Blueprint to Accelerate the Achievement of African American and African Students

1. Blueprint to Accelerate the Achievement of African American and African Students Action Plan 2011-2012 Focus Area #4–––Parent Engagement • A. All schools must have a parent center. • B. Provide training in Family Engagement, Leadership, Advocacy and Parent Education. • C. Train staff in outreach strategies to increase the participation of African American and African families at home, school and community. Champions: Bernie Rhinerson and Bea Fernández Staff: BounhongKhommarath, Lori LaPointe, Pam Moorehead, Elneda Shannon, Dr. Pat Washington Revised from May 21, 2012 AAAE Taskforce Meeting

2. Focus Area #4 Actions––Parent Engagement A. Establish Parent Centers • Identify space for a Parent Center on each campus • Assign a staff member to serve as the school contact for African American and African parents • Provide district training, resources and support to staff and parents Progress: • 154 schools out of 179 completed a Parent Center survey in February 2012. (see page 2-3 of handout) • 108 have parent centers at 3 levels of implementation • Schools identified a contact for the parent centers • The Parent Outreach and Engagement Department provides support and materials to help schools establish parent centers • Training is available to staff and parents • Webpage: www.sandi.net/parentoutreach

3. Focus Area #4 Actions––Parent Engagement B. Provide Training in Family Engagement, Leadership, Advocacy and Parent Education Progress: • Project Ujima provided 13 parent empowerment seminars on the 2nd and 4thThursdays of the month from 5:30–7:30 p.m. • 108 parents/caregivers enrolled this year • 477 cumulative parent/caregiver visits • 506 children participated in child care and homework enrichment activities • Schools represented: (See page 4 of handout) • 6 high schools 6 middle schools • 22 elementary schools 13 atypical schools/other • Effective Black Parenting Workshops from February to June • 46 parents participated in the workshops from these schools: • Lincoln High, University City High • Central Elementary, Fulton Elementary, Johnson Elementary 3

4. Focus Area #4 Actions––Parent Engagement B. Provide Training in Family Engagement, Leadership, Advocacy and Parent Education (cont’d) 2011-2012 Project UjimaData Collection Focus Group Interviews––12 Participants • Parent Outcomes • Increased positive communication with the school • Established consistent homework routine in the home • Change in discipline techniques • Household more structured • Improved interaction - children • Increased advocacy for children • Sense of belonging and empowerment • Student Outcomes • Improved grades • Increased homework study skills • Utilized tutoring services • Increased confidence • Increased self esteem • More respectful and polite • Increased sense of cultural pride

5. Focus Area #4 Actions––Parent Engagement B. Provide Training in Family Engagement, Leadership, Advocacy and Parent Education (cont’d) 2011-2012 Project UjimaData Collection End-of-Year Evaluaton––33 Respondents • 27 parents indicated that their level of parent engagement in their student’s education had increased since they began participating in Project Ujima, 5 parents said it was the same, 1 parent said it decreased. • 27 parents indicated that because of the information they had received in the program, parents felt better prepared to help their children academically and socially, 4 parents said somewhat better prepared, 1 parent said no better prepared and 1 parent did not respond. • From a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest, 25 parents rated the effectiveness of Project Ujima as high, 6 parents gave it a rating of 4, • 1 parent gave it a rating of 3,and 1 parent did not respond.

6. Focus Area #4 Actions––Parent Engagement B. Provide Training in Family Engagement, Leadership, Advocacy and Parent Education (cont’d) Progress: • PREP (Parent Empowerment Education Program), based in Washington, DC, offered workshops for district families at Porter Elementary. • Oct. 8, 2011, Feb. 25 & June 2, 2012 • 115 parents and 37 students participated in October and February • 35 African American parents attended the three workshops • A-G Requirements Workshops (Career Ready & College Preparatory) • 328 parents participated at 14 schools sites • 200 students from Knox Middle School • Somali Parent Workshops • 67 parents enrolled with 94 cumulative visits at 14 schools: • Euclid, Fay, Ibarra, Marshall and Zamorano Elementary Schools, Mann Middle School, and Crawford High School as well as a Community Forum at Springfield College on University and 54th. 6

7. Focus Area #4 Actions––Parent Engagement Progress: • The Family Engagement Network (FEN) helps staff and parent leaders increase the engagement of parents with an emphasis on working with under represented and refugee families. • FEN met Oct. 26, Nov.10, 30, Dec. 8 , Feb. 8,16, May 16, 24. • FEN participants including: parent leaders (SSC, ELAC, PTA, etc.), interested parents, community organizers and staff: Parent Academic Liaisons, outreach coordinators, resource teachers, ELSTs. • Topics: Creating welcoming schools, recruitment, ways to support student learning, outreach for the beginning of the school year. • Participants provided AAAE Blueprint focus areas and shared outreach strategies to engage African American and African families. • Outreach information and materials are available on POE webpage. C. Train staff in outreach strategies to increase the participation of African American and African families at home, school & community. (cont’d)

8. Focus Area #4 Actions––Parent Engagement • Schools with Level 3 parent centers will be asked to submit information about their center and to describe a successful event or strategy that focused on African American or African parents/caregivers. • Project Ujimaseminars and Effective Black Parenting (EBP) workshops • Identify a grant to expand services to families. • Use data from parent evaluations to identify topics for next year. • Create a marketing plan for EBP workshops. • Produce a parent outreach document that outlines successful strategies. • Conduct workshops on High School Graduation and A-G Requirements at elementary and middle schools with high numbers of AA and A students • Family Engagement Network (FEN) • Continue current level of FEN meetings and add afternoon meetings. • Conduct two trainings using the parent outreach document (see 2) to help schools increase the participation of AA and A parents/caregivers. • Recognition of National Parent Involvement Day-November 15, 2012: Provide schools with outreach strategies so that their site’s celebration is representative of all families, including African American and African parents/caregivers. Actions Items for 2012-2013

9. Focus Area #4 Actions––Parent Engagement • Supports Needed • Identify grants to help offset costs for Project Ujimaseminars. • Funding for hourly teachers for Effective Black Parenting classes to meet the requests of schools. • Work with the Counseling and Guidance Department and offer Guiding Good Choices workshops at schools. Their grant provides materials, childcare, snacks, etc. • Work with Instructional Support Services to offer parent workshops on high school graduation and a-g university requirements. • Budget Realities • Limited Staff: Due to scheduling conflicts we may not be able to meet the requests of schools for days and times they would like for workshops. • Funding: Grant for Project Ujimaexpired this year. We may not be able to continue the seminars at the same level as this past year. • Transportation: Without funding, Project Ujima will not be able to provide buses for two fieldtrips to visit a university and a cultural institution as in past years.