Family Engagement: A School’s Perspective

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Alignment to Learning Forward Standards

The new education law, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), redefines professional development with a purposeful influence from Learning Forward.

Learning Forward, a national association recognized as leaders in professional learning, has established standards for professional learning that set a high bar for quality learning experiences.

This session aligns to the following standard(s): Resources - Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students requires prioritizing, monitoring, and coordinating resources for educator learning.

Learning Designs - Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students integrates theories, research, and models of human learning to achieve its intended outcomes.

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Agenda

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• Where does your school fall?

• 4 Core Beliefs

• What has worked…

• Resources

Objectives

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• Identify what family engagement looks like at your site

• Strategies and tools that can be implemented to increase family engagement

• What works, what doesn’t work, and why

Quickwrite and Share

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Family engagement is like….because…

To Infinity and Beyond

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What specific questions do you have in regards to family engagement?

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What does family engagement look

like?

4 Versions of Partnership

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• Partnership School

• Open-Door School

• Come-if-We-Call School

• Fortress School

Partnership School

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“All families and communities have something great to offer-we do whatever it takes to work closely together to make sure every single student succeeds.”

Henderson, Mapp, Johnson, & Davies. (2007). Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships

Open-Door School

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“Parents can be involved at our school in many ways-we’re working hard to get even bigger turnout for our activities. When we ask the community to help, people often respond.”

Henderson, Mapp, Johnson, & Davies. (2007). Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships

Come-if-We-Call School

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“Parents are welcome when we ask them, but there’s only so much they can offer. The most important thing they can do is help their kids at home. We know where to get help in the community if we need it.”

Henderson, Mapp, Johnson, & Davies. (2007). Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships

Fortress School

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“Parents belong at home, not at school. If students don’t do well, it’s because their families don’t give them enough support. We’re already doing all we can. Our school is an oasis in a troubled community. We want to keep it that way.”

Henderson, Mapp, Johnson, & Davies. (2007). Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships

Where does your school fall?

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Conversation Starters

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• What do visitors say about the focus on academic achievement?

• What do visitors say about school climate?

• What do visitors say about the quality of school communication and information?

• What do visitors say about practices and policies to engage families and community members?

Henderson, Mapp, Johnson, & Davies. (2007). Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships

4 Core Beliefs

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Henderson, Mapp, Johnson, & Davies. (2007). Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships

Core Belief # 1

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All parents have dreams for their children and want the

best for them.

Henderson, Mapp, Johnson, & Davies. (2007). Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships

Core Belief # 2

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All parents have the capacity to support their

children’s learning.

Henderson, Mapp, Johnson, & Davies. (2007). Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships

Core Belief # 3

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Parents and school staff should be equal partners.

Henderson, Mapp, Johnson, & Davies. (2007). Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships

Core Belief # 4

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The responsibility for building partnerships between school and home

rests primarily with school staff, especially school leaders.

Henderson, Mapp, Johnson, & Davies. (2007). Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships

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Strategies That Work

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• Before school started: Positive

Phone Call Homes

• Built relationships with parents

through phone calls and letters

home

• Student led parent conferences

and IEP meetings

• Home visits

• Survey families

• Work with community

interagency groups

• Prepare a welcome package to

distribute to new families

• Transition meetings

• Offer adult programs during the day

• Involve students in community

projects

• Provide opportunities for input

• Include senior members of the

community

• Hold a summer exchange program

Boult, Betty. (2016). 201 Ways to Involve Parents: Practical Strategies for Partnering with Families

A Teacher’s Story

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Office of School Support

http://sde.ok.gov/sde/sites/ok.gov.sde/files/documents/files/School%20Support%20Newsletter.pdf

Resources

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• Henderson, A., Mapp, K., Johnson, V., & Davies, D. (2010). Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships. • Boult, B. (2016). 201 Ways to Involve Parents: Practical Strategies for Partnering with Families.

• Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2014). 50 Strategies for Communicating and Working with Diverse Families.

• http://www.knowledgeloom.org/

• https://www.parent-institute.com/welcome.php

• http://www.aecf.org/

• http://sde.ok.gov/sde/sites/ok.gov.sde/files/documents/files/School%20Support%20Newsletter.pdf

Contact Information

Office of School Support

Oklahoma State Department of Education

Office of School Support

405-522-0140