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TRANSCRIPT
Vision:
A network of Step Up For Students schools focused on the importance of sustaining a thriving collaborative
parent-school partnership to ensure the success for each and every child.
’16-‘17
Success Partners Participant Handbook
Modules 2.1-2.4
Dear Success Partners Educators,
Welcome to Year 2 of Success Partners! We are so excited to partner with you again this year as we work together
to increase parental engagement and to support student academic, social, and emotional success! We know it is
going to be another great year of learning with and from each other.
We have provided you with the Facilitator Handbook for the successful execution of Year 2 modules. The
Facilitator Handbook contains all the documents (i.e., planning, agendas, and scripts) you will need for the second
year, 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 second year, you will take your staff through four modules, which will challenge you and
your colleagues to take an in-depth look at the success of implementing your Parent-School Partnership Plan
(PSPP) developed at the end of last year. 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 and
TLE 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
Participant Handbook Table of Contents
Contents Pages
Year-at-a-Glance 1 Success Partners Professional Development Model 2
Module 2.1 Agenda 4
Evidence to Collect 5
How Do Success Partners Schools Kick Off their Parent-School Partnership Plans? 6
Module 2.2 Agenda 7 Parent Engagement Rubric 8
Three Level Text Protocol 9
Family-School Partnerships Framework article 10
Home Visiting Linked to Lower School Truancy article 16
Parent-Teacher Conferences Get a Makeover article 18
Parent-School Partnership Plan Brainstorm 21
Module 2.3 Agenda 22 DOVE Brainstorming chart 23 Parent-School Partnership Plan Brainstorm 24
Module 2.4 Agenda 25
Parent-School Partnership Plan Brainstorm 26
Succ
ess
Pa
rtn
ers
Year
Tw
o
Year
-At-
A-G
lan
ce
Mo
du
le 2
.1
Mo
du
le 2
.2
Mo
du
le 2
.3
Mo
du
le 2
.4
C
olle
ctin
g Ev
ide
nce
on
ou
r
Par
en
t-Sc
ho
ol P
artn
ers
hip
Pla
n
O
bje
ctiv
es:
Par
tici
pan
ts w
ill r
evie
w a
nd
ev
alu
ate
goal
tea
m s
tru
ctu
res
and
pro
cess
es o
n t
he
PSP
P a
nd
fo
cus
on
imp
lem
enti
ng
Gra
din
g P
erio
d O
ne
PSP
P s
tru
ctu
res
and
p
roce
sses
.
P
arti
cip
ants
will
be
pre
par
ed t
o
exec
ute
all
Gra
din
g P
erio
d O
ne
PSP
P s
tru
ctu
res
and
pro
cess
es.
Par
tici
pan
ts w
ill r
evie
w c
urr
ent
bel
iefs
ab
ou
t p
aren
t in
volv
emen
t in
a c
hild
’s
edu
cati
on
usi
ng
the
Blo
ck P
arty
p
roto
col.
Act
ivit
ies:
Blo
ck P
arty
Ex
amin
e Ev
ide
nce
to
Co
llect
G
oal
Tea
m W
ork
Ses
sio
n
W
hat
Do
We
Do
If It
’s N
ot
Wo
rkin
g?
Ob
ject
ive
s:
Par
tici
pan
ts w
ill r
evis
it t
he
def
init
ion
of
dif
fere
nt
typ
es o
f p
aren
t en
gage
me
nt.
P
arti
cip
ants
will
res
earc
h w
ays
to
enga
ge t
ypic
ally
min
imal
ly
enga
ged
par
ents
.
P
arti
cip
ants
will
bra
inst
orm
p
roce
sses
an
d s
tru
ctu
res
to a
dd
to
th
e P
SPP
. A
ctiv
itie
s:
R
evie
w P
aren
t En
gage
men
t R
ub
ric.
D
iscu
ss p
are
nt
enga
gem
ent
arti
cles
.
P
SPP
Bra
inst
orm
M
od
ule
s 2.
1-2
.2 a
re t
o b
e co
mp
lete
d b
y D
ece
mb
er 2
5th
.
Mak
ing
Sen
se o
f th
e E
vid
en
ce
Ob
ject
ive
s:
Par
tici
pan
ts w
ill r
evie
w t
he
colle
cted
ev
ide
nce
fro
m P
SPP
str
uct
ure
s an
d
pro
cess
es t
o d
eter
min
e th
e im
pac
t o
f ea
ch.
Par
tici
pan
ts w
ill v
ote
to
elim
inat
e,
imp
rove
, or
rep
eat
PSP
P s
tru
ctu
res
and
pro
cess
es in
th
e n
ext
sch
oo
l ye
ar.
Par
tici
pan
ts w
ill r
evie
w t
he
on
line
PSP
P d
atab
ase
for
fres
h id
eas.
A
ctiv
itie
s:
Ev
iden
ce R
evie
w
Car
ou
sel B
rain
sto
rm
Go
al T
eam
Wo
rk S
essi
on
Im
pro
vin
g an
d S
har
ing
Ne
xt Y
ear
’s
PSP
P
Ob
ject
ive
s:
P
arti
cip
ants
will
eva
luat
e an
d
pri
ori
tize
th
e id
enti
fied
str
uct
ure
s an
d p
roce
sses
th
at c
ou
ld in
crea
se
par
enta
l en
gage
me
nt.
In
go
al t
eam
s, p
arti
cip
ants
will
tr
ansl
ate
the
ir g
oal
s an
d o
bje
ctiv
es
into
a f
inal
ized
Par
en
t-Sc
ho
ol
Par
tner
ship
Pla
n.
Act
ivit
ies:
R
evie
w b
rain
sto
rm c
har
ts t
o
eval
uat
e an
d p
rio
riti
ze g
oal
tea
m
stru
ctu
res
and
pro
cess
es.
Ad
d P
SPP
str
uct
ure
s an
d p
roce
sses
o
nto
a s
cho
ol-
wid
e ca
len
dar
in
corp
ora
tin
g ac
tio
n s
tep
s fr
om
all
goal
tea
ms.
C
reat
e a
com
mu
nic
atio
n s
trat
egy
for
des
ign
ing
and
sh
arin
g th
e p
lan
w
ith
fam
ilies
an
d d
eter
min
e a
kick
off
act
ivit
y fo
r A
ugu
st.
Mo
du
les
2.3
-2.4
are
to
be
com
ple
ted
by
Jun
e 1
5th
.
*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
1
Success Partners Professional Development Model Year 1
* Each school will design their own Parent-School Partnership Plan: tools, structures and processes implemented in order to
improve parental engagement and to meet the goal of increased student achievement through parent-school partnerships. Each
school will complete their PSPP at the end of the first year of Success Partners and implement their PSPP in the second year of
Success Partners. The PSPP will then be revised and implemented each year as described in the “Year 3 and Beyond” graphic.
June: One Day Summer Institute
OSL Coordinator Support: 1 visit School Facilitators deliver Modules 1.1-1.2
October: One Day Fall Institute
OSL Coordinator Support: 1 visit School Facilitators deliver Modules 1.3-1.4
February: One Day Winter Institute
OSL Coordinator Support: 2 visits Finalize and Publish PSPP* School Facilitators deliver Modules 1.5-1.6
2
Year 2
Year 3 and Beyond
* Each school will design their own Parent-School Partnership Plan: tools, structures and processes implemented in order to
improve parental engagement and to meet the goal of increased student achievement through parent-school partnerships. Each
school will complete their PSPP at the end of the first year of Success Partners and implement their PSPP in the second year of
Success Partners. The PSPP will then be revised and implemented each year as described in the “Year 3 and Beyond” graphic.
Implement revised PSPP*
Evaluate success of
PSPP*
Revise PSPP*
Publish PSPP* for following school year
July: One Day Summer Institute
Implement PSPP* created in 1.61.6 OSL Coordinator Support: 1 visit School Facilitators deliver Modules 2.1-2.2
January: One Day Winter Institute
OSL Coordinator Support: 1 visit School Facilitators deliver Modules 2.3-2.4 Revise PSPP*
3
Module 2.1 Agenda
Collecting Evidence on our Parent-School Partnership Plan
Success Partners Vision: A network of Step Up For Students schools focused on the importance of sustaining a thriving collaborative parent-school partnership to ensure the success for each and every child.
Parent-School Partnership Plan Goals:
1. Establishing a Parent-Friendly School Environment 2. Ensuring Two-Way Communication 3. Recognizing Excellence and Improvement of all Members of the School Community
Objectives:
Participants will review and evaluate goal team activities on the PSPP and focus on implementing Grading Period One PSPP activities. Participants will be prepared to execute all Grading Period One PSPP activities. Participants will review current beliefs about parent involvement in a child’s education using the Block Party protocol.
Norms:
Acknowledge one another as equals. What is said stays, What is learned leaves. 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 2 minutes
ACTIVITY 1: Block Party Facilitators and Staff 20 minutes
ACTIVITY 2: Examine Evidence to Collect list Facilitators and Staff 5 minutes
ACTIVITY 3: Goal Team Work Session on Evidence Facilitators and Staff 15 minutes
ACTIVITY 4: Goal Team Work Session on Parent Kick-Off Facilitators and Staff 15 minutes
Next meeting
4
Examples of Evidence to Collect
Numbers-based Sources of Data: Other Sources of Data:
- Standardized test scores and formative assessment
scores
- Academic grades
- A physical count of the number of people attending
events
- Results of your Learning Gains analysis from
students’ Personal Learning Plans (PLP) in the TLE
- Number of office referrals
- Student attendance and tardy counts
- Results of parent or staff engagement surveys
- Exit slips
- Sign-in Sheets
- Enrollment
-Parent attendance at parent-teacher conferences
- Field notes on what is happening in a classroom or at an event: Audio or
video recording and scripting dialogue and conversation; Diagramming the
classroom or event space or a particular part of the classroom/event space; or
Noting what a group of students, teachers, or parents are doing at particular
time intervals
- Student work (essays, projects, etc.) - Any written communication shared with parents or students - Written and spoken comments from parents - Interviews with students, parents, or other teachers groups (recorded group interviews where everyone discusses a specific set of questions) - Photos or Videos - Reflective journals - Blogs or online discussion forum posts - Results of parent or staff engagement surveys - Personal Learning Plans (PLPs) - Notes from parent conversations - Notations from parents in student agenda
5
How Do Success Partners Schools Kick Off their Parent-School Partnership Plans?
Scavenger Hunt: We offered a scavenger hunt to our families to engage with their homeroom teacher and elective
teachers as well as the opportunity to get a glimpse of a typical day for their child. Families were given a scavenger hunt
map. Once they visited the different sites (classroom, elective teachers, etc.), they received a sticker for that site and once
they were completed, they could get an ice cream in the cafeteria. Students made sure their parents went to each area to
get their ice cream. All teachers were able to meet and interact with parents instead of parents typically only going to their
homeroom teacher.
Personal Phone Calls: We had standing room only at our kickoff event because each teacher was responsible for
personally calling the parents of his/her incoming students to invite them to the Back to School Event. It gave great
momentum to begin the school year. Invitational phone calls established positive interactions from the very beginning.
“Tell Me About Your Child” Interviews: By allowing parents to meet their child's teachers prior to the start of school, and
have an opportunity to simply tell us about their children, it opened up the lines of communication and gave teachers a fresh
perspective of their incoming students. It helped to break down barriers and gave the parents a chance to brag about their
student and the teachers to better understand the family.
Family Picnic: By organizing a picnic as the first event of the year, we were incredibly successful in attracting parents who
had not attended school events previously.
Parent-Teacher Breakfast: This gave working parents the ability to come in at a time that was better for them (7:30 am)
and just sit down with the teacher to talk about what was coming up for the year and what their child could expect.
Compass Points: We used the Compass Points activity to facilitate conversation among parents and faculty. Each
participant learned about themselves and about others and how to work collaboratively, respecting each person’s unique
gifts and talents.
Block Party: We used the Block Party quotes on the importance of parent engagement at our Back to School Night.
Parents and teachers talked to each other about how they could partner and shared their ideas for a successful year!
Home Visits: Our teachers visited the homes of their incoming students during the two weeks prior to school starting.
They shared with the parents our ideas for partnering with them and wrote down the parents’ preferences in terms of
how they like to be contacted (text/email/phone), as well as when the parents would be available to come in for meetings
or school events. The kids were so excited to have their teacher at their house, and the parents felt really valued and
listened to – it was a big success!
6
Module 2.2 Agenda
What Do We Do If It’s Not Working?
Success Partners Vision: A network of Step Up For Students schools focused on the importance of sustaining a thriving collaborative parent-school partnership to ensure the success for each and every child.
Parent-School Partnership Plan Goals:
1. Establishing a Parent-Friendly School Environment 2. Ensuring Two-Way Communication 3. Recognizing Excellence and Improvement of all School Community Members
Objectives: Participants will revisit the definition of different types of parent engagement. Participants will research ways to engage typically minimally engaged parents. Participants will brainstorm structures and processes to add to the PSPP.
Norms:
Acknowledge one another as equals. What is said stays, What is learned leaves.
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/Norms Review Facilitators 5 minutes ACTIVITY 1: Discuss Parent Engagement Articles. Facilitators and Staff 35 minutes ACTIVITY 2: Document New Structures and Processes. All Staff 5 minutes Next meeting_________________
7
Parent Engagement Rubric
Significant Engagement – This is a parent who:
readily responds to the needs of their child at school
is available to talk with the teacher
offers suggestions and works closely with all school personnel to ensure the success of their child
sees learning as more than what occurs within the school day
attends school events
*This is not necessarily the parent who simply volunteers regularly, but rather is the parent who
demonstrates that they will do whatever it takes for their child to learn.
Moderate Engagement - This is a parent who:
sporadically responds to the needs of their child at school
is hesitant to offer suggestions or to work closely with school personnel to ensure the success of their child
returns most phone calls and emails
*The teacher often must make several attempts to reach the parent. However, the parent
does demonstrate a sincere desire to help with the learning of their child.
Minimal Engagement - This is a parent who:
responds to the needs of their child in a manner that often leaves the teacher frustrated
rarely returns phone calls and emails without considerable prompting
does not demonstrate a consistent observable desire to help with the learning of their child
rarely offers suggestions and is hesitant to work with school personnel to ensure the success of their child
*The teacher must often make several attempts using different means of communication to reach the parent.
Unproductive Engagement – This is a parent who: may volunteer often, but whose volunteerism does not contribute to student
achievement
has difficulty allowing the student to take responsibility for their own learning
(e.g., constantly brings in homework the child has left at home or makes
excuses for poor performance)
directs rather than collaborates
No Engagement – This is a parent who: does not respond to the needs of their child at school
does not return phone calls and emails even when the teacher makes numerous
communication attempts through different means
does not demonstrate an observable desire to help with the learning of their child
offers no suggestions and refuses to work with school personnel to ensure the success of their child
8
Three Levels Text Protocol
National School Reform Faculty
Purpose — Deepen the understanding of a text and explore implications for our PSPP
Steps:
1. Read — (10 min.) Read through your assigned text, and mark three or four sections that you
would want to share with your group. These should be ideas for processes or structures that you
think could work for engaging those families who are minimally engaged.
2. Share — (up to 3 min.) Set timers and direct the first volunteer presenter in your group to:
• Level 1: Read aloud the passage they selected.
• Level 2: Say what they think about the passage (interpretation, relation to past
experiences, etc.).
• Level 3: Say what they see as the implications for partnerships with families.
3. Respond — (2 min.) The group will respond to what has been said as the person who initially
shared listens and takes notes.
4. Repeat — Steps 3 and 4 repeat until all group members have shared.
5. Debrief — (5 min.) All groups return to the large group and answer these questions:
Why did we use this protocol rather than having an open discussion?
Did anyone select the same passage as one of yours, but have a completely different
interpretation? If so, did that affect your perspective, and how?
Which of these ideas could we add to our PSPP for next year?
9
FAMILY - SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS FRAMEWORK
A guide for schools and families
10
Principle Key dimensions Suggested strategies
4, 5, 6, 7, A. Communicating A Family-School Action Team or Working Group can plan for 8 10 effective two-way communication between school and home,
for example:
- conduct a survey to assess communication needs;
- review the newsletter for relevance, ease of language and
scope to provide feedback;
- consider the placement of ‘welcome’ signs around the school;
- review current school practice on inviting parent and family participation and consider how this can be improved;
- consider working with parents and families to develop a parent handbook of information on school rules, policies, mission and goals, curriculum standards and assessment procedures. Hold a launch event and publish it on the website or provide it to new parents;
- find out parent and family time availability for participation in schools events, workshops, etc.
- examine good ‘front desk’ reception practice, including bilingual office staff where appropriate and training in cultural sensitivity and dealing with difficult people;
- set in place alternative methods of parent-teacher interviews when personal circumstances prevent parents from attending a face-to-face meeting, including options for telephone and email contact;
- consider the appointment of a school contact person/s, such as a parent-school liaison officer or an Indigenous home-school liaison officer, to assist and support parents in their interactions with the school (i.e. home/school liaisons);
- consider education and training programs for teachers and school leaders that prepare them to communicate with parents effectively and extend their reporting skills, including training in Indigenous history and culture and in having the ability to ensure cultural inclusiveness in their teaching practice;
- investigate programs to welcome new families, including induction kits developed by parents that are in user-friendly language and font size;
- arrange for folders of student work to be sent home regularly for review and comment;
- establish agreed strategies for dealing with incidents at school;
- appoint class-parent representatives, who can become a welcoming informal network of support;
- involve students, especially older students, in interviews and other communications from the school.
11
1, 3, 4, 6, G. Participating A Family-School Action Team or Working Group can plan the 7, 8, 9 support of volunteers and greater participation of families and
parents, for example:
- assess the volunteer needs of schools and list the many ways parents and families can participate and interact with
school and the school community;
- develop a policy for recruitment, training, goal setting and recognition for volunteers;
- ask family members how they would like to participate at their child’s school and respond in a timely manner to those indications, i.e. establish a skills bank;
- invite family and community members to become involved as guest teachers, guest speakers about their jobs/career opportunities, excursion chaperones, tutors/mentors, sport
coaches, tuckshop helpers, and so on;
- implement flexible schedules for volunteers, assemblies and
events, so that all are able to participate;
- invite parents to volunteer to have students ‘work shadow’ them;
- arrange working parties or committees for parent leadership and participation, eg on safety or student behaviour;
- make sure parental involvement in children’s learning is a recognised topic of staff meetings, professional development and in the induction of new staff.
12
1, 3, 4, 5, E. Consultative A Family-School Action Team or Working Group can foster 7, 8 Decision-making family involvement in consultative decision-making,
for example:
- arrange for the school community to be consulted on new school policies, eg assessment, reporting and curriculum
changes;
- encourage participation in the formal parents organisation in the school and the school council or school Board and provide
appropriate induction and ongoing training and support;
- encourage participation in informal opportunities to
participate.
- seek out and include parent representatives from all racial,
ethnic, socioeconomic and other groups at the school;
- include students (along with parents) in decision-making groups;
- provide for parent input to formal school reviews;
- offer training and support to parent leaders; and
- establish networks to link all families with parent
representatives.
2, 6, 10, F. Collaborating A Family-School Action Team or Working Group can plan for
11 beyond the school interaction with the wider community, for example:
- gather and provide information and access for students and families on community health, cultural, recreational, social support and other programs or services;
- gather and provide information on community activities that link to learning skills and talents, including summer programs for students;
- establish partnerships with other service agencies, eg student health nurse;
- inform families of community programs for students, eg tutoring, mentoring and business partnerships;
- invite past students to participate in school programs for students;
- establish partnerships with local businesses to provide work experience and structured work placements for students;
- develop an outreach community service program by schools and families e.g., recycling, musical performances and voluntary work with seniors and cultural activities; and
- establish partnerships with local Indigenous community organisations to develop the cultural responsiveness of the school community and promote understanding of, and participation in, important community events.
13
2, 4, 6, 10, C. Building 11 community and
identity
3, 4, 5, D. Recognising 7, 8 the role of the
family
A Family-School Action Team or Working Group can plan to build a sense of community through the school – for example: - consider and implement ways in which the school can become a community resource, eg for adult learning and community meetings; - provide a place for potential parents and students of the school to meet and participate in programs, eg for early literacy learning, health care, etc.; - assist the resettlement of new migrants, through the work of English as a Second Language teachers and families; - invite people in the broader community to attend school functions; - invite local civic and service groups to become involved in the school in a variety of ways, such as mentoring students and speaking to classes; - collaboratively develop community driven programs that assist to revive and maintain Indigenous languages and cultures; - create connections with local health and welfare services to facilitate access to such support for the school community members; - develop participative and inclusive approaches to the design of values linked education across curriculum.
A Family-School Action Team or Working Group can work to build greater recognition of the role of the family, for example: - assess whether school arrangements meet good practice for partnership between families and the school; - survey parents, families and community members to determine their needs and priorities; - develop and distribute a written policy, in consultation with the school community, on family-school partnerships; - conduct formal and informal forums which discuss: • parents’ role as the first educators of their children; • the research which links parental support and
involvement at school with improved learning outcomes for children and improved school ethos;
- identify parents/groups of parents to present the forums to their parent peers; - organise discussions, meetings or workshops around areas of school goals, eg resilience, literacy and numeracy, which allow parents to share their experience and understandings of parenting, school goals and school ethos.
14
1, 2, 3, 5, B. Connecting A Family-School Action Team or Working Group can plan and 6, 7, 9 learning at home implement initiatives that explore links between learning at
and at school home and at school, for example:
- through newsletters, discussions, class meetings, etc that let
families know the school needs and values their input;
- examine the ways in which parents and families can encourage, motivate and reinforce children’s learning at school;
- examine the links between home learning activities and learning in the classroom;
- explore options for family involvement in the classroom;
- investigate the literacy/numeracy learning opportunities in the home;
- examine the ways in which classroom practice recognises the home environments of the students and uses texts and other activities from home and the wider community to ensure cultural inclusivity;
- review the school’s homework policy, with homework designed to guide parental support and provide tips for families on how they can monitor and discuss schoolwork at home;
- consider the involvement of families in setting student goals each year and in career planning;
- provide information for families on the skills required for students in all subjects at each Year level;
- provide additional opportunities for discussions about student progress between home and school;
- provide information and referral services to support parents in their role as parents;
- provide cultural awareness training for school staff and parents; and
- consider school support for after-school care and activities.
15
Home visiting linked to lower school truancy and better
reading outcomes
Students whose teachers visited them at home to build relationships with their families were less likely to
miss school, according to a new study from Johns Hopkins University.
Researchers also found that students who took part in a home visiting program were more likely to read at
their grade level and that their teachers received higher marks on some parts of their teacher evaluations.
The study included 4,700 students at 12 elementary schools or education campuses that took part in a
family engagement program run by the Districtbased Flamboyan Foundation during the 20132014 school
year.
“We’ve always known anecdotally and emotionally that home visiting helps families connect to teachers,
but now we know home visits are increasing attendance,” said Kristin Ehrgood, president and board chair
of the foundation.
Over time, research has shown that children whose parents are involved in their education tend to do better
in attendance, grades, graduation rates and other areas. But there is far less research about whether
schools can make a difference in supporting greater engagement among families, said Steven B. Sheldon, a
research scientist with the Center on School, Family and Community Partnerships who led the study.
“The question is: Can we encourage and support those who are less engaged to be more engaged?” he
said.
The Flamboyan Foundation, which funded the study, trains and pays teachers to conduct home visits. The
visits are designed to build trust between school and home. The goal is to make parents partners in their
children’s academic growth and performance.
The report shows the effects of an effort that is gaining traction in the District. The foundation piloted the
program in 20112012 with five schools and expanded last year to partner with 27 traditional and charter
schools.
Now, about a quarter of teachers at D.C. Public Schools have been trained in the approach, and the
school system plans to significantly increase the number of teachers who use the model.
Local Headlines newsletter
16
Daily headlines about the Washington region.
The study looked at whether students whose families received home visits were more likely to have
gradelevel reading comprehension and fluency skills, whether they were absent less frequently, and
how likely they were to reenroll the next year.
In the participating schools, more than half of the students’ families and teachers had home visits; their
outcomes were weighed against those who did not. The vast majority of students at the 12 schools are
African American or Hispanic and come from lowincome families.
The study found that students whose families received home visits were absent, on average, 2.7 fewer
days than students whose families were not visited, a difference that translated into a 24 percent
reduction.
Also, students whose families received home visits were 1.55 times more likely to score at the proficient
level on a reading comprehension test.
The study found no improvement in results on a different readingfluency test. It also found that students
who were visited at home were no more likely to reenroll in the same school the next year.
17
ParentTeacher Conferences Get a Makeover
Two years ago, backtoschool night at Ruth Hill Elementary School looked like most open houses.
"You would come to your teacher's class, meet the teacher, look at what's on the walls, see what's in the
SOAR [behavior rules] report, and that's about it," said Lucia Woods, Ruth Hill's counselor. "That was our
traditional communication method for years and years."
That was before the Newnan, Ga., school was tapped in 201415 as one of 10 schools in the state to pilot
academic parentteacher teams, a model developed by WestEd researcher Maria C. Paredes five years ago
to build more goalfocused, academically oriented relationships among teachers and parents, and among
the parents themselves.
Academic parentteacher teams are one way educators are starting to reimagine that autumn classic, the
parentteacher conference.
In spite of emerging online and textmessaging communication methods, the general meeting is still the most
common—and for some parents, the only—contact with teachers during the year, and more school and district
leaders are looking for ways to boost its impact.
The APTT model has spread to 250 schools in 16 states in the past five years. Georgia and four other
states—Arizona, Florida, Montana, and Wisconsin—have launched grants for schools to train school staff
members to create the teams.
"Our education system was not set up to create a professional learning community between parents and
teachers," said Paredes, a senior program associate for family and community engagement at the research
group WestEd. Traditional parentteacher conferences were "never intended to be a place for learning, a
time for parents to meet together and share what they know," she said.
Who Shows Up?
Nearly 9 in 10 parents—including more than 3 in 4 impoverished parents—attend general parent
teacher meetings each year, according to 2012 data, the most recent available, from Child Trends, a
nonprofit data bank. That's more than 10 percentage points higher than any other type of parent
involvement in schools—such as scheduled meetings with a teacher or school events or committees.
For poor parents, racial minorities, and those with low education levels, general parentteacher
conferences dominate school involvement methods by even bigger margins.
Yet the limitations of the traditional parentteacherconference model haven't changed much in the 18
decades it's been in use.
"Conferences are short, the info a parent receives is hard to interpret, and it's unclear what actions a parent or
the teacher should take to maximize the student's strengths," said Heather Weiss, the founder and director of
the Harvard Family Research Project.
Moreover, studies have found these quickhit meetings can be minefields for teachers, be they with helicopter
parents or with those reluctant to engage because of other obligations or their own bad school experiences.
"Teachers are typically not trained to do this, and both parents and teachers are often anxious about it," said
Weiss, which was not part of the WestEd project. "The parentteacher conference has been bogged down with
'that's my job, that's not my job' arguments between teachers and parents. We need to reframe it as a shared
responsibility and a public good."
Paredes conceived the academic parentteacher team while working in Phoenix schools as a way to bring
parents into a professional learning community.
At the 460student Ruth Hill Elementary, it could be easy for parentteacher conferences to become fraught.
The school has the highest poverty rate in the Coweta County school district, at 80 percent, and the lowest
performance on state tests. It has roughly equalsized black and white populations, with a rising number of
Hispanic students, and parents with a wide array of interests and concerns.
In Ruth Hill and other APTT schools, the first school meeting is long—75 to 90 minutes—and all parents meet
together rather than individually. The teacher discusses the learning concepts that students must master by the
end of the academic year and shows a chart of every child's status on a key foundational skill, like subtraction
or reading comprehension. The chart is anonymous, but each parent receives a packet that includes the
identification code for his or her child, to help them understand how their child performs in relation to peers.
Parents then each set a 60day goal for their child on that foundation skill. The teacher models home
activities to improve the skill, and parents work through them during the meeting.
They also receive materials required for the activities to take home.
Providing materials can put families on an even footing, said M. Elena Lopez, the associate director of the
Harvard Family Research Project, who is not involved in the APTT project.
"For families facing economic disadvantages, who may have trouble just getting to the meeting, … the
question becomes, what can they do, and what's possible to do to make things better for their students?" she
said. "That's an important question, and often it doesn't get brought up."
19
YearRound Effort
After 60 days, the teacher meets with each family alone for 30 minutes to review progress on the goal they set
together, as well as discuss any issues and introduce a new foundation skill and activities. The full parent group
meets two more times, in each quarter of the spring semester.
Ruth Hill counselor Woods said the program has helped parents become more confident reaching out.
"Before, if there was a child struggling, the teacher might meet with a parent and say, 'Your child needs to work
on multiplication,' but ... it appeared to us that frequently the parents didn't feel comfortable asking about it or
they said 'OK, OK,' but then went home and didn't know how to [help]," she said. "Now, we model the activity,
the parents practice the activity. So the chances of followthrough are so much greater."
Gail Parmer, the principal at Temple Middle School in Carroll County, another Georgia pilot school, said
academic parentteacher teams have changed discussions among parents from, " 'Let me volunteer and make
copies or do a pizza night' to 'Let's focus on academics.' "
Related Blog
Participation rose precipitously, Parmer said, from about three parents schoolwide attending a January open
house in 2013 to "parents in every hall, in every classroom" at the APTT meetings every quarter now.
"We all say we want parent involvement, but we have looked at the difference between parents being
involved and parents being engaged in their child's learning," Parmer said.
She has received more enthusiasm from parents participating in the academic teams, she said, "because
it's not us asking them to go sell something and work at some event; it's showing them we want their child
to be successful."
Vol. 35, Issue 06, Pages 1,13
20
Par
en
t-Sc
ho
ol P
artn
ers
hip
Pla
n B
rain
sto
rm
PSP
P G
oal
: Est
ablis
hin
g a
Par
en
t-Fr
ien
dly
Sch
oo
l En
viro
nm
en
t
PSP
P G
oal
: En
suri
ng
Two
-Way
Co
mm
un
icat
ion
PSP
P G
oal
: Re
cogn
izin
g th
e E
xcel
len
ce a
nd
Imp
rove
me
nt
of
all S
cho
ol C
om
mu
nit
y M
em
ber
s
Stru
ctu
re/P
roce
ss
Act
ion
Ste
ps
(Wh
at
step
s w
ill y
ou
ta
ke t
o m
ake
th
is
stru
ctu
re/p
roce
ss h
ap
pen
?)
Dat
es
for
Each
Act
ion
Ste
p
Evid
en
ce C
olle
cte
d t
o Im
pro
ve O
utc
om
es
(H
ow
ca
n y
ou
sh
ow
th
e im
pa
ct o
f th
is s
tru
ctu
re/p
roce
ss o
n
pa
ren
t en
ga
gem
ent?
)
Stru
ctu
re/P
roce
ss
Act
ion
Ste
ps
(Wh
at
step
s w
ill y
ou
ta
ke t
o m
ake
th
is
stru
ctu
re/p
roce
ss h
ap
pen
?)
Dat
es
for
Each
Act
ion
Ste
p
Evid
en
ce C
olle
cte
d t
o Im
pro
ve O
utc
om
es
(H
ow
ca
n y
ou
sh
ow
th
e im
pa
ct o
f th
is s
tru
ctu
re/p
roce
ss o
n
pa
ren
t en
ga
gem
ent?
)
Stru
ctu
re/P
roce
ss
Act
ion
Ste
ps
(Wh
at
step
s w
ill y
ou
ta
ke t
o m
ake
th
is
stru
ctu
re/p
roce
ss h
ap
pen
?)
Dat
es
for
Each
Act
ion
Ste
p
Evid
en
ce C
olle
cte
d t
o Im
pro
ve O
utc
om
es
(H
ow
ca
n y
ou
sh
ow
th
e im
pa
ct o
f th
is s
tru
ctu
re/p
roce
ss o
n
pa
ren
t en
ga
gem
ent?
)
Stru
ctu
re/P
roce
ss
Act
ion
Ste
ps
(Wh
at
step
s w
ill y
ou
ta
ke t
o m
ake
th
is
stru
ctu
re/p
roce
ss h
ap
pen
?)
Dat
es
for
Each
Act
ion
Ste
p
Evid
en
ce C
olle
cte
d t
o Im
pro
ve O
utc
om
es
(H
ow
ca
n y
ou
sh
ow
th
e im
pa
ct o
f th
is s
tru
ctu
re/p
roce
ss o
n
pa
ren
t en
ga
gem
ent?
)
Stru
ctu
re/P
roce
ss
Act
ion
Ste
ps
(Wh
at
step
s w
ill y
ou
ta
ke t
o m
ake
th
is
stru
ctu
re/p
roce
ss h
ap
pen
?)
Dat
es
for
Each
Act
ion
Ste
p
Evid
en
ce C
olle
cte
d t
o Im
pro
ve O
utc
om
es
(H
ow
ca
n y
ou
sh
ow
th
e im
pa
ct o
f th
is s
tru
ctu
re/p
roce
ss o
n
pa
ren
t en
ga
gem
ent?
)
Stru
ctu
re/P
roce
ss
Act
ion
Ste
ps
(Wh
at
step
s w
ill y
ou
ta
ke t
o m
ake
th
is
stru
ctu
re/p
roce
ss h
ap
pen
?)
Dat
es
for
Each
Act
ion
Ste
p
Evid
en
ce C
olle
cte
d t
o Im
pro
ve O
utc
om
es
(H
ow
ca
n y
ou
sh
ow
th
e im
pa
ct o
f th
is s
tru
ctu
re/p
roce
ss o
n
pa
ren
t en
ga
gem
ent?
)
21
Module 2.3 Agenda
Making Sense of the Evidence
Success Partners Vision: A network of Step Up For Students schools focused on the importance of sustaining a thriving collaborative parent-school partnership to ensure the success for each and every child. Parent-School Partnership Plan Goals:
1. Establishing a Parent-Friendly School Environment 2. Ensuring Two-Way Communication 3. Recognizing Excellence and Improvement of all School Community Members
Objectives: Participants will review the collected evidence from PSPP structures and processes to determine the impact of each. Participants will vote to eliminate, improve, or repeat PSPP structures and processes in the next school year. Participants will review the online PSPP database for fresh ideas.
Norms: Acknowledge one another as equals. What is said stays, What is learned leaves. 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/Norms Review Facilitators 2 minutes ACTIVITY 1: Evidence Review All Staff and Parents 25 minutes ACTIVITY 2: Carousel Brainstorm All Staff and Parents 15 minutes ACTIVITY 3: Goal Team Work Session All Staff and Parents 20 minutes Next meeting_________________
22
DO
VE
Bra
inst
orm
ing
De
fer
judg
men
t on
anyone
els
e’s
ideas.
Op
t fo
r th
e u
nusual a
nd
cre
ative
.
Ge
ne
rate
a V
ast n
um
be
r o
f id
eas.
Exp
and
on
the
ideas b
y "
pig
gy b
ackin
g"
on
som
eo
ne
els
e’s
idea.
23
Par
en
t-Sc
ho
ol P
artn
ers
hip
Pla
n B
rain
sto
rm
PSP
P G
oal
: Est
ablis
hin
g a
Par
en
t-Fr
ien
dly
Sch
oo
l En
viro
nm
en
t
PSP
P G
oal
: En
suri
ng
Two
-Way
Co
mm
un
icat
ion
PSP
P G
oal
: Re
cogn
izin
g th
e E
xcel
len
ce a
nd
Imp
rove
me
nt
of
all S
cho
ol C
om
mu
nit
y M
em
ber
s
Stru
ctu
re/P
roce
ss
Act
ion
Ste
ps
(Wh
at
step
s w
ill y
ou
ta
ke t
o m
ake
th
is s
tru
ctu
re/p
roce
ss
ha
pp
en?)
D
ate
s fo
r Ea
ch A
ctio
n S
tep
Ev
ide
nce
Co
llect
ed
to
Imp
rove
Ou
tco
me
s
(Ho
w c
an
yo
u s
ho
w t
he
imp
act
of
this
str
uct
ure
/pro
cess
on
p
are
nt
eng
ag
emen
t?)
Stru
ctu
re/P
roce
ss
Act
ion
Ste
ps
(Wh
at
step
s w
ill y
ou
ta
ke t
o m
ake
th
is s
tru
ctu
re/p
roce
ss
ha
pp
en?)
D
ate
s fo
r Ea
ch A
ctio
n S
tep
Ev
ide
nce
Co
llect
ed
to
Imp
rove
Ou
tco
me
s
(Ho
w c
an
yo
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ho
w t
he
imp
act
of
this
str
uct
ure
/pro
cess
on
p
are
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Stru
ctu
re/P
roce
ss
Act
ion
Ste
ps
(Wh
at
step
s w
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ta
ke t
o m
ake
th
is s
tru
ctu
re/p
roce
ss
ha
pp
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D
ate
s fo
r Ea
ch A
ctio
n S
tep
Ev
ide
nce
Co
llect
ed
to
Imp
rove
Ou
tco
me
s
(Ho
w c
an
yo
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ho
w t
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imp
act
of
this
str
uct
ure
/pro
cess
on
p
are
nt
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t?)
Stru
ctu
re/P
roce
ss
Act
ion
Ste
ps
(Wh
at
step
s w
ill y
ou
ta
ke t
o m
ake
th
is s
tru
ctu
re/p
roce
ss
ha
pp
en?)
D
ate
s fo
r Ea
ch A
ctio
n S
tep
Ev
ide
nce
Co
llect
ed
to
Imp
rove
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tco
me
s
(Ho
w c
an
yo
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ho
w t
he
imp
act
of
this
str
uct
ure
/pro
cess
on
p
are
nt
eng
ag
emen
t?)
Stru
ctu
re/P
roce
ss
Act
ion
Ste
ps
(Wh
at
step
s w
ill y
ou
ta
ke t
o m
ake
th
is s
tru
ctu
re/p
roce
ss
ha
pp
en?)
D
ate
s fo
r Ea
ch A
ctio
n S
tep
Ev
ide
nce
Co
llect
ed
to
Imp
rove
Ou
tco
me
s
(Ho
w c
an
yo
u s
ho
w t
he
imp
act
of
this
str
uct
ure
/pro
cess
on
p
are
nt
eng
ag
emen
t?)
Stru
ctu
re/P
roce
ss
Act
ion
Ste
ps
(Wh
at
step
s w
ill y
ou
ta
ke t
o m
ake
th
is s
tru
ctu
re/p
roce
ss
ha
pp
en?)
D
ate
s fo
r Ea
ch A
ctio
n S
tep
Ev
ide
nce
Co
llect
ed
to
Imp
rove
Ou
tco
me
s
(Ho
w c
an
yo
u s
ho
w t
he
imp
act
of
this
str
uct
ure
/pro
cess
on
p
are
nt
eng
ag
emen
t?)
24
Module 2.4 Agenda
Improving and Sharing Next Year’s PSPP
Success Partners Vision: A network of Step Up For Students schools focused on the importance of sustaining a thriving collaborative parent-school partnership to ensure the success for each and every child. Parent-School Partnership Plan Goals:
1. Establishing a Parent-Friendly School Environment 2. Ensuring Two-Way Communication 3. Recognizing Excellence and Improvement of all School Community Members
Objectives: Participants will evaluate and prioritize the identified structures and processes that could increase parental engagement. In goal teams, participants will translate their goals and objectives into a finalized Parent-School Partnership Plan.
Norms: Acknowledge one another as equals. What is said stays, What is learned leaves. 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/Norms Review Facilitators 5 minutes ACTIVITY 1: Goal Team Work Session Goal Teams 20 minutes ACTIVITY 2: PSPP Next Steps Facilitators and Staff 20 minutes
Brainstorm ideas for informing all parents about the PSPP.
25
Par
en
t-Sc
ho
ol P
artn
ers
hip
Pla
n B
rain
sto
rm
PSP
P G
oal
: Est
ablis
hin
g a
Par
en
t-Fr
ien
dly
Sch
oo
l En
viro
nm
en
t
PSP
P G
oal
: En
suri
ng
Two
-Way
Co
mm
un
icat
ion
PSP
P G
oal
: Re
cogn
izin
g th
e E
xce
llen
ce a
nd
Imp
rove
me
nt
of
all S
cho
ol C
om
mu
nit
y M
em
ber
Stru
ctu
re/P
roce
ss
Act
ion
Ste
ps
(Wh
at
step
s w
ill y
ou
ta
ke t
o m
ake
th
is s
tru
ctu
re/p
roce
ss
ha
pp
en?)
D
ate
s fo
r Ea
ch A
ctio
n S
tep
Ev
ide
nce
Co
llect
ed
to
Imp
rove
Ou
tco
me
s
(Ho
w c
an
yo
u s
ho
w t
he
imp
act
of
this
str
uct
ure
/pro
cess
on
p
are
nt
eng
ag
emen
t?)
Stru
ctu
re/P
roce
ss
Act
ion
Ste
ps
(Wh
at
step
s w
ill y
ou
ta
ke t
o m
ake
th
is s
tru
ctu
re/p
roce
ss
ha
pp
en?)
D
ate
s fo
r Ea
ch A
ctio
n S
tep
Ev
ide
nce
Co
llect
ed
to
Imp
rove
Ou
tco
me
s
(Ho
w c
an
yo
u s
ho
w t
he
imp
act
of
this
str
uct
ure
/pro
cess
on
p
are
nt
eng
ag
emen
t?)
Stru
ctu
re/P
roce
ss
Act
ion
Ste
ps
(Wh
at
step
s w
ill y
ou
ta
ke t
o m
ake
th
is s
tru
ctu
re/p
roce
ss
ha
pp
en?)
D
ate
s fo
r Ea
ch A
ctio
n S
tep
Ev
ide
nce
Co
llect
ed
to
Imp
rove
Ou
tco
me
s
(Ho
w c
an
yo
u s
ho
w t
he
imp
act
of
this
str
uct
ure
/pro
cess
on
p
are
nt
eng
ag
emen
t?)
Stru
ctu
re/P
roce
ss
Act
ion
Ste
ps
(Wh
at
step
s w
ill y
ou
ta
ke t
o m
ake
th
is s
tru
ctu
re/p
roce
ss
ha
pp
en?)
D
ate
s fo
r Ea
ch A
ctio
n S
tep
Ev
ide
nce
Co
llect
ed
to
Imp
rove
Ou
tco
me
s
(Ho
w c
an
yo
u s
ho
w t
he
imp
act
of
this
str
uct
ure
/pro
cess
on
p
are
nt
eng
ag
emen
t?)
Stru
ctu
re/P
roce
ss
Titl
e
Act
ion
Ste
ps
(Wh
at
step
s w
ill y
ou
ta
ke t
o m
ake
th
is s
tru
ctu
re/p
roce
ss
ha
pp
en?)
D
ate
s fo
r Ea
ch A
ctio
n S
tep
Ev
ide
nce
Co
llect
ed
to
Imp
rove
Ou
tco
me
s
(Ho
w c
an
yo
u s
ho
w t
he
imp
act
of
this
str
uct
ure
/pro
cess
on
p
are
nt
eng
ag
emen
t?)
Stru
ctu
re/P
roce
ss
Titl
e
Act
ion
Ste
ps
(Wh
at
step
s w
ill y
ou
ta
ke t
o m
ake
th
is s
tru
ctu
re/p
roce
ss
ha
pp
en?)
D
ate
s fo
r Ea
ch A
ctio
n S
tep
Ev
ide
nce
Co
llect
ed
to
Imp
rove
Ou
tco
me
s
(Ho
w c
an
yo
u s
ho
w t
he
imp
act
of
this
str
uct
ure
/pro
cess
on
p
are
nt
eng
ag
emen
t?)
26