Beyond the Bake Sale‖

1. Beyond the Bake Sale‖ Engaging Families for Student Growth

2. Beyond the Bake Sale‖ Are you interested in stimulating some creative discussions among teachers about how to work more effectively with families to improve student achievement?

3. Beyond the Bake Sale‖ Does your school want to develop more exciting plans to engage families of all backgrounds?

4. “…partnerships among schools, families and community groups are not a luxury –they are a necessity.‖ Page 1

5. Focus •This presentation focuses on “meeting you where you are.”‖•To do so, think critically about where you and your school are on a parent involvement spectrum.

6. Where are you? Where is the School? Parent Involvement on a Spectrum… Intermediate How involved are we talking? Expert Parents and Community as Partners. Period. Novice How do we do this? Beginner What’s the point?

7. As we study Beyond the Bake Sale Think about where you and your school are located on the spectrum…

8. 1. Partnership and Student Academic Achievement are Closely Linked “When schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more.” Page 2

9. “Students whose families are involved in their learning earn better grades, enroll in higher-level programs, have higher graduation rates, and are more likely to enroll in postsecondary education.” Page 2

10. “When families take an active interest in what they’re learning, students display more positive attitudes toward school and behave better both in and out of school.” Page 2

11. “Children do best if parents can play a variety of roles in their learning: helping at home, volunteering at school, planning their children’s future, and taking part in key decisions about the school program.” Page 3

12. “Children from diverse cultures tend to do better when families and school staff join forces to bridge the gap between home and school cultures.” Page 3

13. School programs are more effective when schools enlist families in these processes. When parents are involved at school, they tend to become more active in the community. Page 3

14. 2. Partnerships help build and sustain public support for the schools. Public schools are seeking increased support as we live in an era of market-driven education reforms including charter schools Page 4

15. Effective partnership strategies are: Conducting active programs to engage parents and families. (This year SCS will have 4 family engagement activities – Curriculum Night, Reading Night, Math Night, and an EOG/Transition Event) Page 4

16. At each of these 4 events, SCS will actively engage families with family friendly research based information and “Ziploc Bag” take home activities for families to use at home to support their child. Page 4

17. Other Effective Partnership strategies Are: Working with community organizations to help students and families to improve educational quality Invite outside agencies such as Employment Security Commission, Health Department, Partnership for Children, SCC, etc. to share information with families at PTO/PTA events Page 4

18. Greater Engagement with Families By partnering with community agencies…Families and Communities benefit when basic needs are met for housing, food, transportation, and employment. Many studies have documented the resulting benefits for families and children, including: Increased knowledge of child development Greater confidence in their role as their child’s first teacher More frequent attendance at school meetings and a stronger sense of responsibility for children’s schooling Improved literacy and other skills Better communication with schools and teachers Page 5

19. Reaching for Greater Engagement with Families Facts During the 1990’s, between 14 & 16 million people entered the country During 2000-2004, the foreign-born population increased by over 1 million per year As poverty rates rise and manufacturing jobs decline, families and communities face multiple economic and social problems High percentages of the US Population are highly mobiledue to the economyand shortages of affordable housing About 40% of children in the US live in low-income families (as of 2007) Page 5-7

20. Reaching for Greater Engagement with Families Facts The 2000 census showed that over 4 million children are living with grandparents. One-fourth of these grandparents have sole responsibility for these children. Nearly half of low-income children, those in the bottom 20 percent, live with only one parent, and nearly half move every year. Cultural differences are being seen in our schools due to these and other changing cultural facts Page 5-7

21. Teachers can Benefit from Parent and Community Partnerships Involved families are more likely to understand the goals of the teacher and the school and to be more supportive of proposed changes. Teachers who involve families positively and consistently tend to rate families more positively. Teachers who involve parents and other volunteers report that they have more time to devote to teaching and to giving children individual attention Page 8-9

22. Teachers can Benefit from Parent and Community Partnerships Involve families in the SIT (include regular people – people that do not hold leadership positions and whose voices are not commonly heard…average citizens) p. 4 Use the SIT to Develop and Revise Yearly: The School-Parent Compact The Parent Involvement Policy & Help parents understand the annual report card for your school Page 8-10

23. Teachers can Benefit from Parent and Community Partnerships Communicate! Communicate! Communicate! Title I Parent involvement is defined as … “regular, two-way, and meaningful communication about student learning and other school activities.” A contact log is on the SCS Title I website for your convenience under Beyond the Bake Sale Chapter 1 Page 11

24. Other Useful tools to help you are located on the SCS Title I webpage under Beyond the Bake Sale - Chapter 1 Tools include: Parent Contact Log Community Agency Contact Information This PPT. Presentation http://tinyurl.com/adror7 Page 11& Tapping the Potential of Parents – Patricia Edwards

25. Beyond the Bake Sale‖ Session Homework Go to http://tinyurl.com/adror7 Choose one of Joyce Epstein’s six types of parent involvement Choose one “sample practice” item that your school is not currently working on that you can focus on to improve this year Have the principal email terri.scott@stanlycountyschools.org to share which strategy your school will implement.