Educating Parents for School Success Presentation prepared for Innovative Partnerships: The New American Services Collaborative By Debra Landvik, Noemi Treviño, Ruslana Westerlund Minnesota Department of Education Division of Learner Options 1

Session Objectives: Gain a deeper understanding of culturally responsive parent engagement philosophy Discuss ways to transcend challenges and barriers to family- school partnerships Become aware of on the ground strategies and promising practices to see the framework in action 2

Agenda Questions and Answers Sharing and Networking Presentation and Resources Introductions and Ice-breaker 3

Introductions and Ice-Breaker Share with the people at your table an experience when you felt like a stranger in a strange land. What was the experi ence? How did you feel? How did you cope? What support did you need? 4

Group discussion: True or False? Parents who don’t visit school, don’t care about their child’s education Good parental involvement “looks” a certain way All parents respond to the same strategies Parents who are struggling financially cannot support the school All parents have the same goals for their children 5

Parent Assumptions I didn’t do well in school, so I can’t help my children Teachers and administrators do not understand my reality Teachers don’t care because they don’t discipline my child properly Teachers don’t care because they don’t expect enough of him and don’t send enough homework I work full-time and I can’t be as active in my child’s education as I would like 6

Family-school connections and partnerships are important Education is at the core of all vital communities. Family-school partnerships are at the heart of culturally responsive schools. Families often play a critical role in student success. 7

Socio-Historical Context Culture is not inherited; rather we are socialized to behave according to traditions established over generations The cultures of schools may or may not be in harmony with the culture each student brings to school Schools greatly influence how young people see themselves and therefore need to understand and validate their backgrounds 8

Challenges Facing Schools and Families Achievement Disparities Opportunity Gaps Meaningful Home/School Engagement Societal Pressures Diverse Perspectives About Parent – Teacher Role 9

Barriers to School-Family Partnerships Families’ disconnection to the school community Communication differences Lack of information about school expectations, programs and resources Family Isolation 10

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 11

Appreciative Model of Diverse Families See home language and culture as strengths to be built upon Recognize diverse family structures Focus on building trust Values families lived experience Family/community involvement linked to student success 12

Transcending Barriers Establishing a welcoming and family friendly school community Creating opportunities for collaboration Becoming skilled in intercultural communication Increasing families’ accessibility to information 13

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 14

Creating Opportunities for Collaboration Making connections with families in your community Collaborating with community centers and houses of worship to create after-school programs Providing opportunities beyond open house and conference nights for parents, community members and teachers to interact Alternative scheduling to accommodate families with busy schedules 15

To effectively partner with diverse families, educators must become skilled intercultural communicators 16

Interpreters Translated materials Multiple means of presenting information (e.g. print, audio) Multiple means of delivering information Consistent monitoring of information flow Known methods for families to talk with someone to address questions Increasing families’ accessibility to information 17

Culturally Responsive Strategies to Increase Family-School Partnerships Culturally Responsive Strategies to Increase Family-School Partnerships Involve families in school and district decisions Collaborate with families on ways to be involved Cultural Reciprocity Offer various ways that families can support their students’ learning Design assignments that build on families’ “funds of knowledge” Provide family members opportunities to develop school participation skills 18

Improving family and school partnerships require a shift in how schools think about family involvement. 19

Stretch break 20

Supporting the Needs of English Language Learners 21

Support-Network Model Tahtinen, 2007 Student and Family Support Level 1 Building Communication and Accessibility Support Level 2 Building Skills (Significance of Learning English) Support Level 3 Building Relationships (Validation of L1 Language and Culture) 22

Support Level 1: Communication and Accessibility This level of support includes basic needs, such as transportation, communication with teachers, doctors, etc. and transportation issues. This level is seen as one-directional and meets immediate needs of students and families. 23

Support Level 2: Building Skills This level of support includes building skills that support students and families in becoming more independent. It includes English classes, ESL trained content-area teachers, tutors, and participation in school and community activities. This level is also seen as one-directional as students and families are receiving help and learning about U.S. language and culture. 24

Support Level 3: Building Relationships This level of support is bi-directional because students and parents both learn from and teach the school and community about their own cultural background. This is seen as an integrative level of interaction 25

Support Level Continuum for SCHOOLS Level 1 Building Communication & Access Tahtinen, 2007 Translating materials Bilingual staff used for purpose of communication Providing a translator in front office Translated forms of communication Communicate with families via bilingual liaison Other 26

Support Level Continuum for SCHOOLS Level 2 Building Skills Tahtinen, 2007 ELL Trained content- area teachers ELL staff Tutors Peer helpers Summer reading program (in English) Encouraging participation in school sports and extra- curricular activities Other 27

Support Level Continuum for SCHOOLS Level 3 Building Relationships Tahtinen, 2007 Learn about students/parents’ background Learn about students/parents’ goals Learn about students/parents’ current needs Hire bilingual staff to support native language development Bilingual/bicultural counselor Latino Role models Allow students to be Bilingual program Cultural activities (i.e. Mexican Dance group) Encourage leadership opportunities Other 28

Schools… …can use the continuum to identify areas of support available or needed for student needs. 29

It’s Your Turn! With the people at your table, evaluate your district’s level of support available to immigrant parents/families Identify areas of support needed to meet immigrant parent needs. 30

Assessment:

Sharing and Networking 32 Share your 3-2-1