1. http://wvpc.edvantia.org West Virginia Parent Connections A Parental Information and Resource Center (PIRC) West Virginia Department of Education Spring 2008 School System Leadership Team March 3, 2008 Anita Deck, Project Director and Southern Regional Resource Partner Dr. Teddi Cox, Eastern Regional Resource Partner Amanda Harsh, Northern Regional Resource Partner

2. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 2 Purpose of PIRCs Provide information to parents in ways that will enable them to assist their children and reap the academic benefits noted by research

3. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 3 West Virginia Parent Connections (WVPC) Goals Improve the capacity of both parents and educators to collaborate meaningfully and effectively

4. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 4 WVPC Goals (cont.) Disseminate information in appropriate and user-friendly formats to parents and educators focused on supporting children’s educational development and achievement Leverage local, state, and federal resources to optimize parent involvement initiatives

5. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 5 Strategies Regional Resource Partners—Northern, Eastern, and Southern Technical assistance cadre

6. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 6 Strategies (cont.) Proven early childhood education program— Parents As Teachers Searchable Web-based repository of information and resources

7. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 7 Disseminate information and services statewide Provide intensive services to 24 targeted districts Strategies (cont.)

8. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 8

9. 9 Partners National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) Center for Literacy Studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville West Virginia Parent Training and Information project

10. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 10 Parents As Teachers Program to help parents understand their role in encouraging their child's development from birth 19 programs in WV Funded through DHHR and/or district

11. http://wvpc.edvantia.org Eastern Regional Report Dr. Teddi Cox

12. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 12 Commonalities Request for teachers to be trained in how to work with parents/families Helping parents understand Response to Intervention (RtI)

13. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 13 District Needs ePD for teachers due to high turnover rate Providing mileage reimbursement to parents and offering child care Getting more parents to volunteer in the schools

14. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 14 District Needs (cont.) Cultivate and support their parent coordinators as leaders Getting parents trained to help other parents/families

15. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 15 District Needs (cont.) Implementing a PAT program Helping single parents who do not have time to help their child with school work or attend school functions

16. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 16 Greatest Challenge Parents are not literate themselves. How do you help parents help their child?

17. http://wvpc.edvantia.org Northern Regional Report Amanda Harsh

18. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 18 Commonalities Need resources on NCLB, SES, and School Choice Request for parent trainings Teacher trainings on effectively communicating with parents

19. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 19 District Needs Parent trainings on 21 st Century WV CSOs and content area subjects Effective communication training

20. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 20 District Needs (cont.) Parent trainings on 21 st Century Learning Skills Appraisal of parent involvement programs

21. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 21 Greatest Challenge Effective communication about parental involvement between districts and schools

22. http://wvpc.edvantia.org Southern Regional Report Anita Deck

23. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 23 Commonalities Request for teacher trainings on effective parental involvement strategies Request for parent trainings on helping with content specific homework

24. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 24 District Needs Effective parental involvement activities Jumpstarting PTO/PTA programs Strategies for involving families with classroom work

25. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 25 District Needs (cont.) Funding and expanding existing PAT programs Appraisal for parental involvement programs Coordinate family support network

26. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 26 Greatest Challenge Engaging hard-to-reach parents and families in an active role in their child’s education

27. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 27 What Really Matters Through PIRCs and the WVPC –Improved home-school communication –Improved student achievement –Improved school achievement –Increased parental involvement in school planning, review, and improvement –Increased school readiness

28. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 28 What Did We Promise to Deliver? Improve the capacity of parents and educators to collaborate effectively Disseminate research-based information to parents and educators Increased parent and educator understanding Participate in networks to optimize parental involvement and leverage resources more efficiently

29. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 29 Parental Involvement Activities Teacher trainings –Classroom strategies –Take-home activities –Meaningful parental involvement –Book study

30. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 30 Parental Involvement Activities (cont.) Parent trainings –Homework help –21 st Century Learning Skills –21 st Century WV CSOs –Technology –Volunteering

31. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 31 Parental Involvement Activities (cont.) District trainings –Transitions –Creating a parent volunteer program –User-friendly materials –Strategies for meaningful parental involvement

32. http://wvpc.edvantia.org 32 The contents of this presentation were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government. WVPC at Edvantia Edvantia is a nonprofit corporation committed to helping client-partners improve education and meet federal and state mandates. Schools, districts, and state education agencies—as well as publishers and service providers—rely on Edvantia’s core capabilities in research, evaluation, professional development, and technical assistance to help them succeed. ©2007 by Edvantia, Inc.