1. 1 Engaging Parents With A Focus On Achievement The Coalition for Community Schools 2010 National Forum Philadelphia April 7, 2010

2. 2 Objectives: Focus attention on the ability of trained parent leaders to support their schools and students’ achievement Employ a tool to assess a school’s parent involvement commitment Provide direction for parent engagement options that affect student achievement

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4. 4 Level 1: Basic Parenting Level 2: Communication Level 3: Helping Children Learn at Home Level 4: Volunteering and In- School Support Level 5: Advocacy and Shared Decision-making Joyce L. Epstein, Ph.D. Johns Hopkins University Levels of Parent Involvement Parent Leadership Institute Level 6: Engaging Others Levels currently targeted by existing organizations and agencies

5. 5 We develop parent leaders Prepared to partner with schools, other parents, and community resources Focused as advocates for improved student achievement Ready to engage in higher level work to support quality schools

6. Our challenge to you today is to ask…. How do we move from seeing parents as recipients of services to being collaborative partners with our community schools? 6

7. 7 An example of parent partnership CPAC Charge: “outstanding practice to involve parents in every school in Kentucky” Result: The Missing Piece of the Proficiency Puzzle-Recommendations for Involving Families and Community in Improving Student Achievement To read the entire document go to Centerforparentleadership.com

8. 8 Six key objectives Relationship-building Communication Decision-making Advocacy Learning Opportunities Community Partnerships

9. 9 Relationship building Indicator: The school staff builds productive, personal relationships with parents and their students

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11. 11 1A 1. Relationship-building A. How does your school build relationships with parents? 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Staff collaborates w/parents to improve learning  Staff calls only when there’s trouble

12. 12 Guided self-assessment Turn in your Parent Involvement Inventory to: 1. Relationship-building Rate how well your school performs each descriptor 8 is the high score;1 is lowest Write your examples on a post-it

13. 13 Sharing best practices Tell us how your school exemplifies distinguished or proficient behavior As a group we will decide where to score

14. 14 Categorically Speaking Total your scores for Objective 1 Find your category:  Novice (7-17)  Apprentice (18-31)  Proficient (32-45)  Distinguished (46-56)

15. 15 Community Partnerships Indicator: The school staff engages and partners with community members to plan and implement substantive work to improve student achievement.

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17. 17 Guided self-assessment Turn in your Parent Involvement Inventory to: 6. Community Partnerships Rate how well your school performs each descriptor 8 is the high score;1 is lowest Jot down examples of Proficiency+

18. 18 A. How does your school share achievement data with the community? 6. Community Partnerships

19. 19 Sharing best practices Tell us how your school exemplifies distinguished or proficient behavior As a group we will decide where to score

20. 20 Categorically speaking Total your scores for Objective 6 Find your category:  Novice (6-14)  Apprentice (15-26)  Proficient (27-38)  Distinguished (39-48)

21. 21 Putting the pieces together

22. 22 Parent Leadership Institute Parent Leaders as effective partners Skills Information Themes Parent engagement Student achievement

23. 23 Institute includes… Six-day training Information and skills Data Project in two years Student achievement Involve parents Lasting impact Coaching and support

24. 24 Bring parents and schools together Create family friendly schools Take action to improve student achievement Discuss a state’s standards-based education system Design and implement a project Academic expectations

25. 25 Parents reach more parents 30 Fellows Engage 600-900 Engages 10 New Parents Fellow Year 1Year 2 Year 3 Engages 10 New Parents Fellow Year 1Year 2 Year 3

26. 26 Institute days are long – but active and fun

27. 27 The Institute in action …our dvd

28. 28 Student-led conferences Curriculum guides related to standards Reading projects-tutor training, reading nights, reading intervention programs Writing projects-family portfolio nights, writing workshops, evenings with authors School Programs-Destination Middle School, parent’s primer, transition camps Arts & Humanities projects-renaissance fairs, school-wide productions, art in schools Science projects-outdoor classrooms, curriculum audits, assistance for teachers, science fairs PLI projects

29. 29 Parent leaders: Are accountable – make wise decisions Take advantage of training opportunities Knock on doors Ask the hard questions Organize efforts Foster effective communication Know how the system works Want their schools to succeed

30. 30 PLI honors social capital - Ethnicity Socio-economic status Age Gender Education

31. A parent voice “My vision as a Parent Leader is to see our local school as a community learning center with extended hours, building relationships with community leaders across ethnicity and class divides, and improving school safety. Through the Parent Leadership Institute (PLI), I have experienced growth as a Parent Leader in the community. PLI encourages parents, school administrators, teachers, and community leaders to form partnerships in order to help all our children become more successful in education and life.” Cindy Walls, NE MS PLI Class of 2009 31

32. 32 How does this fit the community schools model?  Parents become partners with the school  Parents understand the need to partnership with other community resources  Parents can be the initiators and coordinators of events at the school  Parents will continue their own education  Parents can promote the community school

33. Parent Leadership Institutes Delaware statewide Fairmont, West Virginia Mississippi statewide Oklahoma statewide New Orleans, Louisiana Ohio statewide Waco, Texas …..as well as Kentucky 33

34. Parent leadership results 1502 parent leaders in Kentucky 972 parent leaders in other states 108 parent leadership facilitators nationwide 34

35. 35 Parent leadership training creates partners who: Do substantive work that will help you develop community schools Become the community school coordinators who can mobilize resources and drive the work Build on your community’s strengths Foster strong relationships Set high expectations for all

36. 36 Educators say… “I have not seen as sophisticated a program as this…one that prepares parents with the knowledge and skills to become full partners in education.” Former KY Commissioner of Education “Tremendous impact on district…makes parents more knowledgeable and, thereby, makes it easier for them to partner with schools.” Daviess Co., KY Superintendent

37. 37 A CPL Parent Leadership Institute leads to: Parents as full partners in their children’s educational success Advocates for equitable opportunities for all children in the community Organizational development through capacity-building

38. 38 Our CPL Parent Leadership Institute: 13-year track record Research-based proven work Curriculum adaptation process 30% of curriculum adapted to location Capacity-building process Train local trainers

39. 39 CENTER FOR PARENT LEADERSHIP P. O. Box 1658 Lexington, KY 40588-1658 859-233-9849 Bev Raimondo, Director, ext. 227 Nita Rudy, Manager, 601-829-1181 www.cipl.org www.centerforparentleadership.org