Making Connections SW-PBS + Family + Community

Making ConnectionsSW-PBS + Family + Community Debora Lintner SW-PBS Consultant SE RPDC dlintner@semo.edu

Housekeeping • Take care of personal needs • Please silence cell phones • Signal= Chimes • Participate and ask questions • Have fun!

It takes a village to raise a child. ~ African Proverb

Objectives for Today • Recognize importance of including family and community in SW-PBS. • Define parent involvement. • Learn ways for schools to get parents/ community involved with SW-PBS.

Research says….

The earlier in a child’s educational process parent involvement begins, the more powerful the effects. Cotton, K., Wikelund, K., Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory School Improvement Research Series. In Parent Involvement in Education

The most effective forms of parent involvement are those, which engage parents in working directly with their children on learning activities at home. Cotton, K., Wikelund, K., Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory School Improvement Research Series. In Parent Involvement in Education

The strongest and most consistent predictors of parent involvement at school and at home are the specific school programs and teacher practices that encourage parent involvement at school and guide parents in how to help their children at home. Dauber and Epstein (11:61)

Define “Family Involvement” • On a sticky note, write your definition of family involvement • When everyone is finished, discuss definition with those at your table. • Come to consensus of definition of family involvement. • How do you think your definition might be different than a parent? Community? • Share with large group.

Types of Family Involvement • Parenting • Communicating • Volunteering • Learning at home • Decision making • Collaboration with community ~Joyce Epstein of Johns Hopkins University

1. Parenting-Help allfamilies establish home environments to support children as students.

Offer interactive parent focus groups with knowledgeable facilitators (“PIE” nights) • Create “PBS at Home” classes for parents • Create behavior support classes for parents and community • Provide training in parents’ native language • Offer family activities on PBS

2. Communication-Design effective forms of school-to-home and home-to-school communications about school programs and children’s progress.

PBS table at Back To School Night • Share results of SW-PBS surveys and assessments with parents • Create and maintain a SW-PBS bulletin board • Create “SW-PBS in Action” video • Schedule special weeks with links to SW-PBS • Create and distribute calendars and agendas with SW-PBS motto and matrix • Publish a SW-PBS newsletter • Add SW-PBS page to school website • Include SW-PBS motto on school letterhead • Create and distribute SW-PBS shirts, hats, book covers, mugs, bumper stickers, etc.

3. Volunteering-Recruit and organize parent help and support.

Create a volunteer book that describes the SW-PBS program and behavior expectations for parents. • Have parent available to read to students as SW-PBS incentive. • Have parents help children design SW-PBS posters.

4. Learning at Home-Provide information and ideas to families about how to help students at home with homework and other curriculum-related activities.

Have web topic and activities available each week/month. • Purchase resources that parents can check out that support the SW-PBS initiative. • Have children explain and give examples of how PBS works with their family as a homework assignment. • Have SW-PBS video available for checkout with follow-up activities.

5. Decision Making-Include parents in school decisions, developing parent leaders and representatives.

Recruit multiple family members for SW-PBS team who are not employees or educators. • Alternate meeting times: morning, afternoon and evening. • Pair new parents with veteran parents. • Offer “short term” participation on SW-PBS team, with option to renew. • Plan the care of children during meeting. • Involve parents in selection of incentives and celebrations.

6.Collaborating with Community-Identify and integrate resources and services from the community to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning and development.

Acknowledge employers’ donation of parent time in newsletter, on web site. • Invite community members with resources for parents to facilitate parent groups or teach parenting topics based on parent survey. • Make presentations to the school board, community groups, etc. • Invite community and parents to SW-PBS celebrations. • Create implementation video that shows SW-PBS in action to show at local library, town hall meetings, etc. • Ask businesses to hand out SW-PBS recognition cards when seeing students displaying expectations. Students return card to school and receive recognition. • Ask local police to hand out SW-PBS recognition cards when seeing students displaying expectations. Students return card to school and receive recognition.

Collecting Data • Family Survey (e.g. Positive Behavior Support in Iowa Schools) • A Million Words or Less (e.g. Ask parents to tell teacher about their child in a “Million Words or Less” questionnaire • Keep record of SW-PBS recognition cards turned in from businesses. Recognize businesses for participation.

Where do we start? • NH CEBIS- Family Engagement Checklist http://www.nhcebis.seresc.net/checklists_and_assessments (right side of page) • http://pbismissouri.org/family.html • http://www.behaviordoctor.org/

Give One-Get One • Using the matrix, write one idea that you use in your school in each category. • Stand Up/Hand Up/Pair Up • Share one idea/Get one idea • Put hand up and find new partner • Sit down when music stops or your matrix is filled.

Thank you for your attention and participation today.Have a GREAT conference!

Making Connections SW-PBS + Family + Community