School, Family and Community Partnerships

Developing, Implementing, Evaluating and Revising

Northwest Service CooperativeJune 22, 2011

Mission StatementWe are dedicated to helping

educators improve student learning by equipping them with research-based strategies and services that

meet their needs and produce results. As leaders in our field, we strive to be the first choice of educators seeking proven, timely, accessible, and cost-effective solutions to the challenges

they face. (Learning Point Associates)

Wake Up

Our day will begin with a brief “warm up” activity. Work alone on the “brain-teaser” puzzle for two minutes. How many puzzles were you able to solve?

Are two heads better than one?

Now, work with others at your table for two minutes. How did working together compare with working alone on this activity?

School, Family and Community Partnerships

• The same results occur when teachers, parents, students, and others work together to develop an excellent program of school, family and community partnerships.

• Today, we will focus on how to plan, implement, monitor progress and increase the number of families that are involved in their children’s education.

Session Goals• Review SIP/DIP expectations/requirements for

parent involvement• Examine ways to translate the research base for

building effective school, family and community partnerships to action using Epstein’s Framework of Six Types of Involvement

• Review and summarize results of your Partnership Inventory

• Develop an Action Plan for “next steps” in building your research-based partnership program

Why evaluate?

• When activities are evaluated, outreach to families should increase, and the quality of the partnership program should improve from year to year.

• Helps shift interactions with families from “accidental and peripheral” to well-planned and intentional

• Evaluation is not viewed solely as or measured only by “bodies in the building.”

SIP: Evaluating Parent Involvement

SIP Element 6: 6. Promote effective parent involvement strategies

Include strategies to promote effective parental involvement in the school

a) Identify research-based or best practice strategies used to increase

parent involvement, including new efforts and enhancements to existing strategies.

b) Explain how these effective parent involvement strategies will contribute to improved student learning in the specifically cited area(s).

c) If continuing in School Choice, SES, Corrective Action, Pre-Restructuring or Restructuring, describe the process to evaluate parent involvement strategies.

DIP: Evaluating Parent InvolvementDIP Element 6: 6. Promote effective parent involvement strategies

Include strategies to promote effective parental involvement in the school

a) Identify research-based or best practice strategies used to increase

parent involvement, including new efforts and enhancements to existing strategies.

b) Explain how these effective parent involvement strategies will contribute to improved student learning in the specifically cited area(s).

c) If Continuing in Need of Improvement or Corrective Action, describe the process to evaluate parent involvement strategies.

Appendix B-

Element 6: Describe the process to evaluate parent involvement strategies being implemented.

If strategies are not effectively engaging parents, especially from identified student groups, what new research-based strategies are proposed, in cited areas?

SIP-DIP RUBRIC6. Promote effective parent involvement strategies

Distinguished Proficient Needs Revision

Strategies are identified that are effective based on research and best practice and an evaluation process is evident Strategies are identified to inform families about continuous academic progress, especially in cited area(s)

Strategies are identified that are effective based on research and best practice (and include a process for evaluation when completing Appendix B,C, D or E) Strategies are identified and linked to improving student learning in cited area(s)

Strategies are not identified or unclear to promote effective parent involvement Strategies are not identified or are not linked with improving learning in cited area(s)

Research Base“Is the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS)

a research-based model?” The term is important for all school improvement

programs and for the No Child Left Behind requirements for parental involvement. Just as educators want research-based curricular and instructional approaches, they also want family and community involvement programs to be based on solid knowledge and tested tools.

http://www.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/type2/issue19/researchbased.htm

The answer-YES!

NNPS is research-based. NNPS's framework of six types of involvement, emphasis on teamwork, planning forms, evaluation tools, and other strategies and materials are based on the results of research conducted over twenty years by NNPS and other researchers.

NNPS research is on-going

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What Research Says….

• Parents vary in how much they presently are involved.• Parents are concerned about their children’s success in school.• Students need multiple sources of support to succeed in

school and in life.• Schools must reach out in order to involve all families.• Some teachers and administrators are initially resistant to

increasing family involvement.• Teachers and administrators in schools and districts need

inservice, preservice, and advanced education on partnerships.• Subject-specific practices involve families in ways that

directly assist students’ learning and success.• Partnership programs are most effective if they are research-

based, customized for each community, evaluated, and continually improved to help meet important goals for students.

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Framework of Six Types of Involvement

Shifts in thinking….1. School, family and community partnerships is a better term

than parental involvement.2. School, family and community partnership is a

multidimensional concept. 3. A program of school, family and community partnerships is

an essential component of school and classroom organization.

4. Programs of school, family and community partnerships require multilevel leadership.

5. Programs of school, family and community partnerships must focus on increasing student learning and development.

6. All programs of school, family and community partnership are about equity.

Overlapping Spheres of Influence

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THE KEYS TO SUCCESSFULSCHOOL-FAMILY-COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPSEPSTEIN’S SIX TYPES OF INVOLVEMENT

PARENTING: Assist families in understanding child and adolescentdevelopment, and in setting home conditions that support childrenas 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, other curriculum-related activities, and individual course and program 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.

Type 1

Type 2

Type 6

Type 5

Type 4

Type 3

Carousel Sharing• With your partner, you will initiate the creation of an informational

poster about your assigned partnership key. • Your poster should provide a clear understanding of the

partnership key, including the challenges and “redefinitions.” Feel free to be creative! Symbols, images, etc.

• After you have initiated the poster, each team will rotate around the room, spending 2-3 minutes at each poster.

• Continue to embellish and enhance the posters as you rotate around the room. Record your ideas and thoughts about each teams’ work directly onto each poster.

• Pass the marker responsibility back and forth as you work around the room.

• When you arrive back at your own poster, read how others have responded to and enhanced your work.

Take a Break

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Meeting the Challenges

Challenges & Redefinitions

• Most schools conduct some activities for the six types of involvement, but most schools do not reach all families, at all grade levels, in ways the are family friendly, and that produce results.

• Schools must work to meet challenges and reach all families in order to have a successful partnership program.

• “Redefinitions” are needed to look at common involvement activities in new ways.

Jumping Hurdles• Select one person to the recorder and one

person to report to the whole group. • With your team, identify ONE very successful

family or community involvement activity at your school/district.

• What challenge(s) arouse? How was the challenge solved?

• How would you improve the activity if it were conducted again.

• Used the “Jumping Hurdles” form to record your responses.

School, Family and Community Partnership INVENTORY Results

• Take about 15-20 minutes to examine the results of your Partnership Inventory.

• Feel free to make notes, jot down your observations/thoughts.

Element 6-NotesDescribe the process to evaluate parent involvement

strategies.• How are the six types of involvement presently covered or conducted at your

school/district? • What similarities or differences do you notice across grade levels? What activities

should be implemented across grade levels, or be modified from grade to grade? • Describe the role of the student in the partnership activities.• How well do your partnership activities reach all families?• Where are your strengths? What needs do you notice?• How does your current parent involvement policy align with this framework?

How might you adjust your policy to reflect the six types of involvement?• What are some possible NEW action steps you might take?• Other insights/observations?

Lunch

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Reaching Results

Results for Students, Parents and Teachers

• By focusing on results, family and community involvement can contribute to the attainment of school improvement goals.

• Each of the six types of involvement produces different results.

• It is vital to link the six types of involvement to specific, desired results

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For STUDENTS

Higher grades and test scores

Better attendance

Improved behavior at home and at school

Better social skills and adjustment to school

More classes passed and credits earned Increased enrollment in more challenging

academic programs and graduation on time

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For PARENTS Stronger sense of support from school

and other parents More awareness of student progress

and effective responses to problems

Increased self confidence about guiding student through school

Appreciation of teachers’ work and skills Increased feeling of ownership of school

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For TEACHERS Increased respect for families’ strengths

and efforts Increased understanding of families

goals for their children

Greater readiness to involve all families in new ways

Use of community resources to enrich students’ experiences

Increased satisfaction with teaching

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EXAMPLESfor a One-Year Action Plan for Partnershipsto IMPROVE READING ACHIEVEMENTTYPE 1 Workshops for parents on various ways to read aloud with

young children

TYPE 2 Parent-teacher-student conferences on reading goals andreading progress

TYPE 3 Reading-partner volunteers, guest readers of favorite stories, and other organized, ongoing read-with-me activities

TYPE 4 Family Reading Night to demonstrate reading strategies for parents and grade-specific activities to conduct with students at home

PTA/PTO support for a family room or parent center to provide information on children’s reading, and to conduct book swaps, make book bags for read-at-home programs, and sponsor other reading activities

TYPE 5

Donations from business partners of books for classrooms, for the school library, and for children to take home

TYPE 6

…AND MANY OTHER IDEAS FOR EACH TYPE OF INVOLVEMENT

READING GOAL

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EXAMPLESfor a One-Year Action Plan for Partnershipsto IMPROVE MATH SKILLSTYPE 1 Workshops for parents to explain new math standards and tests, and

to demonstrate and discuss how math skills are taught to students

TYPE 2 Articles for parents in school or class newsletters or posted on the school Web site by students and math teachers on interesting math topics and skills

TYPE 3 Volunteer math tutors to assist students who need one-on-one tutoring and extra help with specific math skills

TYPE 4 Weekly interactive homework assignments for students to demonstrate mastery of a math skill for family partners and to discuss how each skill is used in everyday situations

PTA/PTO-sponsored Family Math Night for fun and learningTYPE 5

After-school programs funded by business and community partnersto provide students with extra help and enrichment activities in math

TYPE 6

…AND MANY OTHER IDEAS FOR EACH TYPE OF INVOLVEMENT

MATH GOAL

34National Network of Partnership Schools, Johns Hopkins University

PAIR-SHARE ACTIVITY USE THE SIX TYPES OF INVOLVEMENT

TO REACH A GOAL FOR STUDENT SUCCESS

Choose one major GOAL for STUDENT LEARNING that is important in your school. With a partner, identify specific family and community involvement activities to support that goal.

STUDENT LEARNING GOAL

TYPE 6: COLLABORATING WITH COMMUNITY

TYPE 1: PARENTING

TYPE 5: DECISION MAKING

TYPE 4: LEARNING AT HOME

TYPE 3: VOLUNTEERING

TYPE 2: COMMUNICATING

National Network of Partnership Schools

Need ideas??? Click on “Table of Contents” to access document

http://www.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/PPP/2010/index.htm

What does a good action plan include?

• Student centered goal linked to cited area(s)• Desired results-Specific, quantitative, and

measureable• Success indicators-What tools will you use to

measure the desired results? (formal, and informal measures)

• Partnerships-How are parents, other family members or community involved?

Action Plan for student success• One person should record your ideas• Identify ONE important academic goal for

students . This goal will be directly from your SIP/DIP Plan

• Measurement tools-again, specific• Activities-describe in detail (ie. Newsletter will

include a new math skill for each grade at least one time a month vs. “newsletter.”

WORKPLAN FOR SCHOOL, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

ACADEMIC GOAL: Select ONE curricular goal for students, such as improving reading or math.

Desired results for this goal: How will you measure the results?

ACTION ITEMS

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE?

IMPROVEMENT RESOURCES

WHAT RESOURCES ARE NEEDED?

TIMELINES

AND/OR CYCLES

SUCCESS

INDICATORS HOW WILL YOU MEASURE

THE RESULT(S)?

PERSON(S)

RESPONSIBLE

RATIONALE (WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? WHAT RESEARCH SUPPORTS THESE ACTIONS?)

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Improvement or AYP Leadership Team

AYP Leadership or School Improvement Team oversees the school’s ENTIRE School or District Improvement Plan (SIP/DIP).

Action Team for Partnerships (ATP)guides action to increase family and community involvement by writing an annual Action Plan for Partnerships linked to SIP goals.

This team meets at least monthly to discuss all programs, assessprogress, and plan next steps toattain goals in the SIP/DIP.

ATP meets monthly to discuss the schedule of family and community involvement activities,assess progress, and improve plans.

This team hears all committee reports and assists committees in helpful ways.

ATP is one committee that reports plans and progress to the School Council for advice and support.

Action Team for Partnerships

Feedback-CEU’s

Thank you for your feedback.

Your comments and suggestions will be used to plan future sessions.

Professional Reflection (aka…Homework)

• Professional Reading: Why Some Parents Don’t Come to School (Finders & Lewis, 1994) AND/OR, Breaking New Ground: Data Systems Transform Family Engagement in Education (PTA, 2011)

• Refer to PLC Article discussion guidelines-How might you share these resources with your staff?

• Check out the Parent Involvement resources on the Northwest Service Cooperative site:

www.nw-service.k12.mn.us

ReferencesEpstein, J. L. (2009). School, family, and community partnerships:

your handbook for action (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Finders, M., & Lewis, C. (1994). Why some parents don't come to school. Educational Leadership, 51(8), 50-54.

Weiss, H. B., Lopez, M. E., & Stark, D. R. (2011, January). Breaking new ground: Data systems transform family engagement in education. Harvard Family Research Project. Retrieved June 21, 2011, from http://www.hfrp.org/publications-resources/browse-our-publications/breaking-new-ground-data-systems-transform-family-engagement-in-education2

Northwest Service Cooperative AYP TeamKyle Erickson kerickson@nw-service.k12.mn.us

Becky Smith bsmith@nw-service.k12.mn.usToni Cox tcox@nw-service.k12.mn.us