CATHLIN GRAY, A S S O C I A T E S U P E R I N T E N D E N T O F F A M I L Y , S C H O O L , A N D C O M M U N I T Y P A R T N E R S H I P S

PATRICIA WEINZAPFEL, D I R E C T O R O F C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L S

Today’s Goals:

Hear how you can “Scale Up” your Community

School work by Listening/Communicating

Begin to design your own Listening and

Communication Plan

Where are we?

• 289 miles south of Chicago,

Illinois

• 146 miles south of

Indianapolis , Indiana

• 172 miles east of St.

Louis, Missouri

• 224 miles west of

Cincinnati, Ohio

• 12 miles north of

Henderson, Kentucky

Who Are We?

Third largest urban school district in Indiana (23,440 students)

Approximately 58% free/reduced lunch

38 schools make up K-5, K-6, K-8, middle schools, Jr. high schools, and high schools

Our Community School History

Community School model piloted – 1994

“Spread” to 10 schools in 2000-2001

“Spread” to the district in 2005

Began to “Scale-Up” in 2007

And then in 2009…

EVSC Strategic Plan

• Innovative School Models

• Technology

• Professional Development

• Family, School, and Community Partnerships

• Early Childhood Education

Center for Family, School, and Community Partnerships

We have arrived!!!

We even have our

own building!

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.

- George Bernard Shaw

Our “Scaling Up” Challenges

People are not sure exactly what we do.

We are not the “grant” people.

Community supports are not “extra” or “fun.”

National recognition ≠ local pride

We don‟t know who‟s doing what, where.

Are those programs and supports working?

We think we know what children and families need…

“Road Map” for the years ahead

Where do we begin?

Principals – the “Gatekeepers”

New research from Chicago (Bryk et al.) found five essential ingredients to successful school reform: 1. Principal: driver of change; inclusive leadership approach 2. Real family and community engagement 3. Ability to build professional capacity 4. Student-centered school climate 5. Coherent curriculum

Tell „em what you‟re going to tell them. Tell „em. Tell

them what you‟ve told them.

-The first director of CBS news, Paul White.

Communication Plan

• Listening Tour

• Community Schools/Family Engagement Conference

School staff, families and the community

• Teacher Presentations / Listening Tours

Listening Tour

Set Deadline

Casual Conversations

Goals

Map partnerships

Collect needs and challenges

Talk “Community Schools”

Explain support

• “Friendly” Suggestions

We hit the road…

Community

partners

Listening Tour

• Community Partners

Legitimacy

Targeted Questions

Problem Solving

Reinvigorating

First-hand knowledge

Our Results

EVSC Mapping

CODE Agency and Program

Common

Core

Connection

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Glen

woo

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Harp

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Hebr

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High

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Linc

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Lodg

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Oak

Hill

JT & CC 21st Century Scholars *

PFS

4C> Parenting for

pregnant teens

ASE 4-H

ASE

Afterschool Program > 4

H *

ASE

Afterschool Program >

Boy Scouts

* * * * * * * * * * *

ASE

Afterschool Program >

Brownies

* *

Big Picture/Our Roadmap for our Work

• Social and Emotional Supports

• Parenting Education

• Mentoring

• Tutoring

• Poverty/Drugs

• Transportation

• Family Engagement

School Specific Needs/Low Hanging Fruit (We heard what you said...)

Examples

• Site councils

• Mentoring program

• Afterschool program

Communication Plan, Part 2

Community Schools Family Engagement Conference

Principal/Staff Sessions

Family Engagement Sessions

Community/Community Partner Sessions

• Editorial Board

Evansville Courier Press January 27, 2012

Results Presentations

Principals

Community Partners

Communication Plan, Part 3

Our Communication Work Ahead

Continue dialogue with Principals

Teacher Presentations / Listening Tours

Reaching out/Communicating with Families

Telling our Story to our Community

CONTINUE CREATING CHAMPIONS

Our Challenges

Better integrate our work into academic work

Speak the same RTI language

We need our data at the table when decisions are made

Funding

Time

Questions