Potential TA Content

Collegial Support & Family Partnerships

Our Learning Community Culture

Col

labo

ratio

nC

onsu

ltatio

n

Objectives

• To define an overall climate of collaboration among staff, families, and students that will lead to improved student success

• To identify specific skills needed to develop collaboration

• To begin building a systematic organization designed to promote collaborative teams and family partnerships school-wide

• What does the term early intervention mean to you?

• What does early intervention mean to members of your staff?

Teacher as Learner

Collegiality

Policies

Knowledge &

Skills

Instructional Program

Coherence

Instructional Practices

Family & Student Centered Student Outcomes

Lead

ersh

ip

Com

mitm

ent

Shared Purpose

Community

DispositionsData-based

Decision-Making

Infrastructure

Resources

Data-

base

d

Decisi

on-M

akin

g

Research

Data-based

Decision-Making

Family Partnerships

Newmann, King, & Young (2000)

School Capacity

• School capacity is the collective power of the full staff to improve student achievement.

• Student achievement is affected by the quality of instruction. Instruction is affected by school policy or programs.

• Aspects of school capacity include educators’ knowledge, skills, and dispositions; learning community; program coherence; resources; and leadership.

“When principals work with staff to build processes to monitor each student’s learning and to develop systems of intervention that give students additional time and support when they experience difficulty, they create the structures that support the concept of learning for all. When they give staff clear parameters to guide their work by considerable autonomy in implementation, they increase the likelihood that staff members will embrace that concept.”

Rick DuFour, JSD, Vol. 25 No. 4 Fall 2004, “ Leading Edge”

Student Outcomes

(Adapted from Ortiz, 1987; Horner, 1998; Sugai, 2001)

Sch

ool-W

ide

Indi

vidu

al S

uppo

rt

Address Intensity of Need for a Few Students

Address Specific Performance Gaps for

Some Students

Ensure Effective Instructional Practices and Promote Positive Educational

Outcomes for All Students

All Students in School

(Adapted from Ortiz, 1987; Horner, 1998; Sugai, 2001)

Intensive1-7%(Specialized/Individual Support System)

Intervention5-15%

(At-Risk System, Supplemental, Small Groups)

Universal80-90%

(District, School-Wide, & Classroom Systems)

Sch

ool-W

ide

Indi

vidu

al S

uppo

rt

All Students in School

Continuum of Support

Components of EIP

• Leadership

• Collegial Support & Family Partnerships

• Strategic Decision-Making

• Assessment & Reflective Practice

• Instructional Repertoire

• Accountability & Documentation

How Do We Define School-Family Partnerships?

THE KEYS TO SUCCESSFULSCHOOL-FAMILY-COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

EPSTEIN’S SIX TYPES OF INVOLVEMENTPARENTING: Assist families with parenting and child-rearing skills, understanding child and adolescent development, and settinghome conditions that support children as students at each age and grade level. Assist schools in understanding families.

COMMUNICATING: Communicate with families about school programs and student progress through effective school-to-home and home-to-school communications.

VOLUNTEERING: Improve recruitment, training, work, and schedules to involve families as volunteers and audiences at school or in other locations to support students and school programs.

LEARNING AT HOME: Involve families with their children in learning activities at home, including homework and other curriculum-related activities and decisions

DECISION MAKING: Include families as participants in school decisions, governance, and advocacy through PTA/PTO, school councils, committees, action teams, and other parent organizations.

COLLABORATING WITH COMMUNITY: Coordinate resourcesand services for students, families, and the school with businesses, agencies, and other groups, and provide services to the community.

Reprinted with permission: Epstein, J. L., Sanders, M. G., Simon, B. S., Salinas, K. C., Jansorn, N. R., & Van Voorhis, F. L. (2002). School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action (Second Edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

4

Type 1

Type 2

Type 6

Type 5

Type 4

Type 3

School-Family-Community Partnerships

• Mutual trust and respect

• Two-way collaboration and support

• Equality in the relationship

• Schools take the initiative

• Activities for student success

Parental Involvement Definition

• Participation of parents in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities ensuring–

– That parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning;

– That parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school;

– That parents are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child

Redefining Parent Involvement

• Student achievement improves when:

• Families create a home environment that encourages learning.

• Families express high, but realistic, expectations for children’s achievement and future careers.

• Families actively participate in their children’s education at school.

Partnerships Then and Now• THEN

• Parent involvement

• Up to parents

• Incidental or accidental

• Off to the side

• Pre-K, K, or elementary

• NOW

• School-family-community partnerships

• Part of school and classroom organization

• Framework of 6 types of involvement

• Goal oriented

• All grade levels

Partnerships Then and Now

• THEN

• Mainly mothers

• “Barriers” of diverse family backgrounds, languages, cultures

• Parent outcomes

• Public relations

• Focus on a few parent leaders

• NOW

• Mothers, fathers, grandparents and other family

• “Strengths” and meeting families where they are

• Student achievement and school success

• Link practices to results for all students, parents, teachers, community

Key Concept

• Every family functions as a home learning environment, regardless of its structure, economic level, ethnic or cultural background.

• Consequently, every family has the potential to support and improve the academic achievement of its children.

Theoretical ModelOVERLAPPING SPHERES OF INFLUENCE OF FAMILY, SCHOOL, AND

COMMUNITY ON CHILDREN’S LEARNINGExternal Structure

Force BExperience,Philosophy,Practices of Family

Force CExperience,Philosophy,Practices of School

Force DExperience,Philosophy,Practices of Community

Force ATime/Age/Grade Level

Reprinted with permission: Epstein, J. L., Sanders, M. G., Simon, B. S., Salinas, K. C., Jansorn, N. R., & Van Voorhis, F. L. (2002). School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action (Second Edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. See Handbook, page 164, for the internal structure of this model.

(Horner, 1998)

Family Partnerships

Volunteer Programs Collective Responsibility

Shared Decision-Making

Parent to Parent Partnerships

Parent to Parent Support

Specialized Support

Specialized Assistance

Community Partnerships

Par

tner

ship

sS

peci

fic A

ssis

tanc

e

All Students in School

Communication & Information Sharing

What is Collaboration?

Collaboration is…

Continuum

Collaboration ConsultationCoaching

Mentoring Crisis Support

Co-teaching Peer Coaching

Specific Expertise

Grade Level Teams Parent-Teacher

CommunicationParent Expertise

of ChildS. Gerber

Building a Staff Support Structure

Skill Building SequenceStuart Gerber

Information Delivery, Learning Styles

Collaboration,Communication/Listening

Coordinating & Co-planning Instruction(with colleague or team)

Co-teaching

Peer Coaching Mentoring

Consulting: Prescriptive (team or individual)

Consulting: Focus (individual)

Consulting: ObjectivityEnhancement (individual)

Crisis Support

What Does it Look Like?

• Elements of Collaboration:• Examine student(s) needs;• Facilitate decision-making in the school setting;• Promote classroom alternatives as first

interventions for all students;• Provide support for classroom teachers;• Assist in designing and implementing instructional

change; and• Share skills, resources, ideas, and materials with

colleagues.

(Adapted from Dettmer, Dyck, & Thurston, 1996)

What is A Collaborative Consultant?

• Collaborative school consultation is interaction in which school personnel and families confer and collaborate as a team within the school context to identify learning and behavioral needs, and to plan, implement, and evaluate educational programs for serving those needs.

• A collaborative consultant is a facilitator of effective communication, cooperation, and coordination who confers and collaborates with other school personnel and families as one of a team to serve the special learning and behavioral needs of students.

• (Dettmer, Dyck, & Thurston, 1996)

What is A Collaborative Consultant?

• Collaboration an interactive process that enables people with diverse expertise to generate creative solutions to mutually defined problems. (Idol, Nevin, Paolucci-Whitcomb, 1994)

• Consultation is a collaborative process in which a trained, school-based consultant assists one or more consultees in efforts to make decisions and carry out plans that will be in the best educational interest of their students. (Kampwirth, 1999)

Collaboration

What it can look like...• Two share ideas• Two share

responsibilities• Parity• Cooperation• Interdependence• Level of collegial

support

Leading Factors• Need to brainstorm • Need to reflect with a

partner

What can you do?• Use effective

communication• Cooperate & share

responsibilities• Respect communication

styles• Support the partnership

S. Gerber

Coaching

What it can look like...• One mentor• One learner• Teaching• Guiding• High-mid support

Leading Factors• Lack of skills• Need to reflect or refine

skills• Need a new perspective• Need a “sounding board”

What can you do?• Guide, not give advice• Use effective questioning• Use good teaching• Validate and celebrate

S. Gerber

Consultation

What it can look like...• One expert• One in need of advice• High level of support

Leading Factors• Lack of skills/knowledge• New experience• Lack of solutions

What can you do?• Effectively communicate• Facilitate problem-solving

process• Share expertise• Help prioritize or focus

S. Gerber

Crisis Support

What it can look like...• Venting• Anger• Blaming• Complaining• Frustration• Stress• Threat to safety

Leading Factors• Mismatch between work

demands & skills• Overload• Personal concerns

What can you do?• Actively listen• Remain objective• Clarify• Be empathetic• Help prioritize

S. Gerber

What Do Collaborative Cultures Look Like?

(Horner, 1998)

Collegial Support

Reflective Practice

Collective Responsibility

Shared LeadershipParity

Co-teaching

Mentoring/Modeling

Specialized Support

“Expert” Assistance

Peer-Coaching

Col

labo

ratio

nC

olla

bora

tive

Con

sulta

nt

All Students in School

Communication Skills

Collegial Climate

Portraits of Early Intervention

• School-wide can look like…– Core Team– Grade Level Teams– Primary & Intermediate Core Teams– Cross Grade Level Core Teams– Case Partner and Classroom Teacher– Ad Hoc Teams (based on student needs)

One Example of the

Three Tiered Approach

(Adapted from Ortiz, 1987; Horner, 1998; Sugai, 2001)

Sch

ool-W

ide

Indi

vidu

al S

uppo

rt

All Students in School

Partnerships with Families

Informal Collaboration with Colleagues

District Curriculum

School-Improvement Process

School-wide Positive Behavior Supports

Case Partner

Grade Level/Ad Hoc Team

Focused Team Support

Differentiated Instruction

Common Planning Time

Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum

Case Manager

Case Manager

Case Manager

Case Manager

Case Manager

Case Manager

Case Manager

Classroom Teachers

Classroom Teachers

Classroom Teachers

Classroom Teachers

Classroom Teachers

Classroom Teachers

Classroom Teachers

EIP Core Team

Administrator School Psychologist Parent Speech & Language Curriculum Specialist Nurse Guidance Social Worker Special Educator

One Organization

Case Manager

Case Manager

Case Manager

Case Manager

Case Manager

Case Manager

Case Manager

EIP Core Team

Administrator School Psychologist Parent Speech & Language Curriculum Specialist Nurse Guidance Social Worker Special Educator

Teacher

One Organization

What Do You Currently Do?

• Dialogue in your team about your current process.

• What team make ups do you currently have?

• How much of your process is school-wide?

What Are Teams?

Group vs. Team

Group vs. Team

•Behavioral norms•No specific skills required•No common goal

•Shared Norms•Unique skills required•Common tasks•Specific process

•Boundaries•Common identity

A team is…

• …a collection of individuals formed to carry out a set of tasks or to accomplish a goal. (F. Rees)

• …people thinking, working and learning together. (C. Nilson)

Effective Teams

• “Effective teams are purpose-driven…Strong, cohesive groups have a sense of who they are and a clear, definable identity.”

(Harvey and Drolet, 1994)

• Teams need to have a specific purpose.

• Team members understand the team’s task and the expectations and standards it is to meet.

Effective Teamwork

Team Members…

• Understand team task and expectations

• Consistently make contributions

• Listen openly to others

• Make problem-solving process efficient

• Encourage and support others

• Understand the value of time

Effective Teamwork

• Contradictory information is shared• Conflicts are used to improve

understanding• Team does not agree to poor decisions• Suggestions are challenged if not

unsupported by facts or logic• Differences of opinions are discussed and

resolved

Types of Teams

• Task force (work or project team)

• Problem-solving team

• Decision making team

• Learning/Reflective teams

Purposes for Teams

There are many reasons to form a team:

• to solve a problem

• to make a decision

• to produce a product or project

• to deliver a service

• to develop a new plan or system

TEAM

ogether

veryone

chieves

ore

Rationale for Teams

What Teams Need

What Teams Need

Mutual Trust

Decision-making Power

Conflict Resolution

Respect for Differences

Open Communication

Common Goals

Participation of Every Member

Leadership

What Skills Do We Need?

Norms

Rules Routines + Roles

Norms

Roles & Responsibilities• FacilitatorFacilitator- facilitates meetings

• RecorderRecorder- records minutes, etc.

• TimekeepeTimekeeper- tracks time

• GatekeeperGatekeeper- watches process

Ground Rules• The main purpose of ground rules is to

clarify the standards team members want to uphold.

• Ground rules develop the team norms and establish the expectations for team members.

• Be sure to post the ground rules and to review them frequently as a team.

Sample Ground Rules

• Start and end on time• Listen to others• Disagree with ideas, not people.• Share the workload and participate.• Keep an open mind.• Respect confidentiality.• Ask for clarification• Communicate openly and professionally.

How effective are your team meetings?

• Do you use roles?• Do you have ground

rules? • Do you use agendas? • Do you use data to

drive decisions?

• Do you use time efficiently?

• Do you use effective communication?

• Do you make time for team reflection?

Key Ingredients for Collegial Support

• Respect

• Trust

• Time

CBAM

• Levels of Concern– Awareness– Informational– Personal– Management– Consequence– Collaboration– Refocusing

• Levels of Use– Non-use– Orientation– Preparation– Mechanical use– Routine– Refinement– Integration– Renewal

S.F. Hall & B. W. Rutherford (1975) Levels of use of the innovation: A framework for analyzing innovation adoption. Journal of Teacher Education, 26:1.

Levels of Decision

Signs of Conflict

• Personal attacks on other team members• Not listening, jumping to conclusions• Continuous postponement of decisions• Not able to move to another topic or

discussion• Increased or decreased talk on an issue• Satirical statements• Time consuming decision-making

How to Handle Conflict

• Ignore conflict

• Agree to disagree

• Compromise

• Forming

• Problem-solving

(Friend & Cook, 1999)

Conflict

• Potential Positive Results of Conflict• Decisions made after conflict are often high

quality.• Professionals implementing those decisions

have stringer ownership.• Conflict typically causes professionals to

sharpen thinking and yields carefully reasoned solutions.

• If conflict is managed successfully, trusting relationships develop.

(Friend & Cook, 1999)

Conflict

• “By itself, conflict is neither good nor bad. You determine whether it will have positive or negative outcomes.” (Friend & Cook, 1999)

Conflict or Opportunity

• Problems are inevitable.

• Conflict provides opportunities for growth.

• Human beings are problem-seeking animals, who need conflict to survive.

• Conflict can spark creative solutions, which can lead to better ways of doing things.

Effective Ways to Manage Conflict

• Describe the behavior rather than “personality traits”

• Use observations, not inferences or judgments• State what was said, not the why it was said• Ask questions instead of making statements• Disagree with ideas, not people• Listen and seek to understand before you speak• Use “I” statements, not “you” statements

Transparency #37

Carl Glickman

What Happens to Advice?

• 25% - take the advice

• 18% - did the opposite

• 57% - did nothing

Providing Reflective Feedback

• Describe the behavior, not person• Use observations, avoid inference• Seek to understand, not to judge• Provide questions, not answers• Highlight ideas, not solutions• Validate ideas, rather than opposing

them