School Community and Collaboration

Nicholas TriceRachel DobogaKelly Shaver

Williamsburg/JCCPopulation is Growing• Current: 81,077• Population change from 2000 to 2010 

o JCC = 39.3%, Williamsburg City = 17.3%

Highly Educated Area• 93+% of persons age 25+ are high school graduates compared to 86% in Virginia

as a whole• 43-45% of persons age 25+ hold a Bachelor's degree or higher compared to 34% in

Virginia as a whole

Above Average Income     • WJCC = $69,900• Virginia = $61,400

More about Williamsburg/JCC Statistics

2.90% 5.70%14.00%

6.70%

70.70%

Williamsburg City

OtherAsianBlackHispanicWhite

3.40% 5.50%

19.40%

7.90%64.80%

Virginia

OtherAsianBlackHispanicWhite

2.50% 2.20%13.10%

4.50%

77.70%

James City County

OtherAsianBlackHispanicWhite

Academic Press

English Performance

Math Performance

Toano 91%

Berkeley 91% 88%

Pass rates

93%

Source: Virginia Department of Education Statistics and Reports: VA School Report Card

Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity

Source: Common Core of Data (CCD) Public school data 2009-2010, 2010-2011 school years

Are our schools safe?

Source: VA Department of Education Statistics and Reports: VA School Report Card

Male Female

Toano 421 424

Berkeley 448 387

Free lunch eligible 

Reduced-price lunch eligible

Toano 140 53

Berkeley 143 40

Institute of Education Sciences National Center for Education Statistics

Enrollment by Gender

Free and Reduced Lunch

Source: Common Core of Data (CCD) Public school data 2009-2010, 2010-2011 school years

Main takeaways from interviews: Collaboration

For Collaboration to Work...1. Successful collaboration is based on relationships in which individuals

are open to change. 2. Daily (or regular) collaboration yields the largest gains for teachers and

students as relationships are able to develop and needs are more deeply understood.

3. Communicate often

Obstacles to Collaboration...4. Collaboration is driven by scheduling, which is often unpredictable and

conflicting.5. Competition can be an impediment to collaboration.

Main Takeaways from Interviews: Diversity• There is a diverse selection of extracurricular activities available (band/orchestra, sports, diva

project, plays, step team, etc.)

• Nevertheless, there is a still a lack of variety in extracurricular activities focused on minorities. For example, one teacher mentioned Latino students are often left out

• Buses are available to take students home after they complete extracurricular activities, opening up participation to students who my have limited transportation

• SES diversity affects how teachers use technology because not all students have access to a computer at home

• Diversity affects instructional decisions for some teachers who go to great lengths to make sure their classroom honors different cultures. Other teachers claim not to notice diversity and say they are colorblind.

• Teachers at both schools acknowledge and accommodate the diversity of its students

• Diversity exists amongst staff and faculty members

Main Takeaways from Interviews: Parental/Family Involvement • There is a gap in family involvement. Families are either very involved or inaccessible.

• Try to reach parents through a variety of methods; email, websites, automated phone calling, mailings, etc., but understand that not everyone will or can take advantage of it.

• Families are primarily involved when there is an issue with the student.

• The families who are involved in the PTA tend to be involved in most other parent-school collaborations as well (chaperoning dances, selling concessions at games, etc.).

• Schools work hard to engage parents through social events such as Block parties and spaghetti dinners, but are not always successful.

• Technology can be a barrier to parent-teacher communication.

ProblemsOur conclusion based on the interviews we conducted with teachers, principals, and guidance counselors at Berkeley and Toano Middle Schools is that a lack of parent involvement both in the school at large and in the classroom is a major concern.

The following slides detail our research-based recommendations for increasing parent involvement. Recommendations also include in-school and community resources.

Finally, there is information on expanding collaborations beyond parent-school partnerships to community-school partnerships, and a reminder of what is required of schools by law in terms of parent inclusion.

Strategies for Effective Collaboration with Parents, Schools, and Community Members

• Consider recommendations to improve collaboration among families and school personnel

• Become knowledgeable about what your schools are required to do

• Be familiar with the six types of family involvement

• Follow a variety of tips for parents!

• Consider community relationships as resourcesAs researched by Rutgers The State University of New Jersey - Strategies for Effective Collaboration with Parents, Schools, and Community Members

6 Types of Family Involvement

Parenting - Help all families establish home environments that will support children as students• Home activities that support learning• Family support programs that assist families with health,

nutrition, and other services

Communicating - Improve school-to-home and home-to-school communications regarding school programs and student progress.• Parent teacher conferences at least once a year with follow-

ups as necessary. • Weekly or monthly folders of student work to send home• Regular usage of notes, memos, phone calls, newsletters, and

other communication

Volunteering – Recruiting and Organize parent help and support• School and classroom volunteer programs to help teachers,

administrators, and students collaborate with parents.

Learning at home – Provide families with information and ideas to help students at home with homework and other curriculum-related activities• Resources for parents to help with skill development and

practice (workbooks, internet sites, etc.)• Calendars with math, science, and reading activities for

families to do at home

Decision making – Include parents in school decisions• Establish active PTA, PTO, advisory councils, or other

parent organizations so parents can take on leadership roles and participate in educational decisions.

• Provide information on school or local elections

Collaborating with community – Identify resources and services within the community that will strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning.

As researched by Rutgers The State University of New Jersey - Strategies for Effective Collaboration with Parents, Schools, and Community Members

Tips for Parents

• Introduce yourself to your child’s teachers

• Communicate early and often

• Seek the advice of teachers and other resource personnel

• Offer to help in the classroom or on field trips

• Participate in your school’s PTA or other parent organizations

• Identify community resources that can support and enhance your child’s learning

(Rutgers, 2009)

Get Involved !!!

• Research shows a positive relationship between parent involvement and the following outcomes for students:• Higher grades• Long term academic achievement• Increases in student attendance and retention • Enhanced motivation and self esteem

• The amount of education surrounding parent involvement differs significantly between elementary and secondary teachers• “70% of elementary school teachers received some information on parent

involvement, while only 45% of secondary teachers received such information (z<.0001).”

• “The lack of training for secondary teachers may be related to their relatively lower levels of parent involvement.”

Further Information on Parent InvolvementAs researched by Broderick, P., Lazar, A., Mastrili, T., Slostad, F.

Existing Resources for Parents• Berkeley Middle School:

• PTA.

• Parents can volunteer to help teachers with administrative items.

• Parent can volunteer to come after school and mentor students.

• Guidance Counselors provide ways to contact teachers and have more open

schedules.

• Toano Middle School:

• PTA.

• Guidance Counselors provide ways to contact teachers and have more open

schedules.

Existing Resources for Parents cont.Community Resources

• Network for Latino People • Making schools accessible to parents by supporting the needs of the

Spanish-speaking population of Williamsburg.• http://nflp.cdr.org/

• Rambo Research and Consulting LLC• “Our mission is to help parents, students and adults returning to school

make the best educational plans...”• http://www.ramboresearchandconsulting.com/About-Us.html

• Commonwealth Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement • School Liaison Services to help students catch up to grade level• ESL instruction and educational planning • www.cccofva.org/refugeeresettlement.html

How to Partner with CommunitiesAs researched by Catherine M. Hands, 2010

• Although community educational values shape school decisions, the burden for establishing school-community partnerships most often falls to schools. • However, the relationship is not unidirectional.  Schools also influence communities. • To expand opportunities for students, schools must gain social capital: social relationships that provide access to resources.  Most often, schools network through existing relationships.  • To expand a social network, schools must "sell themselves" to improve their reputation in the community and be seen as a worthwhile investment.  • The returns of partnering are too numerous to list, but can be placed into several categories.  These include:  

•Material resources (books, computers, etc.)•Social support (work placements, volunteering, and mentoring)• Financial support• Increased student and family wellness and life satisfaction (through the availability of career counselors, social service representatives, etc.)

• The rewards of partnering with communities are vast and rich, but can only be gained through trusting, purposeful relationships.  

What are schools required to do?The laws and regulations behind community and parent decision making

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policies require that the community and parents be involved in the decision making process through consultation.

By law parents are to be provided substantial and meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children.

Although roles are not explicitly stated, parents should take advantage of every opportunity the law provides families to work with educators to develop a plan that promotes the social, emotional, and academic growth of students.

Parents are mentioned several times throughout the No Child Left Behind Act; however, Section 1118, Title I of the act focuses specifically on parental involvement. For more information on opportunities for parental involvement provided by law, see the following the NCLB Action Briefs page (created by the Public Education Network and the National Coalition for parent Involvement in Education)

http://www.ncpie.org/nclbaction/parent_ involvement. html

References

Broderick, P., Lazar, A., Mastrili, T., Slostad, F. (1999). Educating teachers for parent

involvement. Contemporary Education. 70 (3) 5-6. Retrieved from

http://eric.ed.gov.proxy.wm.edu/

Hands, C. M. (2010). Why collaborate? The differing reasons for secondary school educators’

establishment of school-community relationships. School Effectiveness and School

Improvement, 21 (2) 187-207. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov.proxy.wm.edu/

Public Education Network and National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education.

(2004). NCLB Action Briefs: Parental Involvement. Retrieved from

http://www.ncpie.org/nclbaction/parent_involvement.html

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. (2009). Strategies for effective collaboration

with parents, schools and community members. Retrieved from

http://sdfsc.rutgers.edu/file/Workshop%20Handouts/CH%20Effective%20Collaboratio

n%2009.pdf