Download - Success Partners Facilitator Handbook · Facilitator Handbook for Year 1. The Facilitator Handbook contains all the documents (i.e., planning, agendas, and scripts) you will need

Success Partners Facilitator Handbook

Modules 1-10

Vision: To establish and maintain a school culture that ensures increased student achievement through parent-school

partnerships

SUCCESS PARTNERS PLANNER

School Name ___________________________

School Facilitator(s)____________________________ DATE TIME MODULE # DETAILS TO REMEMBER

1

Looking Within: Understanding the Purpose of Parent–School Partnerships

2

Thinking Differently about Parental Engagement

3

Utilizing and Celebrating our Parents’ Strengths and Assets through the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM)

4

Examining Our School Environment **Parents are invited to attend this module.

5

One Roadblock to Parent Engagement: Homework

6

A Second Roadblock to Parent Engagement: Student Behavior

Mo

du

le 1

-1

0 S

ign

in S

he

et

P

leas

e in

itia

l nex

t to

yo

ur

nam

e

Teac

her

Nam

e M

od

ule

1

Mo

du

le 2

M

od

ule

3

Mo

du

le 4

M

od

ule

5

Mo

du

le 6

M

od

ule

7

Mo

du

le 8

M

od

ule

9

Mo

du

le 1

0

M

od

ule

1 -

10

Sig

n in

Sh

ee

t

Ple

ase

init

ial n

ext

to y

ou

r n

ame

Te

ach

er N

ame

Mo

du

le 1

M

od

ule

2

Mo

du

le 3

M

od

ule

4

Mo

du

le 5

M

od

ule

6

Mo

du

le 7

M

od

ule

8

Mo

du

le 9

M

od

ule

10

Dear Success Partners Educators,

Welcome to the Step Up For Students professional development initiative, Success Partners. We are so

excited to partner with you in the years to come as we work together to increase parental engagement and to

support student academic, social, and emotional success! We know it is going to be a great time of learning

with and from each other.

To support you in the successful execution of the Success Partners initiative, you have been provided with the

Facilitator Handbook for Year 1. The Facilitator Handbook contains all the documents (i.e., planning, agendas,

and scripts) you will need to carry out the initiative, and therefore, this handbook will need to accompany you

to each module, or face-to-face learning session. Your staff will use their Participant Handbooks to follow

along as you facilitate each session. All other materials and resources referenced in the Facilitator’s Handbook

are contained in the Participant Handbook.

Over the course of the first year, you will take your staff through ten modules, which will challenge you and

your colleagues to take an in-depth look at what your school is currently doing to address parental

engagement and will provide you with tools, structures, processes and conditions to take your partnership

with parents to the next level. Through these discussions and modules, you will develop a Parent-School

Partnership Plan (PSPP) specific to your school’s needs, which will be implemented during Year 2. It is

important to remember that teacher “buy-in” and the overall success of this initiative is dependent upon your

strong leadership, enthusiasm and willingness to execute the modules at your school.

Thank you for your dedication to changing the lives of children by engaging their parents in their learning. We

look forward to not only supporting you in this work, but also to developing long-lasting friendships.

The Office of Student Learning Team

Su

mm

er T

rain

-th

e-Fa

cilit

ato

r

Inst

itu

te

Two

Day

s

Sum

mer

Tra

in-t

he-

Faci

litat

or

Inst

itu

te

On

e D

ay

Win

ter

Trai

n-t

he-

Faci

litat

or

Inst

itu

te

On

e D

ay

Win

ter

Trai

n-t

he-

Faci

litat

or

Inst

itu

te

On

e D

ay

Jun

e

Jan

uar

y

Fin

aliz

e P

are

nt-

Sch

oo

l Par

tner

ship

Pla

n

(PSP

P)

by

Jun

e.

OSL

Co

ord

inat

or

sup

po

rt (

2 v

isit

s

wit

h s

cho

ol f

acili

tato

rs)

Sch

oo

l fac

ilita

tors

del

iver

Mo

du

les

1-6

to

staf

f.

Incr

ease

kn

ow

led

ge a

nd

use

of

the

Teac

hin

g

& L

earn

ing

Exch

ange

(TL

E).

OSL

Co

ord

inat

or

sup

po

rt (

2 v

isit

s)

Del

iver

Mo

du

les

8-1

0 t

o s

taff

.

Del

iver

Mo

du

les

14

-15

to

sta

ff.

Co

nti

nu

e im

ple

men

tin

g an

d r

evis

ing

the

PSP

P a

nd

TLE

.

OSL

Co

ord

inat

or

sup

po

rt (

1 v

isit

)

S

ucc

ess

Part

ner

s P

rofe

ssio

nal

Dev

elo

pm

ent

Mo

del

Year

1

Year

2

Jun

e

Jan

uar

y

OSL

Co

ord

inat

or

sup

po

rt (

1 v

isit

)

Del

iver

Mo

du

les

11

-13

to

sta

ff.

Kic

koff

an

d im

ple

me

nt

the

PSP

P

and

TLE

.

Su

cces

s P

art

ner

s

Yea

r O

ne

Ye

ar-A

t-A

-Gla

nce

Mo

du

le 1

M

od

ule

2

Mo

du

le 3

M

od

ule

4

Mo

du

le 5

M

od

ule

6

Loo

kin

g W

ith

in:

Un

de

rsta

nd

ing

the

Pu

rpo

se o

f P

are

nt*

–Sch

oo

l Par

tne

rsh

ips

Ob

ject

ive

s:

P

arti

cip

ants

will

beg

in t

o d

evel

op

a

sch

oo

l an

d c

lass

roo

m c

ult

ure

th

at e

mb

race

s p

aren

t en

gage

men

t.

P

arti

cip

ants

will

gai

n a

cle

ar

un

der

stan

din

g o

f th

e Su

cces

s P

art

ner

s o

verv

iew

an

d t

he

Par

ent-

Sch

oo

l Par

tner

ship

Pla

n

goal

Sch

oo

l sta

ff w

ill in

tro

du

ce t

he

ir

stu

den

ts’ p

aren

ts a

nd

fam

ilies

to

Su

cces

s P

art

ner

s an

d t

hei

r p

aren

t-sc

ho

ol p

artn

ersh

ip w

ork

.

Act

ivit

ies:

Co

mp

lete

on

line

Staf

f Su

rvey

on

P

aren

t En

gage

men

t.

R

evie

w c

urr

ent

be

liefs

ab

ou

t p

aren

t in

volv

emen

t in

ch

ild’s

ed

uca

tio

n u

sin

g a

Blo

ck P

art

y p

roto

col.

B

egin

wit

h t

he

End

in M

ind

: D

iscu

ss S

ucc

ess

Pa

rtn

ers

goal

s.

R

evie

w a

nd

re

fin

e N

orm

s (c

om

mu

nit

y ag

reem

ents

).

U

se t

he

Jigs

aw p

roto

col.

Thin

kin

g D

iffe

ren

tly

abo

ut

Par

en

tal E

nga

gem

en

t

Ob

ject

ive

s:

P

arti

cip

ants

will

eva

luat

e th

e

pu

rpo

se o

f p

revi

ou

s p

aren

t ac

tivi

ties

Par

tici

pan

ts w

ill r

efl

ect

on

th

eir

cu

rren

t an

d p

ast

bel

iefs

an

d

acti

on

s re

late

d t

o p

aren

tal

enga

gem

ent.

Par

tici

pan

ts w

ill o

bta

in a

co

mm

on

lan

guag

e fo

r u

nd

erst

and

ing

the

leve

ls o

f p

aren

t en

gage

men

t an

d

un

der

stan

d t

he

dif

fere

nce

b

etw

een

par

ent

enga

gem

ent

and

invo

lvem

ent.

A

ctiv

itie

s:

R

ead

an

d d

iscu

ss a

sce

nar

io t

o

elic

it t

each

ers’

bel

iefs

.

Eva

luat

e cu

rren

t an

d p

ast

sch

oo

l par

tner

ship

act

ivit

ies.

Use

Par

ent

Enga

gem

ent

Ru

bri

c to

un

der

stan

d le

vels

of

enga

gem

ent.

Rea

d a

rtic

le o

n p

aren

t en

gage

men

t vs

Invo

lvem

ent

and

dis

cuss

dif

fere

nce

s b

etw

een

th

e tw

o.

D

ocu

men

t n

ew id

eas

and

ac

tivi

ties

fo

r en

gagi

ng

par

ents

.

Uti

lizin

g an

d C

ele

bra

tin

g O

ur

Par

en

ts’ S

tre

ngt

hs

and

Ass

ets

th

rou

gh t

he

Sch

oo

lwid

e

Enri

chm

en

t M

od

el (

SEM

)

Ob

ject

ive

s:

P

arti

cip

ants

will

lear

n a

bo

ut

a va

riet

y o

f Sc

ho

olw

ide

Enri

chm

ent

Mo

del

(SE

M)

pro

gram

s.

Act

ivit

ies:

Wat

ch t

he

SEM

mo

del

vid

eo: “

A

Ris

ing

Tid

e Li

fts

All

Ship

s”.

R

ead

“C

eleb

rati

ng

Par

ents

th

rou

gh a

SEM

” ar

ticl

e.

C

om

ple

te a

Bo

dy

Bio

grap

hy

to

iden

tify

idea

s fo

r im

ple

men

tin

g a

SEM

in o

ur

sch

oo

l.

D

ocu

men

t n

ew id

eas

and

ac

tivi

ties

fo

r en

gagi

ng

par

ents

.

Exam

inin

g O

ur

Sch

oo

l En

viro

nm

en

t **

Par

ents

are

invi

ted

to

att

end

th

is m

od

ule

. O

bje

ctiv

es:

Par

tici

pan

ts w

ill g

ain

an

aw

aren

ess

of

the

str

uct

ure

s in

th

eir

sch

oo

l en

viro

nm

ent

rela

ted

to

par

enta

l en

gage

men

t an

d t

he

mes

sage

s th

ese

sen

d t

o p

aren

ts.

P

arti

cip

ants

will

lear

n t

he

po

wer

beh

ind

act

ivel

y lis

ten

ing

to a

nd

sp

eaki

ng

wit

h p

aren

ts,

colle

agu

es a

nd

stu

den

ts.

Act

ivit

ies:

Iden

tify

new

an

d a

nal

yze

exis

tin

g st

ruct

ure

s an

d

pro

cess

es w

ith

in a

sch

oo

l (V

isit

O

ur

Sch

oo

l - A

nth

rop

olo

gica

l D

ig).

Exp

erie

nce

ho

w t

o li

ste

n t

o a

nd

ta

lk w

ith

par

ents

usi

ng

a P

air

Co

mm

un

icat

ion

pro

toco

l.

R

ead

Sch

oo

l En

viro

nm

ent

arti

cle.

Do

cum

ent

new

idea

s an

d

acti

viti

es f

or

enga

gin

g p

aren

ts.

P

aren

t Su

rvey

on

Par

ent

Enga

gem

ent

On

e R

oad

blo

ck t

o P

are

nt

Enga

gem

en

t: H

om

ew

ork

O

bje

ctiv

es:

Par

tici

pan

ts w

ill a

dd

ress

cu

rren

t h

om

ewo

rk p

olic

ies

and

th

eir

imp

act

on

par

ent

par

tner

ship

s an

d

enga

gem

ent.

Act

ivit

ies:

Use

th

e Sn

ow

bal

l pro

toco

l to

in

vest

igat

e h

om

ewo

rk id

eas

and

wat

ch s

cho

ol v

ideo

.

Use

th

e C

on

tin

uu

m D

ialo

gue

p

roto

col t

o e

xam

ine

ho

mew

ork

bel

iefs

.

Do

cum

ent

new

idea

s an

d

acti

viti

es f

or

enga

gin

g p

aren

ts.

A S

eco

nd

Ro

ad

blo

ck t

o

Par

en

t En

gage

me

nt:

Stu

de

nt

Be

hav

ior

O

bje

ctiv

es:

Par

tici

pan

ts w

ill in

vest

igat

e th

e b

ehav

iors

th

at c

an in

terf

ere

wit

h r

elat

ion

ship

s w

ith

stu

de

nts

an

d p

aren

ts.

P

arti

cip

ants

will

un

der

stan

d t

he

“wh

ys”

of

mis

beh

avio

r an

d h

ow

to

res

po

nd

.

A

ctiv

itie

s:

C

om

ple

te v

isu

aliz

atio

n e

xerc

ise

o

n b

ehav

iors

th

at in

terf

ere

wit

h

lear

nin

g.

R

ead

art

icle

“Lo

oki

ng

at

Beh

avio

r th

rou

gh t

he

Eyes

of

Ou

r St

ud

ents

”.

U

se t

he

Co

nti

nu

um

Dia

logu

e

pro

toco

l to

exa

min

e b

ehav

ior

bel

iefs

.

Do

cum

ent

new

idea

s an

d

acti

viti

es f

or

enga

gin

g p

aren

ts.

*Th

e te

rm “

par

ent”

rep

rese

nts

an

y ad

ult

wh

o is

se

rvin

g in

th

e ca

pac

ity

of

cust

od

ian

fo

r th

e ch

ild.

Mo

du

les

1-6

are

to

be

com

ple

ted

by

Jan

uar

y 3

0.

Succ

ess

Pa

rtn

ers

Yea

r O

ne

Y

ear-

At-

A-G

lan

ce

Mo

du

le 7

M

od

ule

8

Mo

du

le 9

M

od

ule

10

U

sin

g al

l th

e F

un

ctio

ns

in t

he

TLE

O

bje

ctiv

es:

P

arti

cip

ants

will

be

able

to

acc

ess

and

u

tiliz

e th

e Te

ach

ing

and

Lea

rnin

g Ex

chan

ge

as a

PA

C (

pla

nn

ing,

co

mm

un

icat

ion

an

d

acco

un

tab

ility

) to

ol w

ith

par

en

ts a

nd

st

ud

ents

. A

ctiv

itie

s:

P

ract

ice

usi

ng

the

follo

win

g fe

atu

res

in t

he

TLE:

sta

nd

ard

s p

rofi

le p

age,

Per

son

al

Lear

nin

g P

lan

s, u

nit

pla

n a

nd

less

on

pla

n

crea

tio

n, a

nd

gra

deb

oo

k.

Par

en

t Ex

pe

ctat

ion

s: A

De

mo

nst

rati

on

o

f Tw

o-W

ay C

om

mu

nic

atio

n

Ob

ject

ive

s:

P

arti

cip

ants

will

ide

nti

fy t

he

sch

oo

l’s

curr

ent

exp

ecta

tio

ns

for

fam

ilie

s as

w

ell a

s fa

mili

es’

exp

ecta

tio

ns

of

the

sch

oo

l.

P

arti

cip

ants

will

ref

ine

exp

ecta

tio

ns

in

ord

er t

o s

up

po

rt a

co

llab

ora

tive

p

artn

ersh

ip.

Par

tici

pan

ts w

ill d

eve

lop

a p

roce

ss t

o

ensu

re p

aren

ts p

rovi

de

feed

bac

k o

n

exp

ecta

tio

ns.

Par

tici

pan

ts w

ill a

nal

yze

the

be

ne

fits

o

f h

om

e vi

sits

.

Act

ivit

ies:

Bra

inst

orm

idea

s re

late

d t

o t

he

sch

oo

l’s c

urr

ent

exp

ecta

tio

ns

of

fam

ilies

.

U

se t

he

Aff

init

y M

ap

pin

g p

roto

col t

o

refi

ne

exp

ecta

tio

ns

to s

up

po

rt a

p

artn

ersh

ip.

B

rain

sto

rm h

ow

to

invo

lve

par

ents

in

the

dec

isio

n m

akin

g o

f ex

pec

tati

on

s.

R

ead

“Te

ach

ers

Fin

d H

om

e V

isit

s H

elp

in

th

e C

lass

roo

m”

to g

ener

ate

ne

w

idea

s fo

r o

ur

par

ent-

sch

oo

l p

artn

ersh

ips.

Do

cum

ent

new

idea

s an

d a

ctiv

itie

s fo

r en

gagi

ng

par

ents

. .

It T

ake

s M

ore

th

an a

Vill

age

: A

C

olla

bo

rati

ve P

are

nt–

Teac

he

r M

od

ule

**

Par

ents

are

invi

ted

to

att

end

th

is m

od

ule

. O

bje

ctiv

es:

P

arti

cip

ants

will

dis

cove

r th

e co

ntr

ibu

tio

ns

and

ass

ets

of

each

mem

ber

of

the

sch

oo

l co

mm

un

ity.

Par

tici

pan

ts w

ill b

rain

sto

rm p

oss

ible

ac

tivi

ties

fo

r se

lect

par

tner

ship

go

als.

A

ctiv

itie

s:

E

nga

ge in

th

e C

om

pa

ss P

oin

ts p

roto

col t

o

lear

n o

f ea

ch c

olle

agu

e’s

pre

fere

nce

s fo

r gr

ou

p w

ork

.

R

ead

“Su

gges

tio

ns

for

the

PSP

P”

to

gen

era

te n

ew id

eas

for

ou

r p

aren

t-sc

ho

ol

par

tner

ship

s

U

se t

he

Car

ou

sel b

rain

sto

rm a

nd

th

e D

OV

E b

rain

sto

rmin

g n

orm

s to

iden

tify

id

eas

and

act

ivit

ies

for

the

PSP

P.

De

velo

pin

g, F

inal

izin

g an

d S

har

ing

a P

lan

to

St

ren

gth

en

Yo

ur

Par

en

t-Sc

ho

ol P

artn

ers

hip

s **

Par

ents

are

invi

ted

to

att

end

this

mod

ule.

O

bje

ctiv

es:

P

arti

cip

ants

will

eva

luat

e an

d p

rio

riti

ze t

he

iden

tifi

ed

str

uct

ure

s, c

on

dit

ion

s, a

nd

pro

cess

es t

hat

co

uld

incr

ease

par

en

tal e

nga

gem

ent

and

ch

oo

se a

go

al t

eam

.

In g

oal

tea

ms,

par

tici

pan

ts w

ill t

ran

slat

e th

eir

goal

s an

d o

bje

ctiv

es

into

a f

inal

ize

d P

aren

t-Sc

ho

ol

Par

tner

ship

Pla

n a

nd

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SPP

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PSP

P t

em

pla

te.

SUCCESS PARTNERS

MODULE 1 Looking Within: Understanding the Purpose of Parent–School Partnerships

Week(s) Prior to Module 1 meeting

1) Set the date/location of the meeting – optimal time is 60 minutes. Inform staff of the meeting. Decide about

light snacks – bowls of candy, chips, cookies etc.

2) Ask staff to bring their laptops/tablets or set up the meeting in the computer lab so that staff can take the

Staff Survey on Parent Engagement at the beginning of the meeting. Ask staff to complete the survey when

they enter the meeting. This link can be found at https://www.stepupforstudents.org/income-based-

scholarship/for-schools/facilitator-information.

3) All documents used for each module will be in the participant books and can be accessed at

www.stepupforstudents.org. Click on the “Success Partners Materials” link under the green box labeled “For

Schools”. From that page, please click on the school year that you joined Success Partners in order to access

the modules. (Once you open a file, you will need the PASSWORD: facilitator).

Make sure you get these files from the Module 1 folder on the website:

i. Editable Sample Parent Intro Letter

ii. Success Partners Testimonial video

4) You will need:

Music for the Block Party ŀƴŘ ŜƴƻǳƎƘ .ƭƻŎƪ tŀǊǘȅ ǉǳƻǘŜǎ ŦƻǊ ŜŀŎƘ ǇŜǊǎƻƴ όCIΣ ǇΦ моύ Norms from agenda – post in meeting room.

Laptop and projector to show the Success Partners Testimonial video

One Participant Handbook (PH) for each staff member

Media Release document at the end of Module 1 in this handbook όCIΣ ǇΦ нфύ – ask staff to sign and send document to Ella Beaver. (Fax: 813.251.0164 or Email: [email protected])

https://www.stepupforstudents.org/income-based-scholarship/for-schools/facilitator-information


http://www.stepupforstudents.org/

Module 1 Agenda


Success Partners Vision: To establish and maintain a school culture that ensures increased student achievement through parent-school partnerships Parent-School Partnership Plan Goals:

1. Establishing a Parent-Friendly School Environment 2. Ensuring Two-Way Communication 3. Eliminating Roadblocks to Engagement 4. Recognizing Excellence and Improvement of all Stakeholders

Objectives: Participants will begin to develop a school and classroom culture that embraces parent engagement. Participants will gain a clear understanding of the Success Partners overview and the Parent-School Partnership Plan goals. School staff will introduce their students’ parents and families to Success Partners and their parent-school partnership work.

Norms: Acknowledge one another as equals. Assume goodwill.

Speak and listen from the heart. Trust the process. Be present.

Expect it to be messy at times. Monitor equity of participation. Have fun.

WHAT WHO HOW LONG Welcome and Agenda Review Facilitators 10 minutes ACTIVITY 1: Staff Survey on Parent Engagement Facilitators and Staff 5 minutes ACTIVITY 2: Review beliefs about parent involvement in education. Staff 15 minutes

(Block Party protocol with quotes) ACTIVITY 3: Review and refine Norms (community agreements). Facilitators and Staff 5 minutes ACTIVITY 4: Use Jigsaw to discuss “Giving Families Back Their Power”. Facilitators and Staff 25 minutes

Next meeting

SUCCESS PARTNERS MODULE 1


MODULE 1: Suggested Facilitator Script

Welcome and Agenda Review Ask staff to sign in and make sure each person has a participant handbook.

Say: We are joining with almost 400 other schools across Florida, learning with and from one another about tapping into

the most underused free resource we have available to ensure student success …. Families! This professional

development is called Success Partners, and we will spend time this year looking at our methods and strategies to involve

parents here at our school. At the end of the school year, we will have created a Parent-School Partnership Plan (PSPP)

that is unique to our school.

Explain that you will first watch a video describing the main goals of the program. Show the Success Partners

Testimonial video.

Ask for any questions after the video is over.

Ask participants to quickly read the document explaining the overview of the Success Partners program on

PAGE 4 of the PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK.

Ask for any questions.

Say: Let’s begin with the end in mind. Turn to PAGE 1 in your PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK. This is the Year-at-a-Glance for all

the modules that we will complete as we move through the year.

Now we will have a few minutes to turn and talk to each other about the following question: What did you see in the

video, the Year At a Glance and/or the SP Overview document that you are excited about?

Agenda Review

Review objectives and activities on agenda in PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK PAGE 3.

Emphasize the objectives: What are our goals for this module?

Say: We will use the Success Partners Participant Handbook at our meetings for each of the 10 modules to document

our process of creating a Parent-School Partnership Plan through the work of Success Partners.

Note: You may want to collect the handbooks at the end of each module, or you may want to remind your staff to bring them back each time.

ACTIVITY ONE: Staff Survey on Parent Engagement

We will now take a brief survey. The purpose of this survey is to take a pulse of our school culture, specifically, the

current level of parent engagement from your perspective. Prior to this meeting, you received an email from me

containing the survey link. Please take a moment to check your email either through your cell phone, tablet, or

computer and complete the survey.

Please also sign the media release form that I am passing around right now agreeing to the use of your photo or words.

ACTIVITY TWO: Review beliefs about parent involvement in education.

Block Party Protocol

Say: We will now have the opportunity to discuss our beliefs about the impact of parent engagement on education. The strategy or protocol we will use for this sharing is called Block Party. Everyone should have one quote in hand to read and discuss. When you hear the music, stand up and move around the room. When the music stops, turn to a nearby colleague and take turns reading and reflecting on the quote you have in your hand. Remember - move when you hear the music and talk with a partner when the music stops. We will do this three times.

Debrief Block Party Ask the following questions:

What was an interesting quote that you or your partner

shared about parent engagement? How did this movement strategy allow for sharing?

Can you think of other ways you could use Block Party?

ACTIVITY THREE: Review and Refine Norms.

Make sure you have your Norms posted.

Read each norm aloud. Ask for any questions or concerns.

Ask if there are any others that should be included in order to do your best learning. Record any suggestions.

Explain that you will review the norms before every meeting to see if anything needs to be added or changed.

Ask - Can we agree on these norms?

ACTIVITY FOUR: Use Jigsaw to discuss “Giving Families Back their Power”.

Remind staff that the article is on PAGE 7 of their PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK and the 4 As Protocol is on PAGE 6.

Say: To wrap up today’s session, we will read an article called “Giving Families Back their Power” to further

challenge us to think about partnering with families. The strategy or protocol we will use to engage in conversation

about this article is called Jigsaw.

I will divide you into 4 groups and then assign specific page numbers of an article for your group to read. The

objective is for your group to become experts on those assigned pages because you will then share what you learned

with the other groups.

You can use the 4 A’s Protocol on PAGE 6 to take notes on something in the article you agree with, want to argue

with, and aspire to, as well as any additional thoughts you have about the article.

Divide your staff into four groups.

Assign the following page numbers to each group: Group 1 – pages 9-12, Group 2 – pages 13-16, Group 3 –

pages 17-20, Group 4 – pages 21-24.

Give each group 8 minutes to read their assigned section.

Create groups where there is a member from Group 1, Group 2, Group 3 and Group 4 together.

Instruct them to take turns (2 minutes each) sharing what they learned with each other.

Next Steps

Ask participants to review the Intro to Success Partners letter to parents on page 5 of the PH and share any

suggestions for improvement with you before the next meeting. This letter will be sent home to parents before

the next meeting.

Explain that the next time you meet you will:

o obtain a common language for understanding the levels of parent engagement

o understand the difference between parent engagement and involvement

Block Party Quotes

Nevertheless, no school can work well for children if parents and teachers do not act in partnership on behalf of the children's best interests. Parents have every right to understand what is happening to their children at school, and teachers have the responsibility to share that information without prejudicial judgment.... Such communication, which can only be in a child's interest, is not possible without mutual trust between parent and teacher. Dorothy H. Cohen (20th century), U.S. educator, child development specialist. The Learning Child, "Beyond the Home to School and Community," (1972).

Children who grow up in stimulating, emotionally supportive, highly verbal, and protective environments where the caretaker teaches and models skill development are usually ready for school. When the child is able to meet expectations, he or she receives praise or a positive feedback in school. This also compliments the caretaker--a child-rearing job well done. The caretaker or parent and school people feel good about each other. The child receives a message from parents that the school program is good. The positive emotional bond between parents and child is extended to the school. The school staff can then serve as parent surrogates. This facilitates learning. James P. Comer (20th century), U.S. psychiatrist and author. School Power, ch. 2 (1980).

Productive collaborations between family and school, therefore, will demand that parents and teachers recognize the critical importance of each other's participation in the life of the child. This mutuality of knowledge, understanding, and empathy comes not only with a recognition of the child as the central purpose for the collaboration but also with a recognition of the need to maintain roles and relationships with children that are comprehensive, dynamic, and differentiated. Sara Lawrence Lightfoot (20th century), U.S. professor, education. Worlds Apart, ch. 5 (1978).

Consistent parent involvement dramatically increases the likelihood that quality learning will occur in the classroom and at home. Parents play such a crucial role in their children’s academic, physical, social, and moral development that we, as teachers, make a huge mistake if we view them as anything other than indispensable collaborators. Steve Reifman, teacher, author, speaker 2010 www.stevereifman.com

It’s not enough to keep parents pleased, appeased, or out of our hair. If we’re committed to bringing the best out of our students and teaching the whole child, we need to build and maintain long-term relationships of loyalty, trust, and respect with their parents. Investing the time and effort to work closely with parents throughout the year maximizes our chances of fulfilling our mission and achieving our goals. Steve Reifman, teacher, author, speaker 2010 www.stevereifman.com

Parents are their children’s first and most important teachers. Though not all teachers are parents, all parents are teachers. As such, they have the greatest impact on a student’s motivation to learn. Parents are usually eager to play a significant role in their children’s education, but they often don’t know how. By establishing caring relationships with parents, we can help them help their children Steve Reifman, teacher, author, speaker 2010 www.stevereifman.com

Consistent communication between the home and school enables parents to reinforce the skills, knowledge, habits, and priorities that we emphasize in class. This fact is especially true in situations where our teaching methods and approaches may differ from the norm and require parent follow-up on a regular basis. Steve Reifman, teacher, author, speaker 2010 www.stevereifman.com Commit to making parent involvement a top priority as you begin the next school year

It’s important that teachers are aware of students’ strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, areas of special sensitivity, and any factors at home that are affecting school performance. Parents are in the best position to provide this information and are usually glad do so when asked. Steve Reifman, teacher, author, speaker 2010 www.stevereifman.com

The parents of our students are our partners. Commit to making parent involvement a top priority as you begin the next school year. Keeping parents informed and involved on a consistent basis pays huge dividends as we focus on the academic, behavioral, and social needs of our students. In order for us to teach the whole child, we must work with and value the whole family.

Steve Reifman, teacher, author, speaker 2010 www.stevereifman.com

There are numerous documents that stress the importance of parent and teacher communication. Parents and the relationships that they share with their child's teacher have been researched for many years now. These studies have concluded that when a parent is actively involved with their child's education, it benefits all involved in one way or another. Communication is one of the top strategies for fostering the relationships that grow between a parent and the educators that work with their child. The educational system is faced with many challenges and obstacles, and when parents and teachers communicate effectively these may be successfully overcome.

Angie Shiflett education.more4kids.info

It is important to understand that when parents and teachers communicate, it provides an opportunity for the child to reach their maximum potential both in the classroom and outside of the classroom. This is because of the fact that when regular communication is engaged in, a relationship will form. This relationship will assist the child in realizing that they have a solid support system that is working together for their benefit. Angie Shiflett education.more4kids.info

Children who know that their parent and their teacher communicate often have been found to perform better academically. They have also been found to exhibit more appropriate behavior in the classroom setting. It has also been established that children who have a parent that communicates with their teacher regularly have a better understanding of consequence as it relates to their academic performance and their behavior. Angie Shiflett education.more4kids.info

Parents have an important role when it comes to their child's academic success. It has been established that the parent is the top educator in their child's life. It has also been established that the parent is the prime role model for their child. While teachers are important as well, the child will benefit more if there is a collaboration that involves regular communication. Angie Shiflett education.more4kids.info

When a child's teacher and parents make a mutual commitment to the best interests of the child, he feels supported on all fronts. With at least two adults as caring guides, he feels that he is competent to learn, but more importantly, he feels supported as a person. Angie Shiflett education.more4kids.info

Teachers have the capability to express the skills and the concepts that are being introduced in the classroom so that parents may reinforce them at home through an assortment of learning activities. The teacher has the ability to offer productive suggestions on learning tools and even exercises that may be performed at home in order to optimize the child's learning experience. Angie Shiflett education.more4kids.info

Education is about much more than just academic success. We must use the parent teacher relationship to help children achieve a sense of competence and balance. This means encouraging the many facets of a child's development and helping him form what I call a "healthy core foundation," which includes self-perceptions, worldview and the willingness to learn how to form life-affirming relationships with others. When a child has a healthy core foundation, he has a strong desire to learn. Laura Ramirez, author. Www.parenting-child-development.com

“A positive parent-teacher relationship helps your child feel good about school and be successful in school,” advises Diane Levin, Ph.D., professor of education at Wheelock College. “It demonstrates to your child that he can trust his teacher, because you do. This positive relationship makes a child feel like the important people in his life are working together.” www.pbs.org/parents/education/going-to-school/parent-involvement

The framework for interaction with families – or the approach – that is supported by several theories and research findings views parents as essential, not merely desirable, for children’s optimal reading performance in school. This framework requires a new way of thinking about factors that promote children’s success in school and new school-based practices for connecting with parents. For example, teachers will reach out to parents in a variety of ways because parents are at different places; they have different skills, knowledge, and time for supporting their children’s reading. How educators support families for their roles for home support for reading and literacy will differ. Parent-Teacher Partnerships: Creating Essential Connections for Children’s Reading and Learning Sandy Christenson, University of Minnesota Productive parent-teacher relationships can take many forms.

Given the influence of context, “parents and teachers working as partners” is a concept, not an exact prescription or prescribed set of steps or activities. Working as partners depends on careful consideration of school-based practices for connecting with families. It is beneficial for teachers to think about the following: What kind of relationship is desired in this parent-student-teacher context? What are the rights of parents, students, and teachers? What are the roles and responsibilities of parents, students, and teachers? What are the resources each brings to enhance learning experiences and reading outcomes for students? Parent-Teacher Partnerships: Creating Essential Connections for Children’s Reading and Learning Sandy Christenson, University of Minnesota

Both parents and teachers have an important role to play; their roles do not replace but rather complement and reinforce the other’s role, thus providing the student with a consistent message about reading and learning. Thinking of parents and teachers as “partners” refers to this mutual effort toward a shared goal. It also implies shared responsibility of parents and teachers for supporting students as learners (Christenson & Sheridan, 2001). Parent-Teacher Partnerships: Creating Essential Connections for Children’s Reading and Learning Sandy Christenson, University of Minnesota

Working as partners is a way of thinking about how to create constructive connections between parents and teachers. Forming connections means developing an intentional and ongoing relationship between teachers and parents that is designed to enhance children’s reading and learning, and to address the obstacles that impede it. It requires delivery of the right message: “that mutual respect and interdependence of home, school, and the community are essential to children’s development” (McAfee, 1993, p.21). Parent-Teacher Partnerships: Creating Essential Connections for Children’s Reading and Learning Sandy Christenson, University of Minnesota

Effective collaboration is dependent on the belief that the parent-teacher relationship is a priority. There is shared ownership for identifying and working toward solutions and goals (e.g., improved reading skills and scores). Likewise, there is recognition of and respect for individual and cultural differences in developing and adapting to changes that come out of mutual and shared decision making. Parent-Teacher Partnerships: Creating Essential Connections for Children’s Reading and Learning Sandy Christenson, University of Minnesota

Collaboration involves both equality – the willingness to listen to, respect, and learn from one another, and parity – the blending of knowledge, skills, and ideas to enhance the relationship, and outcomes for children. Thus, parents and teachers “share joint responsibilities and rights, are seen as equals, and can jointly contribute to the process” (Vosler-Hunter, 1989, p. 15). Parent-Teacher Partnerships: Creating Essential Connections for Children’s Reading and Learning Sandy Christenson, University of Minnesota

Teacher attitudes of and about all families, including those who differ from the majority culture, are important. Each family is unique in terms of its ethnic heritage, level of acculturation, socioeconomic status, language practices, belief systems, religious and lifestyle orientation, and involvement with extended family members, to name a few. Collectively, these characteristics provide a family with an inherent uniqueness that defines who they are, and must be recognized as special to that family. Parent-Teacher Partnerships: Creating Essential Connections for Children’s Reading and Learning Sandy Christenson, University of Minnesota

A defining feature of a constructive parent-teacher relationship: An emphasis on the quality of the interface and ongoing connection between the parent and the teacher. Creating a constructive relationship (how the family and the teacher work together in meaningful ways) to execute their respective roles in promoting the reading success of the child is most important. Parent-Teacher Partnerships: Creating Essential Connections for Children’s Reading and Learning Sandy Christenson, University of Minnesota

Definitions for parent involvement have broadened. Involvement refers to participation at school and at home. New definitions, particularly in urban settings, replace “parent” with “family,” because the most significant adults in the lives of many children may be siblings, relatives, or even neighbors who provide child care. Options for involvement have moved beyond the “big three” (volunteer, homework helper, fund raiser) or only what the teacher desires for the parent to do. Parent-Teacher Partnerships: Creating Essential Connections for Children’s Reading and Learning Sandy Christenson, University of Minnesota

Home environmental influences are positively associated with the kinds of benefits desired by teachers for students. When parents are involved, students show improvement in grades; test scores, including reading and math achievement; attitude toward schoolwork; behavior; academic perseverance; completion of homework; attendance and participation in classroom learning activities. Other benefits for students include fewer placements in special education, greater enrollment in postsecondary education, lower dropout rates, fewer suspensions, and greater realization of exceptional talents. Parent-Teacher Partnerships: Creating Essential Connections for Children’s Reading and Learning Sandy Christenson, University of Minnesota

Schools and teachers alone seldom help students achieve their full academic potential. This is not an indictment of schools and teachers. Rather, this is a fact of child development. Students’ personal investment in and interest for learning, for example, are influenced by parental messages (Bempechat, 1998; Coleman, 1987). Therefore, the approach for interacting with families is characterized by focusing on the importance of the relationship and establishing meaningful co-roles for the partners. Parent-Teacher Partnerships: Creating Essential Connections for Children’s Reading and Learning Sandy Christenson, University of Minnesota

It is likely impossible for individuals who fit more comfortably into the predominant culture to understand all families whose cultural make-up differs from their own. Nevertheless, it is essential that sincere efforts be made to understand all families for who they are rather than what they are or are not. One way to accomplish this is to acknowledge and embrace differences among families and to be open to the practice of taking multiple perspectives. Parent-Teacher Partnerships: Creating Essential Connections for Children’s Reading and Learning Sandy Christenson, University of Minnesota

Foster parental engagement at school and with learning. Families do not need to be fixed---they need to be supported in their efforts to educate their children in ways they see fit (importance of goal setting with families, being a resource to families to achieve what they want). Teachers can: •Help parents to navigate the school system (e.g., understand policies and practices)• Be available as a resource for their questions/needs/desires• Encourage parents to ask specific questions about their child’s reading performance• Foster a positive learning environment at home. Parent-Teacher Partnerships: Creating Essential Connections for Children’s Reading and Learning Sandy Christenson, University of Minnesota

Invitations for parents to be involved may come also from students. According to Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler (1997), children may influence their parent’s participation due to their “emotional influence over parental decisions because of the personal relationship involved” (pp. 27-28). Specific invitations by the children for their parents to attend meetings, review homework, or participate in special events provides an “overt affirmation of the importance of parental approval and participation” (p. 28) that can facilitate action on the part of parents. Parent-Teacher Partnerships: Creating Essential Connections for Children’s Reading and Learning Sandy Christenson, University of Minnesota

Working together in collaborative relationships with parents is crucial to a child’s optimal reading success. Attitudes are among the most salient and powerful precursors to healthy partnerships with parents. Constructive attitudes allow teachers to ask: How can we work together to address a concern or shared goal? Constructive attitudes allow for the development of effective listening, nonblaming messages, and trust. Parent-Teacher Partnerships: Creating Essential Connections for Children’s Reading and Learning Sandy Christenson, University of Minnesota

Positive attitudes allow parents and educators together to identify concerns, analyze situations, develop and implement plans, and evaluate goal attainment. Problem solving, information gathering, and resource sharing are all heightened. The attitudes parents and educators hold about each other set the stage for an atmosphere conducive for the formation of effective relationships. School personnel that attempt to put programs into place in the absence of constructive attitudes and a healthy atmosphere will likely experience limited success. Parent-Teacher Partnerships: Creating Essential Connections for Children’s Reading and Learning Sandy Christenson, University of Minnesota

The broad actions to be taken to create essential connections between parent and teachers in terms of promoting children’s reading success must be contextualized. The buy-in for some parents, especially those outside the social mainstream is more complex and challenging (Comer et al., 1996). However, if educators change their traditionally oriented practices with families to those that are characterized by inclusion and dialogue, disconnected families and educators will be able to form positive, realistic connections to socialize and support learners. Parent-Teacher Partnerships: Creating Essential Connections for Children’s Reading and Learning Sandy Christenson, University of Minnesota

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SUCCESS PARTNERS

MODULE 2: Thinking Differently About Parental Engagement


1) Set the date/location of the meeting – optimal time is 50 minutes. Inform staff of the meeting. Decide about light snacks – bowls of candy, chips, cookies etc.

2) Send out an email to your staff reminding them to bring their PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK to the meeting.





4) Read and Review:

Agenda

Suggested script

Article: “I Can’t Understand Why Johnny Won’t Do His Homework”

Parent Engagement Rubric

Article: “The Difference Between Parent Engagement and Parent Involvement”

5) You will need:

Norms from agenda including any additional norms added – post in meeting room.


Module 2 Agenda

Thinking Differently About Parental Engagement

Success Partners Vision: To establish and maintain a school culture that ensures increased student achievement through parent-school partnerships

Parent-School Partnership Plan Goals:


Objectives: Participants will evaluate the purpose of previous parent activities. Participants will reflect on their current and past beliefs and actions related to parental engagement. Participants will obtain a common language for understanding the levels of parent engagement and understand the difference between

engagement and involvement.




WHAT WHO HOW LONG Welcome and Agenda/Norms Review Facilitators 5 minutes ACTIVITY 1: Read aloud “I Can’t Understand Why Facilitators 5 minutes Johnny Won’t Do His Homework” to elicit teachers’ beliefs. ACTIVITY 2: Evaluate current and past school partnership activities. Facilitator and Staff 15 minutes ACTIVITY 3: Understanding the different levels of parent engagement Facilitator and Staff 10 minutes (Use Parent Engagement rubric.) ACTIVITY 4: Read article “The Difference between Parent Facilitator and Staff 10 minutes Engagement and Parent Involvement”. ACTIVITY 5: Document new ideas & activities for engaging parents Facilitator and Staff 5 minutes Next meeting_________________


Thinking Differently About Parental Engagement


Welcome and Agenda/Norms Review

Ask staff to sign in.

Say: Today we are going to examine some traditional thoughts about parent involvement. The activities are designed

to help us see that our behaviors are often results of our beliefs. To change our behaviors we first have to challenge

our beliefs. Today we will focus specifically on beliefs related to parental engagement.

As we begin to develop a Parent-School Partnership Plan, it will be important for us to have a common language for

understanding the levels of parent engagement. Using the Parent Engagement Rubric today, we will become familiar

with identifying the levels of parent engagement.

We will also spend time capturing our new thinking and possible ideas for our partnership plan. As we move through

each of the modules we will end each session by documenting new ideas for partnering with our families.

Review Norms, Intended Objectives, and the Goals of the

Partnership Plan (all listed on the agenda found on PAGE 25 of

the PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK).

ACTIVITY ONE: Read Aloud “I Can’t Understand Why

Johnny Won’t Do His Homework” to elicit teachers’

beliefs.

Read aloud the article (located at the end of this script and on

PAGE 26 of the PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK) to your staff and encourage them to follow along or just listen. [Pause

for about 60 seconds at the end of the piece to give your teachers time to reflect.]

Ask your staff the following questions:

o What were the different teachers’ beliefs about the parents in this scenario?

o How did the teachers’ beliefs in this scenario affect their actions?

o What alternative beliefs do you think the first-year teacher may have held about those parents and

homework?

The following questions may be posed as rhetorical questions that teachers can consider silently:

o Have you ever found yourself saying some of the statements you heard in this scenario?

o Have you ever changed your beliefs about a situation and found that it gave you additional options to

more successfully address a problem? Is anyone willing to share a situation like that?

Say: We need to remember that we ‘meet our families where they are’. It is critical that we are aware of the lens

that we are using to determine how we will respond and act. Those beliefs that worked so well for ourselves or our

own families might need to be altered if we are truly committed to working with each and every parent.

ACTIVITY TWO: Evaluate current and past school partnership activities.

Give staff 5 minutes to fill in the tool and then engage in a discussion:

o Ask: “How we can move toward activities that are not only fun but more importantly, focus on the goal

of increasing student achievement by engaging parents? Also, if we noticed that many of our activities

were done only within certain classrooms, we need to acknowledge the fact that research tells us that

to make a sustainable difference in schools, 90% of the population needs to be engaged.”

Tell staff that they will be given time after each module to jot down ideas of activities that we can include in our

PSPP for next year.

ACTIVITY THREE: Understanding the Different Levels of Parent Engagement

Use the Parent Engagement Rubric on PAGE 28 of the PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK to guide the discussion.

5 minutes - Have the staff review the document and think about a parent in their class that fits the description

of each level of Parent Engagement and consider the achievement level of the students of these parents.

5 minutes – Ask for a “ball park number” of each type of parent the school has at each level of engagement.

Say: Let’s keep these parents who are not engaged or minimally engaged in the learning of their children in the forefront

of our minds. The Parent-School Partnership Plan we will be developing this year should focus on engaging our “non-

engaged” and “minimally engaged” parents and which will consequently improve student achievement.

ACTIVITY FOUR: Read article “The Difference Between Parent Engagement and Parent Involvement”.

Use the article “The Difference Between Parent Engagement and Parent Involvement” on PAGES 29-31 of the

PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK.

Divide the staff into three groups and assign each group one of the sections of the article.

Say: Now we will evaluate the activities that we are already doing individually in the classroom and school-wide

using the evaluation tool on PAGE 27 of your PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK. First you will make a list individually and

then check the column that you feel most represents the purpose of each activity. Then we will discuss as a whole

group.

10 minutes- The staff reads their section, discusses the difference between engagement and involvement, and

records their thoughts on the Engagement vs. Involvement “T”- Chart on PAGE 32 of the PARTICIPANT

HANDBOOK.

5 minutes- Ask the staff to form triads, with one person from each section of the article in each triad (i.e., one

from Section 1, one from Section 2, and one from Section 3). Staff should share their findings, similarities and

differences.

Say: Now that we have discussed the difference between engagement and involvement, what types of activities could

we design that would encourage parent engagement for student success rather than just involvement?

ACTIVITY FIVE: Document new ideas and activities for engaging parents

5 minutes- Based on today’s discussions, ask the staff to write down activities or ideas to better engage parents

on PAGE 33 in the PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK.

Say: While you are writing down your ideas for new activities, try not to replicate what we are already doing. Instead,

use what we have learned today to think differently about how we might engage parents. Look back at the article you

read during Module 1 and the article we read in the module today to spark your thinking.

I Can’t Understand Why Johnny Won’t Do His Homework: Reflections of a First Year Teacher

As my grade level team gathered at their self-proclaimed table in the revered Seminole Swamp Teacher’s Lounge, I took

my seat and prepared for what was always entertaining conversations. As a first year teacher, I had quickly learned

that it was much wiser to basically just listen, nod, and grunt agreement than to jump into the fray. Anyway, I was just

a first year teacher, what did I know?!

Conversations often mirrored the beliefs of the staff, and a first year teacher who listened with an open mind could

learn a lot about a teacher’s behaviors by listening to his or her thoughts and beliefs. Today the conversations ranged

from the new teacher evaluation to the way we would dismiss when it was a rainy day to weekend plans. As the

conversations ebbed, our team leader put down her fork and muttered to anyone listening, “I just don’t get it. I just

can’t seem to come up with a consequence to make Johnny do his homework.” She went on to lament, “He just doesn’t

care, and neither does that mother of his. I’ve emailed that parent 100 times, and she never answers. When I had the

parent conference, she brought some friend who did all the talking. I don’t think that mom was even listening to me.

And to top it off, she had three kids with her, and boy, were they distracting!”

Several teachers commiserated with her and remarked, “Yeah, some parents here at Seminole Swamp just don’t care.

They think that because they’re paying, it’s up to us to do all the teaching. Why, half of them don’t even get their

mandatory volunteer hours done.” Another teacher chimed in, “When I had Johnny, I would make him miss PE to finish

his homework, and most of the time he just put his head down and did nothing. I even told that mother that she better

make sure his algebra homework was done and done right.”

Another teacher added, “I give a zero for every homework assignment not turned in, and that works for most of my

students. But for some, they just end up failing the course.”

Listening quietly, I thought back to our pre-planning, when the principal had been very clear that it was the “Seminole

Swamp” tradition to give homework every night in every subject. He had reminded us that homework should build

character, extend learning, and involve parents in their kids’ lessons. Was the homework that we were assigning

accomplishing those goals?

Daring to enter the conversation, I gathered my courage and challenged my colleagues with a simple thought, “Maybe

we should rethink homework at Seminole Swamp.” After several moments of silence, our team leader looked at me and

said, “We all had to do homework every night and look how well we all turned out.”

Or had we, I wondered?

SUCCESS PARTNERS

MODULE 3: Utilizing and Celebrating Our Parents’ Strengths and Assets through the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM)








3) Make sure you get these files from the Module 3 folder on the website:

i. SEM video – “A Rising Tide Lifts All Ships”

4) Read and review:

Agenda

Suggested script

“Celebrating Parents through a SEM” article

5) Send out an email reminder to your staff that they need to bring their participant handbook to the meeting.


Module 3 Agenda

Utilizing and Celebrating Our Parents’ Strengths and Assets through the

Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) Success Partners Vision: To establish and maintain a school culture that ensures increased student achievement through parent-school partnerships Parent-School Partnership Plan Goals:


Objectives: Participants will learn about a variety of Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) programs.




WHAT WHO HOW LONG Welcome and Agenda/Norms Review Facilitators 5 minutes ACTIVITY 1: Investigating SEM Using a Body Biography Facilitators and Staff 30 minutes

Watch SEM video – “A Rising Tide Lifts All Ships”

Read “Celebrating Parents through a SEM” article ACTIVITY 2: Developing a process to implement a SEM program Facilitators and Staff 10 minutes ACTIVITY 3: Document new ideas and activities for engaging parents Facilitators 5 minutes

Next meeting_________________


Utilizing and Celebrating Our Parents’ Strengths and Assets through the Schoolwide

Enrichment Model (SEM)




Review the norms and objectives on the agenda (PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK PAGE 34).

ACTIVITY ONE: Investigating SEM using a Body Biography

Ask staff to turn to PAGE 35 of the PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK and tell them

to write in the head what they learned about SEM while they watch the video.

Show video: “A Rising Tide Lifts All Ships”

Ask staff to share what they learned.

Instruct staff to read the article titled “Celebrating Parents through a SEM”

on PAGE 36 of the PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK and write in the heart specific talents

their families bring to the school (e.g., grandmother at school wants to teach

everyone how to knit a scarf). Staff may use ideas in article if relevant to talents and

strengths of parents at your school.

Ask staff to share specific examples written in the “heart”.

Instruct staff to write in the hands what a SEM program would look like in

your school, and write in the feet how to get the program up and running. Ask staff

to share SEM ideas.

Say: To learn about the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM), we will first watch a short video, “A Rising Tide Lifts All

Ships” that further explains SEM and then read an article titled “Celebrating Parents using SEM”. While watching the

video and reading the article, you will fill in the Body Biography graphic organizer found on PAGE 35 in the

PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK. This will help us think about how we can organize and implement a SEM program in our

school.

Say: Today we will discuss how we can utilize and celebrate our parents’ strengths and assets to further engage

them in a strong partnership with our school by investigating and developing a Schoolwide Enrichment Model. It is

critical to tap into these resources because our parents have knowledge and skills in many areas that we can use to

provide enrichment to our students.

ACTIVITY TWO: Developing a process to implement a SEM program

Say: Putting a process in place for a SEM program may seem overwhelming, but there are some easy steps we can put

into place to make this model come alive at our school.

Read off the following steps and have staff follow along using PAGE 37 in the PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK.

Step 1: Gather information on parents’ interests and hobbies through an Interest Inventory (see PARTICIPANT

HANDBOOK PAGE 40).

o You will be sending a copy of this home with each of your students to gather this information prior to

our next module.

Step 2: Organize the information about parents’ interests gathered by grade level. Think about which

hobbies/interest would appeal to certain grade levels.

Step 3: Decide if you are going to begin the enrichment with one grade level, two grade levels, or your entire

school and what day of the week, time of the day, and how long the enrichment program will be offered (e.g.,

Friday mornings from 8:30 -9:30 for 8 weeks). It’s always good to start small first.

Step 4: Once grade levels and interests are confirmed, send a flyer home (see PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK PAGE 38

for an example) with the students in the grade level the enrichment program is going to be offered. **Make

sure you include a place to sign up for their first, second, and third choices.**

Step 5: Contact parents with the number of students enrolled in their course as well as the logistics of the

program.

Step 6: Implement your plan for the period of time allotted.

Step 7: Celebrate students’ creations from each of the enrichment classes.

Say: Now that you know what SEM is and how it could be implemented at this school, you will be asking your students

to help gather information on their parents’ interests that could be shared at your school using the Parent Interest

Inventory document found on PAGE 40 in the PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK. As you fill in your ideas for our PSPP, think

about what part of the SEM process you might like to help implement and add that as a PSPP activity.

ACTIVITY THREE: Document new ideas and activities for engaging parents

Ask participants to spend the remaining time reading through the sample SEM flyer on p. 38 in the PH and filling

in PSPP activity ideas on PAGE 41 in the PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK.

Next Steps

Say: For our next meeting, we will be completing an Anthropological Dig that will allow us to gain an awareness of what

messages the structures of our school environment are sending to our parents. We will invite our parents to attend this

meeting, using the sample invitation that is on PAGE 39 of the PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK. Please review this invitation and

let me know by the end of this week if you see anything that should be changed. Next week, I will give each of you copies

of this letter with the Interest Inventory on the back to send home with your students, which will need to be returned.

Please make a note of the time and date of our next meeting and encourage your students’ parents to attend.

Research note: When students actually write a personal invitation to their parents inviting them to attend a school

function or meeting, the attendance of the parents is much greater than if the schools just sent out a general invitation.

This might be a good time to test this hypothesis and to have your students craft personal invitations to their parents!

Thank staff for all their great ideas for beginning a SEM program at the school.

Tell staff the date of the next meeting.

SUCCESS PARTNERS

MODULE 4: Examining Our School Environment








3) Read and review:

Agenda

Suggested script

Visit Our School handout

“What Does Our School Environment Say to Families?” article

Anthropological Dig Parent Sample Letter

4) Be prepared to get parents to take the Parent Survey on Parent Engagement during the meeting

(https://www.stepupforstudents.org/income-based-scholarship/for-schools/facilitator-information)

Will you ask parents to bring laptops/tablets? Will you meet in the computer lab? Will you do hard

copy versions (in which case someone on your staff will need to input the data to Survey Monkey)?

5) Copy for PARENTS ONLY using Participant Handbook pages:

Agenda

Visit Our School handout

“What Does Our School Environment Say to Families?” article

6) You will need:

bulletin board paper or chart paper

markers

blank sheets of paper – only for number of parents attending


Module 4 Agenda

Examining Our School Environment Success Partners Vision: To establish and maintain a school culture that ensures increased student achievement through parent-school partnerships Parent-School Partnership Plan Goals:


Objectives: Participants will gain an awareness of the structures in their school environment related to parental engagement and the messages

these send to parents. Participants will learn the power behind actively listening to and speaking with parents, colleagues and students.




WHAT WHO HOW LONG

Welcome and Agenda/Norms Review Facilitators 5 minutes ACTIVITY 1: Visit Our School – Anthropological Dig Facilitators and Staff 25 minutes ACTIVITY 2: Pair Communication Protocol All Staff 8 minutes ACTIVITY 3: Read School Environment article All Staff 7 minutes ACTIVITY 4: Document new ideas and activities for engaging parents All Staff 5 minutes ACTIVITY 5: Parent Survey on Parent Engagement All Staff 5 minutes

Next meeting_________________


Examining Our School Environment




Ask parents to sign in.

Review Norms and intended objectives on the agenda for parents (PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK PAGE 42).

ACTIVITY ONE: Visit Our School – Anthropological Dig

Give parents a copy of the Visit Our School handout.

One member of the group needs to be the time keeper.

If you have a large staff, you may want to designate specific groups to walk to identified locations (e.g., primary

teachers visit front office, intermediate teachers visit the gym and cafeteria).

Debrief (After your staff shares what they found during the dig, collect their papers because you will use these notes to

construct a letter to all parents detailing what your staff and parents discovered.)

Ask: “If we were Martians from outer space that had just landed in our school and know nothing about it, what

would we say is most important to our school by the artifacts we discover?”

Say: Open your PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK to PAGE 43 – Visit Our School. Imagine you are anthropologists about to make

a report on your “School.” You have been living in and studying this school for some time. Take a moment to read the

prompts and visualize what you might find. (PAUSE)

As you walk around the common areas of the school, what observations can you make about how things work around

here and what is valued in our school? Record your observations and notes on the page/handout during the next 15

minutes. Each staff member should partner with a parent if possible.

Say: Today we want to welcome our parents who will be learning with us and sharing their perspectives. We are going

to dig deeper and begin to study the structures and processes that exist in our school related to parent engagement and

partnerships. Using the lens of an anthropologist (people who study communities), we will take a walk around our

school, visiting the locations that our parents frequent (front office, cafeteria, hallways, gym and classrooms) to

determine what our school values by the artifacts we discover. After returning to this room, we will share what we

discovered, and use a Pair Communication activity, where we will intentionally listen to and restate what another

person says to us. We will also be reading a short article that provides suggestions to ensure that both parent and

teacher play a significant role in their child’s learning by addressing the school environment.

Ask participants to share a WOW moment from their anthropological dig.

Ask: “How might this new learning help us when we begin to consider Family Engagement for the success of the

student?”

ACTIVITY TWO: Pair Communication Protocol

Provide the following directions for the active listening exercise: (Facilitators are timekeepers.)

Ask staff/parents to decide who will be Person #1 & Person #2.

Person #1 has 90 seconds to talk about something they want to

remember from the Anthropological Dig activity that impacts family

engagement. During that time, Person #2 cannot talk (imaginary Band-Aid

over the mouth) until time is up.

Person #2 has 45 seconds to paraphrase, restate the content and

reflect the feelings that they heard.

Person #1 gives feedback about how it felt to be listened to in 15

seconds.

Switch roles. Repeat the 90 sec., then 45 sec., then 15 sec. cycle.

Debrief - Ask your staff the following questions:

What lessons did anyone learn from the active listening exercise – and how we interact with one another? [e.g., “I had a hard time not jumping in and talking over my partner, I need to really listen; I really did not hear everything, I was thinking about what I wanted to say.]

What implications might we make about our conversations with families?

Where might you use this Pair Communication Protocol? [e.g., In my classroom, my students talk over each other all the time; maybe we could try this at a Parent night – either with the parent talking to their child, or adults talking to one another]

How did the activities we used today help you think about parent-school partnerships?

Say: Now that we have investigated our school grounds and participated in the Pair Communication protocol, we will

take the next five minutes to read a short article that provides suggestions on ways to improve our school

environment to ensure improved parent engagement using examples from current Success Partners schools. While

reading, I want you to highlight ideas that we could potentially use at our school.

Say: When we did the Anthropological Dig activity at the summer institute, we realized that what families notice

about the school is important and can play a role in their decision to participate more actively. We also realized that

how we listen and speak with each other can make quite an impact. Please pair up with another colleague or parent,

and determine who will speak first – and then wait for the directions.

ACTIVITY THREE: Read School Environment Article

Hand parents the School Environment article (copies made from PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK PAGE 44).

When time is up, ask participants to share anything that they highlighted.

ACTIVITY FOUR: Document new ideas and activities for engaging parents

5 minutes- Based on today’s discussions, ask the staff to write down activities or ideas to better engage parents

on PAGE 46 in the PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK. Hand parents a blank piece of paper and ask them to write down

their ideas for improving the school environment to increase parent engagement.

ACTIVITY FIVE: Parent Survey on Parent Engagement

Explain that we need to know how families feel about the current culture of parent engagement at our school.

Remind them that at the beginning of the year, the staff completed an online staff survey about parent

engagement. Now an online parent survey is available for families with parallel questions. The comparison of

this information (70% of staff feel that they welcome parents into their classrooms, but only 30% of parents feel

welcome, for example) will be used to assist with the development of the Parent-School Partnership Plan.

Explain that the results of these surveys will be given to the facilitators in January, so all surveys must be

completed by the end of December.

Ask staff and parents for suggestions on how to get the families who are not present to complete it. Write down

suggestions. Here are some options:

o Set up a computer in the office for families to do the survey as they arrive.

o Set up a bank of computers (or use the lab) for families to do the survey as they attend a school event

like parent-teacher conferences.

o Print a hard copy of the survey, and take time at a school event to have families do the survey and

return the paper. (If you do this option, some of the staff will need to enter the results in Survey

Monkey.)

Ask parents who are present to take the survey before they leave.

Next Steps

Thank the parents and tell them they will be invited back in the spring to attend another meeting.

Tell staff and parents that you will be crafting a letter to all parents detailing what your teachers and parents

found during the Anthropological Dig, and ask staff/parents to quickly read and give feedback on the sample

letter on PAGE 45 in the PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK before they leave.

SUCCESS PARTNERS

MODULE 5: One Roadblock to Parent Engagement: Homework








3) Make sure you get these files from the Module 5 folder on the website:

i. Alfie Kohn Homework video

ii. “Revising Our Homework Policy” video

4) Read and review:

Agenda

Suggested script

Homework snippets for the Snowball protocol

5) You will need:

9ƴƻǳƎƘ Homework snippets for the Snowball protocol ŦƻǊ ŜŀŎƘ ǇŜǊǎƻƴ όCIΣ ǇΦ рсύ

A laptop, projector, and speakers to show the videos

Your school’s current homework policy


Module 5 Agenda




Objectives: Participants will address current homework policies and their impact on parent partnerships and engagement.




WHAT WHO HOW LONG

Welcome and Agenda/Norms Review Facilitator 5 minutes ACTIVITY 1: Do Your Kids Work a Second Shift? Facilitator and Staff 5 minutes

ACTIVITY 2: Continuum Dialogue Protocol on Homework Beliefs Facilitator and Staff 10 minutes

ACTIVITY 3: Investigating homework ideas using Snowball Facilitator and Staff 20 minutes NOTE: To see more homework articles, go to:


ACTIVITY 4: Document new ideas and activities for engaging parents Facilitators 5 minutes Next meeting_________________







Review objectives and activities on agenda in PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK under Module 5, PAGE 47.


Ask colleagues to review the norms silently. Ask each member to intentionally choose one of these norms to

practice as we discuss these dilemmas, from the perspective of the school as well as the perspective of the

family.

ACTIVITY ONE: Do Your Kids Work a Second Shift?

Say: Today we will spend some time discussing one large roadblock to parent engagement: homework. First we will

discuss how our homework assignments could be causing our families some stress! Let’s watch a brief video of an

interview with Alfie Kohn, an education researcher who has studied the impact of homework on families, to get a quick

overview of why this could be.

Watch the Alfie Kohn video.

Tell staff to do a Turn and Talk with a partner and discuss their reaction

ACTIVITY TWO: Continuum Dialogue Protocol on Homework Beliefs

Say: We are now going to participate in an activity that will help us to visualize our different perspectives on homework.

When I read the statement, I will show you where you should stand if this statement applies to you.

You can choose the directions, but the group should line up from one side

of the room to the other with the first statement on the far right, for example, the

middle one in the middle, and the last statement on the far left.

As you read the statements aloud, encourage all of your staff to choose a

place to stand.

Say: As we participate in further discussions on homework, I would like for you to keep the following idea in mind:

Through homework, we affect what happens at home. Do we have any structure in place to allow families to affect

what happens at school?

Say: I will read the following statements as a practice run so that you can see how the continuum dialogue works. Move

to the area of the room associated with the statement you agree with. You just found out that out of town relatives have

unexpectedly arrived in town and are planning to be at your home for dinner at 7:30 tonight. Place yourself somewhere

on this continuum guided by these statements.

Read each prompt aloud as you walk over to the appropriate section of the continuum.

‘Not MY house, I better make dinner reservations at a restaurant!’

‘If I stop at the store on the way home, I think I can pull together an enjoyable meal.’

‘Since I plan ahead, all I need to do is pull my favorite casserole out of the freezer, and I am good to go!’

Remember to give a moment for people to make quick comments as they take a stand on the continuum. After allowing time for some partner sharing, ask a variety of people at different points on the Continuum why they chose to stand where they did.

Say: Our next statements deal with your personal reaction to homework. I will read the following statements on

homework and ask you to choose a place to stand based on which statement applies to you:

Homework excited me or my children about learning.

I or my children did homework because it was expected.

Homework did nothing to encourage me or my children to learn.

After allowing time for some partner sharing, ask a variety of people at different points on the Continuum why they chose

to stand where they did.

Say: Our final statements deal with our school’s homework policy. I will read the following statements on homework and

ask you to choose a place to stand based on which statement you agree with:

Our homework policy is based on tradition.

Our homework policy is based on current research.

Our homework policy is based on the directions in the teacher manual.

I don’t know what our homework policy is based on.

Do not discuss this continuum. Ask everyone to sit down and hand out or display the current homework policy. Discuss

the main elements of your homework policy.

Debrief:

How do we reconcile what we are currently doing with HW with the information we just heard and what we

might be thinking?

How does our homework policy currently engage our parents?

How has this exercise caused you to think differently about your practice or our school’s policies?

ACTIVITY THREE: Investigating homework ideas using Snowball

Instruct staff to choose a snippet to read from the pile on

their table and write a response below it. (3 minutes)

Tell staff to crumple up the snippet and throw it across the

room. After a minute of throwing, pick up a new snippet, read it, read

the response, and write another response below it. (3 minutes)

Tell staff to crumple up their new snippet and throw it again.

Everyone should now pick up a new snippet, read it, read the

multiple responses, and write another response below it. (3 minutes).

Instruct staff to throw that snippet one last time. After

picking up their new snippet, they should read and keep the last one

they receive.

Debrief: Ask anyone to share with the whole group any snippet or response that made them think differently

about homework.

Say: All of the snippets you read today come from multiple articles on homework that can be found on the Step Up for

Students website. The website address where you can find these articles is listed on your agenda, so please take some

time to read through those articles as you continue to think about our own homework policies and how they are

impacting our relationship with our families.

ACTIVITY FOUR: Document new ideas and activities for engaging parents

Say: To conclude what we’ve been talking about, before you fill in some new ideas on our PSPP templates, let’s see what

one Success Partners principal decided to do about her homework policy after participating in this module.

Watch the Success Partners principal “Revising Our Homework Policy” video.

Ask participants to spend the remaining time filling in activity ideas on PAGE 48 in the PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK

that relate to homework.

Next Steps In our next module, we will discuss another roadblock to parent engagement: behavior.

Homework Snippets for Snowball

As Alfie Kohn suggests, “ultimately, it’s not enough just to have less homework or even better homework. We should change the fundamental

expectation in our schools so that students are asked to take schoolwork home only when there’s a reasonable likelihood that a particular

assignment will be beneficial to most of them. The bottom line: No homework except for those occasions when it’s truly necessary”. To follow this

charge, we need rich and provocative discussions about standardized homework policies, consistent homework schedules, the effect of homework

on struggling learners, how homework is killing a nation of readers, and what types of homework meet Kohn’s definition of “truly necessary”. We

need discussions that make us sweat just a little bit because our responsibility is to our children, not to politics and precedents (Suskind, 2012,

What Students Would Do if They Did Not Do Their Homework).

Response 1:

Response 2:

Response 3:

Cooper’s extensive reviews of studies on homework and achievement suggest that “for elementary age students, the effects of homework on

achievement is trivial if it exists at all”, and only a moderate positive correlation exists in the middle grades, with those correlations pushing into

the negative realm when homework exceeds one to two hours per day. Correlations, however, represent a relationship, not a causation. If you visit

my 1st-grade classroom in March, you’ll find a correlation between the outside temperature and the number of children wearing shorts. But, if you

overheard me telling students, “Please wear shorts tomorrow because I really want it to be warm for my son’s afternoon soccer practice,” you’d

probably think I’d spent too much time with the glue sticks. But, as educators, we have seemingly decided that the small correlation between

homework and achievement in the middle grades is in fact a causation. But it’s just as plausible that students who like school and excel at school

are more likely to spend more time doing homework than students who don’t like school and don’t excel at school, and that motivation and level

of achievement result from in-class learning, not time on task outside school (Suskind, 2012, What Students Would Do if They Did Not Do Their

Homework).

Response 1:

Response 2:

Response 3:

The global market has called us to restructure our knowledge economy into a creative economy. Yet homework policies that monopolize students’

free time are preparing them “for 20th-century work, assembly-line work, in which workers don’t have to be creative or smart. They just have to be

able to put their assigned bolt in the assigned hole,” with an emphasis on obedience rather than thinking (Suskind, 2012, What Students Would Do

if They Did Not Do Their Homework).

Response 1:

Response 2:

Response 3:

The National PTA recommendations fall in line with general guidelines suggested by researcher Harris Cooper: 10-20 minutes per night in the first

grade, and an additional 10 minutes per grade level thereafter (e.g., 20 minutes for second grade, 120 minutes for twelfth). High school students

may sometimes do more, depending on what classes they take (see Review of Educational Research, 2006).

Response 1:

Response 2:

Response 3:

Experts advise schools or districts to include teachers, parents, and students in any effort to set homework policies. Policies should address the

purposes of homework, amount and frequency of homework, school and teacher responsibilities, student responsibilities, and the role of parents

or others who assist students with homework (Review of Educational Research, 2006).

Response 1:

Response 2:

Response 3:

Homework usually falls into one of three categories: practice, preparation, or extension. The purpose usually varies by grade. Individualized

assignments that tap into students' existing skills or interests can be motivating. At the elementary school level, homework can help students

develop study skills and habits and can keep families informed about their child's learning. At the secondary school level, student homework is

associated with greater academic achievement. (Review of Educational Research, 2006)

Response 1:

Response 2:

Response 3:

Whether or not homework helps, or even hurts, depends on who you ask. If you ask my 12-year-old son, Sam, he’ll say, “Homework doesn’t help

anything. It makes kids stressed out and tired and makes them hate school more.” Nothing more than common kid bellyaching? Maybe, but in the

fractious field of homework studies, it’s worth noting that Sam’s sentiments nicely synopsize one side of the ivory tower debate. Books like The End

of Homework, The Homework Myth, and The Case against Homework and the film Race to Nowhere make the case that homework, by taking away

precious family time and putting kids under unneeded pressure, is an ineffective way to help children become better learners and thinkers. One

Canadian couple recently took their homework apostasy all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada. After arguing that there was no evidence that

it improved academic performance, they won a ruling that exempted their two children from all homework (Crawford, Does Homework Really

Work?).

Response 1:

Response 2:

Response 3:

In fact, for elementary school-age children, there is no measureable academic advantage to homework. For middle-schoolers, there is a direct

correlation between homework and achievement if assignments last between one to two hours per night. After two hours, however, achievement

doesn’t improve. For high-schoolers, two hours appears optimal. As with middle-schoolers, give teens more than two hours a night, and academic

success flatlines (Crawford, Does Homework Really Work?).

Response 1:

Response 2:

Response 3:

In a previous meta-study conducted in 1989, Cooper’s team at Duke University found that grade level heavily influences how much homework

helps with academic advancement (as measured by standardized and class test scores.) It appears middle- and high-schoolers have much to gain

academically by doing their homework. The average high school student doing homework outperformed 69% of the students in a class with no

homework. Homework in middle school was half as effective. In elementary school, there is no measurable correlation between homework and

achievement (Crawford, Does Homework Really Work?).

Response 1:

Response 2:

Response 3:

The most obvious presumed benefit of homework is, of course, that it will improve students' understanding and retention of the material covered.

However, partly because this (most measurable) benefit has not been consistently demonstrated, it has also been assumed that homework has less

direct benefits:

improving study skills, especially time management

teaching students that learning can take place outside the classroom

involving parents

promoting responsibility and self-discipline (McPherson, Homework: Is It Worth It?)

Response 1:

Response 2:

Response 3:

Probably the most obvious negative effect is the stress homework can produce in both student and parent. Homework can be a major battleground

between parent and child, and in such cases, it's hard to argue that it's worth it. There are other potential problems with homework:

homework demands can limit the time available to spend on other beneficial activities, such as sport and community involvement

too much homework can lead to students losing interest in the subject, or even in learning

parents can confuse students by using teaching methods different from those of their teachers

homework can widen social inequalities

homework may encourage cheating (McPherson, Homework: Is It Worth It?)

Response 1:

Response 2:

Response 3:

Recent research studies by the Brown Center on Education Policy concluded that the majority of U.S. students (83% of nine-year-olds; 66% of

thirteen-year-olds; 65% of seventeen-year olds) spend less than an hour a day on homework, and this has held true for most of the past 50 years.

In the last 20 years, homework has increased only in the lower grade levels, where it least matters (and indeed, may be counterproductive). In

America, NEA and the National PTA recommendations are in line with those suggested by Harris Cooper: 10 to 20 minutes per night in the first

grade, and an additional 10 minutes per grade level thereafter (giving 2 hours for 12th grade). (McPherson, Homework: Is It Worth It?)

Response 1:

Response 2:

Response 3:

"After School at the Hill” is a homework club for middle school students. It's one of the largest after-school programs in the state [of Maryland].

Micah, a seventh grade student, appreciates the help. "When you are in the after-school program, you can have your teachers help you because

they know what your homework is and especially if you are in that teacher’s class for your homework. So they can help you if you don't

understand," said Carey. Once the final school bell rings, students report to assigned classrooms with teachers. Students complete homework in

everything from science, math, and English to reading. The after-school program has 280 students enrolled. This is 40 percent of the student body

population at the school. "We outgained more than 3,000 schools in the state of Maryland. We believe part of the reason is because of our focus

on homework: that is, if students do not acquire things in class, they will acquire them through homework," said Donyall Dickey, principal at

Murray Hill Middle School (Johnson, Does Homework Really Work for Students?)

Response 1:

Response 2:

Response 3:

One Montgomery County public school does not have homework. Gaithersburg Elementary School eliminated homework. Instead, students read a

book for 30 minutes a night. Educators say it has been a huge success with students and families (Johnson, Does Homework Really Work for

Students?).

Response 1:

Response 2:

Response 3:

Since the start of the school year, many of Wayne Tsai’s math students have been watching his lectures at home or in the computer lab. They take

notes and jot down questions about his algebra and geometry lessons and then return to Tsai’s classroom the next day, ready to apply what

they’ve learned to problems and projects that traditionally would have been assigned as homework. The practice — known as “the flipped

classroom” because of the reversed roles of lectures and homework — has helped students understand the lessons better and move through them

more quickly, Tsai said. More class time is now spent on projects and extra help for those who need it. “It was something I’ve never done before,

and I was nervous to learn at home,” said Jessica Hutchinson, 16, a student in Tsai’s class at Hilliard Darby High School. “But I liked it. You get extra

help at school, but you’re learning it at home.” (Boss, Flipped Classes Take Learning to New Places)

Response 1:

Response 2:

Response 3:

Joanna Burcham, a math teacher at Olentangy Orange High School, struggled to find time for both her lesson and problem-solving in a 45-minute

class period. Last year, she had students in her Advanced Placement Calculus and Honors Algebra 2 classes watch her recorded lessons online and

come to class ready to work on questions. Students loved this “flipped classroom”, she said. Many teachers either videotape themselves or direct

their students to the Khan Academy, a website that provides more than 3,000 free tutorials and exercises in mostly math and science. Students

reviewing concepts online can pause the lessons as needed, something they can’t do with a teacher in class. No formal studies have been

conducted, but Warford points to the success at Clintondale High School in Michigan. The urban high school, which draws students from the metro

Detroit area, flipped its entire school curriculum after trying the strategy with ninth-graders in 2010. Administrators there have said the approach

has helped bolster the school’s attendance rate and decrease the number of disciplinary incidents. The number of students failing each class also

has declined. (Boss, Flipped Classes Take Learning to New Places)

Response 1:

Response 2:

Response 3:

SUCCESS PARTNERS

MODULE 6: A Second Roadblock to Parent Engagement: Student Behavior








3) Read and review:

a. Agenda

b. Suggested script

c. Visualization exercise

d. Article: “Looking at Behavior Through the Eyes of our Students”


Module 6 Agenda




Objectives: Participants will investigate the behaviors that can interfere with relationships with students and parents. Participants will understand the “whys” of misbehavior and how to respond so as to eliminate and not exacerbate the behavior.




WHAT WHO HOW LONG

Welcome and Agenda/Norms Review Facilitator 5 minutes

ACTIVITY 1: Visualization exercise on behaviors that interfere with learning Facilitator and Staff 10 minutes

ACTIVITY 2: “Looking at Behavior through the Eyes of Our Students” Facilitator and Staff 20 minutes

ACTIVITY 3: Inside Outside Circle Protocol on Behavior Beliefs Facilitator and Staff 10 minutes

ACTIVITY 4: Document new ideas and activities for engaging parents Facilitators 5 minutes OPTIONAL HOMEWORK:

o Use the behavior tally chart found on PAGE 55 in the PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK. Next meeting_________________






Review objectives and activities on agenda in PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK under Module 6, PAGE 49.


Ask colleagues to review the norms silently. Ask each member to intentionally choose one of these norms to

practice as we discuss these dilemmas, from the perspective of the school as well as the perspective of the

family.

Ask: What are the reasons why we typically contact parents?

Write down their ideas on chart paper or on the chalk board/white board.

ACTIVITY 1: Visualization exercise on student behavior

Say: As you can all see, we tend to contact parents more often with bad news about their kids, and this can be a

roadblock to our relationships with them and to student achievement. So how we can change that system? Let’s start by

trying a visualization exercise to help us look at how we view student misbehavior.

Think for a moment about your day today, or this week – play the tape in your mind, and stop the tape when you notice

some behavior in the room that is interfering with learning. Re-live that in your mind. Now, turn to a partner and take a

moment to share part of that scene – without using student names, please.

After 2 minutes, ask participants to turn to PAGE 50 in their PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK.

Say: Now, use the Visualization Exercise Handout in front of you. In the large box marked #1, please do a ‘Quick Write’ of

the scenario you just spoke about – write just enough so that you are feeling the emotions of that moment!

Pause to let everyone complete that box (2 minutes).

Say: You can see that we often contact parents when we have a problem with what their child is doing (or not doing!)

in our class. This can definitely encourage our parents to deliberately “miss” our calls, as you can imagine. Today we

will investigate the student and teacher behaviors that can interfere with our relationships with students and parents.

We will also try to understand the “whys” of misbehavior and discuss how to respond so as to eliminate and not

exacerbate the behavior.

OK, put your pencil down and close your eyes – visualize the scene again, and your EMOTIONAL reaction to that

behavior – how were you feeling in that moment? Finally, what was your response to the student, and then what was

the student’s response to you? Now, go ahead and complete the top four boxes, but leave the bottom box empty.

Pause to let everyone complete those boxes (6 minutes).

Say: Now we will look at some research that might help us to fill in that last box of the exercise with an alternative

response to the one we used.

ACTIVITY 2: “Looking at Behavior through the Eyes of Our Students”

Say: Now that you have thought about how a specific example of misbehavior affected you and your classroom, let’s

read an article about what a student’s goal might be for misbehaving. Please turn to PAGE 51 in your PARTICIPANT

HANDBOOK to see this article. This article will help us think about misbehavior so that our responses result in

eliminating these behaviors rather than possibly making those behaviors more prominent. This article is based on the

work of Rudolf Dreikers, a recognized authority in the area of classroom behavior.

Give everyone 10 minutes to read the article.

Tell them to try to match up their emotional response and that student’s behavior with one of the categories in

the article. Then they can look in that category for alternative responses.

Then ask them to fill out that last box in the Visualization Exercise: What alternative response could you have

taken to the student’s misbehavior that may have helped to eliminate that behavior?

Debrief: Is anyone willing to share their student’s misbehavior, their response, and an alternative response they

could try in the future?

ACTIVITY 3: Inside-Outside Circle on Behavior Beliefs

Say: You are now going to participate in an Inside-Outside Protocol to help us visualize our different perspectives on

behavior. The group should create two circles: One larger circle facing inward and a small circle inside the larger circler

facing outward.

Encourage all of your staff to get into the circle.

The outside circle will be facing the inside circle.

There will be 4 rounds at 2 minutes each. During each round, ask the questions below and give participants two

minutes to talk to each other about it. After each round, have the circles rotate in opposite directions so that

each person is matched up with someone new.

Questions for Each Round

Round 1: Share your experience of student misbehavior and what you could have done differently.

Round 2: What is one thing you want to remember about the “Looking at Behavior Through the Eyes of Our Students”

article?

Round 3: Knowing now that students misbehave for very specific reasons, how might you change what you will do

tomorrow in the classroom?

Round 4: How might you use this information with your parents when discussing student misbehavior?

Debrief: Ask each participant to share any insights from the Inside Outside Protocol.

ACTIVITY 4: Document new ideas and activities for engaging parents

Ask participants to spend the remaining time filling in activity ideas on PAGE 56 in the PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK

that relate to student behavior.

Next Steps Explain that in our next module, we will be trained on using the Teaching and Learning Exchange.

Remind them to mark in their calendars the date and time of the next meeting.

OPTIONAL HOMEWORK

Say: If you are interested in some additional practice with addressing student behavior, you can try a behavior recognition

tally chart activity on PAGE 55 of your PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK. Go back to your classroom and count the number of

positive and negative comments for a day, or even ask one of your students to do it! One way you can do it is to put a

piece of masking tape on each hand and keep a pen handy. On the left, mark any time you recognize that you have made

a negative comment to a student, on the right, any positive comments. At the end of the day, mark them on your tally

chart.

***You must bring your laptop/iPad and your handbook to the module.***

MODULE 7: Using all the Functions in the TLE

Module 7 Agenda Success Partners Vision: To establish and maintain a school culture that ensures increased student achievement through parent-school partnerships Parent-School Partnership Plan Goals:


Objectives: Participants will access and utilize the Teaching and Learning Exchange as a PAC (planning, accountability, and communication) tool

with parents and students.




WHAT WHO HOW LONG Welcome and Agenda/Norms Review OSL Coordinator 5 minutes ACTIVITY 1: Learning All the Functionality of the TLE Facilitators and Staff 90 minutes ACTIVITY 2: Document new ideas and activities for engaging parents Facilitators and Staff 5 minutes NOTE: See PAGE 58 in the PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK to view the current features of the TLE. Next meeting______________

YOUR OSL COORDINATOR WILL FACILITATE

THIS MODULE. DATE/TIME/LOCATION TBD

SUCCESS PARTNERS

MODULE 8: Parent Expectations: A Demonstration of Two-Way Communication








3) Materials needed:

Post-it notes

Cut apart the Family Expectation Statements.

Bulletin board paper or chart paper to use for the brainstorming (two pieces about 4 feet)

o You can either hang the paper on the wall or spread across a group of desks. Alternatively, you

could also use a white board for the sticky note brainstorm and affinity mapping. Then use a white

board marker to write the headings. If you use a white board, at the end of the session you will

collect all the grouped notes so as not to lose any. (Taking a picture helps as well.)

o Headings for Brainstorming Charts:

1. Family Expectations: What we wish parents would do

2. School Staff Expectations: What we can do to best meet the needs of our students and

their families

4) Send out an email reminder to your staff that they need to bring their participant handbook to the meeting,

along with link to Teacher Satisfaction Survey for Success Partners, found at

https://www.stepupforstudents.org/income-based-scholarship/for-schools/facilitator-information. You

should also take the Facilitator Survey located on the same page.



Module 8 Agenda

Parent Expectations: A Demonstration of Two-Way Communication



Objectives: Participants will identify the school’s current expectations for families as well as families’ expectations of the school. Participants will refine expectations in order to support a collaborative partnership. Participants will develop a process to ensure parents provide feedback on expectations. Participants will analyze the benefits on home visits




WHAT WHO HOW LONG Welcome and Agenda/Norms Review Facilitators 3 minutes ACTIVITY 1: Identify the school’s current expectations of families. Facilitators and Staff 10 minutes ACTIVITY 2: Refine family expectations (Affinity Mapping protocol). Staff 20 minutes ACTIVITY 3: Finalize family expectations Staff 20 minutes and brainstorm how to involve parents. ACTIVITY 4: Read “Teachers Find Home Visits Help All Staff 10 minutes in the Classroom” article. ACTIVITY 5: Document new ideas and activities for engaging parents. Facilitators and Staff 5 minutes

Next meeting______________






Review the norms and emphasize objectives in agenda (PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK PAGE 60).

ACTVITY ONE: Identifying current expectations of families

Pass out the Family Expectation Statements to various staff members.

Tell staff they will hear their colleagues share quotes from some of America’s teachers on what they wish

families knew.

Ask Person # 1 to read their quote first, followed with Person #2, etc.

Ask staff to turn to a neighbor and discuss a new expectation that

they would like families to know or one that they liked from the

quotes shared. (2 minutes)

Discuss that you will be brainstorming family and teacher

expectations today. Review the DOVE Brainstorm chart on PAGE 61

of the PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK.

Give each table an ample supply of Post-it notes.

Part 1: (FAMILY EXPECTATIONS)

Tell staff they have 8 minutes to individually brainstorm as many

expectations for their parents and families as possible. Put only one

expectation on each Post-it and take them to the “FAMILY

Say: Don’t we sometimes wish at the end of a busy day that families knew how much teachers CARE and how much

time we spend trying to meet the needs of their students?

Say: As educators, we have clearly defined roles and expectations given to us by our administration and school

leaders. While it is important that these are defined and communicated to us, we must also determine, mutually

agree upon, and clearly communicate the expectations we have for our families. By doing so, we can develop a

working partnership that is successful for improved student success. Today we will begin the work of identifying our

expectations of our families as it relates to a healthy and viable partnership. We will brainstorm and write down

some of those things we wish families knew, remembered and actually could do to help their child be more

successful, as well as what we can do to support our families.

EXPECTATIONS” chart paper or whiteboard/wall. Duplicate ideas are fine, as this indicates that this idea is held

by others.

NOTE: Tell staff that this is the time to discuss what they want to see families do, not what they wish they would

NOT do.

Part 2: (SCHOOL STAFF EXPECTATIONS)

Give staff another 8 minutes to individually think about what their PARENTS EXPECT OF THEM as their child’s

teacher. So now the role is reversed: What can/should we do to meet the needs of our students’ families? What

can our families expect of us?

Remind them to only place one statement on each Post-it. Place these on another piece of chart paper titled

“SCHOOL STAFF EXPECTATIONS”.

Remind the group when only one minute remains and that they need to finish writing down their ideas.

ACTIVITY TWO: Refining family expectations

Ask the entire group to count off by 4’s.

Provide the following directions:

Ask Group 1 to go to the

FAMILY EXPECTATIONS chart

and Group 2 to go to the

SCHOOL STAFF EXPECTATIONS

chart.

Round 1: They will have

90 seconds to read and group

the expectations by their

similarities. There is NO talking.

Then Group 1 sits down and

Group 2 rotates to the FAMILY

EXPECTATIONS and Group 3

goes to the SCHOOL STAFF

Say: For example, your parents may expect that you take the time to get to know them by listening to them, by

being flexible with your policies, or by asking them to identify which mode of communication they prefer: email,

phone call, texting, etc. Again, post your ideas as you soon as you have several, but feel free to go back and write

more after seeing other ideas.

Say: To organize our thinking, we will be using the Affinity Mapping Protocol. We will divide into four groups. While

Group 1 is at the FAMILY EXPECTATIONS chart, Group 2 will be at the SCHOOL STAFF EXPECTATIONS chart. This

way we can all read and collaborate on both groups of ideas.

EXPECTATIONS. They have 90 seconds to read and group the expectations by their similarities; still there is NO

talking. Continue through each group so each group has the opportunity to read and sort each chart paper.

(NOTE: There is always a group at each chart.)

Round 2: Groups will continue to read and sort, but this time they can talk and assist each other in combining

similar statements. As the groups begin to form, if a category heading or title becomes apparent, anyone can

write the heading next to the group of similar statements (see example in picture above).

Start Round 2, and continue in the same manner as Round 1 but with talking and writing.

ACTIVITY THREE: How to Involve our Families in Finalizing our Family and Staff Expectations

Tell your staff to turn to PAGES 62-64 of the PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK to see the samples.

Brainstorm solutions to the question, “What is the best way to share our expectations with parents?” (6 minutes

in same two groups) One person will need to write down the ideas discussed.

Take notes, and choose a format for sharing both FAMILY and SCHOOL STAFF EXPECTATIONS. You can use the St.

Peter Claver example as a template, but encourage your staff to think of other ideas.

Tell staff that the goal is to send both sets of expectations as a survey to families within the next week to get

their feedback.

Ask for two teachers to volunteer to create the Expectations Survey, writing finalized respectful and parent-

focused headings and descriptors using the staff brainstormed information on the two chart papers.

o This survey will be sent out with the invitation to attend Module 9.

NOTE: Round 2 will be noisy, and hopefully at the end, all the notes are sorted and headings are written above

each grouping. The end result should be a categorizing of the brainstormed expectations with a title written for

each group of expectations. For example, possible brainstormed ideas could include:

Getting your child to class on time every day

Including fruits & vegetables for healthy snacks & meals

Making sure your child has their supplies every day

Making sure your child gets at least 8 hours of sleep

Letting your child know that you love them and that they can be successful

All of these ideas could be labeled with the category: “Send your child to school prepared to learn”.

Say: Now we will now think about how we want to finalize these expectations into family-friendly language by using

several samples from other schools to help us think about categorizing our ideas. We will also discuss how we can

get this information to our parents so they are part of the process of defining and understanding our expectations.

This is a great way to practice two-way communication: we receive feedback from our parents as we make our

expectations known. On PAGES 62-64 in the PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK, please look at how Tampa Adventist and St.

Peter Claver organized their expectations into a survey format that was then given to their parents to receive

feedback on their expectations. By doing so, the parents become an integral part in the decision-making process.

Ask staff to review the Sample Letter inviting parents to module 9 on PAGE 65 of the PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK

and offer any suggestions to improve it.

Debrief

Ask “How were the last few activities helpful in identifying, classifying and agreeing upon the expectations of the

families in our school?”

ACTIVITY FOUR: Read “Teachers Find Home Visits Help in the Classroom” article

Give staff 5 minutes to read the article.

Tell them to turn and talk with a neighbor about their initial thoughts and “Ahas”.

Ask for volunteers to share what was discussed with the whole group.

ACTIVITY FIVE: Document new ideas and activities for engaging parents

Give staff 3 minutes to write any new activities and ideas on PAGE 68 in the PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK.

Next Steps

Tell staff that in the next meeting you will look more closely at ways to sustain two-way communication with

parents and brainstorm activities to add to the Parent-School Partnership Plan.

Parents will be invited to attend the next module, so ask staff to please review the sample invitation on page 65

of the PH and give you any suggested revisions before next week.

NOTE: Follow up with the teachers who volunteered to create the document with the final wording of the family

expectations and categories. This document will be sent out with the Module 9 invitation.

Say: Today we have demonstrated two-way communication by determining how to include our parents in the

decision-making process of our family and staff expectations. Now we will be better able to take action to address

any concerns or additional suggestions. To wrap up our session, I want you to think about: “What can we take away

from our discussions today to include in our school’s PSPP?”

Say: Now we are going to read about another way we can directly involve our parents and show them they are

important to us: home visits. Turn to PAGES 66 and 67 in your PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK. Please underline three

“Ahas” when reading the article. You can also write comments in the margins.

Family Expectation Statements

1. “I wish that families would read to and with their child every day. Reading for 30 – 40 minutes a day would improve test scores and grades considerably.”

2. “I wish that families would give their children a smile and hug as

they leave the car – that encouragement can improve their desire to learn on that day.”

3. “I wish that families would talk about their own favorite teachers or

favorite subjects in school.”

4. “I wish that families would use dinner time to talk about the day’s events.”

5. “I wish that families would plan a weekly walk with their children.

The walk is healthy, and the conversation is priceless!”

6. “I wish that families would speak positively about their child’s teacher in front of their child.”

7. “I wish that families would help children set up routines at home

that include homework.”

8. “I wish that families would realize that they are a child’s first and most important teacher and that their good example is the best teaching technique that their child can experience.”

SUCCESS PARTNERS

MODULE 9: It Takes More than a Village: A Collaborative Parent-Teacher Module


1) Set the date/location of the meeting – optimal time is 60 minutes. Inform staff of the meeting. Decide about light snacks

– bowls of candy, chips, cookies etc.

2) All documents used for each module will be in the participant books and

can be accessed at www.stepupforstudents.org. Click on the “Success

Partners Materials” link under the green box labeled “For Schools”. From

that page, please click on the school year that you joined Success

Partners in order to access the modules. (Once you open a file, you will

need the PASSWORD: facilitator).

3) Read and review:

Agenda

Suggested script

Compass Points questions

4) Copy for PARENTS ONLY:

Agenda

Suggestions for the PSPP

Compass Points questions

DOVE Brainstorm

5) You will need:

Parent sign-in sheet.

Markers and tape or push pins for chart paper.

4 sheets of chart paper for Compass Points – labeled North, South, East, West – You may want to take pictures

of the charts during this activity.

4 sheets of chart paper for the Carousel Brainstorm – Write one PSPP Goal at the top of each sheet:

Goal 1: Establishing a Parent-Friendly School Environment

Goal 2: Ensuring Two-Way Communication

Goal 3: Eliminating Roadblocks to Engagement

Goal 4: Recognizing Excellence and Improvement of all Stakeholders

6) Send an email reminder to your staff that they need to bring their Participant Handbooks.

7) After Module 9 meeting: Place all charts in the teacher work area for continued feedback.


Module 9 Agenda

It Takes More than a Village: A Collaborative Parent-Teacher Module



Objectives: Participants will discover the contributions and assets of each member of the school community. Participants will brainstorm possible activities for select partnership goals.




WHAT WHO HOW LONG Welcome and Agenda/Norms Review Facilitators 5 minutes ACTIVITY 1: Discovering the contributions & assets of each participant. All Staff and Parents 25 minutes (Compass Points protocol) ACTIVITY 2: Learning with and from each other All Staff and Parents 10 minutes Read “Suggestions for the PSPP” list ACTIVITY 3: Identifying structures, processes and activities to support All Staff and Parents 20 minutes an effective parent-school partnership (Carousel Brainstorm protocol). Next meeting_________________

Acting – ‘Let’s do it.’ Likes to act,

try things, plunge in.

Speculating – Likes to look at the big

picture and the possibilities before

acting.

Caring – likes to know that everyone’s feelings

have been taken into consideration and that

their voices have been heard before acting.

Paying Attention to detail- Likes to know the

‘who, what, when, where and why’ before

acting.


It Takes More than a Village: A Collaborative Parent-Teacher Module




Welcome parents and ask them to sign in.

Review the Agenda. (PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK PAGE 69) Today we will:

o engage in a fun activity helping us learn more about each other’s work styles

o brainstorm activities for next year’s Parent-School Partnership Plan

Review Norms – this may be the first time parents have heard them. You can say, “We use norms as

agreements to help us work together as a group.”

ACTIVITY ONE: Compass Points (North-South-East-West) Refer to the agenda to introduce the direction descriptions - point to the box with a compass, where each

direction has a brief description.

o Give the group 10 minutes to complete the Compass Points questions on the chart paper.

o Compass Points questions are found on p. 70 of the PH and on the handout for parents.

Figure 1 – Participants self-select a compass point and answer questions as a group.

Say: Please read the descriptions, thinking about yourself in a group setting. Which one seems most like you?

Realizing we can be more than one direction, think of the way you most often work when faced with a task or

project in a group setting. How do you tend to respond? Remember you have to choose N, S, E, or W for this

exercise - you cannot be a NW, for example. Walk to your chosen chart and have a conversation with others at your

chart about why you chose that direction, and give examples if you can. Ready? Go!

Standing in their groups, have each group share out their answers. [Figure 2] When all groups have shared, ask them to sign their chart, and return to their seats.

Debrief:

o What have we learned about ourselves or one another?

o How might this new learning help us when planning or working together?

Tell the group you will be mixing up the Compass Points for the next activity, so people can

practice working together with people from different “directions”.

ACTIVITY TWO: Learning With and From Each Other

Ask parents and teachers to read “Suggestions for the PSPP” list silently. List is found on PAGE 71 in the

PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK. (8 minutes)

Each person in the small group will share an idea from the article that they think could work at our school. (5

minutes)

ACTIVITY THREE: Carousel Brainstorm – Beginning our Parent-School Partnership Plan

Hand out DOVE chart to parents (PAGE 61 in the PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK) to review norms for brainstorming.

Ask teachers to pull out the notes (ideas and activities) they have recorded at the end of each module in their

Participant Handbook.

The “Suggestions for the PSPP” should also be used to help think about ideas and activities to include on the

PSPP.

Figure 2 – Participants sharing answers to the Compass Points questions with the rest of the staff

Say: Parents – we have spent this past school year studying what other schools are doing and learning what

research tells us about parent-school partnerships. We invite you to think with us about what can work here at

our school to include in our Parent-School Partnership Plan, which will be implemented next year. We will be

using a Carousel Brainstorm to capture our ideas onto four charts. We are going to think about what we already

do, what we have done in the past, what we might consider doing, and what we have heard about from others

or read about.

SUGGESTED SCRIPT FOR GIVING AN EXAMPLE: Walk to the chart marked Goal 2 – Point to the topic.

Say: This chart entitled “Ensuring Two-Way Communication” asks the question: What are the activities,

structures and processes that might show we have good two-way parent communication? We could think

about the following questions: How do we share information with families: a newsletter, a website, notes sent

home with students? Do we have a process to gather information or input from families in response to what

they read in these areas, or is this just one-way communication? How can we use the Teaching and Learning

Exchange and the Personal Learning Plans with parents during conferences to increase communication

between all parties? These items and activities to address them could be written on the chart under this

communication goal.

Provide the following Carousel Brainstorm directions:

Ask staff and parents to choose one chart to begin the carousel. Try to evenly distribute staff and parents at

each chart.

Round 1 (3 minutes per chart paper):

o Staff and parents brainstorm and write ideas on the chart that aligns with the goal.

o Remind staff to use the ideas generated in their Participant Handbook at the end of each module.

o After 3 minutes, everyone moves clockwise to the next chart, reads what is written and adds to the

chart. Continue through all charts.

o After the fourth chart, ask everyone to go back to the chart they began with and read what others

have added.

Round 2 (4 minutes total):

o Ask the groups to walk through all four charts and read and add anything not already written.

Remind everyone that this is an opportunity to identify current, past, and potential activities that support

parent engagement.

Debrief: Ask everyone to return to their seat. Ask staff to share what was discussed.

Figure 3 – participants brainstorming ideas for various goals of the Parent-School Partnership Plan

Next Steps

Tell staff you will hang these charts in the teacher work area during the next few weeks so they can add to the

charts or provide feedback on the ideas already posted.

Keep the charts because they will be used at the next meeting during the work session.

Thank the parents, and tell them they will have another opportunity to give feedback on the plan before it is

finalized and INVITE parents to the next meeting – provide date/time of next meeting and tell them that a letter

will be sent out to remind them of the meeting details. (Sample letter is provided on PAGE 73 of the

PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK).

Tell everyone that the plans will be finalized and decisions will be made on how to share the work completed at

the next meeting.

Say: We want to thank everyone for being here today. There were many good ideas generated in the

brainstorm session. Please understand that we will be using those activities that best support student

achievement in our plan. Although we can’t use everyone’s ideas, we appreciate every idea that was

shared and will keep these charts for use for future PSPP development.

SUCCESS PARTNERS

MODULE 10: Developing, Finalizing and Sharing a Plan to Strengthen Your Parent-School Partnerships

Week(s) prior to Module 10 meeting

1) Set the date and location of the meeting. The estimated time for this module is 75 minutes.

2) All documents used for each module will be in the participant handbooks and can be accessed at

www.stepupforstudents.org (PASSWORD: facilitator).

3) Email staff a reminder to bring their Participant Handbooks, as well as the PSPP template found in the Module 15 folder

on the website.

4) Make the COPIES of the following docs for your parents:

Agenda

PSPP template (or email)

5) You will need:

Parent sign-in sheet

Completed Carousel Brainstorm charts from Module 9. Post them around the room, along with one blank

piece of chart paper for each group.

Post-It notes/different color markers: a different color per goal team

Create a large calendar on a piece of bulletin board paper or chart paper. Divide paper into twelve sections

and write in any important school dates (holiday pageant, spring break, etc.). It should look like the following:

July August September October November December

January February March April May June

Module 10 Agenda

Developing, Finalizing and Sharing a Plan to Strengthen Your Parent-School

Partnerships



Objectives: Participants will evaluate and prioritize the identified structures, conditions, and processes that could increase parental

engagement and choose a goal team. In goal teams, participants will translate their goals and objectives into a finalized Parent-School Partnership Plan and a parent-

friendly version of the PSPP using the PSPP template.




WHAT WHO HOW LONG Welcome and Agenda/Norms Review Facilitators 5 minutes ACTIVITY 1: Goal Team Work Session: Refining Action Steps Goal Teams 60 minutes ACTIVITY 2: PSPP Next Steps Facilitator, Parents, Staff 10 minutes

Brainstorm ideas for informing all parents about the PSPP.

Say: We now need to refine our activities to narrow down the ones that we will definitely implement next year. You

will indicate your top three choices at each chart. Your most favorite choice gets three check marks, second choice

gets two check marks and third choice gets one check mark. Once you have finished a chart, move to the next one

until you have reviewed and voted on all charts. Remember your norm TRUST THE PROCESS!


Developing, Finalizing and Sharing a Plan to Strengthen Your Parent-School Partnerships


Welcome and Agenda/Norms Review Ask staff to sign in.

Welcome parents and ask them to sign in.

Ask staff to turn to the agenda on PAGE 74 in the PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK. Parents should have this as a

handout.

Review the objectives, and refer to the norms.

ACTIVITY ONE: Goal Team Work Session: Refining Action Steps

Ask staff and parents to quickly discuss with a neighbor which direction they identified with in the Compass

Points activity from the last meeting. Tell them that thinking about each of their strengths when working in

group settings will help when writing and carrying out the plan. NOTE: If some parents are new, explain the

different directions and ask them to think about which one they associate with the most.

Ask staff to choose a goal (written on the chart paper) that interests them. This will become their “goal team”

for the remaining activities in this module.

o Ask participants to check if there is representation from all directions on the compass for each

group and try to balance the participant numbers from each direction in each goal team.

Tell each group to decide upon a goal team leader, a goal team scribe and a date keeper.

Provide directions for the 3-2-1 RANKING METHOD:

Say: In the last session we brainstormed with parents ideas for our Parent-School Partnership Plan. NOW the real

work begins. In this meeting, we will a) form official goal teams; b) finalize our activities with action steps to carry

out the activities; and c) begin working with members of our goal teams to create drafts of our Parent-School

Partnership Plan.

Say: Today we might want to remember the norm: EXPECT IT TO BE MESSY. We have some decisions to make in

our groups, and we do want all voices to be heard. We will be using the brainstormed charts with additional

comments placed since our last meeting.

Provide directions for the Work Session (45 minutes)

Ask each goal team to take their goal team chart back to a table or work space area (10 minutes):

o Review the feedback provided during the Gallery Walk and refine existing activities based on that feedback

[Figure 4].

o The group scribe circles the activities that received the most checks – you may choose up to five activities

per goal team, but keep it realistic given the size of your staff.

Transfer activities and put details into PSPP template (35 minutes):

o Ask each goal team to open up the PSPP template that you emailed to them.

o Point out that there is room to write each activity, the purpose of the activity, its date, action steps to assist

with ensuring successful implementation of the activity and evidence to collect. Participants should

complete ALL sections of the PSPP template.

Evidence might include sign in sheets, surveys, photographs, interviews – whatever will document how

the activity went.

o Tell the group to discuss how they will fill out the different parts of the template

The group scribe will record those final activities in the template.

The date keeper will place dates to complete each action step of each activity on the master calendar

chart paper as the team agrees upon them.

Provide each goal team with a different color post it/marker to record activities on the master

calendar.

Figure 1: A goal team is listing prioritized activities onto the PSPP template, and discussing what steps will need to be taken to plan and execute each activity.

Say: Once you have decided when each activity and action step will occur to meet your goal, the date keeper will

write the steps on the chart paper calendar that is already filled in with important school dates using the specific

color sticky notes/different color markers I provided to your goal team. By placing sticky notes or your assigned

marker on the larger calendar, we will be able to see when each goal team plans to carry out the steps for their

activities. Remember these dates are tentative as we may have to shift a few items around once every team has

contributed to the calendar. You have a total of 45 minutes to work on your timeline for each activity and write your

steps on the larger calendar. Let’s get to work! [Figure 4]

Debrief:

Ask each goal team to share the top activities chosen. **They don’t need to read through the other sections

(purpose/actions steps, etc.).

Facilitator Notes:

Use your discretion to allow the goal teams to create a list of as many activities as they can handle. If you have a

large staff, you may want each goal team to have more than 5; if you have a small staff, you may want each goal

team to have fewer than 5 or only address certain goals.

Remember to keep all charts for the future, because you may use some of these ideas for refining your plan in

the years to come.

Debrief:

Allow three minutes for any questions or open discussion about the activities chosen for the PSPP.

ACTIVITY TWO: PSPP Next Steps

Staff/parents discuss and present ideas in goal team groups.

Figure 2: Goal teams writing activities in appropriate month of master calendar

Say: Goal scribes, please email me your template from your goal team so I can compile everyone’s ideas together.

Remember, meeting our goals will require a lot of prep work throughout the entire school year. By taking the steps

now to plan for next year, we can ensure a smoother implementation of activities.

Say: In your teams, I want you to discuss how we should get the PSPP information to all of our families. Specifically

think about “How can we design a parent-friendly version of the PSPP in an easy-to-read format to share with our

school community?” Then, we will decide and agree on how we will share the plan with our families (e.g., “kick off”

activity during orientation, open house, connected to the first PSPP event, etc.).

Goal team groups then share their best ideas for design and sharing of the information. Facilitator

should record these ideas.

It is the facilitator’s responsibility to create a finalized PSPP for school use and for parent use!

NEXT STEPS

Say: This is our last module for this year. We will spend next year implementing our PSPP and collecting evidence

on the effectiveness of each activity. Thank you for your thoughtful conversations and sharing. We will take each of

your templates and work with the Ensuring Two-Way Communication Goal team to create the final school version

and parent-friendly version of the PSPP and share it using the ideas you generated.

We are so grateful for your ideas and for your time this year! Have a great summer!

SUCCESS PARTNERS PLANNER

School Name ___________________________

School Facilitator(s)____________________________ DATE TIME MODULE # DETAILS TO REMEMBER

7

Using all the Functions in the TLE

8


9

It Takes More than a Village: A Collaborative Parent-Teacher Module **Parents are invited to attend this module.

10

Developing, Finalizing, and Sharing a Plan to Strengthen your Parent-School Partnerships **Parents are invited to attend this module.

Protocol Reference Sheet

Purpose Protocol Name Description

Informational Text

Block Party Pre-reading with snippets of text to establish background knowledge

4 A's Reading text with focus on what

the reader may Agree with, Argue with, and Aspire to

4 A's worksheet Graphic organizer for use when reading the text

Jigsaw Used when a lot of learning needs to happen in a short time. Individuals become experts on part of text, then share with others.

Text Rendering Collaboratively construct meaning, clarify, and expand thinking about

a text (a sentence, phrase and word)

Warm Up Affinity Diagram Organizes a large number of ideas into their natural relationships

Group Work Block Party Using text based quotes to mingle and share views with others

Carousel Brainstorm Actively generate large numbers of responses to questions or issues

Compass Points Exercise in understanding preferences in group work, both your own

and others

Continuum Dialogue A non-threatening way to get to know the people one works with,

their perspectives, beliefs, opinions on issues

DOVE Brainstorm Specific norms to facilitate brainstorming session

Norms Agreed upon way of interaction during group events

Pair Communication Active Listening Exercise

Plus/ Delta Chart '+/∆' Method to debrief an experience: what worked well /what needs

improved (avoids value statements)

Snowball Visualization Active experience for receiving feedback to a question or issue

ProtocolsaremostpowerfulandeffectivewhenusedwithinanongoingprofessionallearningcommunitysuchasaCriticalFriendsGroup®andfacilitatedbyaskilledcoach.Tolearnmoreaboutprofessionallearningcommunitiesandseminarsforneworexperiencedcoaches,pleasevisittheNationalSchoolReformFacultywebsiteatwww.nsrfharmony.org.

NationalSchoolReformFaculty

HarmonyEducation

Centerwww.nsrfharmony.org

AdaptedfromJudithGray,Seattle,WA2005

1.Thegroupreadsthetextsilently,highlightingitandwritingnotesinthemarginonpost-itnotesinanswertothefollowingfourquestions(youcanalsoaddyourown“A”s• WhatAssumptionsdoestheauthorofthetexthold?• WhatdoyouAgreewithinthetext?• WhatdoyouwanttoArguewithinthetext?• WhatpartsofthetextdoyouwanttoAspireto?

2. Inaround,haveeachpersonidentifyoneassumptioninthetext,citingthetext(withpagenumbers,ifappropriate)asevidence.

3.Eithercontinueinroundsorfacilitateaconversationinwhichthegrouptalksaboutthetextinlightofeachoftheremaining“A”s,takingthemoneatatime–whatdopeoplewanttoarguewith,agreewith,andaspiretointhetext?Trytomoveseamlesslyfromone“A”tothenext,givingeach“A”enoughtimeforfullexploration.

4.Endthesessionwithanopendiscussionframedaroundaquestionsuchas:Whatdoesthismeanforourworkwithstudents?

5.Debriefthetextexperience.

Four“A”sTextProtocol

What do you want to Argue with in the text?

What do you Agree with in the text?

What parts of the text do you want to Aspire to?

What Assumptions does the author of the text hold?

Affinity Diagram Protocol Description: The affinity diagram organizes a large number of ideas into their natural relationships. This method taps a team’s creativity and intuition. It was created in the 1960s by Japanese anthropologist Jiro Kawakita. When to Use an Affinity Diagram: When you are confronted with many facts or ideas in apparent chaos When issues seem too large and complex to grasp When group consensus is necessary After a brainstorming exercise When analyzing verbal data, such as survey results.

Materials needed: sticky notes or cards, marking pens, large work surface (wall, table, or floor). Affinity Diagram Procedure:

1. Following a brainstorming session, randomly spread notes on a large work surface so all notes are visible to everyone. The entire team gathers around the notes and participates in the next steps.

2. It is very important that no one talk during this step. Look for ideas that seem to be related in

some way. Place them side by side. Repeat until all notes are grouped. It’s okay to have “loners” that don’t seem to fit a group. It’s all right to move a note someone else has already moved. If a note seems to belong in two groups, make a second note.

3. You can talk now. Participants can discuss the shape of the chart, any surprising patterns, and especially reasons for moving controversial notes. A few more changes may be made.

4. When ideas are grouped, select a heading for each group. Look for a note in each grouping

that captures the meaning of the group. Place it at the top of the group. If there is no such note, write one. Often it is useful to write or highlight this note in a different color.

5. Combine groups into “supergroups” if appropriate.



HarmonyEducation


Thisactivitycanbeusedwithavarietyoftexts,poems,articlesorwholebooks.Itworkswellwithlargegroups.

1.Facilitatorwritesquotesonindexcardspriortosession.Youmaychooseonequoteperparticipant,orrepeatsomequotes.

2.Participantsrandomlyselectquotes/cardsandspendafewminutesreflectingupontheirquote’smeaningforthemandtheirwork.(3minutes)

3.Participantsmingleandsharequotesinpairs.Participantsareencouragedtosharewiththreeotherparticipantsin5minutesegments.(15minutes)

4.(Optional)Formtriadsorquadsandsharequotesandinsightsaboutthetextanditsimplicationsforourwork.(Extension:Speculateonthepurpose/originofthetext.)(12-15minutes)

5.Wholegroupsharingofideasandquestionsraisedbytheexperience.Thiscanbedonepopcornstyleorasaround,butisusuallynotaconversation.(10-12minutes)

6.Facilitatorsharesthesourceofthequotes,postingthelink,distributingthearticleetc.forfuturework.(1minute)

7.Debrieftheprocess(5minutes)

Note:AttheNationalFacilitator’sMeetinginChicagothefollowingpossibilitieswereshared:1)Haveparticipantsexchangecards/quotesaftereachround.2)Usethisformattoshareendofyearreflectionsorstartupaspirations.3)Usingquotesfromlongerpiecescanopenuptheconversationinlarge,mixedgroupswherestudentsandfamilymembersmighthavepreviouslybeenexcludedfromthediscussionofthematerial.

BlockPartyAPre-ReadingText-BasedActivity

AdaptedbyDebbieBambinofromKyleneBeerspre-readingstrategy

1999 by the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory

A “Carousel Brainstorm” Group Process

A Carousel Brainstorm is good for generating large numbers of responses to questionsor issues. In doing so, the Carousel Brainstorm informally assesses the knowledge ofthe participants and frames the learning around a particular focus. It can serve as awarm-up process for highlighting an agenda or as a synthesis of learning at the end ofa session. It is also physically active and good for times when participants’ energy islow. A Carousel Brainstorm is usually about 45 minutes in length.

The process begins with a number of different questions posted around the room oneasel paper. Participants are divided into small groups and assigned a starting point tobegin the brainstorming process. After a few minutes of brainstorming as a small group,they move on to the next question and repeat the brainstorming process. This continuesuntil all groups have had the opportunity to brainstorm around each question. There are avariety of ways to summarize learning and bring closure to the group process.

Purposes:

The specific purposes of the Carousel Brainstorm are the following:

• Assessing Knowledge, Needs, Interests, and Attitudes.

• Building a Common Vocabulary.

• Collecting and Analyzing Data.

• Exploring Multiple Perspective.

• Reflecting on Practice.

• Starting Conversations.

• Structuring Learning.

• Tapping Prior Knowledge and Beliefs.

SET-UP AND MATERIALS NEEDED

Room Set-up:

• Center and front facilitator area (for overhead projector, materials, etc.) that is easilyvisible to all participants

• Carousel Brainstorm questions posted around the perimeter of the room on the wallswith chart paper and markers

• Space for participants to move from posting to posting

Materials:

1999 by the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory

• Easel, chart paper, and different colored markers

• Computer-generated posters, if desired

• Overhead projector and screen

• Chimes or other noisemakers, if desired

• Purposes, Process, and Questions transparencies

During the Session:

• Introduce the content topic and the purposes of this group process (using thePurposes transparency).

• Describe to the whole group that they will be brainstorming ideas and sharingthem with a small group of 3-5 people (depending on the size of the wholegroup). They will be asked to record their ideas on easel paper—either building onan idea that is already listed or adding a new idea.

• Ask the group to give some examples of “guidelines for effective brainstorming.”Record them on chart paper and post them for all to see. If needed, use tips fromGuidelines to Effective Brainstorming.

• Ask group members to count-off by the number of questions, and then explainthe steps in the Carousel Brainstorm process (summarized on the Processtransparency).

• Review the questions that are posted on chart paper around the room, lettinggroups know where they will begin the brainstorming process. (You can walk frompaper to paper or use the Questions transparency.)

• Develop a signal or use chimes to let groups know when it is time to move to thenext question. It is recommended that later rounds be given less time than earlyrounds. (e.g., rounds one and two may take 4 minutes each; round three maytake 3 minutes; rounds four may take 2 minutes.)

• When all groups have responded to each of the questions, ask groups to return tothe question that they started with and to review all of the ideas on the chartpaper. You might ask each small group to create a “key” and coding system toidentify common themes and clusters of ideas.

• Finally, ask each group to report out to the whole group, briefly summarizing thethemes, big ideas, and important applications to their work that emerged from theCarousel Brainstorming around their specific question.



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North,South,EastandWest:CompassPoints

AnExerciseinUnderstandingPreferencesinGroupWork

DevelopedinthefieldbyeducatorsaffiliatedwithNSRF

SimilartotheMyers-BriggsPersonalityInventory,thisexerciseusesasetofpreferenceswhichrelatenottoindividualbuttogroupbehaviors,helpingustounderstandhowpreferencesaffectourgroupwork.

1.Theroomissetupwithfoursignsoneachwall—North,South,EastandWest.

2.Participantsareinvitedtogotothe“direction”oftheirchoice.Nooneisonlyone“direction,”buteveryonecanchooseoneastheirpre-dominantone.

3.Each“direction”answersthefivequestionsonasheetofnewsprint.Whencomplete,theyreportbacktothewholegroup.

4.Processingcaninclude:• Notethedistributionamongthe“directions”:whatmightitmean?• Whatisthebestcombinationforagrouptohave?Doesitmatter?• Howcanyouavoidbeingdrivencrazybyanother“direction”?• Howmightyouusethisexercisewithothers?Students?

NorthActing–“Let’sdoit;”Likestoact,trythings,plungein.

WestPayingattentiontodetail—likestoknowthewho,what,when,whereandwhybeforeacting.

EastSpeculating–likestolookatthebigpictureandthepossibilitiesbeforeacting.

SouthCaring–likestoknowthateveryone’sfeelingshavebeentakenintoconsiderationandthattheirvoiceshavebeenheardbeforeacting.

N

E

S

W


North,South,EastandWest

Decidewhichofthefour“directions”mostcloselydescribesyourpersonalstyle.Thenspend15minutesansweringthefollowingquestionsasagroup.

1.Whatarethestrengthsofyourstyle?(4adjectives)

2.Whatarethelimitationsofyourstyle?(4adjectives)

3.Whatstyledoyoufindmostdifficulttoworkwithandwhy?

4.Whatdopeoplefromtheother“directions”orstylesneedtoknowaboutyousoyoucanworktogethereffectively?

5.Whatdoyouvalueabouttheotherthreestyles?



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ContinuumDialogueDevelopedbyMarylynWentworthandexpandedandenrichedbymanyfacilitatorsintheNationalSchool

ReformFaculty.

TimeFrom30minutestoanhourandahalf.

PurposeandDescriptionTheContinuumDialogueisaprovocativeyetnon-threateningwaytogettoknowthepeopleoneworkswith:theirperspectives,theirbeliefs,theiropinionsonhardissues,howtheythinkaboutthemselvesandothers,whattheythinkaboutteachingandlearning.Itisalsousefultoseewherepeoplestandondifficultissuesthatneeddecisionsandhearthemoutwithrespectandinterest.

TheContinuumDialoguerequirestheparticipantstophysicallystandonacontinuumarcaccordingtowhereeachpersonplacesthemselvesbetweenthetwostatementsthatformthebeginningandendofthecontinuum.TheContinuumisinanarcratherthanastraightlinesopeoplecanseeoneanotherastheyspeakandlisten.

ThefacilitatorofaContinuumisgenerallyaneutralpersonwhoisnotpartofthegroupdoingtheContinuum.Asagroupgetsmoreexperiencedwiththisprocess,an“insider”caneffectivelyfacilitate.ThereasonforanoutsidefacilitatoristhatitisimportantforeverypersoninthegrouptostandontheContinuumarc.

ThefacilitatorestablishesNormsfortheContinuum,whichare:• Listenwithrespectandinterest• Speakwithcandor• Noone’scommentswillbechallengedorargued• Thoughtfulreflectiononothers’responsesisokay• Thefacilitatorisresponsiblefortheprocessuntilhe/shestepsback• Whenthefacilitatorstepsback,everyoneisresponsiblefortheprocess

ThestatementsthatestablishtheendsoftheContinuummustallowfordifferenceswithouttherebeingarightandwrongplacetostand.Forexampleacontinuumthataddressesthelengthoftheschooldaygoesfrom“Ithinkourschooldayistoolongforelementarystudents”to“Ithinkourschooldayistooshortforelementarystudents.”Thatisareasonablecontinuumasneitherendisrightorwrong.However,thetopic“Whoshouldteach?”withtheextremesbeing,“Ithinkitisokayforpeoplewhodislikechildrentoteach,”to“Idon’tthinkanyonewhodislikeschildrenshouldbeteaching.”wouldn’tworkasthe“dislikeschildrenandcanteach”endcouldbeassumedtobeabadplacetostandbymostpeople.


WhenthetopicandthetwoendsoftheContinuumhavebeenestablished,thefacilitatorstandsintheopensideofthearcandaskspeopleatdifferentpointsinthecontinuumwhytheychosetostandwheretheydid.Peopleexplainwhytheychosetostandtherewithnointerruptionsorquestions.Thereisnoneedtoaskeveryoneunlessitmatterstohearfromeverypersonforsomereason,asgenerallytherewillbeaseriesofContinuumsthatmakeupthedialogueandeveryoneshouldbecalledonatsomepointtorespond.Sometimes,“Whydidyouchosetostandthere?”isn’ttherightquestiontoask.Forexamplesofdifferentquestions,seethepracticeroundsintheSteps.

AfterseveralContinuums,orwhenagroupofpeopleisaccustomedtothem,thefacilitatorcanstepbackandpeopleintheContinuumcanaskotherswhytheychosetostandwheretheydid.Thefacilitatorwouldstepforwardandinterveneshouldtherebeanyconfrontationalquestionsasked,disrespectshown,oranyrebuttaltothepersonwhoexplainedwhytheychosetostandwheretheydid.Whenthedialogueprogressestothepointofthefacilitatorsteppingback,secondaryquestionsorcommentsmaycomeforthaftertheinitial“whydidyouchosetostandthere?”suchas,“Iexpectedthatyouwouldhavestoodfurthertoward‘this’end.ItisinterestingtometoseehowmuchIassumedaboutyouwithoutaskingyouwhatyoureallythought.”Or,“Ihadnoideayouhadgonethroughallofthat.Itexplainssomuch!”Or,“Ihadn’tthoughtofitthatway.InfactIthinkIhavetomovearoundthecontinuumclosertoyou.”Thedialogueportionhappensatthispoint,alwayscenteredaround,“Whydidyouchosetostandthere?”andwithrespectfullistening.Sometimestherearenocomments,onlycarefullisteningtopeopleastheystatetheirreasonsforstandingwheretheyare,andthatisfine.

InaContinuumthatwilladdressahardissueitisgenerallybesttohaveseveralContinuumspriortothe“big”questiontoestablishnormsofresponseandtolearnabouteachotherinhelpfulways.Anexamplemightbeadifferenceofopinionastowhetherahighschoolshouldgotoblockschedulingorstaywithasevenperiodday.PossiblequestionsforaseriesofContinuum:• Howdostudentslearnbest?“Studentsthisagelearnbestthroughavarietyofshorterlearning

experiences,”to“Studentsthisagelearnbestwhentheycanfocusonafewin-depthlearningexperiencesatatime.”

• Howdostudentslearnbest?“Studentslearnbestwhentheyhaveconstant,daily,classes,”to“Studentslearnbestwhentheyhavespacebetweenclassesforreflectionandsynthesis.”

• Timeforin-depthwork.“Ithinkourstudentshaveplentyofopportunitiestodoindepthwork”to“Idon’tthinkourstudentshaveadequateopportunitiestodoin-depthwork.”

• Whatarethegainsandlossesinblockscheduling?“There’salottolosebygoingtoblockscheduling,”to“There’salottogainbygoingtoblockscheduling.”

• Howismyteachingaffected?“Idomybestteachinginsmaller,consistentblocksoftime,”to“IdomybestteachingwhenIhavefewerstudentsforalongertimetodoin-depthwork.”

• Howdoesthisaffectmepersonally?“Iamunsurehowtoteachinlongerblocksoftime,”to“Ihavesomeideasabouthowtoteachinlongerblocksoftime.”

AContinuumshouldneverbeavote,orevenconsensus.Itwouldn’tworktosay“Atthispoint,Iwanttochangetoblockscheduling,”to“Atthispoint,Idon’twanttochangetoblockscheduling.”Allthosestandingsomewhereinthemiddlemakeitauselessattemptatdecision-making.Onecouldstatethetopicas“Let’sseewhereweareonthetopicofblockscheduling,”thenaskthequestionsandlistentoeveryone’sreasonsforstandingwheretheyare.Thusitbecomesalearningexperiencethatcanleadtoagooddecision.Peoplecalmlylistentootherperspectivesandgrowinunderstandingtheircolleagues.SolutionsevenriseastheContinuumunfolds.


AspeoplegetaccustomedtotheContinuumDialogue,itispossibletotakethreemoresteps:1.AttheendofaContinuumthefacilitatorcaninviteanyonewhohaschangedtheirmindonewayorthe

otherandwantstomove,todoso,andexplainwhytheychosetomove.

2.ThefacilitatorcanaskifanyoneinthegrouphasaContinuumtheywouldliketopropose.ThatpersonsetsuptheContinuumandfacilitatesthediscussionwiththesupportoftheregularfacilitator.Thisgivesparticipantstheopportunitytogodeeperthanthefacilitatormight.Itrequirestrusttodothiswell,althoughsometimespeoplewanttoaskfairlysimplequestionsthatjustdidn’toccurtothefacilitator.Itisthefacilitator’sresponsibilitytobesuretheContinuumisproductiveandnotahiddenquestiontogetatsomethingorsomeone.

3.ThefacilitatorcangiveanyoneintheContinuumpermissiontomoveanyoneelsetotheplacethey

thinktheyshouldbeandtellthewholegroupwhytheymovedthatpersonthere.Thepersonmovedcanrespondandeitherstaythereorgobacktowheretheywere.Thisprocessgetstothedifferencesbetweenwhatweknowofourselvesandwhatweprojecttoothers.Forexampleonacontinuumlike“IthinkIamacapableleader,”to“Leadershipisnotmystrongestattribute,”asurprisingamountofmovinggoesonasmanyveryeffectiveleadersdonotperceivethemselvesthatway,andlearnalotabouthowtheircolleaguesperceivethem.

Steps1.ThefacilitatordescribestheprocessoftheContinuum:

• HowstatementsrepresentingtheextremesofatopicmarkthetwoendsoftheContinuum• WheretheContinuumwillbebyphysicallywalkingfromoneendtotheother• ExplainstheNorms

2.Thefacilitatorgivesthegrouponeormorepracticerounds.Belowarepossibilities:ThetopicisstatedandtheextremesofthetopicaretheContinuum.• Theimportanceoftime: alwaysontime................................................................timedoesn’tmeananything (asecondaryquestionmightbe,“Whatdoestimefeelliketoyou?)• Yourdeskatschool(orathome) neatandorderlynearlyallthetime...........................................................utterchaos (abetterquestionhereis,“Whatroledoesyourdeskplayforyou?”)• Timeofdayyoudoyourbestwork: Dawn......................................................................................Deepinthedarknight• Toleranceforambiguity: Likedetailed,writtenplans..................................................Gowithwhatevercomes• Sizeofgroupyouworkbestwith: Alone........................................Thewholeschool,eventhedistrict,maybetheworld• Physicalproximityboundaries-howclosepeoplecanstandandtalkwithyou.(practicethisone

andyou’llseeexactlywhereboundariesareaspeoplebackupwhenyougettotheboundary) 2inches.............................................................................................................2feet (anotherquestionhereis“Whathappenswhenpeoplepassyourboundary?)

3.ThefacilitatorbeginstheContinuumDialoguebystatingthefirstquestion/topicandphysicallywalkingofftheContinuum,statingthetwoendpreferencesthatmarktheContinuum.

4.Participantsgoandstandintheplacethatbestrepresentstheirpreference/opinion/belief.


5.ThefacilitatorasksavarietyofpeopleatavarietyofpointsontheContinuumwhytheychosetostandwheretheydid,oranotherquestionifthatisnottheappropriateone-butitusuallyis.

6.Afterenoughpeoplehavebeenasked,thefacilitatoreitherinvitespeopletomoveiftheyhavechangedtheiropinion,statingwhy;opensthedialoguebysteppingbackandallowingparticipantstoaskoneanotherquestionsorcommentontheirnewunderstandings;ormovesontothenextquestion.AsContinuumhavetheirownpace,thefacilitatorhastojudgewhentomoveonandwhentoextendthedialogue.UseasmanyContinuumsasareappropriatetothetopicathandortothetimeallotted.

7.Severalvariationscanhappenhere:• Participantscanproposethequestions/topics,setuptheContinuum,andfacilitate• Thefacilitatorcaninviteparticipantstomoveotherparticipantstospotstheythinkaremore

representativeofthatperson,andtellwhy.Themovedpersoncanrespond.

8.Thegroupsitsdowninacircletodebrief,talkingaboutwhattheylearnedandhowthatmightimpacttheworktheydotogether.Discusstheprocess-whatworked,whatdidn’tandwhatmightbeimprovedforanothertime.

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HarmonyEducation


JigsawDescriptionAdaptedfromtheworkofSpencerKagan,ResourcesforTeachers,SanJuanCapistrano,CA.

ThepurposeofJigsawissharedlearning.Membersofagroupbecome“experts”inaparticularareaofamutualpursuitandsharetheirlearning/researchwiththeothergroupmembers.Itisalsousedwhenalotoflearningneedstohappeninashorttime.Chaptersofbookscanbesplitup,variousapproachestothesameoutcomecanberesearched,differentexperimentswiththesamematerialscanbeconducted,differentviewpointsonthesameissuecanbestudied,andtheresultsshared.Thisiseffectiveforstudentsoradults.Thereareseveralwaysthiscanhappen:

WithinTeamJigsawEachmemberofateam/groupworksindependentlytomasteraportionofatopicorskill.Wheneachteammemberhascompletedtheworkasplanned,theygatheratanagreedupontimetosharethenewknowledge.Oftenthereissomekindofsynthesisofthesharedknowledge.Example:Therearefourprotocolsforobservinginaclassroom.Eachpersoninagroupoffourreadsoneoftheobservationprotocolsandpresentsthatapproachtotheotherteammembers,withguidingquestionstoassistthesharedlearning,suchas“Whatkindoffeedbackisgeneratedbythisprotocol?”“Whatkindofobservationismostappropriateforthisprotocol?”“Whatisthevalueofthisprotocolintermsofstudentlearning;teacherpractice?”Thegroupcomparesandcontraststhefourprotocols.

TeamJigsawEachteambecomesan“expert”ononetopicorskill.Teammembersspreadouttosharetheirnewknowledgewiththerestoftheteams.Team#1spreadsoutandsendsamembertoeachoftheotherteamstoshare,thenTeam#2doesthesame.There’sabitofmathtodohereastherehavetobeenough“experts”tosharewithalltheotherteams,orteamshavetobecombinedtoshare“experts.”Twoteamscanresearchthesametopicandcheckwithoneanotherforcompletenessandagreementbeforethey“consult”withtheotherteams-thisprovidessomechecksandbalances.Synthesiscanbedoneasawholegrouporinteams.Example:Therearefourprotocolsforobservinginaclassroom.Theroomisdividedinto4teamsof3people,(or6people).Eachteamstudiesoneprotocol,talkingtogetherandplanningthebestwaytopresenttheprotocoltotheotherteams,usingtheguidingquestions.Eachteamtakesturnssendingits“experts”outtotheotherteams(aloneorasapair)tosharetheprotocoltheyhavestudied.Awholegroupsynthesisthatcomparesthefourapproaches.

ExpertGroupJigsawEachmemberofateamtakesonaportion/aspectofatopicorskill.Morethanonememberoftheteamwilltakeonthesameportion/aspectiftherearemoregroupmembersthanportions/aspects.Theteamsplitsupandeveryonegoestoan“expert”groupofallthepeoplefromalltheteamstakingonthesameportion/aspect.The“expert”groupmastersthetopic/skillordoestheresearchnecessary.The“expert”groupplansawaytopresenttheirlearninginthebestpossiblewayandpracticesthepresentationifnecessary.The“experts”allreturntotheirteamswheretheymakepresentationstotheirteammembers.Synthesisisdoneintheteams.Example:Therearefourprotocolsforobservinginaclassroom.Eachteamassignsitsmembersoneofthefourprotocols.Theteammembersbreakupandgowiththeappropriate“expert”grouptostudytheprotocol,discussittogetherforunderstanding,usingtheguidingquestions.Theyplanapresentation.The“experts”returntotheirteamandeachprotocolispresentedinturn.Theprotocolsarecomparedintheteams.

Should we add any others? Can we agree to honor and practice these norms each time we meet?

NORMS

Acknowledge one another as equals.

Speak and listen from the heart.

(The goal is understanding, not agreement.) Monitor equity of participation.

Assume goodwill.

Trust the process.

Be present.

(on time, cell phones off, in the room) Expect it to be messy.

. Have fun!



HarmonyEducation

Centerwww.nsrfharmony.org PairCommunication

Active-ListeningExercise

DevelopedbyEmilyWhiteandNancyMohr.

Inpairs1.Person#1has1.5minutestotalkabout:

• “SomestrongfeelingsI’vebeenhavingaboutworklately…”or• “Ahighpointofthisweek…”or• “Aplaceofpeace…”

Person#2cannottalk(imaginaryBand-Aidovermouth)untiltimeisup.Facilitatorwillannouncetime;waituntiltimeiscalledtoswitch.(90seconds)

2.Person#2paraphrases,restatescontentandreflectsfeelings.Youdon’thavetobeatape-recorder,justsaybackwhathitsyou:“So,Iheardyousaying…”(45seconds)

3.Person#1givesfeedbackabouthowitfelt.Appreciationifitfeltlikeyouwerereallyheard.(15seconds)

4.Nowswitch.

±

∆

Snowball Using Snowball* strategy Objectives

1. To create community inclusion and energize the group 2. To give opportunity for sharing of thinking

Instructions

1. Ask each person to use one piece of paper, a pencil, something firm to write on and sit in a community circle. (this can be adapted to use tables as well)

2. On their paper, write their name in the bottom corner 3. Ask participants to write an question or an AHA from either a text, or a dilemma 4. Crumple up the paper into a ‘snowball’. 5. At the facilitator signal, toss the snowballs. (facilitators can decide whether to just

toss into the middle of the circle once, or to have an actual ‘snowball toss’ where the snowballs are flying for a few rounds before stopping)

6. Signal to stop, then have each participant pick up one snowball. Open the snowball and respond to the writing prompt giving suggestions or supporting comments.

7. Depending on the time, you may crumple and toss the snowballs again, and allow another writing opportunity below the first suggestion.

8. Finally, give the snowball back to the person whose name is on the bottom. Allow time to process the responses to their original prompt.

9. Have time for processing, either in the table group sharing, or have some individuals share how the strategy felt. Suggested reflection questions: Content (cognitive learning) • Why is it important for team members to share information about themselves? • Are there other good questions we could ask? Social Skills (Social Learning) • Why was this strategy chosen at this particular time of day? • What did you enjoy most about this activity?



HarmonyEducation


PurposeTocollaborativelyconstructmeaning,clarify,andexpandourthinkingaboutatextordocument.

RolesAfacilitatortoguidetheprocess.Ascribetotrackthephrasesandwordsthatareshared.

SetUpTakeafewmomentstoreviewthedocumentandmarkthesentence,thephrase,andthewordthatyouthinkisparticularlyimportantforourwork.

Steps1.FirstRound:Eachpersonsharesasentencefromthedocumentthathe/shethinks/feelsisparticularly

significant.

2.SecondRound:Eachpersonsharesaphrasethathe/shethinks/feelsisparticularlysignificant.Thescriberecordseachphrase.

3.ThirdRound:Eachpersonsharesthewordthathe/shethinks/feelsisparticularlysignificant.Thescriberecordseachword.

4.Thegroupdiscusseswhattheyheardandwhatitsaysaboutthedocument.

5.Thegroupsharesthewordsthatemergedandanynewinsightsaboutthedocument.

6.Thegroupdebriefsthetextrenderingprocess.

TextRenderingExperienceDevelopedinthefieldbyeducatorsaffiliatedwithNSRF.

Download - Success Partners Facilitator Handbook · Facilitator Handbook for Year 1. The Facilitator Handbook contains all the documents (i.e., planning, agendas, and scripts) you will need

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