1. Leadership for Innovative Omani Schools in the 21st Century Involving Parents and Communities 1

2. Parent – School Connection In many schools, parents are considered to be the “third leg of the table” for making a school effective. Certain images used copyright © 2007 Seward Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. No permission is granted to copy, download, and/or save the image(s) for any purpose. 2

3. Reflective Questions ? ? ? 1.Is parental involvement valued by teachers and leaders in your school? 2.What role would parents say they have? 3.Do parents exercise any influence over the curriculum, activities, or budget of your school? 3

4. Communicating with Parents Communicating with parents means: The communication between school and home is regular, two-way, and meaningful. 4

5. Reflective Questions ? ? ? 1.Is it a goal of the school leaders to establish communication with every family? 2.How do important messages get delivered to and from families of the students? 5

6. Communicating with Parents Communication Tips Solve problems early Make an appointment Get to know each other informally Start fresh with every encounter Share information freely Express appreciation Share the same goal (care for the student) 6

7. Start with the statement of the concern(s). Communicating with Parents Conflict Resolution 1. Start with the statement of the concern(s). 3. Describe the steps taken so far. 2. Describe what led up to the meeting. 7

8. Start with the statement of the concern(s). Communicating with Parents Conflict Resolution 4. Describe each person’s role in the meeting. 6. Plan for follow-up and feedback. 5. Express confidence of resolution. 7. Keep the pace calm and slow. 8

9. Parenting Assistance Parenting assistance means: Skills of effective parenting are promoted and supported. 9

10. Reflective Questions ? ? ? 1.What resources is the school providing to help parents increase their skills? 2.Is the culture of the community looking for ways to learn how to be better parents? 10

11. Help parents understand their children Parenting Assistance 11

12. Recognize children have different talents Parenting Assistance 12

13. Help families cope with grief or loss Parenting Assistance 13

14. Improve student attendance at school Parenting Assistance 14

15. Parents play an important part in assisting student learning. Parenting Assistance 15

16. Reflective Questions ? ? ? 1.Do parents see themselves as partners in educating their children? 2.Do parents help provide needed resources and/or assistance in supplementing the work of the school? 16

17. Research shows that informed parents: Understand why topics are covered Increase academic conversation at home Therefore: Students have a better attitude Students develop self-confidence Parenting Assistance 17

18. Volunteering: Are parents welcome in the school? Parenting Involvement 18

19. Reflective Questions ? ? ? 1.Are there meaningful and significant roles for parents to play in educating students? 2.Could parents enhance the education of the students? 19

20. Focusing on Parent Volunteers: Brings multiple skills to the classroom Helps students value parental expertise and hard work Allows parents to see the hard work of teaching Fosters two-way communication Parenting Involvement 20

21. Reflective Questions When you think of decision making, “How do parents influence the quality and direction of your school?” 1.Is the “voice” of the parental community a wise and helpful one? 2.Do parents understand the philosophy of education at your school? ? ? ? 21

22. Involving parents is a wise decision because involved parents: Get a chance to learn more about the school Develop a sense of partnership with the school Bring parental skills to help school needs Become aware of the school direction Parenting Involvement 22

23. Collaborating with Other Resources Collaboration: “Does the school have an active link with other community resources to add value to the education and/or keep students safe?” 23

24. Reflective Questions ? ? ? 1.What mutually beneficial agencies or resources are in your community? 2.What are the biggest concerns or fears about how students spend their time outside of school? 24

25. Collaborating wisely means: Learning from the community Teaching the community Serving as a “public intellectual” Accessing resources to help students Connecting with potential funding sources Collaborating with Other Resources 25

26. Parental Involvement It is the relationships of the adults surrounding a student that, more than any factor, determine academic success… 26