Welcoming Families

Welcoming Familiesto an Educational Home

What to expect in our time together•Why am I here again?•Why should we think about

schools/programs that “welcome” families?

•What is the link to the new SUTQ program standards?

•What is “an educational home”?•What are materials that we could use to

have these conversations with our schools?

•What do we know about influencing change?

Performance Agreement between OEL&SR and SSTs for the Early Childhood Coordinators/Early Learning and Literacy Specialists• Develop parent engagement activities based on

regional needs:• Link to parent engagement SST personnel;• Promote parent engagement activities as

described in the program guidelines for Ohio’s tiered quality rating system as it develops;

• Disseminate and discuss “Ohio’s Welcoming Schools” documents at regional meetings for preschool special education supervisors/coordinators

•“Research consistently states that parental and family involvement in

young children’s education has been found to have the greatest influence

on children’s initial and long-term success in school.”

LEA

-- Enz, Rhodes & LaCount, 2008, p.60

What are the experiences of families coming to Ohio’s schools from Help Me Grow and Head Start?Some families describe this Some families describe

this

Some families describe this• The person answering the phone was not friendly.• No one asked us about our schedule.• We were confused by all the acronyms and alphabet soup.• I didn’t understand all the forms.• Whose IDEA Is This was too overwhelming.• I wasn’t sure what I signed.• We were treated like our opinions were not valued.• I had no idea where to find the meeting room at the school.• We had no idea who was present – there were no introductions.• Over half of the school people were late for the meeting.• We didn’t know we could have someone from HMG (or Head Start)

attend.• They were on a tight schedule that day – the meeting felt so rushed.• I had no idea what to expect, so I just sat there.• They came in with the IEP written and expected me to sign it.• I asked the school for some info about outside resources, but never

heard back.• I wanted to observe their preschool classrooms, but they wouldn’t

let me.

Some families describe this• Someone always called me back.• Everyone from the school was so friendly and flexible.• I was given a list of names and contact numbers.• She gave me her business card the first time I met her.• They gave me the name of another parent to talk to.• I always felt like they had an open door policy.• They went over all the forms with me until I understood.• It was so great to have the teacher make a home visit.• They gave me a tour of the school so I could see the

classrooms and where we would be meeting.• They always asked my opinion first.• I felt like they viewed me as the “expert.”

Possible explanations?•Families come to us with a wide

variety of experiences and constraints•Families come to us with differing

expectations based on their previous setting (e.g., HMG or Head Start)

•We may not be quite as “welcoming” as we believe

•Families come to schools with a wide variety of experiences and constraints▫Their own school experiences as students

▫Significant economic constraints

▫Significant time constraints

▫Diverse linguistic and cultural practices

-- Finders & Lewis, 1994

Families may come to schools with expectations based on their current setting•Help Me Grow

▫Family-centered culture▫Emphasis on family as a unit▫Emotional, informational and material

support•Head Start

▫Family empowerment▫Comprehensive supports and services▫Families as decision-makers at all levels

(But we’re not HMG or Head Start!)• Absolutely true! However,• Children’s success in school does not depend

primarily on the teacher’s knowledge, skills and practices (Enz, Rhodes & LaCount, 2008)

• “Substantial research now supports and demonstrates that family involvement is critical for young children’s socioemotional and cognitive growth . . . Early childhood practitioners now recognize more than ever that their services alone cannot prepare children for kindergarten; they need the support of families and communities.” (Weiss, Caspe & Lopez, 2008, p.1)

So why does it matter?• To welcome and engage families is an evidence-

based practice that impacts child outcomes

• Preschool may be a “critical learning period” for families as well as their children

• Ohio’s new Step Up To Quality Program Standards ask us to think about how we welcome families into our programs

•How well does the program engage families and community partners to support children and families while enrolled in the program and as they transition in and out of the program?

Ohio’s New Step Up To Quality Program Standards: Family and Community Partnerships

• How well does the program engage families and community partners to support children and families while enrolled in the program and as they transition in and out of the program?

•Is there another way to think about this requirement?


An Educational Home

The answer?

What is an Educational Home?• Based on the concept of a “medical home”*• Welcoming families into an educational journey

that they see as Accessible Continuous Comprehensive Family-centered Coordinated Compassionate Culturally effective

-- http://medicalhomeinfo.org. Retrieved 5/15/09

What is an Educational Home?• Accessible▫ An “open door” (literally & figuratively) welcomes

families• Continuous

▫ Transitions are anticipated and planned• Comprehensive

▫ Each child is viewed within the context of the family & community

• Family-centered▫ The family is viewed as the expert and key decision-

maker for their child• Coordinated

▫ Families are linked to support, educational & community services

• Compassionate▫ Concern for the well-being of the child & family is

demonstrated• Culturally effective

▫ Diversity is recognized, valued, and respected

-- http://medicalhomeinfo.org. Retrieved 5/15/09

AccessibleRarely Occasionally Frequently

We acknowledge the family’s sense of urgency by responding quickly to requests.

1 2 3

Our schedules are flexible enough to respond to individual family circumstances.

1 2 3

We educate families about how to contact us. 1 2 3We schedule meetings at mutually convenient times for families.

1 2 3

Our space is barrier-free (e.g., wheelchair-accessible).

1 2 3

We use language that is free of acronyms or jargon that the families may not understand.

1 2 3

When making recommendations, we consider the demands we are placing on families.

1 2 3

We have an open-door policy that allows families to feel welcome while maintaining student safety.

1 2 3

**Adapted from Medical Home Assessment Questionnaire, Every Child Deserves a Home Medical Home Training Program,

American Academy of Pediatrics, 2000.

ContinuousRarely Occasionally Frequently

We are aware of the continuum of feelings families may have when transitioning to preschool.

1 2 3

We provide opportunities for families to observe potential placement options.

1 2 3

We make ourselves available to other professionals (e.g., HMG or Head Start) who are involved with the child and family during and after the transition process.

1 2 3

We prepare families at every step from referral to evaluation to IEP to services.

1 2 3

We involve families in designing activities & experiences that are meaningful at home and in the classroom.

1 2 3



ComprehensiveRarely Occasionally Frequently

A variety of opportunities exist to promote and support families such as . . .

Special educational/parenting programs

1 2 3

Linkages to programs and resources within the community

1 2 3

Family-to-family networking 1 2 3

Opportunities for informal conversations about parenting and other issues

1 2 3

Our programs and services are based on families’ identified needs, resources, priorities and concerns

1 2 3



Family-CenteredRarely Occasionally Frequently

We ask families to identify their strengths.

1 2 3

We continuously and openly share clear, complete and unbiased information with families.

1 2 3

We view families as the principal caregiver and center of strength and support for their child.

1 2 3

We work to establish a trusting relationship with families.

1 2 3

We view families as experts about their child.

1 2 3

We recognize families as the principal decision-maker about their child.

1 2 3



CoordinatedRarely Occasionally Frequently

With family permission, we freely share information with other professionals involved with the child and family.

1 2 3

We link families to a variety of community resources as requested by the family.

1 2 3

Our IEPs are written in a way that families see how their “pieces of the puzzle” all fit together.

1 2 3

We value the competence of other professionals (e.g., HMG, Head Start) involved with the family.

1 2 3

We educate all of our staff (even the bus drivers) about the unique needs of each child.

1 2 3



CompassionateRarely Occasionally Frequently

We listen respectfully to the opinions of family members.

1 2 3

We work to create an environment where families feel safe enough to speak freely.

1 2 3

We believe that the family’s perspectives are as important as ours.

1 2 3

We take time to learn about the child’s family.

1 2 3

We ask families how they would like information provided to them.

1 2 3

All encounters (telephone, written, face to face) are warm and welcoming.

1 2 3

Meetings give families enough time to process the information and decide.

1 2 3



Culturally effectiveRarely Occasionally Frequently

We work to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to welcome the diversity of families we serve.

1 2 3

We attempt to make information (written and verbal) available to families in their first language.

1 2 3

We learn about the people with whom the child spends time and their level of acculturation.

1 2 3

We include the key decision-makers as defined by the family.

1 2 3

We make sure that we explain the evaluation results in ways that the family can understand.

1 2 3

We make sure that the IEP & our services and supports reflect the family’s beliefs and customs.

1 2 3



“I don’t know if professionals realize how much their interactions with us impact our families.

Because we are in some ways, not really more fragile, but more vulnerable in certain ways

because of our children’s problems, professionals impact us greatly.

They need to know how great that impact is and how interdependent we are. They need our information and we need their information.

We need to share as mutual partners.”

One Mother’s Observations . . .

Performance Agreement between OEL&SR and SSTs for the Early Childhood Coordinators/Early Learning and Literacy Specialists• Develop parent engagement activities based on

regional needs:• Link to parent engagement SST personnel;• Promote parent engagement activities as

described in the program guidelines for Ohio’s tiered quality rating system as it develops;

• Disseminate and discuss “Ohio’s Welcoming Schools” documents at regional meetings for preschool special education supervisors/coordinators

Welcoming Families Self-Assessment Family Outcomes Survey Where Are the Families?


A Self-Assessment for Schools Wishing to Establish an Educational Home for Their Preschool Families

(Adapted from the Medical Home Assessment Questionnaire, Every Child Deserves a Home Medical Home Training Program,

American Academy of Pediatrics, 2000)

Tying it all together: A Self-Assessment

•What do we know about the past experiences of our families?

•How do we rate our Educational Home practices?

•What keeps us from being a “3”?•If we’re not a “3,” what will it take

to get us there?

How will we know if we’ve succeeded?•By asking families!

National Outcomes for Part B Preschool: Family Outcomes• In the Fall of 2003, the Office of Special

Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education, funded the Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Center to work with parents, service providers, state agency directors, and federal program officers to develop and aid in the implementation of outcome measures that could be used by states and the federal government to evaluate Part C and Part B, Section 619

Retrieved 6/23/2009 from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~eco/pages/tools.cfm

National Outcomes for Part B Preschool: Family Outcomes

• Based on these activities, five family outcomes have been identified:▫Families understand their child's strengths,

abilities, and special needs. ▫Families know their rights and advocate

effectively for their children. ▫Families help their child develop and learn. ▫Families have support systems. ▫Families access desired services, programs,

and activities in their community.

Retrieved 6/23/2009 from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~eco/pages/tools.cfm

Family Outcomes SurveyPart B (619) Version

• Developed by the ECO Center• 18 questions divided into six sections

1. Understanding your child’s strengths, abilities and special need

2. Knowing your rights and advocating for your child

3. Helping your child develop and learn4. Having support systems5. Accessing your community6. Feelings about your child’s preschool

program• Families rate each item on a 7-point Likert

scale

How will we know if we’ve succeeded?•By asking families!

•The Family Outcomes Survey is one possible way to gather information on how successful we are in welcoming families and helping them be successful participants in their child’s educational journey

How busy people often view someone else’s “great idea”

When we’ve been successful at influencing change: Lessons Learned

1. What strategies did we choose that worked? Why did they work?

2. What strategies did we choose that didn’t work? Why didn’t they work?

3. Was there anything we forgot to do or didn’t know how to do?


How shall we proceed?

Welcoming Families

Documents

Transcript of Welcoming Families