Parent Involvement in British Columbia

November 30, 2005

Presented by Steve Cardwell, School District No. 37 (Delta)

Hosted by the Ministry of Education

Part 3: Innovations in Professional GrowthPublic Education and Webcasting in BC:

October 2005 to May 2005

Introduction

Enhancing Parent Involvement in Schools

The Honourable Shirley Bond, Minister of Education and Minister Responsible for Early Learning and Literacy

Outcomes

• Outcomes for the webcast session:

Understanding Exploring Observing Engaging

The Importance of Parent Involvement

• Think – Pair – Share • One benefit of parent involvement • One challenge of parent involvement

Its about parent involvement…its about community!

Reach for Nothing LessMeaningful parent involvement

The separation of parent and school is based on a mechanical model of teaching and learning, wrong and outmoded, but still very much alive.

Comer’s work has recreated the essential elements of community in school. A central aspect is the parent and staff partnership – caring, meaningful adults – interacting on behalf of and with students to promote their development, desirable behaviour, and learning.

James Comer, Yale

Reach for Nothing LessMeaningful parent involvement

Dream a little…

Dream BIG!

Reach for Nothing LessMeaningful parent involvement

We cannot afford to sequester parents on the periphery of the educational enterprise. Parent involvement is neither a quick fix nor a luxury; it is absolutely fundamental to a healthy system of public education.

Anne Henderson

Reach for Nothing LessMeaningful parent involvement

What Research Tells UsMany forms of family and community involvement influence student achievement at all ages.

A focus on building respectful and trusting relationships is effective in creating and sustaining connections that support student achievement.

“A New Wave of Evidence” Research Synthesis by Anne Henderson and Karen Mapp

What Research Tells Us

• Activity: Say Something• Participants read an assigned

piece of text/statement. • When finished reading,

participants say something about what has been read.

Benefits of Parental Involvement to the student:

• Better attendance• Homework more likely to be completed• Better attitude towards school and improved behaviour• Improved achievement• Higher graduation rates• Greater involvement in post-secondary

Source: BCCPAC 2002

Reach for Nothing LessMeaningful parent involvement

A school learning community includes educators, students, parents, and community partners who work together to improve the school and enhance students' learning opportunities.

Joyce Epstein, DirectorCenter on School, Family, and Community Partnerships

Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore

Reach for Nothing LessMeaningful parent involvement

Volunteering

Learning at Home

PARENT INVOLVEMENT

Communicating

Collaborating with the

Community

Parenting

Decision-Making

Adapted from Epstein , J (2001). School family and community partnerships: Preparing educators and improving schools. Boulder CO: Westview Press.

6 Types of Parent Involvement

Parenting All parents want the best for their children.

Parents are the primary source of basic needs:

Physical Emotional Social Developmental

Parenting

Support for Parenting

To help parents fulfill their responsibilities

To assist schools in understanding the families in the community

Adapted from Epstein, J (2001). School family and community partnerships: Preparing educators and improving schools. Boulder CO: Westview Press.

Collaborating with the Community

Building Partnerships: Activities bring resources to the school

from the community and from the school to the community

Community services support and enhance school programs and directions

Adapted from Epstein, J (2001). School family and community partnerships: Preparing educators and improving schools. Boulder CO: Westview Press.

Parenting

Collaborating with the Community

Parenting and Collaborating with the

Community

1. Click PAUSE on your media player here.

2. Take time to discuss Parenting and Collaborating with the Community using Activity Package questions.

3. Click PLAY to resume webcast playback after discussion.

Learning at Home

Activities that involve families with their children influence achievement, decisions, and choices Developing skills Homework Goal Setting Curriculum related activities

Adapted from Epstein, J (2001). School family and community partnerships: Preparing educators and improving schools. Boulder CO: Westview Press.

Learning at Home

Learning at Home

Take time to discuss Learning at Home using Activity Package questions.

Decision-Making

• Activities that involve families as participants in decision-making of all kinds

• Parent Advisory Councils • School Planning Councils

Adapted from Epstein, J (2001). School family and community partnerships: Preparing educators and improving schools. Boulder CO: Westview Press.

Decision-Making

Decision Making

Take time to discuss Decision Making using Activity Package questions.

Volunteering

Volunteers provide support to children’s learning

Volunteer activities can occur in the school and in the community

Adapted from Epstein, J (2001). School family and community partnerships: Preparing educators and improving schools. Boulder CO: Westview Press.

Volunteering

Parent involvement and schools:

• Volunteers in schools/classrooms• Volunteers for schools/classrooms• Volunteers as members of audiencesAdapted from Epstein, J (2001). School family and community partnerships: Preparing educators and improving schools. Boulder CO: Westview

Press.

Volunteering

Volunteering

Take time to discuss Volunteering using Activity Package questions.

Communicating

Ongoing communications help educators and families understand each other in the interest of student progress

Communication is from school-to-home and home-to-school

Adapted from Epstein, J (2001). School family and community partnerships: Preparing educators and improving schools. Boulder CO: Westview Press.

Communicating

Communicating

1. Click PAUSE on your media player here.

2. Take time to discuss Communicating using Activity Package questions.

3. Click PLAY to resume webcast playback after discussion.

Volunteering

Learning at Home

PARENT INVOLVEMENT

Communicating

Collaborating with the

Community

Parenting

Decision-Making

Adapted from Epstein , J (2001). School family and community partnerships: Preparing educators and improving schools. Boulder CO: Westview Press.

6 Types of Parent Involvement

The Importance of

Parent Involvement

1. Comments from Students

2. Appreciating Parents

Parent Involvement

• Creating together• Learning together• Embedding growth and risk taking

in our culture• Being flexible, patient and

persistent• Sustaining improvement through

consistent evaluation and revision

thinkoutsidebx

h…………………

for all students

Reach for Nothing LessMeaningful parent involvement

Schools are communities of human beings bound together in an organic and continuously developing web of relationships.Joanne Quinn, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto November 2003 in IMPACT

Reach for Nothing LessMeaningful parent involvement

…and finally, remember our purpose…

Every second counts for the next generation!

Reach for Nothing LessMeaningful parent involvement

Closing Remarks:Kim Howland, President

BCCPAC

Our Thanks • Mount Boucherie Senior Secondary School,

Kelowna • Chilliwack Community Services & Chilliwack

School District • Rick Hansen, Secondary School, Abbotsford • Delta DPAC • Students from North Delta Secondary School • Victoria School District • Kim Howland President, BCCPAC

Special thanks to SD 37 (Delta)• Steve Cardwell, Delta – Host• Seaquam Secondary School