Keys for Networking: NCLB Institute

The Importance of Parent Involvement

Monday, November 3, 2003

Purpose of Activities Today1. What the law says about parental

involvement.2. Provide overview of the research regarding

parental involvement in schools.3. Determine concerns about parental

involvement in schools.4. Discuss strategies for your further

involvement of parents in schools.5. Have fun!

Intent of the Law

Affording parents substantial and meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children.

Unity

I dreamed I stood in a studio

And watched two sculptors there

The clay they used was a young child’s mind

And they fashioned it with care.

One was a teacher--the tools he used

Were books, music and art.

The other, a parent, worked with a guiding hand,

And a gentle, loving heart.

Day after day, teacher toiled with touch

That was deft and sure,

While the parent labored by his side

And polished and smoothed it o’er.

And when at last their task was done,

They were proud of what they had wrought,

For the things they had molded into the child

Could neither be sold nor bought.

And each agreed they would have failed

If each had worked alone,

For behind the parent stood the school

And behind the teacher, the home. (Author Unknown)

Reports To Parents Student achievement—race, ethnicity, gender,

disability status, migrant status, English proficiency, and status as economically disadvantaged, except that such disaggregation shall not be required in a case in which the number students in a category is insufficient to yield statistically reliable information or the results would reveal personally identifiable information about an individual student;

Reports To Parents Comparison between groups Percentage of children not tested The most recent two-year trend of scores AYP progress in meeting state standards Professional qualifications of teachers

Number of teachers on emergency or provision credentials

% of classes not taught by highly qualified teachers

Reports To Parents May include

school attendance rates; average class size in each grade, academic achievement and gains in ELA; the incidence of school violence, drug abuse, alcohol

abuse, student suspensions, and student expulsions; the extent and type of parental involvement in schools; the percentage of students completing AP courses; and a clear description of the state accountability systems.

Annual Local Education Agency Report Cards

The number and percentage of schools identified for school improvement under Section 1116 (c);

How long the schools have been so identified; Information that shows how students served by the LEA

achieved on the statewide academic assessment compared to student in the state as a whole;

Information that shows how the school’s student achievement on the statewide academic assessments and other indicators of AYP compared to students in the LEA and the state as a whole.

Teacher Qualification Notice At the beginning of each school year;

Whether the teacher has met state qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction;

Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisions status;

The baccalaureate degree major of the teacher an d any other graduate certification or degree held by the teacher, and the field of discipline of the certification or degree;

Whether the child is provide services by a paraprofessional and if so, their qualification;

Charter School Requirements

Must be developed with the involvement of parents and others in the community to be served and individuals who will carry out the programs;

Provide to parents of students in the area to be served by the program with prompt notice of the existence of the program; the program’s availability; and a clear explanation of how the program will operate.

Lottery Selection Voluntary participation

Parent Knowledge of Student Performance Testing information:

produce individual student interpretative, descriptive, and diagnostic reports,

that allows parents, teachers, and principals to understand and address the specific academic needs of students, and include information regarding achievement of academic assessments aligned with State academic achievement standards,

provided to parents, teachers, and principals as soon as is practicable possible after the assessment is given,

in an understandable and uniform format, and tot the extent practicable, in a language that parents can understand.

Parental Involvement The State Plan shall describe how the SEA will support

the collection and dissemination to local educational agencies and schools of effective parental involvement practices. Such practices shall be based on the most current

research that meets the highest professional and technical standards,

on effective parental involvement that fosters achievement to high standards for all children, and

be geared toward lowering barriers to greater participation by parents in school planning, review, and improvement expertise.

What are the barriers for parental involvement with their child and his/her education?

What does the research say regarding the benefits of parental involvement?

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

Community Connections on Student Achievement by Anne T. Henderson and Karen L. Mapp. (Annual Synthesis 2002)

National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools

A New Wave of Evidence--In Short Meta-analysis of research: The

evidence is consistent, positive, and convincing--families have a major influence on their children’s achievement in school and throughout life.

The Evidence is Clear: When schools,

families, and community groups work together to support learning, children do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more.

How are the many ways that families are engaged in their children’s education related to student achievement?

Many studies found that students with involved parents, no matter

what their income or background, were more likely to:

Earn higher grades and test scores, and enroll in higher-level programs;

Be promoted, pass their classes, and earn credits;

Attend school regularly;

Have better social skills, show improved behavior, and adapt well to school;

Graduate and go on to postsecondary education.

What the studies have found: Studies found that families of all income and

education levels, and from all ethnic and cultural groups, are engaged in supporting their child’s learning at home.

White, middle-class families tend to be more involved at school.

Supporting more involvement at school from all parents may be an important strategy for addressing the achievement gap.

Do programs and special efforts to engage families make a difference?

The answer is YES! Teacher outreach to

parents was related to strong and consistent gains in student performance in both reading and math

Outreach practices included meeting face to face, sending materials home, and keeping in touch about progress.

Workshop for parents on helping their children at home were linked to higher reading and math scores.

How do higher performing schools engage families and community?

Schools that succeed in engaging families from very diverse backgrounds share 3 key practices. They: Focus on building trusting collaborating

relationships among teachers, families, and community members;

Recognize, respect, and address families’ needs, as well as class and cultural differences; and,

Embrace a philosophy of partnership where power and responsibility are shared.

What is the impact of parent and community organizing on improving schools?

A new group of studies found that community organizing contributed to these changes in schools: Upgraded school facilities; Improved school leadership and staffing; Higher-quality learning programs for students; New resources and programs to improve

teaching and curriculum ;and, New funding for after-school programs and

family supports.

Key Findings The studies that compared levels of

involvement found that student achievement increased directly with the extent to which parents were engaged in their child’s program.

Key Findings The continuity of family involvement

appears to have a protective effect on children as they progress through our complex education system. The more families support their children’s learning and educational progress, the more their children tend to do well in school and continue their education.

Key Findings Parents with high involvement ratings,

compared with those with low or median ratings, tended to have children with higher grades and scores. This finding held across all family income levels and backgrounds.

Key Findings Parent and community involvement that is

linked to student learning has a greater effect on achievement than more general forms of involvement. To be effective, the form of involvement should be focused on improving achievement and be designed to engage families and students in developing specific knowledge and skills.

Key Findings Starkey and Klein (2001) Programs

that successfully connect with families and community

1. invite involvement,

2. are welcoming, and

3. address specific parent and community needs.

Key Findings Parent involvement programs that are

effective in engaging diverse families recognize, respect, and address cultural and class differences.

Key Findings Organized initiatives to build parent and

community leadership to improve low-performing schools are developing. These community organizing efforts use strategies that are aimed at establishing a power base to hold schools accountable for low student achievement. They have contributed to changes in policy, resources, school culture, and educational programs.

Summing Up: When parents

talk to their children about school, their children do better in school!

Summing Up: When parents help

their children plan for the future, their children do better in school.

Summing Up: When parents make

sure that out-of-school activities are constructive, their children do better in school.

Summing Up: When school

engage families in ways that are linked to improving learning, students, make greater gains.

Summing Up: When schools build

partnerships with families that respond to their concerns and honor their contributions, they are successful in sustaining connections that are aimed at improving student achievement.

Summing Up: When families and

communities organize to hold poorly performing schools accountable, studies suggest that school districts make positive changes in policy, practice, and resources.

The Work of Henderson and Berla: The research conducted over 30 years in 85

projects indicate that when parents are actively involved in their child’s learning that their child: Performs better academically Has few discipline problems Has better school attendance and homework

completion Has a higher graduation rate Has greater enrollment in college Becomes a more responsible adult.

Schools Expectations: Schools that work

well with families have improved teacher morale, higher ratings of teachers by parents, and better reputations in the community.

Schools’ Expectations Schools are facing new expectations

Higher performance standards Higher accountability mandates legislated

at the national and state levels Parental and community support Increased communication--parents

understanding the needs of schools and schools understanding the needs of parents.

Schools’ Expectations US Department of Education has established criteria

for Kansas--placing a greater emphasis on raising student achievement through higher standards for all children. State content and performance standards

What students should know and be able to do Schools are now revising and aligning their curriculum

to meet the high standards, increasing opportunities for more extensive professional development, providing exposure to more teaching techniques, introducing more technology into classrooms, and developing assessments that measure what is being taught.

Schools’ Expectations No Child Left Behind (NCLB)

Requires the inclusion of parents in schools. Must implement programs, activities, and procedures for the

involvement of parents. Parents are to be involved in planning these programs,

activities, and procedures. A parent involvement policy must describe how the agency

will include parents in the development of the plan. Provide parent activities to assist parents in improving the

academic achievement and performance of their children, and include parents in an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the parental involvement policy in improving the academic quality of the schools served and removing barriers to parental involvement.

Schools’ Expectations At the school level,

A parent compact that describes how the school staff, parents, and students will share the responsibility of improving achievement, must be developed in consultation with parents.

The compact should describe the school’s responsibility in providing high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment that enables students to meet the state standards.

The compact should list ways each parent will be responsible for supporting his or her child’s learning, such as monitoring attendance, homework, and television viewing, and participating, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the educations of their child.

Schools’ Expectations Districts that receive a Title 1 allocation of

$500,000 or more must set aside at least 1% of the funds for parent activities. Should include opportunities for training for

parents in strategies and methods to help their children at home.

Fostering partnerships between home and school.

It supports schools in creating an environment where parents feel welcome and comfortable in discussing their child’s needs with school staff.

NCLB For complete

parental involvement requirements, refer to Title I, Part A, Subpart 1, Section 1118 of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

Concerns Concerns Most Frequently Expressed

by Parents About Parent Involvement at the School Level.

Activity 3

Concerns The concerns most frequently

expressed by parents about parent involvement at the school level are: 1) Waste of time. It’s a waste of time to

get involved. The principal and teachers don’t listen to us. Parents feel that they are token members and not important on committees.

Concerns 2) Parent Burnout. The same parents

are asked to volunteer over and over.

Concerns 3) Arrogance of School Staff. There seems

to be a perception that school staff time is more valuable than parent time. (For example, take the School Improvement Team Committee. The planning meeting started at 3. Parents took off work to be there. At 4, teachers got up and left. They said that their contracted day was over! What about the parents who took off work or rearranged time and schedules to be there! Why are meetings and conferences held during the day when I cannot attend? I work and need an evening time for conferences.

Concerns 4) Negativity: Why do we only hear

from the school when there is a problem? The teacher does not view my child as a whole person.

5) Lack of Communication: We don’t know what is going on at school. Why is there not more written communication between home and school?

Concerns 6) Lack of or Inconsistent Discipline:

Lack of adequate supervision or discipline at the bus stop, on the buses, playground, and in the lunchroom. Consistent disciplinary practices are a problem throughout the school.

Concerns 7) Lack of Information: What do these

test scores really mean? This question is becoming more prevalent as we implement standards. More parental awareness of standards, assessment, IEPs, 504 Plans, and the individual learning plan (ILP) are needed.

Concerns 8) Need for Support: How can I help

my child at home? We need assistance so that we can give homework help.

What has been your experience with your school

ACTIVITY 4: First, what have been the positive experiences with the school/ school district? Why?

Second, what has not been a positive experience with the school? Why?

What the research says about the benefits of parental involvement in the classroom:

A real, first-hand understanding of what happens in their child’s classroom;

A knowledge of the school’s curriculum, policies, special programs and opportunities , and areas of need;

An increased sense of comfort at school and ownership in their child’s education;

A chance to get to know their child’s friends, and often their parents;

An opportunity for personal growth and the satisfaction of sharing their talents;

An increased opportunity for input into the classroom program.

What are the benefits from the child when you are involved?

A clear message that you value schooling and learning;

Opportunities for increased communication with their parent;

An increased sense of comfort at school; Increased opportunities for parent/teacher

communication, which might result in better home/school support; and,

Increased chance of success at school.

Questions and Answers

Summary: What have you learned today that you did not

know earlier?