Is My Child Ready? Public Awareness Campaign Overview for School and District Partners

1. Is My Child Ready? Public Awareness CampaignOverview for School and District Partners Revised Nov. 2012

2. CAMPAIGN ORIGIN • Motivated by parent confusion/lack of information around STAAR/EOC and impact on children, despite ISDs best efforts. How can community partners help? • A+ convened a series of meetings with local stakeholders (leaders from parent groups, family service nonprofits, and school district PIOs) in Spring 2012 to discuss ideas • Focus evolved from STAAR to broader need for parent understanding of/advocacy for student post-secondary readiness

3. CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW • Public awareness campaign to launch in early January 2013, when parents of students in grades 3-8 will receive STAAR results for first time • Targets “hard-to-reach” parents in community locations “where they are”, with simple, relevant messages • Utilizes print and broadcast PSAs, text messaging & website to provide parents with three questions to ask their schools about STAAR results and post-secondary readiness • Opportunity for schools/districts to integrate this campaign with their own parent outreach NOT just about STAAR, but also about importance of student post-secondary readiness

4. CAMPAIGN GOALS • What we’re trying to do • Motivate parents to begin a conversation with schools about student post-secondary readiness, using STAAR results as a snapshot & jumping off point • Develop parents as advocates for their children’s education • Connect families with existing post-secondary readiness resources on each campus and in the community • What we’re NOT trying to do • Provide all of the answers for STAAR testing • Supplant or contradict school district information

5. PRINT COLLATERAL • Posters in 900+ METRO buses

6. PRINT COLLATERAL • 11x17 bilingual posters • Houston Public Libraries, Parks & Multi-Service Centers • Available for use in schools – self-print or district order

7. PRINT COLLATERAL • 11 x 17 bilingual posters and 8.5 x 11 bilingual flyers • Neighborhood Centers • Houston Food Bank • Communities In Schools • Catholic Diocese • Parent Groups • Available for use in schools – self-print or district order

8. WEBSITES • www.ismychildready.org and www.estalistomihijo.org

9. TEXT CAMPAIGN • Text READY (or LISTO) to 91011 to receive 3 questions to ask your school: • FACT: Early as 3rd grade, STAAR can tell if your child is on track for success in high school & beyond. ASK: Where should my child score NOW to be on track? • FACT: “Passing” STAAR is important, but “advanced” is the real goal. ASK: What school and community resources can help my child get to the next level? • FACT: School alone won’t get your child to college or a prosperous career. ASK: What should I be doing at home NOW to increase my child’s chances for success?

10. ROLES FOR DISTRICTS Prepare school faculty and staff for parent inquiries • Have senior district staff introduce the campaign to principals and set expectations for parent conversations (PPT presentation, handouts, letters of intro available) • Identify a district point person for the campaign Integrate campaign resources with district outreach • Provide a “landing page” on district website, where the campaign website can link district parents to district-specific STAAR info and post-secondary readiness resources • Order or print campaign collateral for schools • Promote campaign resources in parent communications & outreach around post-secondary readiness

11. ROLES FOR SCHOOLS Prepare school faculty and staff for parent inquiries • Inform campus staff about the campaign in general and the three questions in particular • Identify a point person to ensure positive, timely, individualized responses to parent/family inquiries • Provide staff with examples of appropriate parent responses (samples included) • Offer campaign resources (website) to educators, parents and families – AFTER school/district resources are offered

12. HELPFUL RESPONSES for PARENTS Where should my child be scoring NOW to be on track for post-secondary success? • Explain the three different performance levels (Unsatisfactory, Satisfactory or “Passing”, and Advanced); as standards are fully phased in, expectations will continue to rise • Explain that the goal of our district and our state is post-secondary readiness for all children – so all students and families should be aiming for Advanced or higher(NOT just “passing”) • Offer grade-appropriate details on how STAAR & EOCs impact students personally – specifically around grade advancement, high school course grades (pending), graduation, diploma type, and post-secondary success For more, see “5 Points of STAAR” presentation for parents on www.ismychildready.org

13. HELPFUL RESPONSES for PARENTS What school and community resources can help my child get to the next level? • Each child has different needs – prescribe a unique strategy based on the child. (Does he/she need to move from Unsatisfactory to Satisfactory, from Satisfactory to Advanced, or from low Advanced to high Advanced?) • Offer school-based student interventions & enrichment opportunities first • Refer parents to Is My Child Ready? campaign website for additional community & district resources For more, see “5 Points of STAAR” presentation for parents on www.ismychildready.org

14. HELPFUL RESPONSES for PARENTS • What should I be doing at home NOW to increase my child’s chances for success? • Describe age-appropriate ways for parents to encourage learning at home & development of post-secondary readiness “habits of mind” • Offer school-based parent education and engagement resources first • Refer parents to Is My Child Ready? campaign website for additional community & district resources For more, see “5 Points of STAAR” presentation for parents on www.ismychildready.org

15. LEAD CAMPAIGN PARTNERS • Houston A+ ChallengeMelissa Davis, Director of Public Affairs mmdavis@houstonaplus.org (713) 658-1881 • City of HoustonMark Cueva, Education Initiatives, Office of Mayor Annise ParkerMark.Cueva@houstontx.gov (832) 393-0816 • FamiliesEmpoweredEmily Leffler, Director of Decision Supporteleffler@familiesempowered.org (713) 589-8767 • Neighborhood CentersClaudia Vasquez, Senior VP and Program Officercvasquez@Neighborhood-Centers.org (713) 669-5330