1. School Goals for Parent Engagement Welcoming Environment
Theresa Arreguin, PACE Administrator
Emily Kuwahara, Special Education Administrator
Jennifer McConn, LRE Specialist
Theresa

2. LAUSD GOALS 2015-2016 At the Los Angeles Unified School District,
our goals are:
1.  100 percent graduation
2.  Proficiency for all
3.  100 percent attendance
4.  Parent and community engagement
5.  School safety
Theresa

3. School Goals for Parent Engagement
1. Provide a welcoming environment for families and invite them to participate as equal partners in the education of their children.
2. Provide parents opportunities to acquire necessary information, knowledge, and skills to support their children’s education at home and at school.
3. Engage parents in the school’s volunteer program so they can participate in supporting school-wide, classroom, and parent involvement activities.
4. Respond to parent concerns and/or complaints to ensure child’s educational needs are met.
5. Comply with all LAUSD, State, and Federal requirements regarding parent involvement.
Theresa

4. CONNECTIONS School Quality Improvement System
Social-Emotional/Culture-Climate Domain
Student/Staff/Parent Culture-Climate Survey
Jen

5. School Goals for Parent Engagement Goal #1: Welcoming Environment
Provide a welcoming environment for families
and invite them to participate as equal
partners in their children’s education
Emily

6. Objectives Overview benefits and components of a welcoming environment
Increase awareness of:
-setting a positive tone
-customer Service etiquette
-responding to common IEP requests
Emily
Display slide and read the objective.

7. Benefits of a Welcoming Environment
It creates a positive, student-centered school climate.
Parents become stronger partners and are involved both at the school and helping their children at home.
Parents and community have a sense of belonging and become loyal members of the school community.
Trusting relationships among staff and families lead to improved student outcomes.
Theresa
School invitingness an important predictor of parent involvement
An inviting environment is especially important to making stronger connections with families of children with disabilities or in communities with diverse culture, language, and economic factors.
It is equally important at all school levels – elementary, middle, and high school.
Source: Beyond the Bake Sale by Anne Henderson, Karen Mapp, Vivian Johnson, and Don Davies

8. Key Components of a Welcoming Environment
Physical Environment
Welcoming School Staff
Communication
School-Wide Practices
Theresa
Physical environment – both inside and outside the school. Key areas include parking areas, signage, entrances, offices, and hallways.
Welcoming school staff – attitudes and behaviors of staff. Key components include phone etiquette and interactions between staff, students, and parents
Communication – key for schools to provide information. Key components include phone calls, newsletters, forms, bulletin boards, and the school’s website
School-wide practices – can enhance or undermine a welcoming environment. This is difficult to observe. Examples of practices include back to school postcards or phone calls, home visits, picnics, etc.
Source: How Welcoming is Your School? from the Connecticut Welcoming Schools Initiative

9. Setting the Tone - Mindset
Believe in the Potential of All Students and Engage Parents as Partners in Developing that Potential
Value differences
Celebrate the diversity
Promote integration
Ensure equity
Create meaningful educational opportunities for all of our students
Ensure that every student completes high school with the skills and resources they need to pursue their post-secondary goals
Emily
The language above comes from the Sharyn Howell, Associate Superintendent for the Division of Special Education. The vision and goals for students with disabilities is the same as the vision and goals for all students. Please ensure that your mindset for ALL students really does encompass ALL students and subgroups within the district.
June 2013

10. Setting the Tone Activity
Key Tips for Administrators
Read key tips and mark text for purposes such as:
-Affirms a practice I currently display.
- Indicates a practice I would like to further develop.
- Indicates a practice I would identify as top priority.
Theresa
Pass out Key tips
1-2 minutes to review
Follow protocol
Share at your table group

11. Welcoming Environment Customer Service
Theresa
School Choice-What do others think about our school?
YELP-Write a review
Message the business
Reviews/1-5 star ratings
Tip
Partner talk-Share Best customer service experience with a business
-If time allows
Partners will create a 5 star yelp review

12. Five Star Customer Service Etiquette
Theresa
Quick guide of do’s and don’ts

13. Communicating with Parents of Students with Disabilities
Jen – explain activity
Emily – model possible staff response for first scenario

14. KEEP YOUR THOUGTS POSITIVE BECAUSE OUR THOUGHTS BECOME YOUR WORDS
KEEP YOUR THOUGTS POSITIVE BECAUSE OUR THOUGHTS BECOME YOUR WORDS. KEEP YOUR WORDS POSITIVE BECAUSE YOUR WORDS BECOME YOUR BEHAVIOR. KEEP YOUR BEHAVIOR POSITIVE BECAUSE YOUR BEHAVIOR BECOMES YOUR HABITS. KEEP YOUR HABITS POSITIVE BECAUSE YOUR HABITS BECOME YOUR VALUES. KEEP YOUR VALUES POSITIVE BECAUSE YOUR VALUES BECOME YOUR DESTINY. ~MAHATMA GANDHI
Emily