1. Presented by Margaret Shandorf
Federal and State Programs Focus on Family Involvement Effective Ways to Involve Parents
Presented by Margaret Shandorf

2. Research shows
No matter the socioeconomic status, when parents are involved students are more likely to:
Earn better grades
Obtain better test scores
Pass courses
Be promoted to the next grade
Attend school regularly
Have better social skills
Adapt to change
Graduate

3. Not only are the students impacted
Parents become empowered
Teacher morale is improved
Student performance increases
The community is strengthened

4. Common Forms of Parental Involvement
School volunteers
Members of school and district councils
Communication between teachers - parents
Participation at events, trainings and activities
Parent- teacher conferences
Support from the community
Strategies that assist student learning at home
Effective homework practices

5. Change Needs to Happen
If a school operates under archaic belief systems in its approaches to family involvement, we will never raise the bar.

6. Six Types of Parental Involvement Based on the Work of Joyce Epstein
Parenting
Communicating
Learning at Home
Volunteering
Decision Making
Collaborating with Community

7. Parenting Page 8 - 176 Ways to Involve Parents
Schools help families and caregivers understand the growth and development of their children through:
Parenting and child rearing skills
Understanding child and adolescent development
Establishing age and grade appropriate home conditions that support children as students
Families provide information to schools so educators and administrators can better understand families’ backgrounds, cultures, and goals for their students

8. Parenting - Sample Activities
Host family learning workshops on topics suggested by parents, held at times and places easily accessible to all parents and providing childcare
Provide families with information on child development
Provide families with information about developing home conditions that support school learning
Arrange support groups for families with special interests and needs
Provide guidance to parents with transitioning children from middle and high school levels

9. Communicating Page 79 - 176 Ways to Involve Parents
Encourages families to provide reactions, ideas, and preferences to the school as well as ask questions about student progress and school programs
Promotes school-to-home and home-to-school communications about the district, school, classroom programs and student progress
Communicating shows:
Cooperation between school and home.
Students that their parents and teachers are working together to help them succeed.

10. Communicating - Sample Activities
Schedule parent-teacher conferences to establish student learning goals for the year
Send home positive messages about students
Make home visits
Involve families in student award and recognition events
Encourage and make provisions for staff members to communicate with parents about their children’s progress
several times each semester

11. Learning at Home Page 72 - 176 Ways to Involve Parents
Students are the primary participants in learning at home activities as their homework is essentially their responsibility
Families can enhance the impact of learning at home through their involvement with:
Information and ideas about the academic work their children do in class
Coordinating what is happening in the classroom with activities at home
Guidance in helping children with homework
Ongoing communication with the teacher

12. Learning at Home - Sample Activities
Have specific goals and activities that keep parents informed and involved in their children’s homework
Offer learning activities and events for the whole family
Invite parents to utilize the school resource room and media center
Help parents understand student assessments and student performance measures
Involve community and business partnerships to provide resources and services to support student learning

13. Volunteering Page 18 - 176 Ways to Involve Parents
Families are encouraged to share their time and talent to support the school, classrooms, teachers, and their children
Volunteers tell students, faculty and the community that parents care about the school and its students
Volunteering can take place in many areas of the school
Helping in the library, computer room, family room, resource room or lunch room
Assisting with after school programs or field trips
Attending student performances, extra curricular activities, assemblies, celebrations and other events

14. Volunteering - Sample Activities
Gather information about the level and frequency of family and community members participation in school programs
Offer youth service learning opportunities for students who want to volunteer in the community
Assist school staff to learn how to work with parent and community volunteers
Acknowledge volunteers on an ongoing basis by recognizing them as volunteer of the month and spotlight them in the school newsletter
Host a program to recognize your school volunteers

15. Decision Making Page 89 - 176 Ways to Involve Parents
Parents must have an active voice when it comes to decision making at the school.
Parents who are involved as stakeholders create feelings of ownership of the school’s programs and activities.
Having the opportunity to give valuable input will impact all children.

16. Decision Making - Sample Activities
Encourage parents to attend school improvement team meetings and give input
Develop the Family Involvement District Policy with direct input and discussion with parents
Develop the School’s Policy/Plan and Compact with direct input from the parents
Support parents in their roles and responsibilities as they give input on various school based committees such as SAC
Parents have the opportunity to learn and discuss topics as they are involved in school trainings and Parent Universities

17. Collaborating with Community Page 66 - 176 Ways to Involve Parents
Communities have a significant role to play in the education, development, and well being of students
Identify and integrate community resources that support school programs and student achievement
Encourage and support networking between schools, community groups, organizations, agencies and parents

18. Collaborating with Community- Sample Activities
Provides information and recommendations about services available for families in the community
Encourage local civic and service groups to become involved in schools in a variety of ways including mentoring students, volunteering, speaking to classes, and helping with fundraising events
Encouraging the support of local businesses, mentors and volunteers to enhance student work skills
Opening of school buildings for use of the community beyond regular school hours

19. Measurement of Effectiveness of Family Involvement
Family Involvement needs to be measured on an ongoing basis to show the effectiveness of family involvement practices, strategies, trainings, events, and activities through evaluations
Samples of evaluations are: surveys, pre and post tests, needs assessments, discussion group notes, SAC minutes, Family Involvement Surveys and parent-teacher conferences
Parents and school staff should discuss the evaluation results and look at the data to determine if the family involvement opportunities are effective
The evaluation process increases the effectiveness of family involvement as it addresses the needs of the school in a continuous manner

20. Title I Annual Meeting Requirement
Preferably held at the beginning of the school year to explain:
The Title I Program
How Title I students will be assessed
How parents will be kept informed
Parental involvement opportunities
Required documentation of the meeting includes: sign-in sheets, agendas and meeting minutes which must be kept for audit purposes

21. Parental Involvement Policies
Each school must write a District Family Involvement Policy and School Policy/Plan with parent input
District Family Involvement Policy must be addressed every two years
Must have an annual review of School Policy/Plan with parent input

22. School- Parent Compact
Each school must have a written school-parent compact
Compact must have parent input
Compact must be distributed to all parents
Compact must be discussed with parents and a signed document must be collected
Compact must be updated annually

23. Questions, Suggestions, Comments
Margaret Shandorf
Federal and State Programs
Phone (PX) 43843