Family Involvement Communication and Parent-Teacher Conferences

1. Family Involvement Communication andParent-Teacher Conferences The Department of Federal and State Programs Presenter: Margaret Shandorf

2. What the research says: • Parents that are not informed can not fully participate in schools. • Parents who know their children best, are in the best position to inform schools about their children’s needs and capabilities, and are deeply invested in their children’s success. • Parents can support schools by knowing what changes are occurring in school practices and instruction.

3. Overview of Communication • Communication: • is a message sent and a message received. • considers the audience being addressed. • is a two-way conversation. • considers what message to convey.

4. Reasons Why Home-School Connection is Beneficial • Increases trust between schools and families. • Encourages higher and realistic parental expectations. • Serves as the first step to other types of parental involvement. • Leads to a higher degree of parents’ commitment to helping their children improve. • Puts everyone on the “same page.”

5. Benefits of Effective Family- School Communication • Family-school communication and involvement: • yields student achievement. • Parent involvement is increased when: • parents believe that teachers keep them informed, value their contributions and offer specific suggestions. • Parents feel satisfied with the quality of student learning when: • they believe schools welcome their involvement, empower them to participate and offer strategies for student learning.

6. Teacher and Family Communication Benefits Teachers who practice effective communication with families yield: • improved parent-teacher relationships. • stronger parental support. • stronger teaching abilities.

7. Six Levels of Family Involvement • Communicating: communication between home and school is regular, two-way and meaningful. • Parenting: parenting skills are promoted and supported. • Student Learning: parents play an integral role in assisting student learning.

8. Six Levels of Family Involvement • Volunteering: parents are welcome in the school and their support and assistance are sought. • School Decision Making and Advocacy: parents are full partners in the decisions that affect children and families. • Collaborating with Community: community resources are used to strengthen schools, families and student learning.

9. Barriers Associated with Effective Communication • Transportation • Childcare • Inflexible work schedule • Unpleasant personal school history • Memories of poor achievement or treatment at school • Cultural barriers • Language barriers

10. Practices to Improve Family School-Communication • Offer a broad range of school and home learning experiences for parents. • Personally invite parents through invitation, as well as call out system. • Tell parents that their involvement with their child impacts student achievement. • Offer specific strategies such as: read to your child for 20 minutes a day and assist them with their homework.

11. Best Practices • Have a routine time for the child to complete homework. • Set up a study area to complete homework. • Know your child’s schedule and teachers. • Communicate with school on a regular basis. • Model respect for family culture and language. • Engage students in inviting their parents to school events. Students can have a strong influence.

12. Best Practices • Build on the many family involvement events that you have in place. • Expand the Parent University. • Build a Resource Room with multi-level materials. • Advertize your events clearly, attractively and repeatedly. • Make use of after school programs to enhance student achievement.

13. Best Practices • Work with the ESOL coordinator, facilitator, parent liaison. • Involve community and agency support. • Plan parent-teacher conferences throughout the year. • Use part time in system funds to pay substitutes for parent-teacher conferences. • Use your SAC to review best practices and strategies of school Policy/Plan.

14. Strategy BuilderWhat have you learned? Name some barriers of family involvement. Name some best practices. Give some examples of the research. Give some benefits of family-school connection. Name the six levels of family involvement.

15. Parent-Teacher Conferences How? Who? What? Where? When? Why?

16. Setting the Stage • Hold conferences in an appropriate settings. • Provide comfortable adult chairs. • Post welcome signs to the classroom. • Teachers should refrain from sitting behind their desk. • Teachers should be dressed professionally.

17. Conference Do’s • Teachers vocalize the positives and also the concerns about the student. • Use understandable familiar terms, not educational jargon. • Allow the parent to talk and be an active listener. • Remember the conference is a two-way communication. • Focus on one main concern/conditions that you will address.

18. Conference Do’s • Avoid emotionally loaded statements. • Start with the positives. • Make the parent feel comfortable. • Offer strategies and materials to parent to help their child at home.

19. Conference Do’s • Make sure to outline a plan of action for the student to improve academics or behavior. • Give parents the opportunity to ask questions. • Make sure that the plan is one that all are in agreement with. • End the conference on a positive note. • Follow up with parents after a reasonable amount of time.

20. Checkpoint • Next time you prepare for a parent-teacher conference use these TIPS. Put a little BUG in your ear and you will be PERFECT PESTS. P- Person that prepares for conference. E- Engage parents and present information. S- Speak to the issues that impact student achievement and behavior. T- Teach and track student improvement. S- Share results with parents.

21. For Further Information Contact: Margaret Shandorf, Resource Teacher Federal and State Programs Phone: (561) 963-3843 (PX) 43843