of School, Community, and Family members. Keep it to a manageable level. Understand requirements under HB1.

Identifying and recruiting community members to be on your team  Not a problem – Lorain County has great resources at your fingertips!  What non-academic barriers have been identified in your plan? Plan to invite and recruit community representatives that can champion your cause, help make progress and assist in being a proactive team player!

How can I attract/recruit families and parents?  Recruit from within – identify what parents are active in each school, i.e. classroom moms, PTA, athletic boosters, band boosters, volunteers, hall monitors, etc. Recruit through newsletters, notes home, flyers, website, games, concession stand.  Senior citizens are an untapped volunteer market. Contact your local Office on Aging or Senior Center  Local civic groups held in your district, i.e. Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, etc. Send a recruitment letter asking for support for one representative.  Host a special event: Breakfast in the cafeteria, flu-shot clinics, family night at a school – all examples to get families in the door.  Offer stipends to parents to attend PLS (Parents Leadership Institute) Next State Session: October 1-2, 2010 and November 12-13, 2010 Next State Session: October 1-2, 2010 and November 12-13, 2010  Parent Academies educate parents on four major areas: Academic Content Standards; School Improvement; Conditions for Learning; Nutrition and Health. Schedule a trainer or train-the-trainer model

What school personnel should be on my team?  Attendance is most likely based on time and talent, willingness or requirement to support cause.  Enhance/Expand current team structure: District Leadership Team, Wellness Team,  Don’t forget about school janitors, food service staff, hall monitors – sometimes these individuals are eyes and ears of building and can help meet your goals.

Identifying Non-Academic Barriers to School Success  Beyond the Classroom – What is prohibiting student success? Identifying what learning supports are not available to my students.  Community learning supports are defined as the collection of resources, programs, services, strategies and practices – as well as environmental and cultural factors extending beyond the classroom – that together provide the physical, cognitive, social and emotional support that every student needs to succeed in school and in life (State of California, SB 288; Adelman and Taylor, 2006; Ohio Department of Education [ODE] CSLS Guidelines, 2007)

Where do I go from here…  Get serious – these type of activities could lead to not only student success but school success and perhaps even have an impact on passing a crucial levy.  Attend FCE Coordinators Meetings with next scheduled on December 3 rd, 2010 and hosted by Coordinated School Health.  Meet with your Superintendent and confirm his vision for school success.  Don’t be afraid to change your plan – fluidity will assist you in becoming a change agent.