Family Involvement and School-wide PBS

1. Family Involvement and School-wide PBS Portions of this material have been taken from the Parent Information Resource Center Grant project (PIRC). Iowa Behavioral Alliance An Initiative of the Iowa Department of Education

2. Goals of this Session Examine beliefs about family involvement in schools Identify barriers to family involvement Review key research findings related family involvement and achievement Identify keys to effective involvement

3. Family Involvement . . . SW-PBS offers schools a structured approach to addressing student behaviors across the school setting. A critical component of SW-PBS is the selection and involvement of relevant stakeholders, especially families, in actively planning, implementing, and evaluating the supports provided. (Carr et. Al 2002)

4. Consider 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.

5. Thinking about Parent Involvement From a child’s perspective…. From a parent’s perspective… From an educator’s perspective… PIRC Let’s begin our discussion of parent involvement by thinking about it from several different perspectives. First, think about it from the perspective of a child. When you were a child, how did your parents involve themselves in your education…? Next, think of parent involvement from the perspective of a parent. As a parent yourself, how do you (or did you- or will you) get involved in your children’s education…? Finally, think of parent involvement from the perspective of an educator. What comes to mind when you think of your current position How do the parents of your students involve themselves in their children’s education…? Discuss with your table-mates. How many different ways can you think of for parents to support their children’s learning? *******TABLE TALK******* Additional Notes: After several minutes of talk-time, ask participants to share out some of the many ways that parents can support their children’s learning. Often, the discussion regarding a child’s perspective will lead to stories about “olden times”, when parents didn’t often come to the school, but were extremely supportive of their children as they completed their homework. Oft- mentioned are parents’ attendance at extra-curricular activities, and parent’s “unquestioning” support of the teacher and the school. Sometimes mentioned are “uncertainties” (from a parent’s perspective) regarding how much parent involvement a teacher actually wants…and from a teacher’s perspective, individual preferences regarding how much engagement, and the type of engagement that they experience from the parents of their current students.PIRC Let’s begin our discussion of parent involvement by thinking about it from several different perspectives. First, think about it from the perspective of a child. When you were a child, how did your parents involve themselves in your education…? Next, think of parent involvement from the perspective of a parent. As a parent yourself, how do you (or did you- or will you) get involved in your children’s education…? Finally, think of parent involvement from the perspective of an educator. What comes to mind when you think of your current position How do the parents of your students involve themselves in their children’s education…? Discuss with your table-mates. How many different ways can you think of for parents to support their children’s learning? *******TABLE TALK******* Additional Notes: After several minutes of talk-time, ask participants to share out some of the many ways that parents can support their children’s learning. Often, the discussion regarding a child’s perspective will lead to stories about “olden times”, when parents didn’t often come to the school, but were extremely supportive of their children as they completed their homework. Oft- mentioned are parents’ attendance at extra-curricular activities, and parent’s “unquestioning” support of the teacher and the school. Sometimes mentioned are “uncertainties” (from a parent’s perspective) regarding how much parent involvement a teacher actually wants…and from a teacher’s perspective, individual preferences regarding how much engagement, and the type of engagement that they experience from the parents of their current students.

6. Consider this . . . “ 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

7. Definition Having a clear definition of family involvement that is shared by all PBS stakeholders is critical to the success of family involvement. 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.

8. Activity: What Do You Think? 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? Use this as an activity to stimulate thinking about the beliefs and values team members have about families. Have teams use a note card to answer the questions above and then discuss as a group the following questions and then share as a large group. Select a few questions or address all based on the time you have available. Key points to stress: 1) our individual and collective beliefs will shape how we work with families 2) it is important to understand the many perspectives that stakeholders bring to the team regarding family involvement, 3) It is critical to identify common beliefs about family involvement in order for efforts to be effective. Use this as an activity to stimulate thinking about the beliefs and values team members have about families. Have teams use a note card to answer the questions above and then discuss as a group the following questions and then share as a large group. Select a few questions or address all based on the time you have available. Key points to stress: 1) our individual and collective beliefs will shape how we work with families 2) it is important to understand the many perspectives that stakeholders bring to the team regarding family involvement, 3) It is critical to identify common beliefs about family involvement in order for efforts to be effective.

9. Families continued . . . What is one of the biggest challenges facing families you work with today? Finish this statement “ Effective family involvement is based on . . . “ This activity should be summarized by asking teams to identify 1-2 common beliefs they have about family involvement. Ask teams to use these shared beliefs to guide their family involvement efforts. This activity should be summarized by asking teams to identify 1-2 common beliefs they have about family involvement. Ask teams to use these shared beliefs to guide their family involvement efforts.

10. A Next Step Not only is it important to know what you believe about family involvement, it is equally important to consider what research says about the benefit of family involvement. Consider the following. . .

11. 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 Have better social skills and improved behavior Graduate and go on to postsecondary school Increasing parental involvement in education may be an important strategy for addressing the achievement gap that has been growing wider in schools across the nation. In other words, helping parents to become involved in their children’s education may be a critical strategy for ensuring that ‘no child is left behind’. In the past, we may have viewed parent involvement as an end in itself- something that would make our jobs as educators easier, and something that just seemed like a nice thing to do. The recent research has made it clear however, that parent involvement is not the end- it is the means to the end- a strategy for attaining our real goal, which is improved student success in school and in life. It has become increasingly clear that we need parents as much as they need us- and that our best chance for improving our students’ success is to fully embrace parents as partners in the education of our children.Increasing parental involvement in education may be an important strategy for addressing the achievement gap that has been growing wider in schools across the nation. In other words, helping parents to become involved in their children’s education may be a critical strategy for ensuring that ‘no child is left behind’. In the past, we may have viewed parent involvement as an end in itself- something that would make our jobs as educators easier, and something that just seemed like a nice thing to do. The recent research has made it clear however, that parent involvement is not the end- it is the means to the end- a strategy for attaining our real goal, which is improved student success in school and in life. It has become increasingly clear that we need parents as much as they need us- and that our best chance for improving our students’ success is to fully embrace parents as partners in the education of our children.

12. Research The following information has been provided by The Parent Information and Resource Center (PIRC) Funded by the US Department of Education

13. The more families support their children’s learning and educational progress, both in quantity and over time, the more their children tend to do well in school and continue their education. Miedel & Reynolds (1999), Sanders & Herting (2000), Marcon (1999) A second key finding that supports the conclusion related to impact of family support on children’s learning is: The more families support their children’s learning and educational progress, both in quantity and over time, the more their children tend to do well in school and continue their education. The groups targeted ranged from preschoolers to adolescents, and the studies examined the impact of early intervention with disadvantaged children, the impact of quantity and frequency of parent involvement activities, differences in support and impact on male and female students, as well as the long-term benefits of parent involvement on student achievement. (Background information about the research summaries) Findings suggest that parent involvement is an important component of successful early intervention programs, and can promote future family-school relationships. Also, parent involvement programs can be a protective factor in overcoming risk conditions such as poverty, which lead to low achievement. This finding in particular, suggests that parent involvement in the early years may continue to promote school success into high school, regardless of family background. (p 151) A finding from one of the studies indicates that the positive effects of family, church, and teacher supports on students’ attitudes and behavior in school, lead to higher achievement for both boys and girls. However, African-American girls are much more likely to report strong support from parents and teachers and more involvement in church, than are African-American males. And while less support is reported by A-A males, the study found that support from teachers had more impact on boys’ achievement than on girls’ achievement. (p 166) The Marcon study found that when parents of preschoolers were highly involved, their children, especially boys, performed significantly better. It also found that single parents and low-income parents were just as involved as two-parent and more affluent families. (p 142)A second key finding that supports the conclusion related to impact of family support on children’s learning is: The more families support their children’s learning and educational progress, both in quantity and over time, the more their children tend to do well in school and continue their education. The groups targeted ranged from preschoolers to adolescents, and the studies examined the impact of early intervention with disadvantaged children, the impact of quantity and frequency of parent involvement activities, differences in support and impact on male and female students, as well as the long-term benefits of parent involvement on student achievement. (Background information about the research summaries) Findings suggest that parent involvement is an important component of successful early intervention programs, and can promote future family-school relationships. Also, parent involvement programs can be a protective factor in overcoming risk conditions such as poverty, which lead to low achievement. This finding in particular, suggests that parent involvement in the early years may continue to promote school success into high school, regardless of family background. (p 151) A finding from one of the studies indicates that the positive effects of family, church, and teacher supports on students’ attitudes and behavior in school, lead to higher achievement for both boys and girls. However, African-American girls are much more likely to report strong support from parents and teachers and more involvement in church, than are African-American males. And while less support is reported by A-A males, the study found that support from teachers had more impact on boys’ achievement than on girls’ achievement. (p 166) The Marcon study found that when parents of preschoolers were highly involved, their children, especially boys, performed significantly better. It also found that single parents and low-income parents were just as involved as two-parent and more affluent families. (p 142)

14. 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) Another key finding related to impact is: Families of all cultural backgrounds, education, and income levels can, and often do, have a positive influence on their children’s learning. This key finding probably speaks for itself. The supporting studies suggest that educators must abandon negative assumptions regarding cultural and economic backgrounds of students and their parents, and instead help parents of all backgrounds develop high expectations for their children’s learning, and methods for supporting that learning at home. (Background information about the research summaries) One study found that while types of parent involvement vary somewhat by race and ethnicity, lower-income parents and single-parent families were just as involved with their children’s education as were higher income and two-parent families. (p 119) Another study found that Title I students (low-income) whose parents regularly attended school-based parent workshops made greater gains in reading and math than students with less-involved parents. These results should help to dispel the myth that poorer parents are less willing (or are unable) to involve themselves in their child’s education. Instead, the authors suggest that well-designed parent-teacher group experiences have the potential for helping to increase student achievement. (p 171) The third study found that High-achieving students tend to come from families in which parents set high standards for their children's educational activities and maintain a home environment that supports learning. These variables seem to have a greater impact on student achievement than do those variables of culture, education, or income level. (p 96) Another key finding related to impact is: Families of all cultural backgrounds, education, and income levels can, and often do, have a positive influence on their children’s learning. This key finding probably speaks for itself. The supporting studies suggest that educators must abandon negative assumptions regarding cultural and economic backgrounds of students and their parents, and instead help parents of all backgrounds develop high expectations for their children’s learning, and methods for supporting that learning at home. (Background information about the research summaries) One study found that while types of parent involvement vary somewhat by race and ethnicity, lower-income parents and single-parent families were just as involved with their children’s education as were higher income and two-parent families. (p 119) Another study found that Title I students (low-income) whose parents regularly attended school-based parent workshops made greater gains in reading and math than students with less-involved parents. These results should help to dispel the myth that poorer parents are less willing (or are unable) to involve themselves in their child’s education. Instead, the authors suggest that well-designed parent-teacher group experiences have the potential for helping to increase student achievement. (p 171) The third study found that High-achieving students tend to come from families in which parents set high standards for their children's educational activities and maintain a home environment that supports learning. These variables seem to have a greater impact on student achievement than do those variables of culture, education, or income level. (p 96)

15. 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) The final key finding related to impact is: Family and community involvement that is linked to student learning has a greater effect on achievement than more general forms of involvement. Several supporting studies indicated that family and community involvement that is linked to learning has a greater impact on student achievement than other types of activities. The results of these studies provide valuable information regarding the development of after school programs, structured volunteer programs, and other programs that focus on how students are spending their time-both inside and outside the school day. (Background information about the research summaries) One study examined a low-cost volunteer program called Book Buddies, which showed a positive impact on first and second grader’s reading scores. (p.123) Another study focused on the effect of “community schools”: These are schools that are open to students, families, and community members before, during, and after-school hours-7 days/week throughout the year; are operated through a partnership between the school system and one or more community agencies; are designed by families, youth, principal, teachers, and neighborhood residents; and promote both educational achievement and positive youth development. (p. 103). A third study examined the correlation between how students’ time is spent-both in-school and out-of school, and their academic achievement. High achieving students spent significantly more time than low-achieving students: Attending school and doing structured learning activities Engaged in academic lessons in the classroom and in literacy-promoting activities out of school Taking part in such activities as reading, writing, and studying, and in “enrichment” activities such as hobbies, games, and talking Sleeping and taking care of health (p. 98)The final key finding related to impact is: Family and community involvement that is linked to student learning has a greater effect on achievement than more general forms of involvement. Several supporting studies indicated that family and community involvement that is linked to learning has a greater impact on student achievement than other types of activities. The results of these studies provide valuable information regarding the development of after school programs, structured volunteer programs, and other programs that focus on how students are spending their time-both inside and outside the school day. (Background information about the research summaries) One study examined a low-cost volunteer program called Book Buddies, which showed a positive impact on first and second grader’s reading scores. (p.123) Another study focused on the effect of “community schools”: These are schools that are open to students, families, and community members before, during, and after-school hours-7 days/week throughout the year; are operated through a partnership between the school system and one or more community agencies; are designed by families, youth, principal, teachers, and neighborhood residents; and promote both educational achievement and positive youth development. (p. 103). A third study examined the correlation between how students’ time is spent-both in-school and out-of school, and their academic achievement. High achieving students spent significantly more time than low-achieving students: Attending school and doing structured learning activities Engaged in academic lessons in the classroom and in literacy-promoting activities out of school Taking part in such activities as reading, writing, and studying, and in “enrichment” activities such as hobbies, games, and talking Sleeping and taking care of health (p. 98)

16. 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) A second key finding that supports the conclusion related to connecting schools, families and the community is: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. This key finding seems to indicate that partnerships can take many forms, from one-to-one partnerships between a teacher and a parent, to building-wide, district-wide and even community-wide programs that are designed to engage parents in a variety of ways. Successful partnerships can go beyond school-parent partnerships to include community organizations, businesses and other service providers.(Background information about the research summaries) The three studies cited here discuss specific initiatives that include efforts to identify a variety of partnerships and how those partnerships effect student achievement.The first study reviewed the positive impact in three different schools that implemented the "Community for Learning Program." This program has three components: school development, the "family-community for learning model,“ and the Adaptive Learning Environments Model. All three schools showed improved student achievement. Although the parent involvement component was effective, the author was careful to point out that family involvement is likely to be most effective when done in conjunction with other strategies. (p 193)The second study discusses the high level of success of minority students in middle schools operated by the Department of Defense. These successes are attributed to a number of "qualities" found in schools run by the military such as a strong sense of stability, community and familiarity. This study suggests that if public schools would adopt policies that encourage that sense of "village“, (which includes parents as partners), student achievement might improve. (p 183)A third study reviewed the impact of legislation in Illinois on the improved performance of elementary schools in Chicago. Each building is required to have a "local school council" (LSC). Each council is made up of six parents, two community members, two teachers, the principal, and one student. The key element to their success- as identified in the study- was strong leadership that resulted from a "cooperative adult effort". (p 154) A second key finding that supports the conclusion related to connecting schools, families and the community is:

17. Parent 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) The third key finding supporting the conclusion about connections is:Parent involvement programs that are effective in engaging diverse families recognize cultural and class differences, address needs and build on strengths.This finding encourages educators to make efforts to recognize and respect cultural differences and how those differences effect how parents perceive the role of the school ,as well as their own role with the school.  When teachers make efforts to better communicate with families of other cultures, they will also better understand the priorities and expectations of  those families and how they may differ from the school's priorities and expectations. The likelihood that children from diverse backgrounds will succeed in school can be greatly improved when teachers and parents effectively communicate goals and expectations and reach common understandings around those expectations.(Background information about the research summaries) These three studies demonstrate how cultural differences can result in misconceptions about parent involvement from both educators and parents. The studies found, however, that a variety of strategies can be implemented that can result in very positive teacher-parent interactions.The first study gathered data from 3 elementary schools, 3 middle schools and 3 high schools along the Texas-Mexico border. All nine schools showed higher achievement than other similar schools and all schools employed a variety of strategies designed to build "collaborative" relationships with parents. The study suggests that these schools created "an environment and structures in the school" that were inviting to parents and fostered communication that demonstrated cultural understanding. This understanding then fostered higher levels of student achievement. (p 169)A second study reviewed the impact of a program called "Parent Institute for Quality Education" (PIQE) on 198 Latino immigrant parents in San Diego. The authors concluded that concepts about the parent's role- based on cultural traditions- can limit the range and type of parent involvement. However through specifically focused parent training opportunities, those concepts can be changed. (p 94)A third study of migrant families in Texas, indicates that if viewed through a "traditional involvement lens“, these parents appear uninvolved. However the parents perceived themselves as involved, based upon their cultural belief- that they are teaching their children the value of an education through the medium of hard work. Their belief is that if their children develop a good work ethic, it will serve them well at work or in school. The study recommends that schools adopt policies that are "sensitive to a more expanded definition of involvement". (p 138) (This may be a good place to reference an additional resource: Appendix 2 is an article by Ruby Payne regarding connecting with parents of poverty and from various cultural backgrounds.)  The third key finding supporting the conclusion about connections is:

18. Welcome Families are made to feel at home, comfortable, and a part of the school community. In what ways are your school and your classroom welcoming to families?

19. Honor Family members are respected, validated and affirmed for any type of involvement or contribution they make. How do you honor the various contributions that families make?

20. Connect 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. How do you connect with families?

21. From this point forward… 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

22. Review on a regular basis Identify strengths in your school related to family involvement Identify barriers to family involvement Identify 1 or 2 “next steps” to address family involvement