Educating Parents for Educating Parents for School SuccessSchool Success

Presentation prepared for Innovative Partnerships: The New American Services Collaborative

By Debra Landvik, Noemi Treviño, Ruslana WesterlundMinnesota Department of Education

Division of Learner Options

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Session Objectives:Session Objectives:

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AgendaAgenda

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Introductions and Ice-BreakerIntroductions and Ice-Breaker

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Group discussion: True or False? Group discussion: True or False?

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Parent AssumptionsParent Assumptions

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Family-school connections and Family-school connections and partnerships are important partnerships are important

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Socio-Historical Context

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Challenges Facing Challenges Facing Schools and FamiliesSchools and Families

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Barriers to School-Family Barriers to School-Family PartnershipsPartnerships

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Culturally responsive family engagement includes three key

qualities:1.Focusing on building trusting, collaborative relationships among teachers, families, and community members

2.Recognizing, respecting, and addressing families' strengths and needs, as well as class and cultural differences

3.Embracing a philosophy of partnership where power and responsibility are shared

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Appreciative Model of Diverse Families

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Transcending BarriersTranscending Barriers

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•Inviting facilities •Availability and Time•Two-way communication with

Families•Varied and frequent opportunities

for positive interactions•Engaging families in their

students’ learning experiences

Establishing a welcoming and family friendly school community

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To effectively partner with diverse To effectively partner with diverse families, educators must become families, educators must become skilled intercultural communicatorsskilled intercultural communicators

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Increasing families’

accessibility to

information

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Culturally Responsive Strategies Culturally Responsive Strategies to Increase Family-School to Increase Family-School

Partnerships Partnerships

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Improving family and school partnerships require a shift in how schools think about family involvement.

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Stretch breakStretch break

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Student

Peers Parents/ Family

Community Programs/ Services

Teacher School Programs/ Services

Supporting the NeedsSupporting the Needsof English Language Learnersof English Language Learners

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Support-Network Model Support-Network Model Tahtinen, 2007Tahtinen, 2007

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Support Level 1: Support Level 1: Communication and AccessibilityCommunication and AccessibilityThis level of support includes basic needs,

such as transportation, communication with teachers, doctors, etc. and transportation issues. This level is seen as one-directional and meets immediate needs of students and families.

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Support Level 2: Building Skills Support Level 2: Building Skills

This level of support includes building skills that support students and families in becoming more independent. It includes English classes, ESL trained content-area teachers, tutors, and participation in school and community activities. This level is also seen as one-directional as students and families are receiving help and learning about U.S. language and culture.

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Support Level 3: Support Level 3: Building RelationshipsBuilding Relationships

This level of support is bi-directional because students and parents both learn from and teach the school and community about their own cultural background. This is seen as an integrative level of interaction

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Support Level Continuum for Support Level Continuum for SCHOOLS SCHOOLS

Level 1Building

Communication& Access

Tahtinen, 2007

Translating materialsBilingual staff used

for purpose of communication

Providing a translator in front office

Translated forms of communication

Communicate with families via bilingual liaison

Other

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Support Level Continuum for Support Level Continuum for SCHOOLSSCHOOLS

Level 2

BuildingSkills

Tahtinen, 2007

ELL Trained content-area teachers

ELL staffTutorsPeer helpersSummer reading

program (in English)Encouraging

participation in school sports and extra-curricular activities

Other

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Support Level Continuum for Support Level Continuum for SCHOOLSSCHOOLS

Level 3Building

Relationships

Tahtinen, 2007

Learn about students/parents’ background

Learn about students/parents’ goals Learn about students/parents’ current

needs Hire bilingual staff to support native

language development Bilingual/bicultural counselor Latino Role models Allow students to be Bilingual program Cultural activities (i.e. Mexican Dance

group) Encourage leadership opportunities Other

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Schools…Schools…

…can use the continuum to identify areas of support available or needed for student needs.

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It’s Your Turn!It’s Your Turn!

With the people at your table, evaluate your district’s level of support available to immigrant parents/families

Identify areas of support needed to meet immigrant parent needs.

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Assessment: 3-2-1Assessment: 3-2-1

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Sharing and NetworkingSharing and Networking

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Share your 3-2-1