TRAINING SESSION

1. TRAINING SESSION To involveparentsinschool Rita Ribeiro Rui Macedo 17.01.2013

2. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL General purpose: To develop good practice in promoting the involvement of parents in school. Specificpurposes:  To stimulate the thinking about family and the role parents play in scholar life of children, as well as in their general growth To give information about benefits of involving parents in school To stimulate the observance of practice of parental involvement in school, which was developed by the school To give information about different ways of parental involvement in school To provide some strategies in order to make communication between teachers and families and learning at home easier

3. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Rethinkingfamily

4. Rethinkingfamily INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Whichfamily?

5. Rethinkingfamily INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Whichfamily? • Changes: • Season the choice of interpersonal relations • Emancipation of women • Postponement of marriage and first child • Longer life expectancy and a higher number of elderly • Increased number of divorces • Increased urbanization and isolation of the nuclear family • Changes of the traditional functions of the family (Musitu e Herrero, 1994)

6. Rethinkingfamily INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Which family? • Subjective nature of the concept of family –When I think of family, about whom do I think?

7. Rethinkingfamily INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL • “Dysfunctional, pathological, disorganized, and similar families...” – concepts of health/pathology of family Normality as utopia * The normal family is defined with positive or ideal characteristics Normality as health * The family is normal, if there are no recent dysfunction symptoms in its members Normality as average * The normal family is the typical family Normality as a process * What is normal is defined in terms of social and temporal contexts and varies depending on internal and external needs, which require adaptation during family life.

8. Rethinkingfamily INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Time and changes in family: family life cycle Family with adult sons Family with Teenager sons Changes in relationships between parents and children Focus in aspects of marital and professional life Beginning of the support to older generation Family with children in school Opening the familiar system to the extra-familiar world 1st test to the competence of the family Family-school triangle Adjustment to the child greater autonomy Family with little children Marital adjustment in order to have space for the child Learning of parental roles Realignment of relationships with origin families Formation Of the couple

9. Rethinkingfamily INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL “ Didparentsresignthemselvesoftheirduties?...” Emotional Informative Instrumental Fellowship Chart: Perceptions of child support received, by the 2nd cycle (Pereira, 2007)

10. Rethinking family  INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL “ Didparentsresignthemselvesoftheirduties?...” Family School (Relvas, 1996)

11. RethinkingFamily INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL “Families role onstudentslearning” • Influences more direct and intentional • Parenting practices that are intended to support cognitive development and learning of children (playing, questioning, teaching to think and study…) • Learning environment and access to various resources (books, internet,…) • Influences more indirect… • Ideas that parents have about the child and the child's skills • Ideas that parents have about the value of learning and study and school • Education parenting styles

12. Rethinkingfamily INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL “Families role onstudentslearning” What we know about PARENTAL EDUCATIONAL STYLES promoters of a healthy development: A. Be affectionate, be sensitive to needs of the young and respond to those needs appropriately. Myth: being affectionate and respond appropriately to the needs of the child make them spoiled. B. Establish rules and clear boundaries of what is acceptable behaviour and enforce these rules consistently. Myth: punish the child when he does not meet those limits “it traumatizes”.

13. RethinkingFamily INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL “Families role onstudentslearning” What we know about PARENTAL EDUCATIONAL STYLES promoters of a healthy development: C. Be alert and monitoring the activities of the adolescent (who is, where is, what are you doing?). Myth: Young people do not require parental supervision! D. Provide a positive role (respect for others, conflict resolution, honesty, effort and hard work). Myth: Do as I say and not as I do!

14. RethinkingFamily INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL “Families role onstudentslearning” Parents that performing their parenthood effectively • They are affectionate, supportive and committed to provide a stimulating and challenging environment. • They are firm on the control and consistent when differences arise between parents and children, but without being restrictive. • Parents do not base their decisions on group consensus or on the desire of children, but also not considered themselves infallible. • Reinforce and appreciate the qualities of their children, but also set standards for future conduct.

15. RethinkingFamily INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL “Blame it on family?...” Ecological Model of Development (Bronfenbrenner, 1987) A. I. F. Pereira A. I. F. Pereira

16. Parental Involvement in School INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL

17. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Benefitsof parental involvement in school Children Better school results Fewer behaviour problems Lower absenteeism, better study habits More self-esteem More positive attitudes towards school Parents They show better understanding of the difficulties and progress of the child Usually have more effective solutions to the problems of children Usually have more positive attitudes towards school and school staff (feel more understood and supported) More positive attitudes to themselves and greater self-confidence regarding the parental role Greater experiences exchange with other families

18. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Benefitsof parental involvement in school Teachers Describe fewer problems with students Perceive greater recognition by families for their work Perceive greater satisfaction with their work Understand better the needs, concerns and goals of child's family They are more child-centred and have greater recognition of their diversity School Greater consistency between goals, methods and content of school education Increased ability to mobilize financial, resources, human and material

19. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Barriers to Parental Involvement in School • Tradition of separation between school and family • Conditions of life for families • Organizational structures of school– schools difficult to achieve • Tradition of blaming families/family who feels threatened • Ineffective communication • Constraints of teachers: have little time, instability • Teachers’ attitudes less favourable parental involvement in school

20. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Ideason Parental Involvement in school • Who is responsible for learning and academic success of the young. • What kind of information should be shared between parents and teachers. • There are real interest of parents in children education. • When young manifest learning or behaviour problems, which procedures should be initiated in order to understand the nature of the difficulties and plan their resolution. • How should be established the communication and information sharing with parents. • Which are the situations that school should involve parents.

21. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Ideas related to parental engagement at school. • Who is responsible for young’s learning and school success Parents are the main responsible for young’s learning and school success. Schools and families share responsibilities for young’s learning and school success. • What kind of information must be shared between parents and teachers. It is teacher’s obligation to give information to family about student’s progresses, about class curricular progress and about school educational project. However, most parents have less to give in this area once they are not experts in education. Teachers must create bilateral communication channels with parents; they must encourage parents to raise questions, share the knowledge they have about their children and express their expectations and worries.

22. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Ideas related to parental engagement at school. • There are real interest of parents in children education. Parents prefer to let their children education to teachers responsibilities and don’t want to engage more actively. Parents want to be actively involved in their children education. This interest must be encouraged by the school.

23. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Ideas related to parental engagement at school. • When young manifest learning or behaviour problems, which procedures should be initiated in order to understand the nature of the difficulties and plan their solution. When the young has learning or adaptation problems, teachers and school professionals must investigate the reason of that problem and only later call parents to give them orientations. When the young has learning or adaptation problems, school must, immediately, consult parents in order to create a mutual effort at understanding the nature of the difficulties and at planning its solution.

24. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Ideas related to parental engagement at school. • How should be established the communication and information sharing with parents. School must communicate with parents using only formal communications means. (parents’ reunions, office hours). If parents don’t participate, school hasn’t any kind of responsibility. When more formal communication channels with family aren’t successful, school must be proactive at identifying other means of engaging parents. • Which are the situations that school should involve parents. School must involve parents, mainly when there are learning or behavioural problems. School must promote all parents participation offering different modalities of envelopment.

25. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Inequality on the parental participation at school. • Parents from more underprivileged families shows less participation at school • Reasons Higher cultural gap between school and families. They are more worried with survival matters that occurs a lack of responsibility . Lack of knowledge about school reality and the form of participation means. Negative personal experiences at school. In the past, most contacts were complainants. Feel less able to cope with aspects related to school lower participation habits.

26. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Studies carried out in Portugal Davies et al. (1987)explored relations between public school and parents from a lower socioeconomic statue, through interviews to 132 parents and 134 educators and teachers. • Main Results- Envelopment forms • Usually during school, parents participate in a maximum of 2 or 3 meetings with the form tutor and with message exchange. • Almost all contacts are initiated by the teachers. Parents seldom go at school without being invited. • A few parents contact with the form tutor only during the time he has to attend them. • Some schools organize parties and commemorations or special activities to involve parents.

27. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Studies carried out in Portugal Studies of Davies et al. (1987) • Main results– Interviews to parents • Most parents demonstrated lack of confidence at its parental competences. • Parents showed an attitude of passivity and deference. • Parents are worried with survival related matters. • Parents don’t participate a lot at school ( communication is restricted to school problems and to children behaviour). • Parents valorise school. • Parents reveal low expectations about their enveloping at school and expect little of the obligations of the school in its relation with family.

28. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Orientations to promote parent envelopment at school Schools should promote greater involvement of families offering a diverse set of arrangements for parental involvement in school. Parental involvement programs should begin by strengthening communication between school and home. the school should be aware of, especially with disadvantaged families, because they demonstrate a lower involvement.

29. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Orientations to promote parent envelopment at school Typology of parental involvement - Epstein (1987/1992) • Family basic duties – Cares and parental skills • 2. School basic duties- Communication • 3. Envelopment Family with School - Volunteering • Family Involvement in Learning Activities at Home • Envelopment Family in School Administration • 6. Contributing to Community

30. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Exercise – Diagnostic modalities existing parental involvement in school • Forces today: What are the practices of parental involvement promoted by the school that are currently implemented with positive results? • Needed changes: What practices should remain, be modified or redeveloped, taking into account the expectations, needs and objectives of the different elements of the school community? • Reach partnership: what families are within reach of current practices? What are the hard to reach? What obstacles are preventing these families to participate? what strategies to use to circumvent these obstacles?

31. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Epstein (1987/1992) Typology of parental involvement 1. Duties / Basic Family Responsibilities • Building positive family environments and ensure the basic needs of their children (health, food, security, ...) • Development of skills of care and more effective parenting practices • Create conditions at home that promote children's learning

32. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Epstein (1987/1992) Typology of parental involvement 1.Duties / Basic Family Responsibilities : examples Número de pais abrangidos Parental education sessions for all parents Individual parental counseling by the mediator or by the teacher Need for supportIntensity of intervention Referral to support clinical or social

33. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Epstein (1987/1992) Typology of parental involvement 1.1. Duties / Basic Family Responsibilities : challenges • Supporting all families who want or need help, not only those who seek it or come to school • Promote the sharing of information of the family about their history, culture, needs, talents / resources, goals / expectations on the school and on the child • Ensure that all information shared are clear, appropriate to the age and needs of the child and useful in promoting his development

34. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Epstein (1987/1992) Typology of parental involvement 2. Duties / Responsibilities Basic School - Communication • Establish effective bilateral communication channels so that the family can share their concerns / issues • Helping families understand the school's educational project, the rules, the class curriculum, the child's progress, the evaluation of the child to participate in the drafting of the plan / educational project of the student

35. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Epstein(1987/1992) Typologyof parental involvement 2. Duties / Responsibilities Basic School - Communication - examples • Providing different means: Meetings of parents, individual an collective; written information, letters, e-mail; telephone contacts, editing newsletters and brochures.

36. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Epstein (1987/1992) Typology of parental involvement 2.1. Duties / Responsibilities Basic School - Communication: Challenges • Making all the information / communication clear and accessible to all families, taking into account parents who do not speak / write well the language, and Portuguese parents with low educational level • Promote bilateral communication: school-family and family-school • Encourage improvements in the quality of communication between school and families

37. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Epstein (1987/1992) Typology of parental involvement 3. Involve parents in school activities participation and volunteering • Promote the participation of families in different school events and in voluntary activities.

38. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Epstein (1987/1992) Typology of parental involvement 3. Involve parents in school activities participation and volunteering - examples • School Events: attend an exhibition or representation made by students celebrate commemorative days, participate in sporting events • Volunteering in the classroom and at school: talk about professions • Volunteering at school: improving physical spaces,; supervising playgrounds; guide educational activities of occupation of leisure

39. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Epstein (1987/1992) Typology of parental involvement 3.1. Involve parents in school activities participation and volunteering : challenges • Recruit volunteers on a large scale so that all families realize that their time, talents and availability are welcome • Recognize and value the availability and families contribution • Being flexible on schedules and timing of activities to promote the participation of all families • Effective divulgations of all events • Organize volunteer work and training parents to match the school's needs

40. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Epstein (1987/1992) Typology of parental involvement 4. Involvement in learning activities at home • Encourage the family to create learning opportunities that facilitate the development of certain skills and consolidate learning in the school • Guiding families so they can help the child / young person in the scholar tasks

41. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Epstein (1987/1992) Typology of parental involvement 4. Involvement in learning activities at home - examples: • Give information to the family about the skills / learning required the student each year • Give information to the family about how to supervise and support young students in the work and study • Provide advice on the help that parents can give to child needs / specific learning difficulties • Provide guidance to the family about how to create a stimulating and challenging learning environment

42. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Epstein (1987/1992) Typology of parental involvement 4.1. Involvement in learning activities at home: challenges • Develop and implement homework involving interaction with parents and family discussion, about important issues that students learn in school • Involve all families, even those whose parents have low skills, in learning activities at home

43. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Epstein (1987/1992) Typology of parental involvement 5. Decision-making • Involve parents in school decisions • Encourage parents to participate in parent associations and other groups that make decisions about the management of the school. • Engaging parents in concrete actions for school improvement,. • Encourage parents to press for reform and improve education in schools

44. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Epstein (1987/1992) Typology of parental involvement 5.1. Decisionmaking: examples • Parents association in School (If the school does not have PA, how can the school help to its creation? If the school has PA, how can help it to make it more dynamic and work in partnership with other school structures? ) • Focus groups, that encourage the parents involvement in solving school problems (eg, violence in playgrounds, lack of resources, ...)

45. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Epstein (1987/1992) Typology of parental involvement 5.1. Decision Making: Challenges • Involve representatives of parents of all ethnic, socio-economic and other groups that exists in school • Foster parents in developing skills of participation and leadership • Include students with parents in decision-making • Promote a climate of partnership and sharing that enables the achievement of common objectives (and not a climate of struggle for power and control of the school)

46. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Epstein (1987/1992) Typology of parental involvement 6. Collaboration with the community • The school promotes the sharing of responsibilities and resources with the various institutions and organizations in the community (city council, parish council, companies, recreational and cultural groups, health services, government, ...) • Identify and utilize community resources and services that promote school improvement, learning and student development and well-being of families • Establish connections to the school, families and students contribute to the community

47. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Epstein (1987/1992) Typology of parental involvement 6.1. Collaboration with the community: examples • Inform families of the existence of community resources: programs of leisure activities for children, health services, social services ... • Develop assistance programs provided by the school (example, conducting activities for 3rd age) • Promoting integration and transition of students to other educational institutions or work

48. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL Epstein (1987/1992) Typology of parental involvement 6.1. Collaboration with the community: challenges • Inform families of the existence of youth community programs • Ensuring equal opportunities in access to services and programs • Solve the budgetary deficits; logistics; and of human resources, ...

49. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL The role of the Form Tutor in promotingparental involvement in school “Diagnosis Exercise” of individual practices • Communication professor-family • Support for parents so that they are facilitators of learning the child

50. INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOL The tutor form role in promoting parental involvement in school 1. Communication professor-family • Collective meeting with parents • Individual meeting with parents • Other forms of communication