Parents’ Role in Preparing Students for the Future

1. Parents’ Role in Preparing Students for the Future Presented by: Caroline Allen, President Michele Morrow, President-elect

2. What is “Parent Involvement”?

3. The 3 Essential Components: • Family involvement occurs in all the contexts where children and youth live and learn and should be part of a broader complementary learning approach.

4. The 3 Essential Components: 2. Family involvement matters from birth through adolescence but changes as children mature.

5. The 3 Essential Components: • Family involvement must be co-constructed and characterized by mutual responsibility among families, schools, and other institutions and stakeholders. Source: Harvard Family Research Project’s series, Family Involvement Makes a Difference”

6. Working together • Families and schools, but what about the business community? • Impact • Determine parents’ schedule flexibility • Time off • Help families find creative strategies for involvement even in the face of difficult work schedules

7. Working together • Trust • Shared values • Continuous communication • Mutual respect • Attention to all parties’ needs and expertise = greater benefit to children

8. Working together “Family and community engagement is often seen as an add-on. There hasn’t been a whole-hearted acceptance of the fact that family involvement is a strategy that must be seen as part of the instruction core and not something that is separate.” Karen Mapp, Harvard Graduate School of Education

9. Working Together Pennsylvania Parent Information and Research Center +

10. Data Driven results • There is a positive and convincing relationship between family involvement and student success, regardless of race/ethnicity, class, or parents’ level of education. A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement, Anne T. Henderson and Karen L. Mapp

11. Finding 1: • Involvement programs that link to learning improve student achievement. • Family nights on math or literacy. • Family-teacher conferences that involve students. • Family workshops on planning for college.

12. Finding 2: • Speaking up for children protects and promotes their success. • Become knowledgeable about the operations of schools and the laws that govern those operations. • Be confident about their ability to work with schools. • Expect only the best from their children and for their children. • Join PTA.

13. Finding 3: • All families can contribute to their children’s success. • Teaching their children the importance of education. • Finding out what their children are expected to know and to be able to do and reinforcing lessons at home. • Sending their children to school ready to learn every day.

14. Principals and teachers must support parent involvement by • Making parent involvement a priority. • Recognizing and removing barriers to parent involvement. • Sharing decision-making power with parents and community members. • Working to understand class and cultural differences.

15. Finding 4: • Community organizing gets results. • Provide expanded learning opportunities. • Build broad-based support for increased school funding. • Provide quality after-school programs.

16. PTA National Standards for Family-School Partnerships

17. Standard 1: • Welcoming all families into the school community—Families are active participants in the life of the school, and feel welcomed, valued, and connected to each other, to school staff, and to what students are learning and doing in class.

18. Standard 2: • Communicating effectively—Families and school staff engage in regular, two-way, meaningful communication about student learning.

19. Standard 3: • Supporting student success—Families and school staff continuously collaborate to support students’ learning and healthy development both at home and at school, and have regular opportunities to strengthen their knowledge and skills to do so effectively.

20. Standard 4: • Speaking up for every child—Families are empowered to be advocates for their own and other children, to ensure that students are treated fairly and have access to learning opportunities that will support their success.

21. Standard 5: • Sharing power—Families and school staff are equal partners in decisions that affect children and families and together inform, influence, and create policies, practices, and programs.

22. Standard 6: • Collaborating with community—Families and school staff collaborate with community members to connect students, families, and staff to expanded learning opportunities, community services, and civic participation.

23. Early Childhood • Parents as Teachers (PAT) • an international early childhood parent education and family support program serving families throughout pregnancy until their child enters kindergarten, usually age 5.

24. 4 Components of PAT • Home visitation • Group meetings • Developmental screenings • Resource and referral the program

25. Results • Increases parent knowledge of early childhood development and improve parenting practices • Provides early detection of developmental delays and health issues • Prevents child abuse and neglect • Increases children's school readiness and school success

26. Transition to Kindergarten • Best practices • Sending letters home • Inviting families to an open house • Teachers conducting home visits

27. Results • Improved academic achievement • Especially helpful for low-income children • Increased parent-initiated involvement

28. Elementary School • Examples of best practices • Host a “Welcome School Walk Through” • Give families tools to support their children’s learning. • Create a family resource room. • Implement 2 family involvement activities each quarter. • Exhibit student work throughout the school and community. • Use surveys, visits and conversations to find out what parents’ goals are for their children

29. Middle School Greatest impact of student achievement: • High expectations for student success • Discussing plans for future education • Helping students prepare for college • Monitoring progress • Knowledge of courses and classes • Knowledge of social issues

30. High School • Academic rigor for all students • Shared standards for rigor in all courses. • Uniform course content and teaching quality are monitored and supported. • All students are offered college prep and AP classes, plus tech/career courses with academic content. • Every student’s progress is closely monitored.

31. High School Network of Timely Supports • An adult mentor is available to every student. • Advisories inform students and families how to reach academic and career goals. • Academic and technical courses coordinated with higher education requirements • Timely, short-term interventions allow students to catch up quickly. • Many strategies offered to improve students’ test-taking skills.

32. High School Culture of College Access • All students/families exposed to college • Parents involved in planning and supporting goal of attending college • Information on required test/courses, aid, admissions, and colleges given in 9th grade. • Community members, graduates, and college reps show students/families value of college. • “College office” gives information, pplication help, and college counseling.

33. High School Effective Use of Data • Staff track 4-5 year graduation rates, percent applying/attending college • PSAT and SAT/ACT test-taking rates monitored. • High school GPA/GED scores and test scores analyzed • Data on financial aid and test scores are received by all students. • School keeps track of graduates’ experiences and retention rates in colleges.

34. High School Parents = Key Partners • 9th grade summer bridge program welcomes whole family, sets goal of 4 year college • Advisory system/adult mentor main contact for families to monitor progress • Data shown on what’s needed for college • Exhibits of student work, window on classroom • Parent nights, workshops, and assistance with financial aid applications • College fairs and trips to colleges Source: Anne Henderson, “Beating the Odds: Involving Families in College Pathway Programs”

35. Fact 1: Students with involved parents do better in school • Earn higher grades and test scores • Better attitudes, behavior an attendance • Graduate and enter post-secondary education Source: The Children’s Aid Society

36. Fact 2: Parent Involvement is actually a better predictor of academic success than standardized test scores. • Better for students • Better for parents • Better for teachers Source: The Children’s Aid Society

37. Fact 3: Parent Involvement is defined as “any of a variety of activities that allow parents to participate in the educational process at home or in the school.” • School/parent dialogue, volunteering and advocacy efforts • At home, it is captured in a “family process”, any behaviors, activities or attitudes on the part of parents that support children’s learning. Source: The Children’s Aid Society

38. Fact 4: Degrees and types of favorable parent involvement vary widely, but all work to support positive student outcomes. Source: The Children’s Aid Society

39. Fact 5: Parental involvement declines with the age of students. Source: The Children’s Aid Society

40. Fact 6: Socioeconomic status affects parent involvement. Source: The Children’s Aid Society

41. Fact 7: Teachers and schools can overcome barriers to parent involvement by reaching out and building trusting relationships. Source: The Children’s Aid Society

42. Conclusion? Parents Matter!

43. Resources • Pennsylvania Parent Information and Resource Center: • www.center-school.org/pa-pirc • Beyond the Bake Sale; The Essential Guide to Family/School Partnerships by Anne T. Henderson, Karen L. Mapp, Vivian R. Johnson, and Don Davies, ISBN: 978-1-56584-888-7 • Harvard Family Research Project: • www.hfrp.org • SEDL, www.sedl.org

44. Contact Information Pennsylvania PTA 4804 Derry St. Harrisburg, PA 17111 Phone: 717-564-8985 caroline.allen@verizon.net mmorrow@papta.org