roadmap to excellence - upper greenwood lake pta · 2016-12-15 · how to use your roadmap the...

Roadmap to Excellence

HOW TO USE YOUR ROADMAP

The Roadmap to Excellence is a planning and consensus-building tool to support you as you take the nextsteps to build and lead your School of Excellence team, strengthen family-school partnerships and make asubstantial, positive impact on your school community in the focus area you have selected.

Just like your school, this Roadmap is unique. It has been created using the answers provided in yourFamily- School Partnership Scan. The suggestions that follow have been customized specifically to helpyour PTA reach the goal of becoming a National PTA School of Excellence.

On the following pages, you will find:

o PTA's Role in Strengthening Family-School Partnerships and About the National PTA School ofExcellence Program. These introductory sections will refresh your memory about the importance offamily-school partnerships and help you to develop a deeper understanding of the School ofExcellence program and its goals. Throughout the year, the information in these sections and in your Getting Started Guide Getting Started Guide can be used to brief new partners and team members, parent and schoolleaders, and your general PTA membership.

o Steps to a Stronger Family-School Partnership. This section includes your customizedrecommendations improving your family-school partnership. This is the core of the School ofExcellence program. To foster your success, we have provided concrete steps that will move yourPTA to the next level in each of these areas. Simply take these steps, and you will be on your way!

o A Family-School Partnership Focused on a Shared Objective. This section provides a briefoverview shared objective your school selected to be its focus for the year. While the primary goal ofthe School of Excellence program is to enhance family-school partnerships, the program objectiveprovides your PTA and school with a real-world focus for your efforts, in the form of a commonproblem to address. This section also lists specific resources offered by National PTA and itspartners to support you as you identify and implement effective solutions.

o Take Action Toward Excellence. The final section of this Roadmap points to general tips and toolsavailable at www.pta.org/excellencetools to help you successfully build and lead your team, developan action plan and promote your progress. Finally, it describes how to complete the final NationalPTA School of Excellence application at the end of the school year.

This document is just the beginning. You will continue to hear from the National PTA School of Excellenceteam throughout the year with information, resources and support. Additional planning andimplementation tools can be found on the School of Excellence area of the National PTA website: www.pta.org/excellencetoolswww.pta.org/excellencetools. And as always, help is only a phone call or email away: [email protected] or call 800-307-4PTA.


PTA'S ROLE IN STRENGTHENING FAMILY-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS

Nurturing family-school partnerships is the core of the National PTA School of Excellence program.Research shows that family engagement supports student success. PTA's National Standards forFamily-School Partnerships were developed with national experts and reflect the research about howparents, schools and communities can work together to support student achievement. They include thefollowing:

• Standard 1-Welcoming All Families Into the School Community.Families are active participantsin the life of the school and feel welcomed, valued and connected to each other, to school staff andto 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 tosupport students' learning and healthy development both at home and at school, and they haveregular 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 ownand other children, to ensure that students are treated fairly and have access to learningopportunities that will support their success.

• Standard 5-Sharing Power.Families and school staff are equal partners in decisions that affectchildren and families and together inform, influence and create policies, practices and programs.

• Standard 6-Collaborating With Community.Families and school staff collaborate with communitymembers to connect students, families and staff to expanded learning opportunities, communityservices and civic participation.

For more information about PTA's National Standards for Family-School Partnerships, access your GettingStarted Guide at https://images.magnetmail.net/NationalPTASchoolofExcellenceGettingStartedGuide.pdf or visit the National PTA website: www.pta.org/familyengagement


ABOUT THE NATIONAL PTA SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE PROGRAM

National PTA's School of Excellence programsupports and celebrates partnerships betweenPTA and schools to enrich the educationalexperience and overall well-being for allstudents. Whether you are looking to step upyour PTA's involvement in schoolimprovements or to celebrate youralready-effective PTA- school partnership, theSchool of Excellence program offers turn-keytools to help you to make a substantial,positive impact on school and student success,and to earn recognition for your PTA andschool.

Program Goals

National PTA's goal for the School of Excellence program is to enrich the educational experience andoverall well-being of students by forming family-school partnerships that leverage community resourcesto strengthen family engagement and contribute to continuous school improvement.

By participating in this program and applying the National Standards for Family-School Partnerships to aspecific problem identified by your school community, your PTA will realize the following benefits:

o Help make your school a more welcoming place for families. o Empower families to be part of school decision-making. o Demonstrate to school leaders that PTA is a key partner for continuous school improvements. o Receive recognition in your community, at the state level and nationwide for engaging familiesin a way that makes a substantial, positive impact on your school and student success.

Final Steps on the Path to Excellence

Now that you've completed the family-school partnership scan, you will take action using this Roadmap toExcellence as your guide. Work with your School of Excellence team to improve the family-schoolpartnerships at your school and make progress toward your selected goal. Then prepare to submit the finalapplication:

o Resend the family survey and school principal questionnaire. o Collect survey results and analyze your progress. o Write a summary of your efforts to improve family-school partnerships and work toward yourselected goal. Include any results. o Complete the School of Excellence Application at www.PTA.org/Excellencetools or by phone(800) 307-4PTA by June 1, 2017.

The final application mirrors the family-school partnership scan. It contains the same questions from theschool principal and family survey. The score from this section will determine whether you become aSchool of Excellence.


To qualify for the Phoebe Apperson Hearst Award,which includes a $2,000 grant, we will ask you tosummarize the efforts of your family- schoolpartnerships and progress made toward yourselected goal. This is the summary we suggested inthe third bullet on the previous page.

During the summer, National PTA volunteers willreview all applications. In mid-August, you will benotified whether you have been selected to be aNational PTA School of Excellence.

PTA's achieving School of Excellence status willreceive tools and assistance to help you celebrate your success and announce this honor to your localcommunity. Schools that do not qualify for the National PTA School of Excellence designation will receivea National PTA Certificate of Merit and a new Roadmap to Excellence to help them continue to pursueexcellence during the following school year.

How National PTA Supports You

Support from National PTA does not end with the information in the Roadmap to Excellence. Throughoutthe year, as you implement strategies to enhance your family-school partnership, you can expect NationalPTA to provide the following:

o Programs and Grants. National PTA leverages its extensive network of partners to offer anumber of sponsored programs and grant opportunities throughout the year. Turn-key programtools and grants can be used to enhance your PTA's efforts to increase family engagement, ensurestudents' health and safety or support arts in education. Examples include the following:

o Take Your Family to School Week o Healthy Lifestyles: Energy Balance 101 o Family Reading Experience o Urban Family Engagement Network

Learn more about grant programs at www.PTA.org/programs. New grant opportunities will be announcedat www.PTA.org/awards.

o Training: In the fall, National PTA will offer a webinar series on the National Standards forFamily-School Partnerships. These webinars will be promoted and archived on www.PTA.org/excellencetoolswww.PTA.org/excellencetools, so you can find just the information you need to support your goals,when you need it. Additional training opportunities are promoted at www.PTA.org/training.

o Resources: Throughout the year, the School of Excellence team at National PTA will continue tosend timely emails with information and reminders about the School of Excellence program, tipsregarding the National Standards for Family-School Partnerships, promising practices to inspire you,and links to resources that support your goals for school improvement.

o www.PTA.org/excellencetools : On this page developed just for PTAs on the path to excellence,you will find tools and templates including resources to help you plan (e.g., sample action plan,budget planning worksheet), implement (resource request letter, program announcement, event


budget planning worksheet), implement (resource request letter, program announcement, eventregistration sheet), and wrap up (evaluation tools, thank you letters) strategies to achieve your goals.

o Technical Assistance: At any time, you can email [email protected] or call 800-307-4PTA foranswers to your questions about the program. We will connect you with a State or Nationalvolunteer leaders who can brainstorm, problem solve and celebrate with you.

How New Jersey PTA Supports You

New Jersey PTA (NJPTA) is here to support your Local PTA as you work toward enhancing yourfamily-school partnership and making a substantial, positive impact on your school through the NationalPTA School of Excellence program.

GAPTA supports Local PTAs through our:

• Programs and Grants. NJPTA coordinates local, state and national PTA programs to help families andeducators make positive changes at their schools. NJPTA also offers awards programs and grantopportunities to recognize and enrich the work of Local PTAs in the areas of family-school partnerships,family engagement, healthy school environments, arts programs, and membership development.

• Training. NJPTA knows that well-trained and informed PTA leaders are more likely to be successful inachieving school improvement goals. We convene thousands of parents, caregivers and educators eachyear for a variety of networking and leadership development opportunities.

• Resources. NJPTA’s website offers tools and resources to help Local PTAs, families, educators and youthwho are committed to nurturing family-school partnerships and supporting student success. Receivehelpful materials throughout the year by subscribing to our newsletter at www.njpta.org.

• Technical Assistance. Targeted local assistance can be customized to meet the needs of specific schoolcommunities.

The best way to stay informed about NJPTA’s latest programs, training events, and resources is to makesure your local PTA officer has entered your name and email into the NJPTA database. You contact usdirectly at www.njpta.org, [email protected] or at 609.587.0100.


STEPS TO A STRONGER FAMILY-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP

The primary objective of the National PTA School of Excellence program is to help PTAs and schoolsstrengthen family-school partnerships to benefit all students' academic success and general well-being.Your progress toward this objective is what will be assessed through the final National PTA School ofExcellence Application, submitted at the end of the school year.

National PTA offers the following customized recommendations to help your school move its family-schoolpartnership to the next level. Each recommendation is based on your answers to the Family-SchoolPartnership Scan.

Your next step is to review these recommendations with your school leaders and School of Excellenceteam and determine what you can work on first. Try to make progress by focusing on two to threerecommendations per National Standard for Family-School Partnerships. Your focused attention to makingsubstantial progress in a few areas per National Standard will help you to achieve the National PTA School.

If you have questions about these recommendations, email [email protected] or call us at800-307-4PTA. Your success is ours. We want to help.

Welcoming AllFamilies

National PTA's Recommendations

1. Our school has friendlysigns inside and outsideto welcome families andvisitors in the multiplelanguages they speak.

You said, "Unknown." This is an opportunity for improvement! Familiesfeel more welcome when they see friendly signs directing them tolocations throughout the school building. Take the first step: Take aninventory of all signs in your school entrance and parking areas thatdirect parents and visitors entering the school. Then, work with yourschool administration and membership committee to translate keysigns into the languages commonly spoken by families in the school.Make sure the need for school safety is balanced with family-friendlylanguage by rephrasing any messages that sound terse or intimidating.These steps will help ensure your school is welcoming from the outsidein!

2. Our school and PTAtranslatecommunications into theschool's major languages.

You said, "Unknown." It is important to know! Here's why: You wantfamilies from diverse backgrounds engaged in all school activities. Inorder to achieve this, it is important to keep all families informed aboutissues and events occurring at the school. If your school is nottranslating this information into families' native languages, you may bemissing a great opportunity for effective communication betweenschool and home. Take the first step: Work with your parent liaison,school secretary or parent advisory committee to review currentcommunication practices at your school. You may need to advocate fora more deliberate communication plan to reach all school families.

You said, "Always." Excellent---keep it up! Take it to the next level: The


3. Families feel encouragedto volunteer.

You said, "Always." Excellent---keep it up! Take it to the next level: Theschool building is easy for visitors to navigate when family-friendly signsin multiple languages welcome them. This can include welcome boardsoutside the main or guidance offices as well as marquee signs orstreaming digital marquees that are used to keep families and thecommunity informed about what is going on at the school. Use some ofthese boards to convey the same message in multiple languages. Makeit a common practice to have translated materials and bilingual signsand bulletin boards throughout the building

4. Families feel our school'spolicies and programsreflect, respect, andvalue the diversity in ourschool community.


5. Families feel they aretreated fairly regardlessof age, gender, race, orcultural background.


CommunicatingEffectively


1. Our school and PTAcommunicate withfamilies in multiple ways(e.g., email, phone, website).

You said, "Always." Excellent---keep it up! Take it to the next level:Communicating with families in multiple ways is an important strategyfor today's schools and PTAs. These days, it is easier than ever forfamilies, the community and school staff to stay in nearly constantcontact, both formally and informally. Jump start or expand your PTA'suse of social media---including Facebook, Twitter and textmessages---to engage families in your school community. Considerthese tips from National PTA about using social media effectively:http://goo.gl/ViWjlk

You said, "Unknown." It is important to know! Here's why: Can you


2. Our school providesinterpreters for allmeetings and events,when needed.

You said, "Unknown." It is important to know! Here's why: Can youimagine attending a meeting or event and not knowing what is beingsaid? Families who do not speak English well struggle with this everyday, and they may not be attending PTA activities as a result. Take thefirst step: Make it a priority to have interpreters available for families atall meetings and events. Review your volunteer pool for parents whomight be qualified to serve as interpreters. You also may requestinterpreting services and equipment from your school district.

3. Our school providescontinuous staffdevelopment regardingeffective communicationtechniques and theimportance of regular,two-way communicationbetween the school andfamily.

You said, "Frequently." Great job! Take it to the next level: Schoolcommunication practices are fundamental when involving families inthe education process. Plan a train-the-trainer session with parentsduring a PTA meeting that focuses on communication between homeand school. Invite staff to attend or help facilitate. Use this opportunityto help both parents and staff understand best practices of two-waycommunication. Consider incorporating information from PTA'sposition statement on teacher preparation and staff development:http://goo.gl/f5NE6m. Then, work with the school administration toestablish a policy that promotes positive phone calls to families. Havingeach teacher call families with positive messages, before childrenexperience problems, helps build trusting, respectful relationshipsbetween teachers and families.

4. Families feel they havetwo-way conversationswith school staff aboutstudent strengths, areasfor improvement,learning styles, progress,and other concernsabout the child.


5. Families feel schoolsprovide informationabout student progress,including report cardsthat help themunderstand how they cansupport their children'slearning.


SupportStudent Success



1. Our school involvesparents in planning fortransitions to elementaryschool, middle school,high school, orpost-secondaryeducation or careers.

You said, "Frequently." Great job! Take it to the next level: Transitionplanning can go beyond visiting the neighboring school or providingorientations for new parents and students. Develop partnerships withlocal businesses to expand opportunities for career exploration andpreparation. Plan a career fair at your school, and invite individualsfrom many different occupations. Allow time for older students to visitstations and learn about the education paths that individuals took to besuccessful in specific careers. For younger children, invite professionalsto visit individual classrooms to discuss career options.

2. Our school provides arange of options andchoices for a wide arrayof extracurricularactivities that reflectstudent interests, goals,and learning.

You said, "Sometimes." Good start---but there is room forimprovement! Take an opportunity to educate parents about howparticipating in extracurricular activities supports student success.Consider adding a section called "Did You Know?" to your PTAnewsletter or website. Use this space to highlight the extracurricularactivities offered at your school. This also could be an opportunity foryou to advocate for additional options.

3. Our school usesadequate technology tomeet the needs of 21stcentury learners.

You said,"Sometimes." Good start---but there is room forimprovement! Technology is everywhere in our society, and studentsare eager to use it in the classroom. In most cases, students are moreengaged when technology is used to support learning. Request a list ofthe technology available at your school. If your school does not havesmartboards in all classrooms, enough calculators, Elmo projectors oradequate software, communicate these needs to parents and considerfocusing your PTA's annual fundraising efforts on addressing them. Youalso can look for grants to help you fund technology upgrades.

4. Our school sharesstudent achievementdata with families inways that solicit theirideas about how toimprove achievement.

You said, "Frequently." Great job! Take it to the next level: In this eraof accountability, schools are placing a high priority on studentachievement, and parents and teachers are encouraged to worktogether to support learning. Invite family members to Data Nights,where families and teachers participate in workshops cosponsored byyour PTA and school to learn how standardized test results can be usedto improve student learning. Data Nights can be held in a town hallformat or in roundtable discussions based on grade levels or subjectareas. Schools can solicit ideas from parents to improve achievementand provide parents with strategies for working with their children athome in specific content areas. Host a workshop to help familiesunderstand student success. Here is a guide to get you started onplanning this event. http://goo.gl/uGWmlN

You said, "Frequently." Great job! Take it to the next level: Students


5. Our school includesstudents inparent-teacherconferences as activeparticipants indiscussions ofexpectations and workquality.

You said, "Frequently." Great job! Take it to the next level: Studentsattending parent-teacher conferences is fantastic. Do the students havean active role in this meeting? Your school can take it to the next levelby requiring students to participate and even take the lead. Work withyour school principal to develop a policy and procedures for student-ledconferences. Teachers can meet first with students individually todiscuss their current performance in the classroom and on state tests.During this discussion, the student chooses an area of focus for theparent conference. Allow students to reflect on their performance andhave the student identify a goal for improvement. Together, the teacherand parent can then identify strategies that will help the student reachhis or her goals. This process demonstrates to the student a truepartnership between home and school. Make sure that areas ofstrength are discussed, in addition to areas for improvement. Providethis information from ASCD about student-led conferences to yourprincipal: http://goo.gl/VQ3cuy

6. Families feel theyunderstand the academicstandards their child isexpected to meet andhow the curriculum islinked to those standards.

You said, "Always." Excellent---keep it up! Transition planning can gobeyond visiting the neighboring school or providing orientations fornew parents and students. Develop partnerships with local businessesto expand opportunities for career exploration and preparation. Plan acareer fair at your school, and invite individuals from many differentoccupations. Allow time for older students to visit stations and learnabout the education paths that individuals took to be successful inspecific careers. For younger children, invite professionals to visitindividual classrooms to discuss career options.

Speaking Up forEvery Child


1. Our school informsfamilies of the processand/or procedures toraise concerns andresolve problems (e.g.workshops, web-basedmaterials, schoolhandbook).

You said, "Always." Excellent---keep it up! Take it to the next level:PTA should provide many opportunities to speak up for every child. Itsounds as if your school already has clear, written procedures forresolving problems, and parents understand the protocol for addressingconcerns. As a next step, suggest that your school improvement team,parent advisory council or school leadership team implement an "issuebin." This might be a physical mailbox in the main hallway entranceand/or a link on the school website where parents can submit issues,concerns, ideas and suggestions to be discussed at school leadershipmeetings. Make sure that items placed in the issue bin are addressedpromptly, so parents know that their concerns are taken seriously.

You said, "Frequently." Great job! Take it to the next level:


2. Our PTA fuels parentparticipation on schooldistrict, state, andnational committees thatfocus on education issues.

You said, "Frequently." Great job! Take it to the next level:Empowering families to speak up for every child is PTA's mission.Consider what issues or concerns your PTA can advocate for on thestate or federal level. You could encourage your PTA members to begina letter-writing campaign on issues that affect children in your state,such as funding for education or arts in education. Check to see whatissues are currently on your State PTA's policy agenda.

3. Families feel our schooltreats their concernswith respect anddemonstrates a genuineinterest in developingsolutions.


4. Families feel our schoolor PTA providesopportunities to developrelationships and raiseconcerns with schooldistrict leaders, publicofficials, and businessand community leaders.


5. Families feel PTApromotes opportunitiesto empower parents toadvocate for the successof their own child andother children in ourschool.


You said, "Always." Excellent---keep it up! Take it to the next level:


6. Families feel the schoolprovides information andopportunities to beinformed of their rightsand responsibilitiesunder federal and statelaws.


Sharing Power National PTA's Recommendations1. Our school includes

parents with equalrepresentation ondecision making andadvisory committees orcouncils.

You said, "Always." Excellent---keep it up! Family-school partnershipsrequire sharing power. At your school, families and school staff areequal partners in decisions that affect children. Take it to the next level:Work with your school administration to make sure that the parentswho serve on your parent advisory council, school improvement teamor parent advisory council represent the racial, ethnic andsocioeconomic diversity of your community.

2. Our school establishespolicies that recognizeand respect families'cultural, ethnic, religious,and socioeconomicdiversity.

You said, "Frequently." Great job! When the school and families fromall backgrounds assume collective responsibility for identifying andbreaking down barriers to family engagement related to race, ethnicity,class, family structure, religion and physical and mental ability, theentire school community wins. Take it to the next level: If your PTA doesnot have a diversity committee, work to establish one. Advertise theopportunity to serve on this committee to all parents. This committeecan act as a liaison between the school and families regarding policyconcerns or new policy development.

3. Families feel they arecollaborative partnersthat share in the decisionmaking for areas such aspolicy, curricula, budget,school reform, safety,and personnel.

You said, "Sometimes." Good start---but there is room forimprovement! Work to strengthen the family voice in shared decisionmaking at your school. Your goal should be to have families participatingas full partners in making decisions that affect the children at yourschool and in your community. Whenever a change is proposed, notifyparents and solicit their feedback. Consider hosting a dialogue betweenfamilies and school personnel about current issues and policies.

4. Families feel they haveinput in the developmentof our schoolimprovement plan.

You said, "Always." Excellent---keep it up! Family-school partnershipsrequire sharing power. At your school, families and school staff areequal partners in decisions that affect children. Take it to the next level:Work with your school administration to make sure that the parentswho serve on your parent advisory council, school improvement team


who serve on your parent advisory council, school improvement teamor parent advisory council represent the racial, ethnic andsocioeconomic diversity of your community.

CollaboratingwithCommunity


1. Our school and/or PTAdistributes informationon community resourcesthat serve the cultural,recreational, academic,health, social, and otherneeds of families withinthe community.

You said, "Always." Excellent---keep it up! Take it to the next level:Work with your school to create a comfortable, inviting family resourcecenter or room. In this center, provide information about communityresources and work with your school guidance counselor or socialworker to help connect families with the resources they need.

2. Our PTA has partnershipswith local businesses,communityorganizations, andservice groups toadvance studentlearning, or assist theschool or families.

You said, "Frequently." Great job! Your school has established somepartnerships within your community to advance student learning. Takeit to the next level: Work with your partners to assess school needs.Brainstorm with them how they can help develop programs to supportstudent success and/or find creative ways to provide additional fundingfor programs or trainings at your school.

3. Our PTA involvescommunity members inschool volunteerprograms.


4. Our school collaborateswith community servicesand adult learningopportunities.


5. Families feel the school isa central part of theircommunity.



FOCUSING YOUR FAMILY-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP ON A SHARED OBJECTIVE

In addition to assessing the current state of family-school partnerships through the scan, your schoolcommunity selected a shared objective for the 2016-17 school year in one of three areas:

o Improving family engagement in education o Ensuring students' health and safety o Supporting arts in education

The objective you chose will provide a focus for your PTA's efforts to engage families and build a strongerfamily- school partnership. While stronger partnerships will support your progress toward this sharedobjective, the School of Excellence program's primary aim is to increase the strength of the family-schoolpartnership itself. In other words, your final School of Excellence application will be assessed on the basisof how your family-school partnership has improved during the year, rather than how much progress youhave made toward your chosen programmatic objective.

The following section provides some brief background information about the objective you selected andinformation about resources offered by National PTA and our partners to support you as you work towardmaking a substantial, positive impact on your school in this area.

Focus area: GOAL: Ensure Health & Safety of Students

Objective: To support students' emotional and mental well-being

Mental and emotional well-being is essential to overall health. Anxiety, stress, depression and impulsecontrol disorders are associated with a higher probability of risky behaviors, domestic violence, chronic andacute conditions and premature death. Early childhood experiences have lasting, measurableconsequences later in life; therefore, fostering emotional well-being from the earliest stages of life helpsbuild a foundation for overall health and well-being. Schools and PTAs can work together to provide a safeand supportive educational environment for students that fosters academic success and helps them realizetheir full potential. PTAs also can play a role in bringing communities together and linking families withresources.National PTA offers the following resources to support you:• Talking with Teens About Stress Management: National PTA and the American PsychologicalAssociation partnered to host a webinar featuring board certified clinical psychologist on the impact ofstress on teens' health and how you can model healthy stress management strategies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St3sVNpISSk• How to Tell When a Kid is Emotionally Struggling: National PTA partnered with the AmericanPsychological Association to host an important conversation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJISfSma-0w• Tips for talking with your kids when they need help: http://www.pta.org/files/Programs/Family%20Tip%20Sheet.pdf• Caring for Every Child's Mental health: This webinar, created in partnership with the National Associationof School Psychologists, provides parents with insight into how to recognize if their child needs help, alongwith how to navigate the sometimes complicated special education process.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf5sFaz18PsOur partners offer the following resources to support you:• American Psychological Association's HelpCenter. an online consumer resource featuring articles andinformation related to psychological issues affecting physical and emotional well-being. APA.org/helpcenter


• MentalHealth.gov. Website providing one-stop access to U.S. government mental health information. mentalhealth.gov• Community Conversations About Mental Health: Information Brief (SAMHSA). Toolkit designed to helpparticipants in community conversations about mental health achieve three main goals: (1) breaking downmisperceptions and promote recovery and healthy communities; (2) finding innovative community-basedsolutions to mental health needs, with a focus on helping young people; and (3) developing clear actionsteps for communities to move forward in a way that complements existing local activities.http://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content/SMA13-4763/SMA13-4763.pdf

TAKE ACTION TOWARD EXCELLENCE

With your team members, use the recommendations in this Roadmap to develop an action plan for theyear that is informed by the Family-School Partnership Scan and what you have discovered about theneeds and desires of students, family members, school leaders and the community. National PTA hascreated several resources to help your team develop effective program plans. You can find the following atwww.PTA.org/excellencetools :

o Effective Leadership Tips o Program Planning Guide and Checklist o Template Action Plan o Tips for Promoting Your Progress o Sample Budget o And more!

Complete the National PTA School of Excellence Application by June 1, 2017

Your final step during this school year will be to conduct a second Family-School Partnership Scan toevaluate your progress. As you did this fall, you will collect information from school leaders and surveyfamilies to assess the progress you have made toward the six National Standards.

Using the scan results, you will then complete the Final National PTA School of Excellence Applicationonline at www.pta.org/excellencetools or by phone at 800-307-4PTA (4782). As mentioned above, thisapplication mirrors the original Family-School Partnership Scan, with the addition of a brief narrativedescribing how your school and PTA have strengthened family-school partnerships and achieved progresstoward your selected program goal.

A team of National PTA volunteers will review applications and narratives. The review process will takeinto account the fact that PTAs and schools are starting at different levels of existing family engagementand have varying resources. This approach helps to even the playing field and ensure that all PTAs have theopportunity to participate and achieve excellence.

Schools that do not qualify for the National PTA School of Excellence designation this year will receive aNational PTA Certificate of Merit and a new Roadmap to Excellence to help them continue to pursueexcellence during the following school year. They will build on the momentum they started, and NationalPTA will provide even more support to help them overcome barriers along the way.

Schools that do meet a certain threshold or make marked improvements in strengthening theirfamily-school partnership will be notified of their School of Excellence designation by August 1, 2017. They


will receive a banner to hang prominently at their school, along with other tools to support localrecognition and acknowledgement at the state and national levels.

We look forward to supporting you and celebrating with you!


roadmap to excellence - upper greenwood lake pta · 2016-12-15 · how to use your roadmap the...

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