1. Bringing Us All Together! Family-School Collaboration Learning Community

2. Bringing Us All Together! Family-School Collaboration Learning Community Introduction This session will delve into ways we can tap into the expertise and creativity parents bring to the school and district level. Sometimes parents can be overlooked and/or underutilized on schools teams, committees, and other school decision-making groups.

3. Bringing Us All Together! Family-School Collaboration Learning Community Introduction The Family-School Collaboration Learning Community (LC) launched at last year’s Inclusion conference and supported through the IDEA Partnership and HESC, has been exploring exciting new ideas on how to help maximize family and school collaboration.

4. Bringing Us All Together! Family-School Collaboration Learning Community Introduction These bridges and barriers will be identified and explored further. In the spirit of inclusion, we will share our accomplishments and help generate new ideas to bring more parents/caregivers to the table to continue meeting our goals student achievement. Multiple models and ideas will be offered.

5. Family-School Collaboration Learning Community (LC): This vibrant LC has engaged regularly throughout the year to share learning and best practices from across multiple stakeholder perspectives, roles, and regions of the state. This vibrant LC has engaged regularly throughout the year to share learning and best practices from across multiple stakeholder perspectives, roles, and regions of the state. Participants are encouraged to join the LC's work and become a member that can share, receive and help generate information/ knowledge. The value and potential of this method of learning together will be explored and shared. Participants are encouraged to join the LC's work and become a member that can share, receive and help generate information/ knowledge. The value and potential of this method of learning together will be explored and shared.

6. Family-School Collaboration Learning Community (LC): Purpose Development Development NYSED wanting to engage other networks and involve broad range of stakeholders to help with problem-solving and capacity building for practitioners to increase student achievement NYSED wanting to engage other networks and involve broad range of stakeholders to help with problem-solving and capacity building for practitioners to increase student achievement Vision: Vision: To increase parent involvement in education through collaborative learning To increase parent involvement in education through collaborative learning Mission: Mission: Work regularly at the local, state, and national levels to identify innovative ways to engage parents and families with educators that lead to true partnerships to increase student achievement Work regularly at the local, state, and national levels to identify innovative ways to engage parents and families with educators that lead to true partnerships to increase student achievement Immediate Goals Immediate Goals Support the implementation of IDEA 2005 Support the implementation of IDEA 2005

7. Learning Community Members Helene Fallon Helene Fallon Margaret Hayes Margaret Hayes Janice Chu-Zhu Janice Chu-Zhu Susan Wulczyn Susan Wulczyn Maria LeMaire Maria LeMaire Renée Falanga- Brenner Renée Falanga- Brenner Leslee Melamed Leslee Melamed Jeannette Christie Jeannette Christie Cassandra Archie Cassandra Archie Patrice Linehan Patrice Linehan Diane Stachowski Diane Stachowski Max Donatelli Max Donatelli

8. Outcome of Today’s Session You will: learn new strategies to strengthen and involve families into your school community learn new strategies to strengthen and involve families into your school community share strategies that are working in your school share strategies that are working in your school have access to new information in this area and have new ways to find more have access to new information in this area and have new ways to find more become part of a dialogue that will help bridge the communication barriers between educators and parents become part of a dialogue that will help bridge the communication barriers between educators and parents

9. Outcome of Today’s Session You will: have an opportunity to join an ongoing Learning Community dedicated to enhancing family /school collaborations to build capacity at the local district levels have an opportunity to join an ongoing Learning Community dedicated to enhancing family /school collaborations to build capacity at the local district levels be invited to participate in the first Leadership Summit of the NYS Disabilities Advocacy Association on June 16, 2006 in Albany be invited to participate in the first Leadership Summit of the NYS Disabilities Advocacy Association on June 16, 2006 in Albany

10. Ice Breaker Tell us about an idea, activity or event that you have been a part of or know about that was successful in getting parents and families involved. Tell us about an idea, activity or event that you have been a part of or know about that was successful in getting parents and families involved.

11. Benefits Higher student achievement Higher student achievement Students: more positive attitudes and behavior Students: more positive attitudes and behavior Higher graduation rates Higher graduation rates Risk behaviors decrease Risk behaviors decrease Make better transitions, maintain the quality of their work and develop realistic plans for the future Make better transitions, maintain the quality of their work and develop realistic plans for the future Increase parent and student involvement Increase parent and student involvement

12. Challenges Parental belief that their involvement is not needed Parental belief that their involvement is not needed Teachers assume parents are not interested Teachers assume parents are not interested Parent education experience (limited schooling or “ghosts in the classroom”) Parent education experience (limited schooling or “ghosts in the classroom”) Language and cultural differences Language and cultural differences The information doesn’t get to parents The information doesn’t get to parents

13. Challenges Transportation, Time – multiple priorities (work, other children, etc.), child care needs Transportation, Time – multiple priorities (work, other children, etc.), child care needs Resistance by staff or administration (overt and covert) Resistance by staff or administration (overt and covert) Discovering that the parent(s) may have a disability and need assistance to be involved with their child's education Discovering that the parent(s) may have a disability and need assistance to be involved with their child's education

14. Success Strategies Parent Mentor Program – Helene Parent Mentor Program – Helene Others from around NYS Others from around NYS

15. Our children deserve it!

16. Keeping our eyes on the prize

17. Learning Community Forum Join us online!!!!!!!!!! at http://www.systemschange.syr.edu/forums/

18. Resources www.ideapartnership.org www.ideapartnership.org www.ideapartnership.org www.vesid.nysed.gov www.vesid.nysed.gov www.vesid.nysed.gov www.syr.systemschange.edu www.syr.systemschange.edu www.syr.systemschange.edu www.parentnetworkwny.org www.parentnetworkwny.org www.parentnetworkwny.org www.ftnys.org www.ftnys.org www.ftnys.org www.childrensaidsociety.org www.childrensaidsociety.org www.childrensaidsociety.org www.sinergiany.org www.sinergiany.org www.sinergiany.org

19. Thanks!