ACET,Parental Involvement: Culture

and RelationshipsRegion 16, Title I Statewide School Support and Family & Community

Engagement InitiativeSkip Forsyth, Education Specialist

May 2013

“If we could successfully teach every child by ourselves, then it seems to me we would have already done so.” Steve Constantino

“Families are the first and most influential teacher in a child’s life.”

School Culture

Money can buy you a fine dog, but only love can make him wag his tail. Kinky Friedman

IT IS INTENTIONAL! How can you sense school culture?

◦Sight?◦Sound?◦Smell?◦Touch (or Feel)?◦Taste?

School Culture

What are the largest barriers to family engagement?◦Time Build connections

◦Culture Build trust

◦Uncertainty Build capacity

School Culture

1. A culture includes all staff members and every family◦People are more important than programs◦Relationships precede reform◦The outcome is student academic success

School Culture

Take it to the streets…◦Understand the traffic flow◦Different venues◦Go to the work place◦Go to places of worship◦Go to community centers◦Home visits◦Build relationships and BUILD TRUST

School Culture - Relationships

2. A culture builds and maintains effective communication◦What types of communication do you use?◦What types of communication seem to be most effective?◦Have you surveyed the parents/families about preferred

types of communication?◦When do you initiate communication?

School Culture - Communication

Maintain traditional forms of written communication Leverage technology

◦Email, Text, FaceTime and Skype◦Correct telephone, email, and website◦Names of principal, ass’t principal, counselor, teacher(s),

AND receptionist, nurse, head of food service, head of transportation

◦BUILD CONNECTIONS

School Culture - Communication

3. A culture empowers every family◦Every family “invited to the party”◦Especially families of students with greatest need◦BUILD CAPACITY

School Culture - Efficacy

Shall provide assistance to participating parents in such areas as understanding the State's content standards and performance standards, and local assessments, and how to monitor a child's progress and work with educators to improve the performance of their children as well as information on how parents can participate in decisions relating to the education of their children;

Building Capacity: MUST

Shall provide materials and training to help parents to work with their children to improve their children’s achievement, such as literacy training and using technology;

Building Capacity: MUST

Shall educate teachers, pupil services personnel, principals and other staff, with the assistance of parents, in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between home and school;

Building Capacity: MUST

Shall coordinate and integrate parent involvement programs and activities with Head Start, Even Start, the Home Instruction Programs for Preschool Youngsters, the Parents as Teachers Program, and public preschool programs and other programs, and conduct other activities such as parent resource centers, to the extent feasible and appropriate;

Building Capacity: MUST

Shall ensure that information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is sent to the homes of participating children in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand;

Building Capacity: MUST

Shall provide such other reasonable support for parental involvement activities as parents may request.

Building Capacity : MUST

Comprehensive Needs Assessment◦Honor the findings◦Identify the needs◦Enact the strategy

School Culture - Strategy

Include parents and families…◦Review and revision of district PI Policy, school PI Policy,

and School-Parent Compact◦Decision-making: SBDM, district parent advisory council,

use of PI funds ◦Student course selection in high school, which may

include discussion about mentoring, tutoring, SES, dual credit classes, AP classes, etc.

School Culture - Strategy

Strategies should address needs Meetings and events need to be personalized Math Language Arts

School Culture - Strategy

How would you describe your current school culture?

What are the evidences of your current school culture?

How is your school culture sustained? How is your current school culture beneficial for

family engagement? If your school culture is negative, what can you do

to transform the school climate and culture?

School Culture – Questions?

Building Relationships

Forging Partnerships

Performance Resulting in Student Success

Family Engagement Capacity Building Framework

USDE DRAFT Framework

Ineffective Home/School Partnerships

Effective Home/School Partnerships – Supporting

Student Achievement

Challenge Outcomes

Challenge: Desire exists

but lack of resources or

skills

Outcomes: Intended

outcomes for school staff

and for families

USDE DRAFT Framework

Policies and Initiatives:

Compliance directed toward

capability, connections,

cognition, confidence

Conditions for Success:

the System and the Process

Building Capacity

Building a Framework

Building Success

OUTCOME: Elevate Family Engagement

Currently Compliance Checklist Shelf Documents Satisfy ICR’s Ground Level, Meet

Requirements

In the Future Performance Build Capacity Dynamic Documents School Culture Higher Levels, Respond to

Needs of Families to Improve Student Outcomes

www.esc16.net Scroll down and click on the Title I

Statewide Initiative icon Access the variety of resources available

Title I Statewide School Support & Family and Community

Engagement Initiative RESOURCES…

2013 Parental Involvement Conference

December 5 – 7, 2013Galveston Island Convention Center

Host Hotel: Galveston Island Hilton Resort

Parental Involvement: Hidden Treasures

Upcoming

• 20/20 Parental Involvement• Revised Website – easier to find needed

information• Continuing to improve Facebook page• Checklist for policy and compact – assist with

random validations

School Support Resources

P I Resources

Requested Materials

Stay in

Compliance

Publications Order Form

Book Reviews

Like us on…

Title I Statewide School Support/Parental Involvement Initiative

Parents and patrons are the most important people to enter this office in person, by mail, or by telephone.Parents and patrons are not dependent upon us; on the contrary, we are dependent on them.Parents and patrons are not an interruption of our work; they are the purpose of it.We are not doing them a favor by serving them; they do us a favor by permitting us to do so.

Creed

Parents and patrons are not cold statistics; they are concerned human beings with feelings and emotions like our own, who entrust their children to our care.Parents and patrons are persons who bring us their problems, their needs, and their ideas. Our job is to handle these problems with understanding, fairness, enthusiasm, and professional skill.

Creed, cont’d

Contact your regional ESC

Terri Stafford, terri.stafford@esc16.net

Skip Forsyth, skip.forsyth@esc16.net

Need Assistance

Thanks, have a great

day!