Making the Home/School Connection February 23, 2010 Joint ESU 6 & ESU 7 Consortium Title III Meeting Holiday Inn Express, Fremont 10 AM- 2 PM

Agenda Norms Getting Acquainted Efforts/Ideas Regarding the Family – School Connection Title III Needs for 2010 and Beyond Your Pertinent Questions, Challenges, and Ideas Sharing Effective Resources

Norms Listen for new ideas Participate in activities Ask questions to clarify your thinking Respect the ideas of others Be mindful of time

ESUs 6 &7 Family & School Involvement

-Your name & state you grew up in Were you the 1 st -2 nd -3 rd generation in your family to go to college?

- Your name & a team you have been on Relate how your parents interacted with your education.

Share what makes your building parent-friendly. -Your name & a hobby/talent that involved learning a new skill

-Your name & first job Share a form of parent communication utilized by your district.

-Your name & a memory of a time when your parents came to school What is the relationship of parent involvement and student achievement?

Thank your partner for sharing their knowledge and return to your seat

What does the research say? “Partnerships among schools, families, and community groups are not a luxury, they are a necessity” Henderson, Mapp, Johnson and Davies, 2007

What are the requirements regarding the role of parents of LEP students? “Each LEA using Title III funds to provide a language instruction educational program must implement an effective means of outreach to parents of limited English proficient children...”

What does the research say? “Involving the families and the community contributes to children’s academic and social success.” Beyond the Bake Sale, 2

What does the research say? When the music stops: 1.Read each research-supported benefit. 2.Distribute 7 points between the two benefits based on importance and relevance to your district. 3.Briefly share one way to connect with families.

The Research National PTA web site reports the following student outcomes: National PTA web site Higher grades, test scores, and graduation rates Better school attendance Increased motivation and better self-esteem Lower rates of suspension Decreased use of drugs and alcohol Fewer instances of violent behavior Greater enrollment in post-secondary education

Key findings… Students have – Better Grades – Enroll in higher-level programs – Have higher graduation rates – Are more likely to enroll in postsecondary education

Key findings… When families take an active interest in what they’re learning, students – display more positive attitudes toward school – behave better both in and out of school

Key findings… Children do best if parents can play a variety of roles in their learning: – Helping at home – Volunteering at school – Planning their children’s future – Taking part in key decisions about the school program

Key findings… Middle and High School students whose families remain involved: – Make better transitions – Maintain the quality of their work – Develop realistic plans for the future – Less likely to drop out

Key findings… Children from diverse cultural backgrounds tend to do better – When families and school staff join forces to bridge the gap between home and school cultures

The more the relationship between families and the school is a real partnership, the more student achievement increases.

Involved families are more likely… To understand the goals of the teacher and school To be more supportive of proposed changes To rate teachers more highly

Teachers are more likely… To rate families more positively To hold fewer social class and racial stereotypes To have more time to devote to teaching To give children individual attention

Question… What might a school look like: – that has created a genuine culture of school- family-community partnership, and – that has made real progress toward high social and academic achievement for all students?

Four Versions of Partnership… Partnership School Open-Door School Come-if-We-Call School Fortress School Activity

Now… Check the boxes that have the most statements under them marked or circled. Check only one box in a row.

Findings… 3 or more of your check boxes Fall in Fortress School None under Open-Door or Partnership – Your school is trying to keep parents away rather than work with them – In standards-based terms, it is below basic

Findings… 3 or more of your check boxes Come-if-We-Call None under Partnership – Your school may want parents to be involved only on its terms – In standards-based terms, it is basic

Findings… At least 4 of your check boxes Fall under Open-Door or Partnership None under Fortress School – Your school welcomes families and supports them to be involved in a number of ways – In standards-based terms, it is proficient

Findings… At least 3 of your check boxes Fall under Partnership And, the rest are under Open-Door – Your school is willing and able to work with all families – In standards-based terms, it is advanced

So, what does this mean… Think quietly to yourself about what you just learned concerning your school’s willingness to include families and community Brainstorm 3 ideas for an effective family- school partnership Share those ideas with a partner to your right and a partner to your left. Group Share

So, what does this mean… Before we can create strong and effective partnerships with families, we have to believe not only that it’s important but also that it can be done – and that we can do it.

Creating Two-Way Communication… What is it? How do you accomplish this in your school? How effective is it?

Effective Home-School Communication Read the article to yourself – Select a sentence from the text that you find significant – Select a phrase from the text you find significant – Select a word you find significant

Effective Home-School Communication Listen as group members SHARE – the sentence from the text that was significant Then – a phrase from the text was significant Then – a word that was significant NO discussion – tell your sentence, no explanation Follow the same process for phrase and word

Effective Home-School Communication Debrief: – What did you learn from the article? – What did you learn about the process?

How Family-Friendly is Your School? Please complete the survey Share your results with 1 other person Discuss your results with 3 other people Large group discussion

Traditional Programs which focus on Achievement… Open Houses Fall Fairs Back-to-School Night School Grounds Book Fair Family Fun Night Others (Please Share!)

Time for You to Share…