Beyond the Bake Sale‖

1. Beyond the Bake Sale‖ Engaging Families for Student Growth

2. Beyond the Bake Sale‖ What is a Family-School Partnership supposed to look like?

3. Beyond the Bake Sale‖ The ideas in this book help to answer that question in two ways: Through research studies Through many years of experience in schools Page 13

4. Strong leadership by principals, teachers, parents and community leaders can turn these ideas into reality. Student growth can start with YOU & YOUR SCHOOL! Page 13

5. “Where is your school when it comes to partnering with families? • Does your school confine parents to traditional roles? • Has your school tried to define what it means by parent involvement and partnership with families? • How is your school connecting with community resources?” Page 14

6. “Ask yourself this question: What might a school look like that has created a genuine culture of school-family-community partnership, and that has made real progress toward high social and academic achievement for all students?” Page 14

7. Four Versions of Partnership Rubric Partnership School Open-Door School Come-if–We-Call-School Fortress School Page 14

8. Four Versions of Partnership Rubric • Partnership School • Building Relationships • Family center is always open, full of interesting learning materials to borrow • Home visits are made to every new family • Activities honor families’ contributions • Building is open to community use and social services are available to families Page 15

9. Four Versions of Partnership Rubric • 2. Open-Door School • Building Relationships • Teachers contact families once a year • Parent coordinator is available if families have questions or need help • Office staff are friendly • Staff contact community agencies and organizations when help is needed Page 16

10. Four Versions of Partnership Rubric • 3. Come-if-We-Call School • Building Relationships • Better-educated parents are more involved • “Many immigrant parents don’t have time to come or contribute” • Staff are very selective about who comes into the school Page 17

11. Four Versions of Partnership Rubric • 4. Fortress School • Building Relationships • Families do not “bother” school staff • “Minority families don’t value education • Parents need security clearance to come in • It is important to keep community influences out of the school Page 18

12. Four Versions of Partnership Rubric • Other areas in the rubric will include: • Linking to Learning • Addressing Differences • Supporting Advocacy • Sharing Power

13. Four Versions of Partnership Rubric Using the scoring guides, you can get a rough idea of where your school falls. The scoring guides are located in the Beyond the Bake Sale Chapter 2 folder located on the SCS website under the “staff” tab, then under professional development there is a parent engagement tab which includes today’s PPT. and the four versions of Partnership Rubric listed above.

14. Where Does Your School Fall? • “Check the boxes that have the most statements under them marked or circled. Check only one box in a row. • If three or more of your checked boxes fall in the Fortress School section and none under the Open-Door or Partnership, your school is trying to keep parents away rather than work with them. In standards terms, it is below basic.” Page 19

15. Where Does Your School Fall? • “If three or more of your checked boxes fall under Come-if-We-Call and none under Partnership, your school may want parents to be involved only on its terms. In standards-based terms, it is at the basic level.” Page 19

16. Where Does Your School Fall? • “If at least four of your checked boxes fall under Open-Door or Partnership and none under Fortress School, your school welcomes families and supports them to be involved in a number of ways. In standards based terms, it is proficient.” Page 19

17. Where Does Your School Fall? • “If at least three of your checked boxes are under Partnership and the rest are under Open-Door, your school is willing and able to work with all families. We bet the student achievement level goes up every year. In standards-based terms, it is advanced.” Page 19

18. Where Does Your School Fall? “Now suppose you have put partnership into action at your school, using this book and your own ideas. Imagine what a group of thoughtful observers would see and report when they visit your school.” Many schools and districts are conducting family friendly walk-throughs with teams of parents, school staff, and community members to help to see their school through the eyes of others. Page 19

19. Where Does Your School Fall? Chapter 9 of this book deals in detail with family friendly walk-throughs and SCS also has a family friendly walk-through tool designed by the North Carolina Parent Involvement Resource Center (NC PIRC). NC PIRC’s Family Friendly Walk-Through tool has been scanned and is included in the Chapter 2 documents for Beyond the Bake Sale located under the staff tab under parent engagement on the SCS webpage. I will be glad to form a team and conduct a family friendly walk-through for any school that is interested. Central Elementary used this tool last year to provide feedback to their school regarding family friendly practices and to work towards positive changes noted in the tool.

20. Final Notes Chapter 2 has presented Beyond the Bake Sale’s Vision of Effective family-school partnership as a way to summarize the main ideas and themes of the book. The book encourages us to now develop a vision for each individual school. It reminds us that there is no magical combination of partnership practices that produce results every time. Hopefully, by the end of this study, your school will have a clear idea of why Partnerships are So Important and why family-school-community collaborations are worth the investment of your time and energy. Page 23

21. A Final Quote from the Book… “We hope that you use this book in the spirit with which it is offered – to build a vital, trusting, productive community of people who enjoy learning from each other and can work through their differences in the interests of the children. A school is a treasured place in a community, a place where people of all backgrounds can come together and thrive. Every school can be such a place. How to get there is what this book is all about.” Page 25

22. Beyond the Bake Sale‖ Session Homework Review & Discuss the Four Versions of Partnership located in Chapter 2 of Beyond the Bake Sale- located on the SCS webpage under the staff tab under parent involvement Beyond the Bake Sale Chapter 2. I have made individual copies of these four versions of Partnership that you can copy and write on to determine where your school falls. 2) Discuss with your school staff/team to see if your school is ready to implement a family friendly walk-through. I will be responsible for gathering the team and conducting the walk-through if your school is interested in completing the family friendly walk-through. 3) Have the principal email terri.scott@stanlycountyschools.org to share which of the four versions of Partnership your school is currently falling under and if you would like to conduct a family friendly walk-through or not at this time.