Connecting Families and School through Documentation

1. Connecting Families and School through Documentation November 12, 2010

2. Family Partnerships “Research has shown that the most effective teachers and schools are those with strong family involvement programs” (Henderson & Mapp). Home, School, and Community Collaboration

3. “Researchers have also found that parents are more likely to be involved in their child’s education if they trust their child’s teacher” (Adams & Christenson, 2000). Define trust Home, School, and Community Collaboration

4. Research confirms that: “Educators need to know how to work with families and communities . . . these competencies are required every day of every year of every teacher’s professional career.” Home, School, and Community Collaboration

5. Benefits of Family Involvement for Students Higher grades and test scores Less likely to be retained in a grade More apt to have an accurate diagnosis for educational placement in classes Better school attendance and attitude toward school Better social skills Fewer negative behavior reports More likely to graduate and go on to postsecondary education Home, School, and Community Collaboration

6. Benefits of Family Involvement for Families More positive attitude and satisfaction with school Fewer misconceptions between families and teachers Increase in families’ skills and confidence Better understanding of their child’s skills, abilities, and development Improvement in parenting issues, such as discipline, nutrition, or how to help with homework Increased leadership roles in the school setting Home, School, and Community Collaboration

7. Benefits of Family Involvement for Educators and Schools Extra support for teachers in classroom instruction Higher test scores for school district Helps districts achieve the standards required under the No Child Left Behind Act Increased school safety Schools more likely to receive family support and votes for school bond issues and educator raises Home, School, and Community Collaboration

8. Educators’ Barriers to Successful Family Involvement Negative attitude about family involvement Lack of knowledge about how to partner with families Distrust of families Lack of respect or value of diverse families Time required for family involvement Lack of administrator support “Schoolcentric” approach Home, School, and Community Collaboration

9. School and District Barriers to Successful Family Involvement Unwelcoming atmosphere Difficult school policies Lack of funding for family involvement activities Not all families able to participate in planned activities Home, School, and Community Collaboration

10. Families’ Barriers to Successful Family Involvement Time Inconveniently scheduled activities / work conflicts Negative past experiences with schools Lack of family efficacy Language barriers Cultural beliefs about role of family in children’s education Home, School, and Community Collaboration

11. Where Do Children Live? 69% of children live with two parents (which may or may not be their biological parents) 23% of children live with a single mother 5% of children live with a single father 4% of children live in a home with neither parent present (2002 U.S. Census Bureau – more than 100% due to rounding)

12. Trends in Today’s Families Decrease in married-couple-headed households Increase in single-parent households Adults marrying later, having fewer children, smaller households Decline in teenage birth rates Slight decline in divorce rates Increase of grandparents raising grandchildren Home, School, and Community Collaboration

13. Economic Status of Today’s American Families 62% of children in two-parent families have both parents in the workforce 77% of single mothers and 89% of single fathers in the workforce Increase in stay-at-home mothers Children in single-parent homes more likely to live in poverty Children in African American, American Indian, or Latino homes more likely to live in poverty Home, School, and Community Collaboration

14. Race and Ethnicity of Today’s American Families Family diversity increasing Latino and Asian American families projected to show the most growth White families projected to decrease in overall percentage of racial types Biracial and multiracial families increasing Home, School, and Community Collaboration

15. Family Friendly Teachers Build relationships with all families, regardless of their cultural backgrounds Consider families’ perspectives in developing family involvement practices Individualizes strategies to meet the needs of diverse family types Home, School, and Community Collaboration

16. Education is too important to be left solely to the educators.—Francis Keppel (1965) Home, School, and Community Collaboration

17. Principles of Family Support in Our Schools Home, School, and Community Collaboration School staff work together to build positive relationships with families based upon equality and respect School staff recognize the capacity of families and honor their role in supporting the overall growth and development of all families members School staff understand that families are important resources

18. Connecting Home and School begins with you • Our job is to connect home and school. • Most probably just completed parent/teacher conferences and what environment did you create?

19. Consider • What’s going on here? • Did you just color and waste the children’s time so you had something for the walls? • What message are you sending to the parents?

20. Better but… What class? Why is this important? What value is this to the children? How are you supporting what you are teaching so families understand the importance of school?

21. How can this become better?

22. Why did students complete this?

23. Why is it necessary? • Tracking children’s behavior is like trying to lose weight. It happens slowly and gradually, and we often lose patience with the whole process. • Tracking over a period of time will describe a child’s current abilities and can show how changes are made over time. • You can even learn how to restructure your day by tacking children’s behavior. • Are children really doing this behavior as much as you think? • Is the behavior happening the same time every day or only certain days? • What has the child done the night before? Are the children different in the classroom?

24. Keeping Systematic Records can increase the quality of curriculum • Planning curriculum will become easier and more focused when you know what the children are engaging in. • Parents will appreciate your efforts because it shows that you cared enough to observe their child. • This gives the teacher concrete evidence that the child is making progress. • Sometimes it is just needed for funding of program.

25. Materials and Resources • Brainstorm possible materials and supplies you have already • Brainstorm affordable materials and supplies you would like to have • Brainstorm how you will manage your time and when you will present material to parents. • Newsletter • Hallways • Bulletin Boards

26. Making Time • If record keeping becomes just something else to do, it won’t get done. • Think ahead and plan • Anecdotal observations • Keep a post it pad with you • Have a file system ready, file folder or binder • Keep a camera close by • child interviews and conversations • You can provoke information out of the children, but harder to keep track of. Get into the habit of listening to them vs. telling them facts.

27. Results or Documentation • This is a descriptive method of assessment used in Reggio Emilia and becoming more widespread here. • It records dialogues and comments made by children and adults, taking frequent photographs of what the children are doing, and saving actual, concrete examples of what they have made. “Documentation boards” • It stimulates children to further effort by recognizing what they have already achieved, they help children recall ideas, inform parents and visitors, and contribute to the classroom.

28. Documentation Board • Northminister Preschool in Peoria, IL

29. Documentation

30. Grant, K. & Ray, J. (2009). Home, school, and community collaboration: Supportive family involvement practices. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Center for Child Studies, Cape Girardeau, MO (2010) Photographs North Minister Preschool, Peoria, IL