6/22/2015

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Family Engagement

Daniel Parker

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Family Engagement and Autism Consultant

daniel.parker@dpi.wi.gov

(608) 266-5194

THANK YOU!!!

• Becky Brown, CESA 7, WSPEI• Emile Braunel, WI FACETS• Mary Jo Ziegler, WDPI, Title I• Ruth Anne Landsverk, WDPI Title I• Kedibonye Carpenter, Statewide Coordinator, WSPEI• Cheri Sylla, CESA 1, WSPEI

For Slides / Ideas Taken / Adapted from

“Preparing Future Educators for Family Engagement”

“Funding Family Engagement”

“SPDG Family Engagement Rubrics”

“Family Engagement and Literacy”

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Presentation Goals

During Our Time Together . . .

• Understand the Importance of Family Engagement Today

• Discuss a Framework for Thinking about Family Engagement at the System and IEP Levels

• Resources for Further Study

Group Activity

What does Family Engagement Mean to You?

Parent Involvement

Family Engagement

• Include

• Cause someone to take part in something

Merriam Webster Online Dictionary

• Agreement

• Promise

• EmotionalInvolvement or

Involve Engage

g

• (Latin root) to enfold or envelop so as to encumber (cause problems)

Involvement or Commitment

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Parent Involvement

Family Engagement

SCHOOLS AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

Students whose families are engaged in their education, no matter what their income or background, are 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 post-secondary education

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The Need for New Systems of Engagement

• Socio-Economic Status

• Changes in Family Structure

• Technology and Information Overload

• Differences in Culture

• Achievement Gaps

20042004 20142014

Free and Reduced LunchFree and Reduced Lunch

Free and Reduced Lunch Over Time Achievement Gaps

Reading Achievement

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2013-14 Statewide WSAS Reading Proficiency for Students with Disabilities by Race/Ethnicity

It’s a Matter of Time

33% ASLEEP

12% SCHOOL

55% AWAY FROM SCHOOL

Basedon6hoursofinstruction,180daysperyear,and8hoursofsleeptime.(Atschool=1,080Hours)(Asleep=2,920Hours)(Awayfromschool=4,760Hours)(TotalHoursinaYear=8,760)

Every Family is Unique

• What is Culture?

• What is Cultural

Competence?

Understanding Diverse Families

• View of Disability

• Family Roles & Responsibility

• Decision Making

• Religious Beliefs

• Language

• Access to Information, Resources, &

Services

• Additional Stressors

Group Activity

What Other Factors Influence Family Engagement?

What is the Experience of a Parent of a Child with a Disability?

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The 3 Questions All Parents Have

1. Do you know who we are?

2. Do you care about my child?

3. Can I trust you?

Family Point of View

• May be Coming from a Place of Crisis

• How do People in Crisis Act?

• How do We Prepare Educators for Assisting• How do We Prepare Educators for Assisting Others in Crisis?

• “Hurt People, Hurt People” (Rick Lavoie)

• “Squeaky Wheel Needs the Grease” (Rick Lavoie)

Family Engagement Tip #1

A Question ALL Educators can Ask ALL Families . . .

“What are Your Hopes and Dreams for Your Child?”

Landscape of Family Engagement

Traditional “Parent Involvement”

• PTO / PTA Meetings

• Science / Math / Literacy Nights

• Parent / Teacher Conferences

• Bake Sales / Fundraising

• Attend School Events (sports / arts)

• Volunteer In School

These “Parent Involvement” Activities Show Little Evidence of Improving Outcomes

for Students

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Dual Capacity Framework for Family-School Partnerships

“For schools and districts across the U.S., family engagement is rapidly shifting from a low-priority

USDE FAMILY ENGAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

engagement is rapidly shifting from a low priority recommendation to an integral part of education

reform efforts.”

http://www.ed.gov/family-and-community-engagementhttp://www2.ed.gov/documents/family-community/partners-education.pdf

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“Future policy and programming in family engagement should focus on

building and enhancing the capacity of

school/program staff and families

USDE FAMILY ENGAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

to partner in ways that

support student achievement

and development,

as well as school improvement.”

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USDE FRAMEWORK: BUILD CAPACITY OF STAFF AND FAMILIES

• Individual responsibility

• Deficit-based, adversarial

• Shared responsibility or partnership

• Strengths based, collaborative

MOVING FROM . . . MOVING TO . . .

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• Random acts of engagement

• Top down

• Compliance-driven

• One-time project

collaborative

• Systemic engagement

• Collaborative

• Outcomes driven

• Sustained

Family Engagement Framework

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Welcome / Honor / Connect

• “The Joining Process”

between Schools & Families

Best Practices

Honor• Develop

Relationships

Welcome

• Deepen Relationships

Honor• Link Families to

Student Learning & Sustain Relationships

Connect

-Karen Mapp 2003

Welcoming: Develops Relationships

• Put out the welcome mat

• Enroll the whole family

• Create a warm friendly buildingCreate a warm, friendly building

• Make sure people are accessible

• Set customer service standards

• Put on the personal touch

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Family Engagement Tip #2

Get to Know Your Families

To Get to Know a Family YouTo Get to Know a Family, You have to Set Aside Time to Listen

to Families

Welcoming in the IEP Meeting

• Water on Table

• Meaningful Introductions

• Information in Advance ofInformation in Advance of

Meeting

• Family Friendly Language

Group Activity

What Makes you Feel Welcomed?

• Ways to put out the welcome mat

• How to reach the whole family

H t t f i dl b ildi• How to create a warm, friendly building

• How to make sure people are accessible

• How to set customer service standards

• What is our personal touch?

Honoring: Deepen Relationships

• Show respect at all times

• Give parents a voice in major decisions

• Recognize families’ contributions• Recognize families contributions

• Respect families’ circumstances

• Set ground rules together

• Accentuate the positive

Family Engagement Tip #3

Learn about Cultural Norms

Don’t Make Assumptions andDon t Make Assumptions and Take the Time to Understand the

Role of Culture as Well as Knowing Families as Individuals

Latino Learning Modules: Latino Culture and Cultural Values

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Honoring in the IEP Meeting

• Meeting at a Time which

Works Best for the Family

• Parents Ideas Included

throughout the IEP

• Everyone Focusing on

Student / Family

Group ActivityWhat Makes you Feel Honored?

• Ways to show respect at all times

• How to give parents a voice in major decisions

• Ways to recognize families’ contributions

• How do we respect families’ circumstances

• Ways to set ground rules together

• How do we accentuate the positive for specific

families when others only see negatives?

Connecting: Link Families to Student Learning &

Sustain Relationships

• Link parent activities to student learning

• Exhibit student work

• Make home visits

• Show parents how much staff care

• Invite parents to observe in class

• Open a Family Center

Connection to Learning – Karen Mapp

Family Engagement Tip #3

Meet Families Where they Are

ALL Families can Connect withALL Families can Connect with Learning but this May Look Very Different from Family to Family

Family Engagement Definition

Family Engagement is any way that a child’s adult caretaker (biological parents, foster parents, siblings, p , p , g ,grandparents, etc.) effectively supports learning and healthy

development.

From Presentation “Moving Forward: Building the Capacity for Effective Family and Community Engagement”

Karen L. Mapp, Ed.D. 2012Harvard Graduate School of Education

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Connecting in the IEP Meeting

• How Might Goals /

Accommodations be Linked

to Learning at Home?

• Provide Resources and

Information on Community

Supports / Organizations

• Parent Peer Specialists /

Mentoring Programs

Group ActivityWhat Makes you Feel Connected?

• How to link parent activities to student learning

• Ways to exhibit student work

• Who / How to make home visits

• Ways to show parents how much staff care

• How / when to invite parents to observe in class

• Can we open a Family Center or have family space

in school?

Family EngagementWelcome / Honor / Connect

Promising Practices

• Academic Parent Teacher Teams (APTT)

• Home Visitation

• Parent Peer Specialists / Parent Mentors

WHAT TEACHERS NEED

TO ENGAGE FAMILIES

• Expectations from Administrators

• Tools and Resources which Assist in Building C fidConfidence

• Systems and Frameworks to Engage ALL Families

• Training and Professional Development

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WDPI Free Family Engagement and Autism

Email Updates

• Sign up at WSPEI Autism web page: http://sped.dpi.wi.gov/sped_autism

• Receive updates on new resources, articles, trainings, and more!!!

• This email list also receives autism and family engagement free webinar invitations

WI FACETS / Mediation Grant

Parent Friendly and Effective IEP Meetings

• A Powerpoint Presentation which Outlines Strategies for Effective IEP Meetings

• Includes Statements from Parents and Educators in Wisconsin Providing both Positive and Negative IEP Experiences

• Will be Featured in May 13 WSPEI Webinar in Train the Trainer Format

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Family Engagement ResourcesWeb Sites

• Harvard Family Research Project: http://www.hfrp.org/

• WDPI Family / School / Community Partnershipshttp://fscp.dpi.wi.gov/

• WDPI Title I Parent Involvement (family engagement)• WDPI Title I Parent Involvement (family engagement)http://titleone.dpi.wi.gov/ttlone_parent_index

• National Network of Partnerships Schoolshttp://www.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/index.htm

• SEDL National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools

http://www.sedl.org/connections/about.html

• Academic Parent-Teacher Teams: http://www.learningfirst.org/academic-parent-teacher-teams-show-promising-results

• Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships by Anne T. Henderson, Karen L. Mapp, Vivian R. Johnson, & Don Davies, 2007

• Bicultural Parent Engagement: Advocacy and Empowerment edited by Edward M. Olivos and Oscar Jimenez-Castellanos, 2011

• A Cord of Three Strands: A New Approach to Parent Engagement In Schools by Soo Hong, 2011

• Engaging All Families: Creating a Positive School Culture by Putting Research into Practice by Steven M. Constantino, 2003

• Family Partnership Working: A Guide for Education Practitioners by Rita Cheminais, 2011

Books of Interest

y p g y ,

• Handbook of School-Family Partnerships edited by Sandra L. Christenson and Amy L. Reschly, 2010

• Inviting Families into the Classroom: Learning from a Life in Teaching by Lynne Yermanock Strieb, 2010

• (Mis) Understanding Families: Learning from Real Families in Our Schools edited by Monica Miller Marsh and Tammy Turner-Vorbeck, 2010

• Parents and Professionals Partnering for Children with Disabilities: A Dance That Matters by Janice M. Fialka, Arlene K. Feldman, and Karen C. Mikus, 2012

• School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Preparing Educators and Improving Schools, Second edition (2011) by Joyce L. Epstein