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1Huff Osher Consulting, Inc.Strengthening Partnerships with Families
Supporting Family Involvement
in Correctional Education Programs
Webinar for NDTAC
Barbara HuffTrina OsherJuly 27, 2006
2Huff Osher Consulting, Inc.
The Issues
The positive impact of parents and families on student outcomes and school performance is now well documented1.
Reaping the benefits of family involvement for children who are at risk or adjudicated as neglected or delinquent and placed outside their home school and community is an ongoing challenge
Involving families in the education of these students can be further complicated by institutional restrictions or court orders
1. Henderson, A.T. and Mapp, K. A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement, the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory 2002
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NDTAC is Developing Tools to Help
The Family Involvement Guide Meeting in January Family expert panel
Phone calls Feedback
Collecting examples of effective practices
Spotlight Brief Webinar
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How Correctional Education Administrators Told Us They Involve
Families Invite families to treatment planning – IEP meetings Encourage family visits and special occasions – e.g.,
GED ceremony Provide referrals to services that can support family
needs – e.g., parents anonymous Offer parent leadership opportunities to be involved in
the program or system - e.g., youth commissions, advisory committees
Hold facilities and programs accountable for family involvement – e.g., collect and verify data
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What Correctional Education Administrators Told Us They Want
Help With
Developing peer-to-peer networks for families Providing services for siblings Providing additional family support based on issues they
identify Helping parents and youth understand the legal issues Making the philosophical shift BACK to a rehabilitation
model
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What Correctional Education Administrators Told Us They Want
Help With– continued
What to do when a family visit does not go well Rebuilding or strengthening relationships between
students and their families Addressing racism – in the system and in the program Investing in parent empowerment Flexibility to implement policies that are family friendly
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What Do Parents Expect?
Family-friendly approach Dignity, respect, honesty A positive focus and hope Cultural competence Flexible scheduling Transportation and child care when
needed
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What Do Parents Expect? - continued
High quality therapeutic education Qualified teaching staff Vocational assessments and
training Creative but rigorous alternative
learning strategies Social skills training Similar goals
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Involving Families Requires Understanding and Respecting Their
CultureCulture influences how the family approaches the tasks of daily living and can also direct how a family interacts with their child’s school program
Culture is about preferences and possibilities Respect, humility, and understanding are at the root of
cultural competence Schools and settings must reflect the cultures and beliefs
of their students and their families Cultural competence is a process, not an outcome
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Establishing Communication Requires Creativity and Persistence
Use more than one strategy to reach out
Make a second and third and fourth effort
Seek out further information about the best way to be in touch
Read and write in English?Use E-mail?Have a secure mailbox?Best time of day for making a phone call?Have to call you back collect?Receive calls at work –
and do they feel safe getting calls from you while they are at work? Have someone who you can leave a message with?Prefer a face-to-face
meeting?
Some family members are easy to connect with and some families face more challenges that make them harder to reach and engage
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One Strategy is Not Likely to Work With All Families
Intensive StrategiesSpecial Efforts for A
Few FamiliesSelective StrategiesAdditional Supports to
Boost Some Families
Universal StrategiesOpportunities Offered to ALL Families
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Universal Strategies for All Families1st Tier
Create a welcoming environment
Solicit family input Provide an orientation Establish ongoing
communication Sponsor social activities
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Create a Welcoming Environment1st Tier Strategies
Train staff who greet families (receptionists) to be welcoming, courteous to ALL family members
Provide qualified translators Make waiting and meeting areas comfortable
Decorate spaces families will use in a manner that reflects their various cultures
Offer refreshments to families – especially those who have to make a long journey to the facility and school
Have appropriate toys to occupy other children who come with their families
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Solicit Family Input 1st Tier Strategies
Ask the family for help getting educational records from previous schools
Ask the family for their input on education and transition planning – not just for IEP meetings Share results of education assessments with the family
Recognize and acknowledge family expertise about their child and the school and community to which they will be returning
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Provide an Orientation 1st Tier Strategies
Give each student’s family a tour of the campus and school as soon as possible
Make sure the tour guide speaks the family’s preferred language and can answer any questions they have
Explain the education program in general and the specific options available to their child – not just the rules
Send a video or DVD showing the campus and school if family cannot come to the campus
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Establish Ongoing Communication 1st Tier Strategies
Find the communication medium (phone, mail, e-mail) that works best for each family – their child may be able to tell you what will work best
Give each family a weekly or bi-weekly update on their own child’s educational activities and progress – include samples of their work occasionally
Give each family a list of their child’s teachers along with information about how and when it is best to contact them
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Sponsor Social Activities 1st Tier Strategies
Hold family suppers or picnics on campus or in the school every few months - get families to help you plan these events
Sponsor a cultural fair or festival twice a year – students can help plan and conduct these activities
Allow school staff to occasionally go to social or cultural events in the communities where families live
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Selective Strategies to Boost Family Involvement
2nd Tier
Connect families with each other Offer families education and
training Take advantage of family visits to
their child Recruit family members to serve
on advisory groups
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Connect Families With Each Other2nd Tier Strategies
Offer families a safe time and place where they can meet and talk with each other – without staff supervision or facilitation – so they can: Share common experiences Identify similar concerns Find solutions together
Offer family peer support groups on visiting day Arrange for or link families with peer support groups and
family-run organizations in their home towns if they live to far from the facility to come on a regular basis
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Offer Families Education and Training
2nd Tier Strategies Ask families what they want to learn about Offer seminars with expert speakers on topics chosen by
families – e.g., medication management, parent’s and student’s educational rights, nutrition
When possible, invite family members to attend in-service programs scheduled for school staff
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Offer Families Education and Training (p. 2)
2nd Tier Strategies
Offer family members a series of classes to develop their own skills – e.g., English language, computer skills training
Offer family members workshops on writing a resume and searching for a job
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Take Advantage of Family Visits2nd Tier Strategies
Arrange for school staff to be available on the facility's visiting day
Give every student’s family a packet with samples of their child’s recent work when they come to visit: Coach students to review the packet and explain it to their family Send the packet home in the mail for families who cannot come
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Take Advantage of Family Visits (p. 2)2nd Tier Strategies
Give tours of the school and display student work – or have a family resource center open at the school during the facility’s visiting hours: Ask teachers to describe their curriculum and what their class
has been doing lately Use a rotating schedule if their duties do not allow all staff to be
available
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Recruit Family Members to Serve on School Wide Planning and Advisory
Groups2nd Tier Suggestions
Make sure new families understand the nature and extent of the commitment necessary to serve in this capacity
Provide new group members with an orientation to the group’s history, mission, procedures, and politics
Assign an experienced member of the group to be a buddy or mentor to new family members
Share all information and reports in advance with a practical and reliable way for family members to get help understanding any technical information
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Intensive Strategies for Hard to Reach Families
3rd Tier
Tailor approaches to each family
Repair relationships between the student and their family
Hire Family Liaisons to work with families 1:1
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Tailor Approaches for Each Family3rd Tier Strategies
Focus on strengths - the family’s and the student’s Avoid blame and shame Acknowledge the family’s cultural values and respect
their practices Find the best pathway to reach the family – this may be
through a trusted friend, another professional, or a spiritual leader
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Repair Relationships Between the Student and Their Family
3rd Tier Strategies
Find ways to better understand the perspectives and feelings of the student’s family – a good place to start is by visiting them at home or at another place they prefer
Talk with the family about their child’s academic accomplishments
Offer individualized counseling services and gradually bring the family together with their child to work on resolving issues
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Hire Family Liaisons to Work With Families 1:1
3rd Tier StrategiesFamily Liaisons are trained family members who can
easily gain trust and Focus on the family – not on the student Meet the family on their terms (often in their own home) Learn about their strengths and the challenges they face Help the family assess its capacity to support and
supervise their child in all domains – including education Provide a bridge between the family and the school –
supporting the family until it feels comfortable on its own Continue working with the family once their child returns
to the community
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Develop School-wide and Institutional Policy and Programs to Encourage Family
InvolvementUtilize your existing councils to establish policy
Focus on each family’s own strengths and challenges
Choose the most effective strategies to engage them in their child’s education program – and beyond
Foster communication Build a trusting relationship
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Funding Sources for Family Involvement
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Title I, Part D of Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) formula grant funds can be used
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grants
Systems of Care grants focused on returning students to their home communities and schools
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Working with Families of Children in the Juvenile
Justice and the Corrections System:
A Guide for Education Program Leaders, Principals and Building Administrators Who has responsibility for family involvement and what should they
do? Factors to consider when working with families to insure educational
access and successful transitions. Characteristics of good relationships between schools and families. What families say helps them to get involved with correctional
education programs. What families expect and desire in a correctional education program Supporting family involvement. Using family visits to engage parents in school activities. What to do when a family visit does not go well. How do you know family involvement is improving?
Coming
Coming
Soon!Soon!
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If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact us at the following:
Trina W. Osher
301-434-4071
Barbara Huff
316-315-0432
Contact Information