Parents’ Role in Preparing Students for the Future

Presented by:

Caroline Allen, President

Michele Morrow, President-elect

What is “Parent Involvement”?

The 3 Essential Components:

1. Family involvement occurs in all the contexts where children and youth live and learn and should be part of a broader complementary learning approach.

The 3 Essential Components:

2. Family involvement matters from birth through adolescence but changes as children mature.

The 3 Essential Components:

3. 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”

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

Working together

Trust Shared values Continuous communication Mutual respect Attention to all parties’ needs and

expertise= greater benefit to children

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

Working Together

Pennsylvania Parent Information and Research Center

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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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Finding 4:

Community organizing gets results. Provide expanded learning opportunities. Build broad-based support for increased

school funding. Provide quality after-school programs.

PTA National Standards for Family-School Partnerships

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.

Standard 2:

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

4 Components of PAT

1. Home visitation

2. Group meetings

3. Developmental screenings

4. Resource and referral the program

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

Transition to Kindergarten

Best practicesSending letters home Inviting families to an

open houseTeachers conducting

home visits

Results

Improved academic achievement Especially helpful for low-income children Increased parent-initiated involvement

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

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

High School

Academic rigor for all studentsShared 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.

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.

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.

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.

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”

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

Fact 2:

Parent Involvement is actually a better predictor of academic success than standardized test scores.Better for studentsBetter for parentsBetter for teachers

Source: The Children’s Aid Society

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

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

Fact 5:

Parental involvement declines with the age of students.

Source: The Children’s Aid Society

Fact 6:

Socioeconomic status affects parent involvement.

Source: The Children’s Aid Society

Fact 7:

Teachers and schools can overcome barriers to parent involvement by reaching out and building trusting relationships.

Source: The Children’s Aid Society

Conclusion?

Parents Matter!

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

Contact Information

Pennsylvania PTA

4804 Derry St.

Harrisburg, PA 17111

Phone: 717-564-8985

caroline.allen@verizon.net

mmorrow@papta.org