Educated, Engaged, and Effective Families as Change

Agents in School Improvement

Diana Autin, Executive Co-DirectorCarolyn Hayer, Director of Parent & Professional Development

Region 1 Parent TA Center @ The Statewide Parent Advocacy Network

Families have the greatest interest in ensuring that their children's schools meet their needs, and the most to gain in improving low-performing schools

Parents can be powerful partners with state, district, and school administrators and educators:◦ Assessing needs◦ Planning improvement activities◦ Advocating for the resources needed to implement those

activities, and◦ Evaluating results

Our Hypotheses

Provide concrete examples of how families can be effective change agents in turning around low-performing schools

Share strategies for schools, districts, state agencies, and parent centers to encourage and support effective parent leadership

Engage in hands-on activities that model effective parent leadership development and partnership

Goals for today

How can parents be engaged as equal partners and leaders in data-driven decision-making?

What works in moving parents from naysayers to “yay” sayers?

How can schools integrate parent leadership into improvement planning and implementation?

Questions for Today

Most consistent predictors of children’s academic achievement & social adjustment are parent expectations

· Family participation in education was twice as predictive of student academic success as socio-economic status (10x greater in some programs)

· The more intensively families are involved (advocacy, decision-making, oversight, volunteers, support at home), the more beneficial the achievement effects

Impact of Families

· When parents are involved, students have:· Higher grades, test scores, and graduation rates· Better attendance· Increased motivation· Lower suspension· Decreased use of drugs, alcohol, violence

· When middle & HS parents stay involved, students:◦ Make better transitions◦ Maintain quality of work◦ Develop realistic plans for their future◦ Have higher graduation rates◦ Seek postsecondary education

Impact of Families

Families can be:

◦The greatest supporters, or the greatest opponents, of school improvement

◦The agents of sustainability of school improvement strategies

Why else?

A clear and shared focus High standards and expectations for all students Effective school leadership High levels of collaboration and communication Curriculum, instruction and assessments aligned

with high standards Frequent monitoring of teaching and learning Focused professional development A supportive learning environment High levels of parent and community involvement

Characteristics of High Performing Schools

Theoretical Model

OVERLAPPING SPHERES OF INFLUENCE OF FAMILY, SCHOOL, AND COMMUNITY ON CHILDREN’S LEARNING

Force BExperience,Philosophy,Practices of Family

Force CExperience,Philosophy,Practices of School

Force DExperience,Philosophy,Practices of Community

Force ATime/Age/Grade Level

National PTA Standards for Parent Involvement/Epstein’s Framework

(c) Statewide Parent Advocacy Network 2013

• Promote & support parenting skills (Parenting)• Provide regular, two-way, and meaningful communication between

school & home (Communicating)• Welcome parents in the school and seek their support &

assistance (Volunteering)• Help parents play a key role in their child’s learning (Learning at home)• Enlist parents as full partners in decision-making about school

improvement (Decision-making)• Use community resources to support schools, students, & families

(Collaborating with Community)

· Parents’ beliefs about what is important, necessary & permissible for them to do with & on behalf of their children

· Extent to which parents believe they can have a positive influence on their children’s education

· Parents’ perception that the school – and their children – want them to be involved

· Strongest & most predictive predictors are the specific school programs and teacher practices that encourage parent involvement at all levels and guide parents in helping their children at home

Major Factors Impacting Parent Involvement

· “Power concedes nothing without a demand; it never has and it never will.”· Frederick Douglas

· Improving schools requires a demand for change & accountability; informed, engaged parents can provide the most powerful support for that change & accountability

Major Factors of Systems Change

Shared vision Purposeful connection to learning Investments in high quality programming &

staff/strategic use of limited resources Robust communication systems Evaluation for accountability & continuous

learning

Making it happen

Fostering district-wide strategies◦ Infrastructure for district-wide leadership for

family engagement◦ Ensure reporting, learning, & accountability for

family engagement Building school capacity

◦ Build capacity for family engagement through training & technical assistance

Reaching out to & engaging families

At the district level

Barriers to Shared Leadership:Systems Change level

• Identify three barriers to shared leadership at the systems change level

– Family participation in identification of needs

– Family participation in identification and development of services

– Family participation in evaluation of program services and activities

Spheres of Conflict

Data Conflicts

Interest Conflicts

Structural Conflicts

Value Conflicts

Relationship Conflicts

The Planned Change Process1.

Exploring 2. Assessment & Planning

3. Commitment

Building4.

Implementing Change

5. IntegratingChange

6. Assessing Progress

7. Growing

Table 1 Theorized Pattern of Relational and Conventional Bureaucratic Organizations

Components of Organizational System

Key Dimensions of Relational Bureaucracy

Key Dimensions of Conventional Bureaucra

cy1. People Staff members reflect the

cultures/languages of families served.

Staff members may not reflect the cultures/languages of families served.

2. Structures: power Democratic and participatory structures.

Hierarchical staff structures.

3. Structures: relationships Systems exist to support use of relational competencies for caring, flexible, and responsive approach to individual needs.

Rigid rules, boundaries, and policies exist to guide uniform approach.

4. Processes: power Opportunities to share knowledge, expertise, and power.

Hierarchy of expertise, knowledge, and power.

5. Processes: relationships Staff relationships are caring, reciprocal, and respectful. Relational competencies are recognized, valued, and developed.

Staff relationships are formal, hierarchical, and impersonal. Adherence to rules and protocol is recognized and valued.

Involving Parent Stakeholders in all Phases

• Establish a core group of family leaders that has been oriented and trained to be on teams• Include parents with both successful & less

successful experiences with schools

• Reinforce the commitment of valuing their continued involvement through all phases of school/district improvement activities

Why do parents get involved?• The issue is important to them, their

family, & their community

• They have something to contribute

• They believe that they will be listened to, their contributions respected, and their participation will make a difference

• Multiple opportunities for participation

• The level of participation can vary depending on life circumstances.

• Families receive sufficient advance notice

• Family participation is facilitated

How do parent leaders stay involved?

• Families are listened to; their ideas are supported & respected

• Families do not experience retribution as a result of their participation

• Family participation has an impact

• Family participation is consciously & visibly appreciated

How do parent leaders stay involved?

Tangible (stipends, provision of or reimbursement for childcare and transportation and reimbursement for lost wages).

Emotional (respect, understanding, validation, and ongoing support to fulfill their roles, including times of transition and crisis).

Environmental (training, equality with service providers, and full inclusion in activities)

Primary Supports needed

• Provide specialized expertise that may be missing from staff

• Serve as ambassadors, building bridges into the community

• Survey the need to enhance existing activities

• Bring in resources

• Help conduct evaluation and oversight activities, maintain accountability

Family leadership groups

Partnering with parent organizations

• Discuss 2 productive & 2 challenging experiences you have had to date working with family organizations

• Reflect on one time when you had a successful partnership with a family organization to accomplish your goals…

– What did you bring to the partnership?– What did the family organization bring?– How did you know it was working?

Parent organizations as catalysts for change

• Parent organizations help education systems:• Recognize & understand the barriers to

participation by families• Make changes to address barriers• Engage families in all processes

• To make it happen, there must be:• Mutual respect for skills & knowledge• Mutually agreed upon goals• Trust & honesty• Clear & open communication• Shared planning & decision-making

Levels of Focus for Parent Organization Partnerships

• Level 1: Strengthening individual parent knowledge & skills

• Level 2: Promoting community education

• Level 3: Educating Providers

• Level 4: Fostering coalitions & networks

• Level 5: Changing organizational practices

• Level 6: Influencing policy & legislation

Token vs. Meaningful Parent Leadership

• No preparation or information given prior to participation

• No meaningful role in meeting or forum

• Often one time only participation

• Professionals talk “around parents” using acronyms and terminology unfamiliar to them

• Adequate notice of the meeting and material supports are provided to assist with parent attendance

• Materials and/or an orientation is provided prior to the meeting

• Parent input is valued and individuals work with parents to clarify terminology, systems and policies

• Follow-up is provided

• Use as leaders in development and conducting of focus groups, interviews, and surveys to elicit feedback from the larger network of parents

• A joint invitation from the agency and a local parent

organization is more likely to be inviting to other parents than one solely generated by the agency.

• Personal invitations may make the difference in a parent’s participation

Assessing of needs/strengths

How can individual parent leaders be meaningfully involved in planning & implementing improvement activities?

How can parent organizations at the school or district level be meaningfully involved?

How can parent organizations at the state level be meaningfully involved?

Planning improvement activities

How can individual parent leaders be meaningfully involved in planning & implementing evaluation activities?

How can parent organizations at the school or district level be meaningfully involved?

How can parent organizations at the state level be meaningfully involved?

Engaging in evaluation

Essential Elements

Values/Beliefs /Relationships Strategies/Actions

• Mutual respect for skills & knowledge

• Commitment to shared leadership

• Trust & honesty• Cultural reciprocity

• Mutually agreed goals• Shared resources• Mutual sharing of

information/clear & open communication

• Shared planning & decision-making

• Shared evaluation of progress

• Other elements?

To what extent do you currently involve parent organizations in your work that brings you to the OSEP Project Directors’ conference?◦ Consider (on a scale of 1-5):

Identification of the need for the project Planning the project’s parameters Implementing the project Sharing in project resources Evaluating the project

◦ Identify 1 area & 2 strategies where you could enhance the involvement of parent organizations

◦ What support do you need to make it happen?

How is my practice?

Regional Parent Technical Assistance Centers◦ Region 1: Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (NJ)◦ Region 2: Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center (NC)◦ Region 3: Partners Resource Network (TX)◦ Region 4: Family Assistance Center for Education,

Training & Support (WI)◦ Region 5: PEAK Parent Center (CO)◦ Region 6: Matrix Parent Network & Resource Center

(CA) Parent Training & Information Centers &

Community Parent Resource Centers◦ Link to parent center network website

Resources