1 family network on disabilities of florida, inc. 2735 whitney road clearwater, florida 33760 phone:...

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Family Network on Disabilities of Florida, Inc.

2735 Whitney Road Clearwater, Florida 33760

Phone: (727) 523-1130

Toll free: (800) 825-8687

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.fndfl.org

The Impact of Family and Community Involvement on Student Achievement

mailto:[email protected]

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National Center for Family & Community Connections with Schools

Southwest Educational Development Laboratory

A New Wave of Evidence:The Impact of School, Family, and Community

Connections on Student AchievementAnnual Synthesis 2002

Anne T. Henderson & Karen L. Mapp

http://www.sedl.org/connections/resources/evidence.pdf



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The History of “Evidence”

• The Evidence Grows (1981)

• The Evidence Continues to Grow (1987)

• A New Generation of Evidence: The Family is Critical to Student Achievement (1994)

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SEDL's Free Publications by Subject - Community and Family Involvement in Student Learning

http://www.sedl.org/pubs/library_community.html




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The Bottom Line

When parents are involved, regardless of their income or background, studentsare more likely to:

Earn higher gradesScore higher or testsAttend school Adapt well to schoolGraduateGo on to post secondary education

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The Findings

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The Findings

Increasing the Quantity of EvidencePositive Impact on Student Achievement

Expanding the Scope of the EvidenceEffective Strategies for Making

ConnectionsCommunity Organizing Efforts to Improve

Schools

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The Positive Impact on Student Achievement

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“A positive and convincing relationship between family involvement and benefits for students including improved academic achievement”

(p. 24)

Findings

On the Whole

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• Positive findings were truefor families across demographiccategories such as– Race– Ethnicity– Educational background

The Positive Impact The Positive Impact on Student Achievementon Student Achievement

Findings

Across Demographics

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• Specific Benefits Identified grade point average scores on standardized tests classes passed behavior attendance


Findings

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• Having an engaged parent isnot in itself a guarantee of highstudent achievement.

• Other Key Characteristics Needed– High expectations– Good curriculum– Quality instruction– School leadership


Findings

No Substitute for Good Teaching

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“Programs and interventions thatengage families in supporting theirchildren’s learning at home are linkedto higher student achievement.”

(p.25)


Findings

Schools Can Make a Difference

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“The more families support their children’s learning and educational progress (through the years) the more their children tend to do well in school and continue their education.”

(p.30)


Findings

Cumulative Effects

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“Families of all cultural backgrounds,education, and income levels encouragetheir children, talk with them about school,help them plan for higher education, and keepthem focused on learning and homework.”

(p.34)


Findings

ALL Types of Families

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Effective Strategies forMaking Connections

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“Programs that successfully connectwith families and communities– Invite involvement,– Are welcoming, and– Address specific parents and community

needs.”(p. 43)


Findings

On the Whole

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Parents’ involvement is based on:– What parents think they are supposed to do– Parents’ confidence in their ability to help– Parent’s perception that the school & child

want them to be involved


Findings

WHY Parents Get Involved

[Kathleen Hoover-Dempsey & Howard Sandler (1997)]

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What influences choices about “how” to be involved?– Parent self-perception (skills, ability, interest)– Demands on time and energy– Children, teacher/school specific suggestions

and invitations for involvement


Findings

[Kathleen Hoover-Dempsey & Howard Sandler (1997)]

HOW Parents Are Involved

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Involvement of parents from economically distressed circumstances

• SOCIAL FACTORS– Parents own educational experiences– Their parents’ involvement when they

were in school– Their beliefs about family involvement– Burdens of family responsibilities/time

constraints


Findings

[Karen Mapp (2002)]

Economically Distressed Families

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Findings

[Karen Mapp (2002)]

SCHOOL FACTORS - WHAT“When school staff engage in caring and trusting

relationships with parents that recognize parents as partners in the educational development of children, these relationships enhance parents’ desire to be involved.”

(p.45)


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Findings

[Karen Mapp (2002)]

SCHOOL FACTORS - HOW Processes by which relationships were formed

Welcome parentsHonor participationConnect with parents“Joining process”


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“Parent involvement programsthat are effective in engaging diverse families recognize, respect, andaddress cultural and class differences.”

(p.48)


Findings

Diverse Families

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• Best practices to involvefamilies from different culturaland social backgrounds:– Build on cultural values– Stress personal contact– Foster communications– Create a warm environment for parents– Facilitate structural accommodations


Findings

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Community OrganizingEfforts to Improve Schools

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• Community Organizing is:– Building a base of parents/residents who

engage in action to address school issues– Focusing on change in schools using

mobilization, direct action, negotiating, etc…– Supporting democratic decision making– Developing leaders from within– Building strong, lasting organization to alter

power relationships that lead failing schools


Findings

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• Community organizing contributesto changes in schools including:– Upgraded school facilities– Improved leadership and staffing– Higher quality learning programs– New resources & funding


Findings

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• Build relationships so those holding powerbecome more willing to share it.

• Build capacity of local school leaders toexpand and share decision making.

• Broaden power base of families and community members

• Use rights of free speech, assembly, due process,and access to courts

• Change governance policies to give parents and community members a voice on key issues.


Findings

Key Strategies

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Findings

Major Finding

Organized initiatives are developingin low-income, urban areas and therural south.

They have contributed to changes in policy, resources, personnel, school culture, and educational programs.

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The Recommendations:Putting Findings into Action

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Recommendation #1

• Recognize that ALL parents areinvolved and want their childrento do well in school.– Assume that all families can help improve

their children’s performance in school– Refrain from blaming families

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• Create programs that will supportfamilies to guide their children’slearning (preK-High School).– Early Childhood Program Features

• Home visits• Lending libraries• Discussion groups with other families• Classes on stimulating development

Recommendation #2

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• Guiding children’s learning (cont.)– Elementary & Middle School Age

• Interactive homework involving families• Regular phone calls from teachers• Learning packets with instructions• Meetings with teachers to talk about progress

– High school Age• Regular meetings with teachers• Information about program options, testing, graduation• Information about financing postsecondary education• Explanations of courses of study to prepare for college

Recommendation #3

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• Work with families to build theirsocial and political connections.– Promote families’ connections– Translate communications– Offer childcare, transportation, etc…– Support families’ involvement in decision making– Give families information about the education

system– Open the school to community meetings– Involve families in action research– Invite families to attend staff meetings & trainings

Recommendation #4

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• Develop the capacity of schoolstaff to work with families andcommunity members.– Design pre-service & in-service to:

• Help staff recognize advantages of school, family, & community connections

• Explore how to develop relationships with families

• Enhance staff ability to work with diverse families

• Enable staff to make connections with community resources

Recommendation #5

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• Link family and communityengagement efforts to student learning.– Develop programs for parents to assist children

in development of specific skills.• Demonstrate an activity (role play)• Give materials & advise on how to use them• Help parents assess children’s progress• Share ideas & knowledge between after-school staff and

teachers• Incorporate information on standards at open house

Recommendation #6

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• Focus efforts to engage familiesand community remembers indeveloping trusting and respectful relationships.– Relationships are key

• Respect cultural and class difference• Allocate resources to build relationships• Allow staff the resources and time to create and

operate programs

Recommendation #7

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• Embrace a philosophy of partnership;be willing to share power with families.– Imbed families in comprehensive school

improvement plans– Providing training for school decision-making

groups on how to work effectively– Avoid using parents and community members

to “rubberstamp” decisions

Recommendation #8

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• Build strong connections betweenschools and community organizations.– Work with community organizations

(e.g. Boys & Girls Club, YMCA)– Open the school to groups/agencies that

support families (e.g. health care, family literacy,job training, recreation, social activities)

– Coordinate with efforts to reach families withcommunity organizations including religious groups(e.g. neighborhood walks, focus groups, meetings with politicians)

Recommendation #9

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The Evidence

There is “strong and steadilygrowing evidence that familiescan improve their children’sacademic performance in school.

(p.73)

The Evidence Continues to Grow

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National Center for Family & Community Connections with Schools

http://www.sedl.org/connections

http://www.sedl.org/connections

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ED.gov

Engaging Parents in Education: Lessons from Five Parental Information And Resource Centers-- Pg 7

http://www.ed.gov/admins/comm/parents/parentinvolve/report_pg7.html



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The Research

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About the Studies

• 51 studies• Range covering

– Early childhood through high school– Diverse populations– Community as well as parent/family involvement– Different sources of data

• Sound methodological, experimental, quasi-experimental, or correlational design

• Findings that match the data collected

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About the Studies

• 3 Research Topics– Impact of parent & community

involvement on student achievement– Effective strategies to connect schools,

families, & communities *new topic

– Parent and community organizing effortsto improve schools *new topic

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Early Head Start Project EASE (Early Access to Success in Education)

HIPPY (Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters)

Head Start Title I Parent Outreach Programs TIPS (Teachers Involving Parent in Schoolwork)

Types of Programs in the StudiesTypes of Programs in the Studies

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What the Studies Cover

• Evaluations of Programs• Home vs. School Activities• Home-School Interactions• Family Use of Time• Community Effects• Culture and Class• Community Organizing/Building• Literature Reviews

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Defining Parent Involvement

• Studies included involvement athome & in school

• Many studies used some variationof Joyce Epstein’s 6 types– Parenting– Communication– Supporting School– Learning at Home– Decision Making– Collaborating w/Community

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Examples of Involvement

• Engaging in learning activitiesincluding checking homework

• Talking about school and whatchildren are learning

• Attending school events & conferences

• Monitoring out-of-school activities

• Volunteering in school

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Examples of Student Achievement

• Attendance• Report card grades• Enrollment in advanced classes• Standardized test scores• Enrollment in advanced classes• Teaching ratings of school adjustment• Behavior & healthy development• Reading/language performance

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Study Limitations

• Limited long-term research• Limited number of experimental

or quasi-experimental studies• Small sample size• Lack of rigorous standards in

program evaluation• Limitations inherent in use of survey data

– Based on interviews/questionnaires– Determining “directionality” looking after the fact– Difficult to determine the “whys”

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• Design and conduct research that ismore rigorous and that uses moreculturally sensitive and empoweringdefinitions of involvement.– Use different types of research to shed light on all

questions and issues in this complex field– Include information on practices to engage families

in future federal data collection– Expand how family involvement is defined– Investigate a greater variety of forms of family and community

engagement– Study how families attempt to influence schools and

become more involved

Research Recommendation

Don’t forget to complete our online survey on the last slide!

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Thank you!

Please click on the link below to take a short online survey. Type in your password:

impact

Parent survey: insert link here

Educator survey: insert link here

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Please Complete Evaluation

For more information contact:

2735 Whitney Road

Clearwater, Florida 33760

Office: 727-523-1130 or 800-825-5736

Fax: 727-523-8687

www.fndfl.org

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