Part 3: Innovations in Professional Growth

1

• Part 3 Innovations in Professional Growth
• Public Education and Webcasting in BC
• October 2005 to May 2006
• Parent Involvement in British Columbia
• Building Community
• November 30, 2005
• Activity Package

2
PARENTING

• Examples
• Parent support programs, parent education,
  workshops, parent-to-parent connections, and
  assistance to provide home conditions that
  support learning at each age and stage of
  development.
• Workshops
• Websites
• Pamphlets and resources
• Outreach programs

• All parents want the best for their children
• Parents are the primary
• source of basic needs
• Physical
• Emotional
• Social
• Developmental

Notes

• Goal

PARENTING To help parents fulfil their
responsibilities of providing for their childs
well-being and development from preschool
through secondary school and to assist the school
in understanding families.
Adapted from Epstein , J (2001). School family
and community partnerships Preparing educators
and improving schools. Boulder CO Westview Press
3

• PARENTING
• QUESTIONS TO DISCUSS
• Identify ways to connect with parents of
  pre-school students.
• What information do you think families want and
  need every year from schools to understand child
  and adolescent development?
• What information do you think all schools want
  and need each year from families to understand
  the students and their families?

Sample Challenges for Success with Parenting One activity that would meet this challenge. One short-term result the activity is likely to produce. Who will benefit?
Provide information for parents who cannot attend a workshop or meeting.
Obtain information from parents to help teachers understand their children and families.
Adapted from Epstein , J (2001). School family
and community partnerships Preparing educators
and improving schools. Boulder CO Westview Press
4
COMMUNICATING

• Examples
• School-to-home memos, notices, report cards,
  conferences, newsletters, phone calls,
  computerized messages, web sites
• Information on school programs, tests/assessment
  and childrens progress
• Information needed to choose or change schools,
  courses, programs, activities
• Home-to-School Two-way channels of communication
  for questions, comments, and other interactions.

Ongoing communications help educators and
families understand each other in the interest of
student progress. Communication is from school
to home and home to school.
Notes

• Goal

COMMUNICATING To share information clearly and
continuously with all families both from
school-to-home and from home-to-school.
Adapted from Epstein , J (2001). School family
and community partnerships Preparing educators
and improving schools. Boulder CO Westview Press
5

• COMMUNICATING
• QUESTIONS TO DISCUSS
• What do families and students need to know about
  the following aspects of school programs, and
  what might families and students contribute to
  the success of these aspects of schooling?

Families need to know Students need to know Families or students may contribute
A. Curriculum, school subjects B. Tests and assessments C. Report cards D. Standards for students work E. Other

• 2. Think of Examples
• Give two examples of how students might help
  conduct school-to-home communications about
  school programs and student progress in learning
  and behaviour.
• Give two examples of how students might hinder
  school-to-home or home-to-school communications
  about school programs and student progress in
  learning and behaviour.
• Give two examples of what teachers and/or parents
  could say or do to help students understand the
  importance of their roles in school-to-home-to
  school communications.
• 3. Collect one example of a school or classroom
  newsletter.
• Identify the school level (preschool, elementary,
  middle, or high school) or grade level of the
  example.
• Analyze the purpose(s) and content of the
  newsletter the format readability quality of
  information participation of students, teachers,
  administrators, and parents strategies to
  enhance two-way communications.
• Give two suggestions of how you would improve the
  newsletter you reviewed.

Adapted from Epstein , J (2001). School family
and community partnerships Preparing educators
and improving schools. Boulder CO Westview Press
6

• Examples
• Redefining volunteer to include those who support
  childrens learning any place, any time aides,
  tutors, coaches, lecturers, chaperones and other
  leaders, as well as audience members for
  events/ceremonies.
• Recruiting and training volunteers.
• Identifying volunteer activities in newsletters.
• Arranging opportune schedules and location for
  volunteers.
• Conducting surveys of parents to gather
  information about the talents and interests of
  parents in the community.
• Considering a parent for each class, and the
  development of phone trees and networks to
  support volunteers.
• Appreciate and celebrate volunteers.

VOLUNTEERING
Volunteers provide support to childrens
learning. Volunteer activities can occur in
the school and in the community.
Notes

• Goal

VOLUNTEERING To support and develop volunteer
activities and opportunities.
Adapted from Epstein , J (2001). School family
and community partnerships Preparing educators
and improving schools. Boulder CO Westview Press
7

• VOLUNTEERING
• QUESTIONS TO DISCUSS
• Suppose you notice that working parents, single
  parents, or parents who live far from the school
  do not volunteer as much as other parents. What
  is one new approach to increase the number of
  each of the following groups of parents to
  volunteer in ways that help student learning and
  success?
• The number of families who become volunteers at
  the school building may be increased if parents
  and other family members can volunteer to assist
  in classroom, in parent rooms, on the playground,
  in the lunchroom, and in other locations. Give
  one idea for how each of the following ways of
  working with volunteers might be expanded or
  changed to enable more families to participate.

School Community members One way to increase participation
Working Parents Single Parents Parents who live far from the school Fathers A. B. C. D.
Volunteers must Change to
come to the school building. come during school hours. come during the school year. work with a specific teacher. have children in the school. not be involved in curriculum-related activities. Other idea______________ A. B. C. D. E. F. G.
Adapted from Epstein , J (2001). School family
and community partnerships Preparing educators
and improving schools. Boulder CO Westview Press
8

• Examples
• How to help with homework.
• Skills required to pass each subject.
• Curriculum related decisions.
• Students goal setting for success in school and
  post-secondary planning.
• Developing other skills and talents.

LEARNING AT HOME

• Activities that involve families with their
  children which influence childrens achievement,
  decisions, and choices.
• Developing skills
• Homework
• Goal Setting
• Curriculum related activities

Notes

• Goal

LEARNING AT HOME To involve families with their
children at home in activities or decisions about
learning and school.
Adapted from Epstein , J (2001). School family
and community partnerships Preparing educators
and improving schools. Boulder CO Westview Press
9

• LEARNING AT HOME
• QUESTIONS TO DISCUSS
• How are parents affected if the school DOES or
  DOES NOT provide the following information? On
  the chart below, list one result for parents that
  you would expect if the school does/does not
  provide information on the following items

Item If the school DOES provide information. If the school DOES NOT provide information.
Homework policies Requirements for passing each subject How to monitor students homework How students can share something that they learned in class How to make choices of academic courses in math, science, foreign language, and electives in high school.
Adapted from Epstein , J (2001). School family
and community partnerships Preparing educators
and improving schools. Boulder CO Westview Press
10

• Examples
• Council/committee membership, participation,
  leadership, representation.
• Advisory councils, School Planning Councils,
  school improvement teams.
• School site management teams, other committees.
• Opportunities for training are available.
• Representatives reflect on all members of diverse
  communities served by the school so all families
  have a voice in decisions made.
• Educators, parents and students work together to
  improve and extend discussions which lead to
  better decisions.

DECISION-MAKING
Activities that involve families as participants
in decision-making of all kinds. Parent
Advisory Councils School Planning Councils
Notes

DECISION-MAKING To encourage and assist parents
to participate in decision-making in a variety of
ways and to obtain information from/provide
information to other parents about decisions made.

• Goal

Adapted from Epstein , J (2001). School family
and community partnerships Preparing educators
and improving schools. Boulder CO Westview Press
11

• DECISION-MAKING
• QUESTIONS TO DISCUSS
• Improving districts and schools work with all
  parents
• to improve student achievement.
• Describe how the school board
• Consults with the SPCs.
• Approves school plans.
• How can the community be engaged in this process
  at the school level?
• What strategies are used to seek input from
  groups such as parents, staff, students, and the
  community?
• Suggest some additional strategies to enhance
  opportunities for input.
• How are parents and parent groups, including the
  PAC(s) and DPAC, involved in efforts to improve
  student achievement?
• Suggest some strategies that the district can use
  to enhance decision-making opportunities.

12

• Examples
• Information about community programs and services
  are shared and families have equal access to the
  programs/services.
• Community contributes to schools, students,
  families.
• Business partners, agencies, cultural groups,
  health services, recreation, and other groups
  strengthen programs and curriculum.
• Schools, students, and families contribute to
  community.
• Service learning, special projects to share
  talents, solving local problems.

• Building Partnerships
• Activities bring resources to the school from the
  community and from the school to the community.
• Community services support and enhance school
  programs and directions.

Notes

COLLABORATING WITH THE COMMUNITY To bring
talents and resources to the school/classroom
from the community and to share the resources of
the school with the community.

• Goal

Adapted from Epstein , J (2001). School family
and community partnerships Preparing educators
and improving schools. Boulder CO Westview Press
13

• COLLABORATING WITH THE COMMUNITY
• QUESTIONS TO DISCUSS
• Give one example of a school, family, and
  community partnership activity that would fulfill
  the spirit of each of the following redefinitions
  of selected activities for the six types of
  involvement.
• Workshop is not only a meeting on a topic held at
  the school building but also the content of that
  meeting, which may be viewed, heard, or read at
  convenient times and varied locations.
• Communications about school programs and student
  progress are not only from school-to-home but
  also from home-to-school and with the community.
• Volunteers are not only parents or others who
  come to help during the school day but also those
  who give their time to support school goals and
  childrens learning in any locations.
• Help at home does not mean that parents must know
  how to teach school subjects, but that families
  guide, encourage, and interact with their
  children on homework and school-related
  decisions.
• Decision-making means exchanging views to plan
  and implement an effective, coordinated
  partnership program that will help students
  succeed in school. It is not a power struggle.
• Community includes not only families with
  children in school but also all citizens who are
  interested in and affected by the quality of
  education.

Adapted from Epstein , J (2001). School family
and community partnerships Preparing educators
and improving schools. Boulder CO Westview Press