Parent Engagement And Career Development

1. Parent EngagementAnd Career Development

2. Essential Questions Why is it important for schools to engage parents in the educational process including career development? What barriers exist with regard to parent engagement? What are the different strategies that schools can use to effectively engage parents in the educational process? Which strategies are most effective in engaging parents in the career development process? How does your district view parents and how do they currently engage parents in career development activities? Based on Epstein’s model of parent engagement and your district’s current practices, which types of parent engagement do you need to strengthen?

3. What Do We Know From US and International Studies about Family, School, & Community Partnerships? Parents vary in how much they are presently involved. Parents are most concerned about their children’s success in school. Students need multiple sources of support to succeed in school and in their communities. Teachers and administrators are initially resistant to increasing family involvement. Teachers and administrators need in-service, pre-service, and advanced education on developing partnerships. Schools must reach out in order to involve all families.

4. What Does Research Say about the Development of Programs of Family, School, & Community Partnerships? Programs and practices of partnership make a difference in whether, how, and which families are involved in their children’s education. The earlier parents engage in the process and the greater the degree of involvement, the more significant the impact. Subject-specific practices involve families in ways that directly assist students’ learning and success. Teachers who use practices of partnership are more likely to report that all parents can help their children. These teachers are less likely to stereotype single parents, poor parents, or those with less formal education as unable to help. Programs will be most useful to schools and to families if they are customized, comprehensive, and continually improved to help meet important goals for students.

5. What Does Career Development Research Say about the Role of Parent Engagement in the Career Development Process? • Much of the career development research documents the significant role of parents in relation to career development with critical factors such as parent educational and occupational attainment, socio-economic status, and cultural background. • Additional research documents that there is a strong relationship between parenting behavior/family functioning and career development.

6. What Are the Implications? These findings suggest that career development programs must: • start early • shift the entire focus from the individual to a focus that includes the family system • develop a new and richer view of parent involvement in schools • help families become more proactive • consider ways of duplicating helpful types of family functioning in schools, especially for children whose families are not proactive.

7. What are the Barriers? Family Stressors/Parent Circumstances • Ozzie and Harriet are a thing of the past • Parents may be uncomfortable in school (personal experiences in school) • Parents may avoid communication for fear of hearing bad news • Parents may have limited resources (time child care, etc.) • Parents may fear being criticized/judged Teacher/System Issues • Teachers received limited training with regard to parent involvement • They lack specific strategies for effectively engaging parents • Open-door policies often conflict with safety policies Solutions?

8. Strategies for Engaging Parents Epstein’s Model Type 1: Parenting -Basic Responsibilities of Families • Housing, health, nutrition, clothing, safety • Parenting skills for all age levels • Home conditions that support children as students at all grade levels • Information and activities to help schools understand children and families CHALLENGES • Provide information to all families who need it • Enable families to share information with schools about background, culture, talents, goals, and needs REDEFINITIONS • Workshop is not only a meeting on a topic held at the school building, but also the content of that meeting to be viewed, heard, or read at convenient times and varied locations.

9. Type 2: Communicating- Basic Responsibilities of Schools SCHOOL-TO-HOME COMMUNICATIONS • Memos, notices, report cards, conferences, newsletters, phone calls, computerized messages • Information on school programs, assessments, and children’s progress • Information to choose or change schools, courses, programs, or activities HOME-TO-SCHOOL COMMUNICATIONS • Two-way channels of communication for questions and interactions CHALLENGES • Make sure all memos, notices, and other print and non-print communications are clear and understandable for all families • Obtain ideas from families to improve the design and content of communications REDEFINITIONS • Communications about school programs and student progress are not only from school to home, but also from home to school and with the community.

10. Type 3: Volunteering- Involvement at and for the School • In schools or classrooms – assist administrators, teachers, students, or parents as aides, tutors, lecturers, chaperones, etc. • For schools or classrooms – assist school programs and children’s progress from any location at any time • As audiences – attend assemblies, performances, sports events, recognition and award ceremonies, celebrations, and other events CHALLENGES • Recruit widely, provide training, and create flexible schedules for volunteers so that all families know that their time and talents are welcomed and valued REDEFINITIONS • Volunteer not only means those who come during the school day, but also those who support school goals and children’s learning any way, any time, any place

11. Type 4: Learning at Home Involvement in Academic Activities Information for families concerning • How to help at home with homework • Required skills to pass each subject • Curriculum-related decisions • Other skills and talents CHALLENGES • Design and implement interactive homework for which students take responsibility to discuss important class work and ideas with their families REDEFINITIONS • Homework not only means work that students do alone, but also interactive activities that students share and discuss with others at home. • Help at home means how families encourage and guide children, not how they teach school subjects.

12. Type 5: Decision Making -Participation and Leadership • PTA/PTO membership, participation, leadership, representation • Advisory councils, school improvement teams • Title I councils, school-site management teams, other committees • Independent school advisory groups CHALLENGES • Include parent leaders from all racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and other groups in the school • Offer training for parent leaders to develop leadership skills • Include student reps along with parents in decision making REDEFINITIONS • Decision making means a process of partnership to share views and take action toward shared goals for school improvement and student success, not a power struggle.

13. Type 6: Collaborating with the Community • Community Contributions to Schools, Students, and Families – business partners, agencies, cultural groups, health services, recreation, and other groups and programs • Schools, Students, and Families Contribute to Community – service learning, special projects to share talents and solve local problems CHALLENGES • Solve problems of turf, responsibilities, funds, and goals • Inform all families and students about community programs and services, and ensure equal opportunities for services and participation REDEFINITIONS • Community includes not only families with children in the schools, but also all who are interested in and affected by the quality of education. • Communities are rated not only on economic qualities, but also on the strengths and talents available to support students, families, and schools

14. Forced Decision-Making Grid The document you received lists 20 best-practices for engaging parents in the career-development process. As a team you need to place those 20 items in the grid based on those you believe your system uses effectively to those you believe you use the least effectively.

15. How Does Your Team View Parents? Helicopter Parents – hover around the school at all times waiting to drop in at the first sign of trouble Aggressive Advocates - work the system, study the faculty like stock tables and then lobby to get their children into certain classes Public Defenders – confuse advocating on behalf of their children with defending everything they do Dry-Cleaning Parents – drop their children off in the morning and want them all cleaned up and proper by the end of the day practically sealed in plastic Cultural Warriors – high status parents who are more likely to criticize parents on professional grounds

16. Take a few minutes with your team and make a redefinition for each of those types of parents….your definition should be strength based and should include how you might engage them as a resource for your career development plan.

17. Based on Epstein’s model of parent engagement and your district’s current practices, which types of parent engagement do you need to strengthen?

18. Brief Review of Resource Documents

19. Revisit Essential Questions • Why is it important for schools to engage parents in the educational process including career development? • What barriers exist with regard to parent engagement? • What are the different strategies that schools can use to effectively engage parents in the educational process? • Which strategies are most effective in engaging parents in the career development process? • How does your district view parents and how do they currently engage parents in career development activities? • Based on Epstein’s model of parent engagement and your district’s current practices, which types of parent engagement do you need to strengthen?