We believe partnerships with parents families communities and
“We believe partnerships with parents, families, communities, and other stakeholders are essential to quality public education and student success. ” Module 1| The Power of Knowledge NEA core value on partnership 1
The Power of Knowledge • “We believe partnerships with parents, families, communities, and other stakeholders are essential to quality public education and student success. ” NEA core value on partnership 2
Research- and Evidence-Based Elements of Change Leverage Community Assets Improve District/Local Association Capacity and Collaboration Improve Staff Capacity/ Effectiveness Improve Student Outcomes § Access § Performance § Attainment Develop Family and Community Partnerships Adapted from the NEA Foundation 3
We do not have to close a school, fire most or all of its teachers, or turn it into a charter school to improve it. There is a better way. Successful and innovative models of public education that involve partnerships among government, parents, community organizations, education unions, businesses, and foundations are happening around the country. For long-term, sustainable school transformation, shared responsibility and collaboration are essential. ” NEA President Dennis Van Roekel 4
Epstein’s Framework on Involvement • “A philosophy, culture, and process; overlapping influence on education/well-being of children and adults. ” Community Family School Researcher, Joyce Epstein, Director, National Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships 5
Epstein’s Framework on Involvement • Parenting. Assist families with parenting skills, family support, understanding child and adolescent development, and setting home conditions, too. • Communicating. Create two-way communication channels between school and home that are effective and reliable. • Volunteering. Improve recruitment and training to involve families as volunteers and as audiences at the school or in other locations. 6
Epstein’s Framework on Involvement (2) • Learning at Home. Include families with their children in academic learning at home, homework, goal setting, and curriculum-related activities. • Decision Making. Include families as participants in school decisions, as well as in governance/advocacy activities. • Collaborating with the Community. Coordinate resources/services for families/students/school with community groups, businesses, agencies, cultural/civic organizations/colleges/universities. 7
Title 1—Parent involvement … Parent Involvement means “participation of parents in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning/other school activities, including: - Parents assisting their child’s learning; - Parents are encouraged to be involved at school; - Parents are full partners in decision making; Other activities, described in Sec. 1118, include compacts, policies, funding, capacity building, etc. 8
Family Engagement is: • A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY Schools and other community agencies and organizations are committed to engaging families in meaningful ways, and families are committed to actively supporting their children’s learning and development. • CRADLE TO CAREER Family Engagement is continuous across a child’s life, from early head start to college and career. • ACROSS CONTENTS Family Engagement is carried out everywhere that children learn— home, in pre-Ks, school, after-school programs, faith-based institutions, and community programs and activities. National Family and Community Engagement Working Group, 2009 9
OVERVIEW OF THE RESEARCH: What do we mean by family-school-community partnerships? • “Parent and community involvement that is linked to student learning has a greater effect on achievement than more general forms of involvement. ” Key finding from A New Wave of Evidence (Henderson and Mapp, 2002) 10
Students with involved parents/families: § § § Earn higher grades and test scores, and enroll in higher-level programs; Are promoted, pass their classes and earn credits; Attend school regularly; Have better social skills, show improved behavior, and adapt well to school; Graduate and go on to post-secondary education. “A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family and Community Connections on Student Achievement, ” Anne T. Henderson and Karen L. Mapp. 2002. Austin, TX: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL). 11
What successful schools do… • Focus on building trusting, collaborative relationships among teachers, families and community members • Recognize, respect, and address families’ needs, as well as class and cultural differences • Embrace a philosophy of partnership where power and responsibility are shared A New Wave of Evidence (Henderson and Mapp, 2002) 12
Middle/High School Achievement -Family interaction: • Talk regularly with students about school; • Help make plans for post-secondary education; • Keep students focused on learning, homework, and study habits throughout the year. A New Wave of Evidence (Henderson and Mapp, 2002) 13
Necessary Support for School Improvement Strong parent-community-school ties are: • Critical for attendance and safety; • Lead the drive for change. Organizing Schools for Improvement: Lessons from Chicago. 2009. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 14
Community Schools A community school represents a partnership between the school and community and its resources. It has an integrated focus on academics, health and social services, youth/community development/engagement which leads to student learning, stronger families/healthier communities. Schools became centers of community/open to everyone, every day. Coalition for Community Schools 15
Community Schools (2) • Community schools recognize that many factors influence achievement of our children. Community schools work to mobilize the assets of the schools and the entire community to improve the overall well-being of their citizens. Coalition for Community Schools 16
Community Organizing: A powerful strategy to improve schools Organizing Successes: • Education funding • Equitable distribution of resources • Access to college preparatory courses • Teacher recruitment and retention in hard-to-staff schools (Mediratta, Shah, and Mc Alister, 2009) 17
Community Organizing (2) • Community organizing for education reform focuses on working “with”—not on behalf of— low-income communities of color to increase the power of residents to speak and act for themselves. The Strengths and Challenges of Community organizing as an education reform, Annenburg Institute for School Reform 18
Community Engagement Essentials • • The role and leadership of Education Support Professionals (ESPs); Building trust and sharing power; Joint training/professional development sessions; Mapping/understanding/valuing—community served; • Long haul commitment. “These are all our children, and we will benefit by or pay for what they become. ” James Baldwin 19
Ten Truths of Parental Involvement 1. Parents have hopes and goals for their children. 2. Home is one of several spheres shaping a child. 3. Parent is the central contributor to child’s education. 4. Parent involvement must be legitimate. 5. Parent involvement is a process. 20
Ten Truths of Parental Involvement (2) 6. Parents’ interaction with their children is a cornerstone of involvement. 7. Parent involvement requires vision, policy, and a framework. 8. Most barriers to parent involvement are in school practices. 9. Any parent can be “hard to reach. ” 10. Successful parent involvement nurtures relationships and engagement. 21
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