Family Involvement and School Wide PBIS/Tier 1

Portions of this presentation from:

Iowa Department of Education

Iowa Behavior Alliance

PIRC

Goals of this Session

• Examine beliefs about parent/family involvement in schools

• Identify barriers to parent/family involvement

• Review key research findings

• Identify keys to effective parent/family involvement

A critical component of SW-PBIS is………..

the selection and involvement of relevant stakeholders, especially families, in actively planning, implementing, and evaluating the supports provided. (Carr et. Al 2002)

Think about this……………..

• Family and parent will be used interchangeably.

• Parent can also mean a primary caregiver, such as grandparent, aunt, uncle, neighbor, etc.

• Therefore, the term family is more inclusive or representative of who might be filling a parent’s role.

Thinking about Parent Involvement..........

• From a child’s perspective

Thinking about Parent Involvement……..

• From a parent’s perspective

Thinking about Parent Involvement………

• From an educator’s perspective

“ Understanding that family involvement may mean different things to different people can help both teachers and family members avoid misunderstandings and negative stereotyped assumptions.”

School, Family, & Community Connections, National Center for Family and Community Schools, Annual synthesis 2003

Definition

Having a clear definition of parent/family involvement that is shared by all PBIS stakeholders is critical to the success of parent/family involvement.

Beliefs and Values

Examining your beliefs and values as they relate to working with families is a key factor that impacts the quality and success of involvement efforts.

Activity

Name one thing you believe about families today.

What do you believe is the key to effective family involvement?

What do you see as a barrier to effective family involvement?

Continued…….

What is one of the biggest challenges facing families you work with today?

Finish this statement “ Effective family involvement is based on . . . “

Not only is it important to know what you believe about parent/family involvement, it is equally important to consider what research says about the benefit of parent/family involvement.

Consider the following. . .

Students with involved parents are

more likely to…

…….Earn higher grades and test scores

…….. Be promoted, pass their classes and earn credits

……….Attend school regularly

……Graduate and go on to post secondary education

……….Have better social skills and improved behavior

Parent/family involvement programs that are effective in engaging diverse families recognize cultural and class differences, address needs and build on strengths.

Scribner, Young & Pedroza (1999), Chrispeels & Rivero (2000), Lopez (2001)

Families of all cultural backgrounds, education, and income levels can, and often do, have a positive influence on their children’s learning.

Ho Sui-Chu & Willms (1996), Shaver & Walls (1998), Clark (1993)

Parent/family and community involvement that is linked to student learning has a greater effect on achievement than more general forms of involvement.

Invernizzi, Rosemary, Richards & Richards (1997), Dryfoos (2000), Clark (2002)

Effective Connections embrace a philosophy of partnership where power is shared--- the responsibility for children’s educational development is a collaborative enterprise among parents, school staff, and community members.

Wang, Oates & Weishew (1997), Smrekar et al (2001), Moore (1998)

Welcoming

• Families are made to feel at home, comfortable, and a part of the school community.

Honoring

• Family members are respected, validated and affirmed for any type of involvement or contribution they make.

Connecting

• School staff and families put children at the center, and connect on education issues of common interest, designed to improve educational opportunities for the children.

From this point on……………………….Continue to examine and revisit your

team’s beliefs about family involvement

Remember the keys to effective involvement:

Welcome families and community

Honor families and community

Connect with families and community

Review and continue to……………

Identify strengths in your school related to family involvement

Identify barriers to family involvement

Identify 1 or 2 “next steps” to address family involvement