Best Practices for Effective Parent Events Inviting Parents

Best Practices for Effective Parent Events Inviting Parents to Engage in Meaningful Activities Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Department Jorge Luis Arredondo, Ed. D. Assistant Superintendent of FACE

Expected Outcomes • Learners will be able to: • Analyze existing parent events for areas of growth at their campus • Define effective practices for hosting parent events in both elementary and secondary schools • Create an outline of at least one parent event that incorporates “best practices”

Warm-Up Activity: Family Events at Your School 1. 2. 3. Create a list of family events that occur at your school. Place a next to the events that have to do with learning. Draw a around the events that invite parents to participate on grade-level learning goals. Do the majority of your parent activities have a direct correlation with student achievement? 3

Lower impact on student achievement Higher impact on student achievement Parent coordinators Fundraisers Potlucks Student performances Parent volunteering Parent resource rooms Parent training events Back to school night Parent social services Generic school newsletters Goal-setting talks Regular, personalized communication Parent-teacher conferences Weekly datasharing folders Positive phone calls home Interactive homework, tips, and tools for home learning Home visits Classroom observations or mini-lessons

Overall Best Practices: Getting Parents There Best Practices for Attendance • Have students perform/present • Provide food • Provide childcare 5

Inviting ALL Parents: Making Activities Accessible • Try multiple methods of communication • Consider language barriers • Research the day, time, and location of events • Provide childcare (depending on involvement of children) 6

Inviting ALL Parents: Outreach Communication • Over-Saturation: The more times a parent or family member reads, sees, or hears about an event the MORE likely they are to attend the event! Types of Outreach • Personal phone calls/texting • Flyers • Marquee announcements • Home visits • Automated message in multiple languages (school messenger) • School website • Existing school publications (newsletter/email lists) 7

Inviting ALL Parents: Addressing Language • Identify what language parents speak – Home Language Survey – Other Chancery Reports – Contact the Multilingual Department if you need assistance Race/Ethnicity in HISD Hispanic African American 8% White Asian 4% 25% 63% • Create a plan of action to address predominant second language 8

Inviting ALL Parents: Addressing Language Ways to Address Language Barriers 1. Host a Dual Language event 2. Host event in English with Spanish/second most common language translation 3. Host event in Spanish/second most common language with English translation 9

Inviting ALL Parents: Logistics What MOST families need to attend a parent meeting 1. Clear messaging on date, time, and location (even location within the school building) 2. Sufficient time to plan to attend the event 3. Childcare options 10

Elementary Best Practices: Create a Plan Align Parent Events to School’s Academic Goals/District Initiatives • Literacy by 3 • Career Exploration • Increasing STEM Education • School Choice Literacy by Three Introduction to Guided Reading Data Conversations with Parents Partner with Community Organizations 11

Elementary Best Practices: Embrace New Parents Parent Liaisons on Campus Train Parents/Staff to become Parent Liaisons. • Help new parents navigate the school • Provide language assistance • Inform parents on strategies to assist school’s academic goals • Provide clear guidelines on how to communicate with teachers 12

Elementary Best Practices: Less is More Consolidate and Create Recurring Events/Meetings • Increases importance/urgency of meetings • Creates a routine for parents and reinforces parent engagement on a regular basis Bi- Monthly Data Conversations • Introduce Data Conversations Model to Parents • Review Previous Year’s Data September • Set Goals for Parents and Students November February April • Review Benchmark Data • Review/Modify Goals Set • Review End of Year Data • Set Goals for Summer/Next school Year 13

Secondary Best Practices: Create a Plan Align District Initiatives The Global Graduate • Leader – Provide leadership training series to parents. • Adaptable and Productive – Invite Parents to view student projects/work. For example, hold a showcase based on different pathways at your campus. • Responsible Decision Maker – Inform parents about “hot topic” issues impacting students in a systematic way (Coffee with the Principal, School Chats, etc. ) 14

Secondary Best Practices: Less is More Utilizing Open House • Align Open House to school/district goals instead of just individual classes/courses • Provide calendar of parent engagement events/activities • recruit parent volunteers/leaders for PTO/PTA, PAC, and SDMC Sample Open House Flyer 15

Secondary Best Practices: Less is More Connect Recurring Social Events to Learning School Choice Forum (Spring 2015) • Welcoming and established environment for parents • Provide high quality information/resources about a topic parents can directly impact • Examples – – – Coffee with the Principal Muffins with Mom Donuts with Dad Fall Festival Spring Carnival 16

Secondary Best Practices: Less is More • Knowledge base: – Provide financial aid information (FAFSA) – Provide checklist – Communicate 9 th – 12 th grade matriculation – Host individual meetings to review checklist • Language barriers addressed: – Develop partnerships with other organizations with specialized knowledge in college/career awareness that also provide cultural awareness 17

Crafting a Plan: Big Picture Big Markers to Consider • • • School Improvement Plan School Profile Your Voice Results HB 5 Ratings Title I / Chancery Information 18

Crafting a Plan: First Steps Create an Action Team • Identify who will “Champion” family engagement on your campus • Action Team meets regularly, to discuss progress, constraints, etc. • Report findings of Action Team to school leadership team 19

Crafting a Plan: Logic Models 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Goals Inputs Outputs (Activities) Outputs (Participants) Outcomes (Short-Term, Interim, Long Term) 6. Assumptions 7. External Factors 20

Logic Model Template 21

References • • • Anderson, K. J. , & Minke, K. M. (2007). Parent involvement in education: Toward an understanding of parents' decision making. The Journal of Educational Research, 100 (5), 311 -32 Bouffard, S. (Ed. ). (2008). Building the future of family involvement. The Evaluation Exchange, 14(1 & 2). Epstein, J. L. (2001). School, Family, and Community Partnerships. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Henderson, A. T. , & Mapp, K. L. , with Averett, A. , Donnelly, D. , Jordan, C. , Orozco, E. , Buttram, J. , Fowler, M. , Myers, M. , & Wood, L. (2002). A new wave of evidence: The impact of school, family, and community connections on student achievement. Austin, TX: National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools Henderson, Anne T. Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family-school Partnerships. New York: New Press, 2007. Hoover-Dempsey, K. V. , Walker, J. M. T. , Sandler, H. , Whetsel, D. , Green, C. L. , Wilkins, A. L. , et al. (2005). Why do parents become involved? Research findings and implications. The Elementary School Journal, 106(2), 105– 130. 22

References (continuation) • Paredes, M. , O’Malley, M. , & Amarillas, A. (2012). What Works Brief #9: Family Engagement. San Francisco: West. Ed • • • Westmoreland, Helen, Heidi Rosenberg, Elena Lopez, and Heather Weiss. "Seeing Is Believing: Promising Practices for How School Districts Promote Family Engagement. " Harvard Family Research Project (2009): n. pag. Web. <http: //www. hfrp. org/family-involvement/publications-resources/seeing-is-believingpromising-practices-for-how-school-districts-promote-family-engagement>. http: //wgee. org/wpcontent/uploads/2013/08/Parent. Involvementresearchbrief 12. 2012. kd_. pdf https: //0 ea 29 dd 9 a 16 d 63 dcc 571314 f 1 dcf 5 bee 97 a 05 ffca 38 f 060 fb 9 e 3. ssl. cf 1. rackcdn. com/uploads/center_resource/d ocument/461/Parent_Engagement. pdf 23

Questions? 24

Mission Statement The Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Department is dedicated to advancing student achievement by building parent engagement Our Focus Our work is focused on three main areas: • Link family and community engagement to learning • Promote and support family-friendly schools • Empower parents to become advocates in their children’s education

FACE Paradigm Shift From To Isolated acts Systemic: Relevant to our academic needs Compliance driven Linked to Learning Service Developmental One-time project Sustained Select group of parents Equitable Only in some schools To Scale

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FACE Contact information Phone: 713 -556 -7290 Email: FACE@Houston. ISD. org Twitter. com/hisdface Web: houstonisd. org/face 28

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