Families In Schools

1. Families In Schools

2. History • Federal law requiring parent engagement practices as “compliance” to receive funding. Compliance Vs. Partnership

3. History • Focuses on developing the capacity of a few parents to develop, and monitor funding/programs (Title I; school site council). Compliance Vs. Partnership

4. History • Parent engagement is the responsibility of the central office or the parent center at best. • Parent engagement practices at the local level are “random acts” Compliance Vs. Partnership

5. History • Read: Title I and Parent Involvement: Lessons from the • Past, Recommendations for the Future • Karen L. Mapp, Harvard Graduate School of Education • http://www.americanprogress.org/events/2011/03/av/parental_involvement.pdf Compliance Vs. Partnership

6. Future • School/Family partnership in which parent engagement is a key strategy for school improvement and student achievement. Compliance Vs. Partnership

7. Future • Develops the capacity of leaders & day-to-day parents • Parent engagement is strategic Compliance Vs. Partnership

8. Future • Parent engagement happens at the school site not at the central office. Compliance Vs. Partnership

9. Future • Read: Beyond the Bake Sale • Anne Henderson, Karen Mapp, Vivian Johnson, and Don Davies • http://www.hfrp.org/evaluation/the-evaluation-exchange/issue-archive/building-the-future-of-family-involvement/beyond-the-bake-sale-how-school-districts-can-promote-family-involvement Compliance Vs. Partnership

10. Create more opportunities for more parents to play a role (dimensions of involvement) Develop clear understanding of new roles (for schools and for parents) ID and help eliminate new obstacles to parent engagement and involvement Increase responsibility and accountability Increase staff training and capacity Push resources/responsibility to the local level Still need to do “compliance” but focus attention to other key components Transformation

11. Framework (Intensity)Traditional View Parent Involvement Parent Engagement

12. Parent Involvement Framework (Roles & Responsibilities)FIS View Schools Families Parent Engagement

13. Parent Engagement is what schools do to facilitate parent involvement • Parent Involvement is what parents do to support their children's education at home and at school Roles and Responsibilities

14. New Framework

15. What is the role of schools in helping eliminate the obstacles families face in getting involved at each of the levels? Dimension of Parent Involvement Involvement at home Involvement at school Parenting Role Modeling Academic Support Academic Support Volunteer Leadership

16. Issue: Increase participation at back to school night Child care, translation, personal calls to attend meeting, flyers meaningful/productive meeting, parent friendly, interactive Dimension of Parent Involvement Involvement at home Involvement at school Parenting Role Modeling Academic Support Academic Support Volunteer Leadership Close monitoring of student performance

17. Issue: Increaseliteracy at home Programs that provide books to families, training for parents on how to read aloud, trips to libraries, etc. Dimension of Parent Involvement Involvement at home Involvement at school Parenting Role Modeling Academic Support Academic Support Volunteer Leadership Higher student reading levels

18. All families care about the education of their children an want the best for them • School see their core responsibility to engage parents and help eliminate the obstacles they face to getting involved • Nonprofits can support both schools and parents to develop a partnerships • Strong leadership to make this a district-wide school improvement effort Assumptions