Linking School-Family Collaboration to School Improvement

1. Linking School-Family Collaboration to School Improvement Anne T. Henderson Annenberg Institute for School Reform AnneTHenderson1@yahoo.com

2. Today’s Themes • Clear and shared focus – Including families as partners in improving student outcomes • High levels of collaboration – Linking family engagement to improving student learning • Frequent monitoring of teaching and learning – Closing the circle of accountability • Supportive learning environment – Supporting learning at home and in the community • High levels of family/community involvement –Building close and trusting relationships

3. Goals for our Session • Understanding why Parent Engagement is Essential to Student Achievement • Discussing Quality Indicators and Examples of Good Practice • Applying Lessons Learned to Your Settings

4. What is the Point? A Renewed Vision of Family Engagement in Learning

5. NAEP 2009/US Achievement

6. NAEP/ID 2009 Achievement

7. Children in Poverty/2010 Of the 73 million children in the United States: ▶ 42% live in low-income families. ▶ 21% live in poor families Of the 412,000 Children in Idaho: ▶ 48% live in low-income families National Center for Children in Poverty, www.nccp.org

8. Poverty and Education are Related • 84% ID children in low-income families whose parents do not have a high school degree • 69% ID children in low-income families whose parents do have a high school degree • 37% ID children in low-income families whose parents have at least some college National Center for Children in Poverty, www.nccp.org

9. Is there a Link between Family-School Partnerships and Student Achievement?

10. A New Wave of Evidence: Family Engagement Can Have a Powerful Impact on Student Achievement By Anne T. Henderson and Karen L. Mapp www.sedl.org/connections

11. If Parents are Involved, Students from All Backgrounds Tend To: • Earn higher grades and test scores • Enroll in higher-level programs • Be promoted and earn credits • Adapt well to school and attend regularly • Have better social skills and behavior • Graduate and go on to higher education

12. Overall Finding: When families are involved at home and at school -- Children do better in school, and the schools get better.

13. Big Story: Link to Learning Parent and community involvement that is designed to improve student learning hasa greater impact on achievement.

14. How Will the Activity/Program: • Help parents understand what their children are learning and doing in class? • Promote high standards for student work? • Help parents assist children at home? • Promote discussion about improving student progress? • Help families understand good teaching?

15. Big Story: Advocacy is Protective The more families can be advocates for children and support their progress, the better their children do, and the longer they stay, in school.

16. Big Story: All Families Contribute Families of all back-grounds are involved at home: • Talk about school • Help plan for higher education • Keep focused on learning and homework. • Encourage their children

17. Beyond the Bake Sale The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships Anne T. Henderson, Karen L. Mapp, Vivian R. Johnson and Don Davies The New Press, 2007

18. Big Story: High-Performing Schools Have a Joining Process • Welcoming • Honoring • Connecting Mapp, K.L. 2003. Having their say: Parents describe why and how they are engaged in their children's learning. School Community Journal, Volume 13, Number 1

19. The Joining Process • Welcoming • Honoring • Connecting • Mapp, K.L. 2003. Having their say: Parents describe why and how they are engaged in their children's learning. School Community Journal, Volume 13, Number 1

20. Welcoming Families are made to feel at home, comfortable, and part of the school community.

21. Honoring Family members are respected and affirmed for any involvement or contribution they make.

22. Connecting School staff and families put children at the center, working together to make sure all children are learning and on the path to graduate.

23. Three Key Questions • What should I do? How parents develop their job description as a parent • Can I do it? How confident parents feel about their ability to help their children • Will I be welcome? Whether parents feel invited-both by their children and school staff Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler, 2005

24. Organizing Schools for Improvement • Long-term study of Chicago schools found five essential supports for school improvement • Without all five, schools were substantially less likely to make gains. • Strong family and community ties made it 40% more likely that students would make significant math and reading gains. Anthony S. Bryk et al, (2010) Organizing Schools for Improvement: Lessons from Chicago (Chicago: University of Chicago Press)

25. Organizing Schools for Improvement

26. Family Engagement: Reframing the Work

27. Impact of Systematic Parent Outreach Students’ reading and math scores improved 40-50% faster when teachers: • met with families face-to-face • sent materials on ways to help their child at home • telephoned routinely about progress Westat and Policy Studies Associates, 2001

28. Keys to Powerful Partnerships • Building Relationships:A steady focus on developing trust and respect among all members of the school community is linked to higher performance • Linking to Learning: When parent and community involvement is focused on student learning, effect on achievement is maximized

29. Critique your Current Programs • What’s linked directly to what students are learning and doing in class right now? L • What builds relationships between families and teachers? R • What is general information or something we’ve always done? G

30. Design or Tweak a Program • Design a family event that: • links to learning and to data on student outcomes • welcomes and honors families • asks parents what they’d like to know more about. • Place your key ideas onto a poster sheet. You may use pictures/words/symbols. What will get your ideas across to others?

31. Remember… If you want to go fast, go it alone. If you want to go far, go with others.