How Scotland is showing that parental involvement matters?

1. How Scotland is showing that parental involvement matters? Lorraine Sanda National Parental Involvement Coordinator Scottish Government Lorraine.sanda@scotland.gsi.gov.uk Advancing Education Inclusion and Quality in South East Europe23-24 April 2010, Becici, Montenegro

2. Scotland

3. Context of Scotland • 32 Local Authorities • Responsible for curriculum, management and quality assurance of schools • Local Authorities employ teachers • Approx 2700 Schools, 680,000 pupils, 55,000 teachers • National Curriculum from 3-18 • National System of accountability and monitoring standards through government inspection of schools • Major changes in all schools and nursery from August 2010 (Curriculum for Excellence – preparing children for the 21st Century) • Strong Focus on importance of Early Years • Drive to improve Literacy and Numeracy, drive up standards and narrow the gap (OECD report – “Children from poorer communities and low socio-economic status homes are more likely than others to underachieve, while the gap associated with poverty and deprivation in local government areas appears to be very wide.”)

4. Aims for all areas of Scottish Government Parental Involvement policy and legislation fits with Scotland’s overall strategic Objectives • To become: • Smarter • Wealthier and Fairer • Greener • Safer and Stronger • Healthier

5. Outcomes Parental Involvement is part of Scotland’s aspirations for all Scottish children to become: • Successful Learners • Responsible Citizens • Effective Contributors • Confident Individuals

6. Our starting point….cultural change • “There will always be parents you’ll never reach” • “Teachers are not interested in what parents have to say” • “Parents are happy with what we do” • “Not all parents can help” • “They make me feel stupid so I’d rather not go” • “Some parents don’t care” • “Parents have busy lives and don’t really have time” • “Partnership on teachers’ terms” • “Teachers hold all the power” • “It’s all the parents fault” • “It’s all the schools fault”

7. Research Where parents are involved, children do betterand achieve more

8. Listening to parents ‘I want my school to be great’ “I want to be involved on my terms” • Relaxed • Flexible • Inclusive • Fun

9. Recognition of the difference parents make (fathers) Children spend only 15% of their time in school

10. What difference do parents make? 85% of the language we use as adults is in place by the time we are five years old and 50% is in place by the time we are three years old.

11. What difference do parents make? Most differences in achievement by 14 year olds in English, Maths and Science are due to home influences.

12. What difference do parents make? When parents are actively involved in reading with their children at home their children’s reading scores improve, on average, by between 12-18 months.

13. What difference do parents make? Doing homework regularly through their years at school has roughly the same benefit as an extra year’s schooling.

14. Energy Level Observer Participant Change agent Champion Saboteur Cynic Sceptic Silent doubter Not involved Our parental involvement journey… • New legislation • Challenging attitudes • Changing culture

15. Parents as Partners in Children’s Learning New Legislation, New Opportunities Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006

16. Legislation recognises three inter-related elements of parental involvement • Learning at home • parents as first and ongoing educators of their own children • Home/School Partnership • schools, parents and the community working together to educate children • Parent representation • parents have an opportunity to have their views represented through the Parent Council

17. New legislation, new opportunities • Old School Board legislation seen as prescriptive and not meeting the needs of all schools or all parents. • More recognition of the important role that parents play in outcomes for children • More support for more parents to get involved in their child’s learning in ways that suit them • Strengthening of rights of parents to information, support and representation • New legal duties on Authorities, Schools and Ministers to promote parental involvement

18. Learning at Home • Valuing learning at home • Support where needed • Helping parents understand learning and how they can help • More interesting and different types of Homework • Better quality information • Family Learning approaches

19. Home/School Partnerships - making the most of parents’ skills and interests Huge benefits for schools • Parents bring a great range of different skills which complement teachers’ experience • If parents contribute their time - together parents and teachers are able to do more • Pupils’ behaviour and attainment improves • Parents have useful insights about how schools can best support children –especially important for those with additional support needs (ASL Act)

20. More flexible on what home school partnerships should look like • Everyday at home • Once a year - e.g. school concert or play • Once a month – e.g. regular school activities • Or weekly • During the school day-volunteering • After school • At weekends

21. Role of Parent Councils Thinking about what type of information and support parents need Organise parent events around learning Identify skills and expertise within parent community and make connections with voluntary sector, community, health and business Feedback to Headteacher on school improvement Challenge Local Authority and National Government Talk to young people themselves…… Much more…...

22. Understanding

23. Planning together

24. Explaining Learning together

25. Listening

26. Involvement

27. Parents’ skills

28. Progress so far • Approx 90% schools have Parent Councils • Far more parents, from different backgrounds involved • Parent Councils getting involved to support children’s learning • Local Area Parent Forums – issues in local areas • National Parent Forum Scotland established November 2009 • Schools being recognised for their strong home/school partnerships by Inspectors

29. And more progress… • Growing commitment to parental involvement at all levels • Growth in whole school community approaches to involving parents successfully • Growth in social capital • Parents feeling empowered….

30. Why is it successful? • Leadership at all levels • Ministerial involvement • Taking more account of parents views • Building capacity of Parent Councils to be representative and effective voice of parents in schools • Emphasis on what makes the biggest difference to children – link with learning • Joint planning between Authorities, schools, community staff, and others to involve parents effectively and meaningfully

31. Success? Role of National Parental Involvement Coordinator • Support for teachers, schools and Local Authorities • Promoting parental involvement at all levels of government • Making links with other areas of policy and legislation • Support for National Parent Forum Scotland • “Here for all parents and for all children” • Identifying and spreading good practice • Promoting the role of Parent Councils

32. Markers of success • Recognition of the value and importance (and challenge) of involving all parents • Equality and Diversity issues recognised and addressed • Demonstration of a change in language and communication – more outward looking • Parents encouraged into school in creative and fun ways • Parents involved at all levels on their terms – child, school, local area and nationally • More learning events for parents, with greater numbers attending

33. What did we use? • Scottish Government small team (3 staff) • National Parental Involvement Coordinator • One year Field Team (teacher, Community Worker and Support Teacher) working with schools directly • Training (ongoing) • Headteachers and teachers • Local Area Managers • Parent Councils • Community Staff • Resources • Toolkit and Guidance • Leaflets and website for parents and Parent Councils

34. Lessons from small projects on what makes successful parental involvement in schools? • School staff who are able to listen • Local Government Managers taking a lead in supporting and developing practice • Involving Parent Groups • Perseverance • Having clear goals • Giving parents the information they want, not that you think they need • Culture of constantly evaluating and improving • Using children to reach parents • Letting parents see and understand what goes on in the classroom Report from Scottish Government Parental Involvement Field Team, May 2009

35. Challenges remain.. • Relationships • Stereotypical attitudes to parents and to teachers • Communication • Understanding of partnership • giving up power and control • Respecting and valuing parents’ views • Working across different professional boundaries – teachers, community staff, health staff, early years staff • Government – national and local, and schools seen to be listening and acting on what parents say • Helping parents know that they can make a difference • Joining up agendas – Early Years, new Curriculum, Additional Support for Learning, support for vulnerable children • Measuring impact • Measuring learning at home

36. A hundred years from now it will not matter what kind of car you drove, what kind of house you lived in, how much you had in your bank account, or what your clothes looked like. But the world may be a little better because you were important in the life of a child. Margaret Fishback Powers

37. Thank you and best wishes for your own future parental involvement journey! Lorraine Sanda Lorraine.sanda@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

38. References • Curriculum for Excellence - Scotland’s New Curriculum www.curriculumforexcellencescotland.gov.uk • Website for parents – www.parentzonescotland.gov.uk • Scottish Government Early Years Framework 2009 • OECD Report 2007- Quality and Equity of Schooling in Scotland • Engaging Parents in Raising Achievement – Do parents know they matter?, Harris and Goodall – University of Warwick, July 2007 • Desforges, D., and Abouchaar, A. (2003) The impact of parental involvement on pupil achievement • Family Involvement Makes a Difference, Harvard Family Research Project, Spring 2007