Building Parent Capacity: A Crosswalk for Parent Engagement

9th Annual Title Programs Conference June 15-16, 2011

Lakeita Servance
Parent Engagement Specialist

Michelle Tarbutton
Parent Engagement Program Manager

What Does Building Parent Capacity Mean?

BUILD = To Grow or Develop

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Parent
CAPACITY = Capability to perform/produce Reaching maximum potential Power to learn/retain knowledge
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Building Parent Capacity Is

Equipping parents with skills and competencies which they would not otherwise have. Creating a sustainable infrastructure necessary to meet the needs of parents to ensure academic achievement and student success.

Training or mentoring that increases the skills of people or of a community.

Formula for Success

Parent Involvement & Parent Engagement

Improved Academic Achievement & Student Success

Title I Parental Involvement Section 1118(e)

BUILDING CAPACITY FOR INVOLVEMENT This section recognizes that not all schools have the same experience, expertise, resources and training in building school-parent-community partnerships, and is designed to address those capacity needs.
(National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education and Public Education Network. (April 23, 2004). NCLB Action Briefs: Parental Involvement. Retrieved from: http://www.ncpie.org/nclbaction/parent _involvement.html)

PTAs National Standards for Family-School Partnerships

Family School Partnerships are how and what parents, schools, and communities can do together to support student success.

Example
Building Parent Capacity: A Crosswalk for Parent Engagement
Title I Parental Involvement Section 1118(e)
(1) SHALL provide assistance to parents of children served by the school or local educational agency, as appropriate, in understanding such topics as the State's academic content standards and State student academic achievement standards, State and local academic assessments, the requirements of this part, and how to monitor a child's progress and work with educators to improve the achievement of their children;

PTA National Standards for Family-School Partnerships

Standard 3: Supporting Student Success Families and school staff continuously collaborate to support students learning and healthy development both at home and at school, and have regular opportunities to strengthen their knowledge and skills to do so effectively.

First Step to Success in Building Parent Capacity

RELATIONSHIPS

Standard 1: Welcoming All Families

(3) SHALL educate teachers, pupil services personnel, principals, and other staff, with the assistance of parents, in the value and utility of contributions of parents (8) may pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with local parental involvement activities (11) may adopt and implement model approaches to improving parental involvement;

Strategies for Success

Establish a Welcoming School Environment Encourage Parents to Visit the School at any Time Offer a Variety of Family Fun Events Throughout the Year

Meet and Welcome All Parents Through Personal Interaction such as Phone Calls, Letters, and Meetings
Provide Staff Training and Support for Parent Engagement

Standard 2: Communicating Effectively

(3) SHALL educate teachers, pupil services

personnel, principals, and other staff, with the assistance of parents, in the value and utility of contributions of parents (5) SHALL ensure that information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is sent to the parents of participating children in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand; (10) may arrange school meetings at a variety of times (11) may adopt and implement model approaches to improving parental involvement;

Strategies for Success

Use All Methods of Communication

Ensure Communications are Understandable to All Parents

Provide Advance Notice Offer Meetings and Opportunities at Various Times and Locations Create Small Learning Communities Allow Opportunities for Two-Way Communication in All Instances Provide Ways for Parents to Communicate with their Children Make Communicating with Families a Priority for School Staff

Targeting At-Risk Students and Their Families

Intensive

Selective

Universal

If educators recognize where a parent or a group of parents fall within a Zone of Proximal Communication, wouldnt they then be able to scaffold the type, the method, the content and amount of information sent home in a more purposeful and effective way?

How to Scaffold within your Families Zone of Proximal Communication

Language

Codes

Culture Competency
economics

Socio-

Perception History/Story

School Districts Can Make Progress in Engaging Hard To Reach Families by Developing a Communication Plan based on the Strategy to Activate the Three Types of School Engagement Universal, Selective And Intensive!

THINK SCAFFOLDING IN THE PARENTS

ZONE OF PROXIMAL COMMUNICATION.

Standard 3: Supporting Student Success

(1) SHALL provide assistance to parents of children served by the school or local educational agency, as appropriate, in understanding such topicsto improve the achievement of their children; (2) SHALL provide materials and training to help parents to work with their children to improve their children's achievement (4) SHALL, to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parent involvement programs and activities withother (early education) programs, and conduct other activities, such as parent resource centers, that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children;

Standard 3: Supporting Student Success

(7) may provide necessary literacy training from funds received (8) may pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with local parental involvement activities (10) may arrange school meetings at a variety of times (11) may adopt and implement model approaches to improving parental involvement; (14) SHALL provide such other reasonable support for parental involvement activities under this section as parents may request.

Strategies for Success

Provide Opportunities for Parents to Learn About Their Childs Education Hold Various Workshops and Events that Link Parent Engagement to Student Achievement

Offer Childcare, Transportation, and Food (if reasonable)

Partner with Early Childhood Education Organizations Take Advantage of School Transition Periods Provide Family Support Services

Standard 4: Speaking Up for Every Child

(6) may involve parents in the development of training for teachers, principals, and other educators to improve the effectiveness of such training;

(9) may train parents to enhance the involvement of other parents;

(11) may adopt and implement model approaches to improving parental involvement;

Strategies for Success

Develop Parents As Leaders Encourage Parent Networking Involve Families in Action Research Use Parents to Train Faculty and Staff Define Concrete Ways Parents Can Contribute

Standard 5: Sharing Power

(6) may involve parents in the development of training for teachers, principals, and other educators to improve the effectiveness of such training; (11) may adopt and implement model approaches to improving parental involvement; (12) may establish a district-wide parent advisory council to provide advice on all matters related to parental involvement in programs supported under this section; (14) SHALL provide such other reasonable support for parental involvement activities under this section as parents may request.

Strategies for Success

Utilize Parents as True Partners Bring Parents Into the Policy Making Process

Seek Parent Feedback and Suggestions

Standard 6: Collaborating with Community

(11) may adopt and implement model approaches to improving parental involvement; (13) may develop appropriate roles for community-based organizations and businesses in parent involvement activities;

Strategies for Success

Bring All Partners Into the Shared Vision of Success Create Activities that Involve Interaction with Local NonProfits and Community Based Organizations Open the School to Community Groups Map Out Your Resources and Then Utilize Them Work with Local Business to Offer Workshops or Incentives

Final Strategies for Building Parent Capacity

Link and Measure Parent Engagement Activities to Student Achievement Recognize and Reward Outstanding Parent Engagement Practices Visit Other Schools, Talk to Others in the Georgia PIC Network, and Research Other Model Programs

References
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) 20 U.S.C. 1118(e) Henderson, A. and Mapp, K. (2002). A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement. Austin, TX: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory National Parent Teacher Association (PTA). (2009). PTA National Standards for Family-School Partnerships: An Implementation Guide. Washington, DC: PTA

Questions

Building Parent Capacity: A Crosswalk for Parent Engagement

9th Annual Title Programs Conference June 15-16, 2011
Lakeita Servance Parent Engagement Specialist 404-656-2633 lservance@doe.k12.ga.us Michelle Tarbutton Parent Engagement Program Manager 404-232-1148 mtarbutton@doe.k12.ga.us