Technology and Parent Engagement

Karen Rice Osterman

Middleton-Cross Plains School District

Demographics in MCPASD

• Total number of ELLs: 348

• Total number of Spanish-speaking ELLs: 210

• Total number of parents needing language support services: 179

• How/why we keep track of parents needing LSS

Parent Engagement

• Dramatic shift in population during last 5-10 years

• Historically, same parents attending every event

• Goal to increase numbers of parents participating in events, increase parent engagement

Turn and Talk

• What goals does your district or school have for parent engagement?

• Have you noticed trends with attendance at school or events?

District website

• Use of Google Translate

• Available in MANY languages

• Not perfect, but makes websites accessible

Spanish Attendance Line

• We noticed families weren’t reporting attendance

• Each building had different procedures for contacting families when a student was absent

• Using in-building vs. district staff

• Promotion of attendance line use

Share Out

• How does your district or school handle attendance for speakers of other languages?

• Have you noticed that families call in or don’t call in to report attendance?

• How is attendance an important part of parent engagement?

• What can you do to increase engagement in this area?

Conference Calls

• The use of conference calls has increased school-home connection

• New practice that’s being done to contact families

• More efficient than scheduling meetings for smaller issues, concerns, or questions

• Message is more accurately relayed

• Parents talk directly to school staff, which further improves school-home connections

• Parents have a chance to ask questions directly

Computer Classes

• Partnership with Latino Academy of Workforce Development

• LAWD provides teachers and curriculum• District provides space, computers, childcare,

coordination of events, outreach, promotion• Teaches parents basics, including setting up email,

using the parent portal, checking their child’s Facebook account, typing, etc.

• Classes offered two different years• Has led to increase of parents using email to

communicate with school

Parent Portal

• Use of Portal taught during computer classes

• Translated Parent Portal guide

• All parents have an account

• Parent Portal has Google Translate option so families can navigate in other languages

• Parents requesting additional training

Automated Messages (“All Call”)

• Done through Infinite Campus• Can be automated, although automatic pronunciation of

other languages is unclear and causes confusion• We record our own through Audacity• Send them out through filters to families requesting

Interpreters• Use to promote events, parent meetings, weather

closures, etc. • Challenge: parents don’t answer phones, call back to ask

what message was about; often creates more work• Has helped communicate messages, especially about

school events and school closures

Translator Email Account

• Created to streamline language requests• Used for requests for all languages• Managed by district ESL/Bilingual staff• Use of the email account has improved

communication with staff, and between home-school

• Increase in documents translated and meetings scheduled with an interpreter

Simultaneous Interpretation

• We recently purchased equipment for meetings

• Allows parents to be discreet in large group meetings regarding language needs

• Increased participation in parent meetings

• Parents feel a part of the school community

Turn and Talk

• How are you using technology resources to increase parent engagement?

• Do you use features in Infinite Campus or other student management systems? Which ones?

• What’s working well?• What goals do you have with regard to use

of computers and computer systems?

Technology Access for All Program

• Chromebooks• Graphing Calculators• Mi-Fi• Purpose: increase student and parent engagement

by making technology accessible to ALL families• Provides option to purchase technology at reduced

rate for F/R families or families asking for scholarships

• Initiative began as a part of our Technology Department

Professional Development

–Purpose is to increase awareness among school staff on increasing school-home connections

• Training staff at building staff meetings:– How do know if a student/parent needs

language services– Why we need to provide language services– How to access language services– Available outreach services– Language services video

Have these strategies been effective?

• Overall, yes!• We still have a long way to go, but we’ve

made great strides too• Increased attendance at parent meetings,

events• Increase in staff using language services• Increase in services provided• There are still challenges

Collaboration is key!

• We try to work with all staff in our district

• Spreading the word to the community

• Partnering and sharing with other districts

• Networking and partnering with community agencies

Share Out

• How do you engage parents?• Are there any of these strategies or ideas

that would be useful?• Any strategies or ideas that you do that

might be useful to us?• What will you take way from what

MCPASD is doing, both positive and negative?

Questions?

Please feel free to contact me with any questions!

Karen Rice Osterman

608-829-9977

krice@mcpasd.k12.wi.us