I make an effort to educate all families about our school.

86 % of the 662 respondents strongly agreed or agreed with the above statement on the 2011 Culturally Responsive Teaching Post Survey.

Teachers were asked to consider the question, “are my parents kept abreast of my classroom routines and events?” There are many ways to keep parents informed about our schools beyond the traditional approaches of parent conferences, newsletters, websites, or school-wide functions.

Student achievement, attendance, and graduation rates increase when parents are involved in their children’s education. There is a strong correlation between parental involvement and student achievement. When our schools implement intentional and intensive parent engagement strategies, the achievement gap is impacted.

Culturally responsive family engagement initiatives go beyond translating flyers in several languages or asking students to write about their family history. Effective family engagement recognizes cultural and class differences, addresses family needs and builds on families’ strengths. Knowing who is sitting in the classroom as it informs characteristics of the family is essential. Engaged families will build respectful and trusting relationships among school staff, families and community members for creating and maintaining a sustainable connection that supports student learning.

According to Gonzáles (Gonzáles, Moll, & Amanti, 2005), effective teachers engage families through learning about each other’s cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic worlds. This helps create strong bridges for students through culturally relevant curriculum and instruction based on family funds of knowledge.

On the most basic level and according to law, parent/school involvement requires communication. However, effective and efficient methods to educate families about our schools require more than communication from teacher to home.

January 2012

Inside

Engaging Families Issue 3

Educating all Families

What is Culture?

Who are our Diversity Resource Teachers?

Meet a DRT

Ideas on how to engage with families with resource links

Featured Artist in Residence

We envision a learning environment present throughout our school division. Embracing both equity and diversity and preparing all students

to succeed in a global society with skills and knowledge.

Engaging Families Issue 3 – January 2012

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Strategies/Tips/Best Practices for Making Connections with Families

1- Communication is tied to culture.

2- Understand that each culture is unique and may require a different approach to each student/family interaction.

3- Value and respect families and see them as assets supporting student learning.

4- Be culturally knowledgeable and sensitive.

5- Approach families with the expectation that they are to be invited, invested, and engaged with the classroom.

Resources and links

• Harvard Family Research Project: http://www.hfrp.org

• The PALMS –Tools for Latino Family Outreach: http://www.palmsproject.net/

Great ideas from DRTs Kara Menif and Ashley Johnson

Artist in Residence

Imagine your students learning about great figures in history like Shakespeare, Edgar Allen Poe, Napoleon, and Caesar - and being able to relate these figures’ stories to their peers in a way that is relevant and exciting to them.

How about having students being able to relate classic playwrights to modern day poets, singers and rappers - and telling these stories? How about being able to tell these stories in less than 5 minutes on video using their own vernacular (with music, drawings, poems, singing, rap, etc.) to share with their peers?

Anthony Amos’ active learning approach allows students in language arts, social studies and math to own their learning through culturally relevant and age appropriate strategies. This will be done at the analysis and synthesis levels of Bloom’s that will culminate with a class product.

Anthony Amos, Artist http://schoolcenter.k12albemarle.org/education/components/calendar/calendar.php?sectiondetailid=78272&

What is Culture? Author, Bonnie Davis (2005), defines culture as the totality of ideas, beliefs, values, activities, and knowledge of a group of individuals who share historical, geographical, religious, racial, linguistic, ethnic, or social traditions, and who transmit, reinforce and modify those traditions. Using these characteristics to improve culturally responsive teaching would involve considerations to the classroom environment. (Gay, 2000)

Engaging Families

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DRT Contacts Dr. Bermard Hairston Gloria Rockhold Kathy Halvorsen Agnor Hurt--Ashley Johnson Albemarle--Barbara Keys Baker-Butler --Katherine Shifflett Broadus Wood-- Kathy Childress Brownsville--Nicole Maclay Burley--Susan Scofield Cale--Karen Garland Community Charter--Don Vale Crozet--Maggie Morris Greer --Alicia Hines Henley--Heather Walker Hollymead--Kelly Davenport

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Jouett--Mary Nash Meriwether Lewis--Cheryl Wetmore-Simpson Monticello--David Grubbs, Gail Epps Murray- ES-David Crouch Murray HS--Joan Gilrain Red Hill--Tracey Sellers Scottsville--Tracy Armstrong Stone Robinson--Christina Chapman Stony Point --Latisha Wilson Sutherland--Kara Menfi Walton--Susan Rigby, Rajanesha Iae-Iyama Western Albemarle--Diana Bowen Woodbrook --Leslie Wills Yancey--TBD

Chat with a DRT Adam Hastings Where were you born? Omaha, Nebraska

Who was the teacher that impacted you most? Father Sinnerud. Father was exacting and demanding with his expectations. He tolerated no excuse for poor performance but was incredibly supportive and honest. When did you decide to go into the ed. Field? I realized that I had a passion for literature and for sharing my experiences. Teaching proved to be a terrific outlet for spreading my enthusiasm. Who are your real life heroes? Firemen, Soldiers & Great parents

What is your idea of greatest happiness? Spending time with my family and having no other care in the world. How would you describe your ethnic background? American, Nebraskan, & Sicilian What do you listen to on your way to school? NPR

What is your comfort food? Anything made out of steak. What family tradition do you enjoy most? Long dinners with everyone present. Why did you join the DRT committee? I think that it is a valuable resource for teachers division-wide. Tell us something about yourself others may be surprised to hear. Every morning, my dog jumps on the bed and snores next to me for a half hour. It might be my favorite time of day!

Who are DRT’s Albemarle County’s Diversity Resource Teachers are a committee of teachers that promote culturally responsive teaching in their school environment. Culturally responsive teaching is using the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, and performance styles of diverse students to make learning more appropriate and effective. The goal of the DRT committee is to provide on-going instructional strategies to administrators and teachers promoting culturally responsive teaching in 3 core areas. 1. Communicating and practicing high expectations to empower all students; 2. Acknowledging and incorporating the relevance of cultural heritages of students into instructional strategies; 3. Building positive relationships with

and among students in the context of culture.

Culturally responsive teaching practices are general best practices in the classroom. We encourage teachers to submit tips, strategies and resources to this publication.

Send what you do to: albemarledrt@gmail.com

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