1. Partners Think of how you as a parent and/or staff member partner with others. (Ex: life partners, school partners, community partners.) 1. Introduce yourself and tell the group who some of your partners are. Give one example of an effective partnership and what makes it work for you and your partner.

2. School Parent Involvement Policy and School –Parent Compact

3. Objectives School-Parent Compact Participants will be able to identify the requirements of a school-parent compact.

4. Why a policy and compact? Involvement can make a difference in school outcomes for children. Outperform programs without involvement Improved teacher morale and higher ratings of teachers by parents More support from families and a better reputation in the community

5. Predictor of student achievement Not income or social status, but extent to which student’s family is able to: Create a home environment that encourages learning; Communicate high yet reasonable expectations for children’s achievement and future careers; Become involved in children’s education at school and in the community.

6. When parents are involved, students: Achieve more, regardless of socio-economic status, ethnic/racial background, or parents’ educational level; Have higher grades and test scores, have better attendance and complete homework more consistently; Exhibit more positive attitudes as well as decreased alcohol use, violence, and antisocial behavior.

7. Benefits There are significant gains at all ages and grade levels: When parents collaborate with the teacher educators hold higher expectations of students and higher opinions of the parents; When parents are involved in full partnerships (i.e., decision making), student achievement for disadvantaged children not only improves, it can reach levels that are standard for middle-class children; the children who are farthest behind make the greatest gains.

8. Federal Legislation No Child Left Behind Appendix C Sec.1118 (b-e)

9. School Family Community Partnerships Type I Parenting Type II Communicating Type III Volunteering Type IV Learning at Home Type V Decision Making Type VI Collaborating with the Community

10. Compact Requirements Describe schools responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction. Ways parents will be responsible for supporting children’s learning. Establish on-going good communication: 1. Conferences 2. Frequent reports home 3. Reasonable access to staff

11. Evaluation Continual assessment of the effectiveness of the compact (at least annually) and use results to implement improvements.

12. Post conversation Why a compact? Benefits Who participates? Content/Evaluation

13. Compacts use Clarify expectations Plan training activities Help administrators clarify efforts and Help teachers, parents students to make choices about how they spend their time.

14. Questions? Need help? Teresa Guerrero 225-3215