Partnering With Your School: How To Help Your Child Succeed

1. Partnering With Your School:How To Help Your Child Succeed

2. Workshop Overview and Introduction • Education in the United States • Benefits of family involvement • Standards • Measuring progress • Accountability • Successful parent-teacher conferences • How to help your child succeed in school

3. A sweet way to meet

4. A Sweet Way To Meet • Green: What do you like to do on Sunday? • Black: Where do you work? • Orange: Age(s) of your child(ren) and what do they like to do? • Red: An example of the way you help other people. • Pink: What do you like to do as a family? • Yellow: How do you help your child at home with schoolwork? • White: Describe the town you were born in.

5. Education in the United States All children in the United States are guaranteed a free and quality public education

6. Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) • ESEA passed in 1965. • Sets policies and procedures for public education in the United States. • Congress reauthorizes or revises ESEA every six years. • Current version, No Child Left Behind, was signed by President Bush in January 2002.

7. Many Differences in U.S. Schools • U.S. schools are run by local communities and not by the federal government. • Teachers can choose how to teach students; they do need to meet Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) requirements. • Many parents play an active role in their child’s education.

8. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) NCLB introduced radical historical change in U.S. education. Equal Opportunity Equal Outcome for ALL students

9. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) • NCLB steps up annual testing requirements. • School and district report cards are required. • Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) is required for all schools. • All groups of students must make AYP. • All teachers must be highly qualified.

10. Learning English • Under the law, if your child is placed in an English language program, the school should contact you in a language you can understand. • You may ask for your child to attend a different English language program, if one is available. • Students will be tested once a year to see how well they are learning to read and write English.

11. Teacher Quality • All teachers must be highly qualified. • Definition of “highly qualified” is different in each state. • In Oregon, teachers need: • College degree (Bachelor’s degree) • Oregon teaching certificate • Proof they know the subject they teach

12. Consequences • If a Title I school has not made adequate progress during the past two or more years, parents can transfer their children to a school that is making progress, or request supplemental services. • After three years, the school MUST provide supplemental services. • After four years, corrective action will be taken. This can mean replacing staff or implementing a new curriculum. • After five years, the school is restructured or taken over by the state department of education.

13. Benefits of family involvement

14. Goal: Protect school Parents: Stay home Teachers: Teach Communication: One-way (newsletter) Parent groups: Hand-picked Decisions: Principal Fortress School

15. Goal: Share values Parents: Reinforce school Teachers: Conferences/Open houses Communication: One-way (school handbook) Parent groups: Meet monthly, principal speaks Decisions: Principal and lead teachers Come If We Call School

16. Goal: Enrich school Parents: Share and help Teachers: Know families/build on strengths Communication: Mostly one-way; some two-way Parent groups: Parent committees Decisions: SBDM Council Open Door School

17. Partnership School All Kids Learn Families and teachers: • Know each other • Serve on committees • Make decisions • Look at data • Share information; mostly two-way

18. Students Benefit: • Earn higher grades and test scores • Enroll in higher level programs • Are promoted and earn credits • Adapt well to school and attend regularly • Have better social skills and behavior • Graduate and go on to higher education • Achieve greater success in life

19. Families Benefit: • More confidence in school • Higher expectations of their children • Higher teacher opinions of families • More self-confidence • More likely to continue their own education

20. Schools Benefit: • Improved teacher morale • Higher teacher ratings by parents • More support from families • Higher student achievement • Better reputation in the community

21. Standards How can we make sure all children succeed in school?

22. Standards Definition:What every student should know and be able to do • Broad, clear statements of what students should know and be able to do. • Each Oregon standard describes the content students need to master by the end of each grade level.

23. Why do we have standards? • To be very clear about what every student should know and be able to do • To make sure students in one school learn the same things as students in another school • To have high expectations for all students

24. The Philosophy Behind Standards • All children can learn at higher levels • If we expect more, we get more • We must expect more of ALL students

25. More About Standards • Learning standards differ from state to state. • Your child’s school is required to make sure ALL students meet the standards in our state. • Schools must use annual tests to find out if students have met the standards.

26. Sample StandardsWhat students need to know and be able to do

27. English/Language Arts Standards • Read written directions, signs, captions, warning levels, and informational books by grade 3. • Use word origins to determine the meaning of unknown words and phrases by grade 5. • Understand and explain the use of a complex mechanical device (e.g., program a VCR) by following technical directions by grade 8.

28. Math Standards • Develop and acquire efficient strategies for determining multiplication and division facts 0–9 by grade 3. • Develop and evaluate strategies for computing with decimals and fractions by grade 5. • Develop and analyze algorithms and compute with rational numbers by grade 8. • Compute with integer exponents and whole number roots by grades 9–12.

29. Science Standards • Describe the basic needs of living thing by grade 3. • Classify organs by the system to which they belong by grade 5. • Identify differences and similarities between plant and animal cells by grade 8. • Identify unique structures in cells from plants, animals, and prokaryotes by grades 9–12.

30. Measuring ProgressHow do we know if a student can do the things described in the standards?

31. Students Take Tests • Students take state tests: • English Language Arts (grades 3–12) • Mathematics (grades 3–12) • Social Science (grades 5, 8–12) • Science (grades 5, 8–12) • English Language Proficiency Source: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, adapted from Lapides & Lapides

32. How do we know if a student can do those things? Students provide work samples: • Writing • Mathematics problem solving • Speaking • Scientific inquiry • Social science analysis Source: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, adapted from Lapides & Lapides

33. Students and Schools • How can you find out if your child is successful in school? • How can you find out if your school is doing a good job helping students learn? Source: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, adapted from Lapides & Lapides

34. Getting Information About Your School • Homework • Classroom tests • Student report card • State test results Source: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, adapted from Lapides & Lapides

35. Tests • State tests measure how well students have met the standards. • The student gets one of three “grades” • Exceeded standards (did better than required) • Met standards • Did not meet standards Source: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, adapted from Lapides & Lapides

36. Sample Test Questions Mathematics, Grade 6 The state fair was in town, and everyone was excited. The carnival games were the most popular attractions. The first day the fair was open, two people won stuffed animals. The second day four people won, the third day six people won, and so on. If the fair was open for n days, how many people would win on the nth day, if this pattern continued? A. 2 + n B. 2n C. 2n + 2 D. n2

37. Sample Test Questions Mathematics, Grade 8 About 60% of the used white paper is recycled at Lance's school. The school uses 1,260 pounds of paper per month. Which is the best estimate for the number of pounds of white paper recycled per month? A. 500–560 B. 600–660 C. 720–780 D. 850–910

38. Sample Test Questions Social Science The following event or events led to World War I: I. Formation of the League of Nations II. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand III. A system of competing alliances IV. The desire for nationalism in European countries A. I only B. II only C. II, III, IV D. II and III

39. Sample Test Questions Science, Grade 8 Compared to coastal areas, interior areas of large continents tend to have: A. Higher amounts of rainfall throughout the year B. A greater incidence of fog during summer months C. An increased risk of hurricanes during the spring months D. More extreme temperature differences between winter and summer.

40. Test Taking Tips Before the test: • Develop a positive attitude. Tell yourself, “I will do my best on this test.” • Get a good night’s sleep the night before the test. • Get up early enough to avoid hurrying to get ready for school. • Eat a good breakfast (and lunch, if your test is in the afternoon).

41. Test Taking Tips During the test: • Stay calm. • Listen carefully to directions from the teacher. • Ask questions if you don’t understand what to do. • This is nota timed test. If you need more time to finish the test, tell your teacher.

42. Test Taking Tips After the test: • Before you turn your test in, check it over. Change an answer only if you have a good reason. Generally, it is better to stick with your first choice. • Make sure you have marked an answer for every question, even if you had to guess. • Make sure your answer sheet is clearly marked with dark pencil. Erase any stray marks.

43. Accountability Getting information about your child, your school, and your district

44. Your Child’s Report Card • Student report cards are different for each school district. • The report card gives you specific information about your student such as: • Test scores • Grades or marks in specific subjects • Attendance

45. Oregon’s High School Diploma Requirements Current Requirements (Classes of 2008 & 2009) • Language Arts – 3 credits • Mathematics – 2 credits • Science – 2 credits • Social Science – 3 credits • Applied Arts, Fine Arts, Second Language – 1 credit • Physical Education – 1 credit • Health Education – 1 credit • Elective credits to meet at least 22 credits.

46. Oregon’s High School Diploma Requirements New Requirements (Classes of 2010 & 2011) • Language Arts – 4 credits • Mathematics – 3 credits • Science – 2 credits • Social Science – 3 credits • Applied Arts, Fine Arts, Second Language – 1 credit • Physical Education – 1 credit • Health Education – 1 credit • Elective credits to meet at least 24 credits.

47. Oregon’s High School Diploma Requirements New Requirements (Classes of 2012, 2013, & 2014) • Language Arts – 4 credits • Mathematics – 3 credits • Science – 3 credits • Social Science – 3 credits • Applied Arts, Fine Arts, Second Language – 3 credits • Physical Education – 1 credit • Health Education – 1 credit • Elective credits to meet at least 24 credits.

48. Oregon’s High School Diploma Requirements • In 2012 and 2013 science classes must be inquiry based in which students investigate the physical and living world. • In 2014, all math classes must be at the level of Algebra I and above.

49. Your School’s Report Card You can learn: • If students in your school are making progress from year to year • If different groups of students in your school are meeting standards • How students in your school compare to those in your school district • If your school is doing well overall

50. Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) • Schools use guidelines set by the federal government to set goals for how much students should improve each year. • Students in every group–white, African American, Hispanic, low-income, special education–must meet goals. • If all students meet the goals, and 95% are tested, the school “meets” Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).