Family and Community Involvement
D.I.T. sub-committee April 2012 Proposal
Our Committee’s Focus
• “The family is changing, not disappearing. We have to broaden our understanding of it…” Mary Catherine Bateson
• We want to analyze how stakeholders are informed, invested, and involved as partners in supporting the school community to maintain high expectations and high achievement for all students.
(Characteristics of Improved School Districts, Terry Bergeson, 2004)
Main Focus-Question
How does parent engagement impact student achievement
positively?
Findings from Our Survey of Elementary Principals
• Top 3 Most Beneficial Events – Watch Dogs – 62% principals – Curriculum Night – 43% principals – Science Night – 33% principals – Other notable events:
• Math Night, Bluebonnet/2X2 Reading Programs, Literacy/Reading Night, Brown Bag or Coffee with Counselors
Findings from Our Survey of Elementary Principals
• Percentage of Parents Responding to End of Year Parent Survey – Less than 25% parents – 38% principals – 25 – 50% parents- 48% principals – 50-75% parents- 9% principals – 75-100% parents- 5% principals
Survey Strengths/Trends
• # of available programs and wide variety of programs on elementary campuses
• Watch D.O.G.S. on elementary campuses were highly regarded
• Communication with parents is key • Events that focus on instruction are well
attended
Weaknesses and Concerns
• Inconsistency between campuses and the success of programs
• Inconsistent support in place on campuses for parent/community involvement
• Communication of program availability and how to get all parties involved and participating
• Lack of collaboration between campuses
Findings from Our Survey of Secondary Principals
• Sent to 18 principals – Received 11 back – 61% participated
• Currently have a PTA - 63.6% • Do not currently have PTA - 36.4% • If you do not currently have a PTA, would you like to?
– Yes 40% – No 60%
Findings from Our Survey of Secondary Principals
• Coffee with Counselor - inconsistent • 8th Grade (rising freshman) Parent Night – very
well attended • Parent/Teacher Conferences – the parents you
would like to attend are less likely to attend • Rachel’s Challenge – rally was very successful • Shattered Dreams – successful • Gary Burns Fun Run- high level of participation by
high school athletes, parents, and families
Additional Weaknesses and Concerns
• Involving high school parents in “global” campus programs, not just booster clubs for particular campus groups
• Mentor programs or using parent talent and expertise to benefit all students
• Do high school principals really desire increased parent/community involvement on campus?
Proposal #1- Moodle Site
• Space on Learning Hub Moodle (linked on school webpages) – Goes live on June 4th
• Principal would give access code to teachers • Space to upload resources/handouts and have
discussions • Shared with teachers and staff members
during the week-long PD before the 2012-2013 school year begins
Proposal #1 Continued…
Implementation – Brandy Wall and Wendy Hudson
–DIT committee member would meet ½ day with either Brandy Wall, Katrina Strute, or Kim Hampton to set up Moodle
Self-sustaining – Teachers/Admin would log on to add to and use resources from the site once available
Proposal #2 – Implement Revised Version of Parent Involvement/ Engagement
Guideline • Amended the parent involvement guideline to
reflect the language of engagement and the recent technological advancements that influence parental involvement and engagement
Proposal #2 Continued…
Implementation – Mia Bennett Sustainment – Guideline will remain until it more updates are needed
Proposal #3 – Parent Survey
• Survey sent out at the beginning of the year – Via email, campus websites, and district website
• For this year, we would like the survey in English and Spanish.
• Other translations to be created in the future
Proposal #3 Continued…
Implementation – Approval by Shauna McKay Wortham, Jamie McCracken, and James Driskill
–Use Kenny Chandler’s Survey Monkey account –DIT members would create the survey –Initial survey with small population group in the spring (Survey questions pre-screened by Mike Waldrip and Lori Wassam)
Sustainment – Campuses, district representatives, and next year’s DIT sub-committee will analyze the data
–Annual survey (to track improvement and changing district and campus needs)
Survey Questions:
• Are you a new or returning family to our district? – New family – New family with experience in another district – Returning family
• Which schools do your child/children currently attend within our district? – Early Childhood (Pre-K, PPCD) – Elementary (K-5) – Middle (6-8) – High School (9-12)
• Which campuses do your child/children attend? – (drop down menu for campus selection)
Survey Questions: • Which programs were most
beneficial to your child/children’s achievement or which programs would you like to see and become involved in on your child/children’s campus or within the district? Please check all that apply. *
– Preschool Story Time – Coffee with the Counselors – Science Fair/Science Night – Math Night – Reading/Literacy Night – Art Night – Curriculum Night – Young Author’s Day – Coffee with the Principal
– Watch D.O.G.S. – Bluebonnet/2X2 Reading Programs – Brown Bag Luncheons – One Voice – Mystery Reader – Fitness Night – Fun Run or Booster-thon – Gary Burns Fun Run – Frisco Community Parade – 8th Grade (rising freshman) Parent Night – Shattered Dreams – Booster Club (sports, music, etc…) – Campus Improvement Team – Community Outreach events in apartment
lobbies – Community Outreach events in
conjunction with neighborhood H.O.A. – Other : ______________ *There will be short descriptions next to each of these options!
Survey Questions: • In what ways would you like to volunteer on
campus to engage in your child’s/children’s learning and assist in the learning of other students? – Tutoring
• Specific subject: ___________ – Mentoring – Campus Improvement Team – Assist in library – Judging Science Fair – Other: _____________
Survey Questions: • In what ways can the administrators and staff of
the school help to support you and your child/children this school year? – Tutoring programs for parents – Newsletters or emails with instructional tips – Luncheons – Evening programs – Websites with information – Instructional Videos (either emailed or on websites) – Other: _____________
• Additional Comments (with a character limit)
Additional Survey Ideas
• We also discussed possible incentives for completing the survey in a timely manner.
• We could inquire about donations from local businesses and community partners (coordinated by CIT).
Purpose/ Goals for Survey
• Provide a true snapshot of the campus needs – In August/September instead of May/June
• Increase parent involvement • Seek out new program/ideas (for specific
campuses and district wide) based upon survey results
Signs of Success
• Parents feel heard/involved • Increased parent engagement • Raise in test scores • Teachers regularly utilizing shared resources
Looking into the Future
• Surveys after district-wide community involvement events for feedback
• Lists of “tools” for parents (i.e. a list of 5 items parents can use to help support their children in math at home)
• Parent Involvement/Engagement PD opportunities available during the summer (differentiated by level – elementary, middle, and high school) – These classes need to be led by teachers and
administrators at each of these levels that are currently implementing successful programs/activities.
• Recruiting involved parents to serve on CIT