EXED 509Communication and Collaboration for Standards-based

Differentiated Instruction Jen Liz

Negative barriers Positive outcomes

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• Issues that are occurring at home stay at home unless communication is brought into the classroom.

• Having communication between parent and child involves the parent in issues that arise in the school from day to day.

When parents and teachers don’t agree with each others decisions about the child, tensions may arise.

The expectations of the child should be the same whether at home or in school.

Family Involvement is ...Any role or activity that enables participating families to have direct and meaningful input into and influence on systems, policies, programs, or practices affecting services or community life for children and families.

“Where we live should be a community, if our children all attend the same school, why shouldn’t we parents get to know each other as well? The single best predictor of our student’s success in school is the level of our parental involvement. That way our community will be more united, and we can create a better future for our children (Berkowitz & Beir, 2005).”

Parents viewed themselves as a separate part of their child’s educational world

Very few parents participated in school programs, volunteered, and took initiative to become involved

Parents were not very supported in

being involved by law makers and administrators

belong in the classroom unwelcome by school personal or

administrators incompetent with the curriculum Fear that they wouldn’t be of assistance

to their children simply didn’t know what they could do

played a role in deciding how involved families could be in their child’s education

didn’t want to spend political money on family involvement, for the fear of getting involved in the federal role of education

didn’t want to be caught in the power struggle between schools and families

School board members and superintendents began to resist any kind of federal mandate for family involvement because the federal law began what was an “alternative” political system to the power of the superintendent

How do you think parents feel about their involvement in schools today?

How do you think law makers view the importance of family involvement?

How do you think administrators and teachers view the importance of family involvement?

How do you think children feel about their family being involved?

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Creating a program that focuses on families becoming more involved in their child’s character education program.

Together teachers, parents, administrators can help students to develop socially in positive ways.

Some schools provide parents with training about social issues that children face every day. (parent workshops)

Helping parents support learning at home by teaching them strategies that relate to curriculum, and how to interpret tests.

Preparing parents to participate in school decision-making-These programs encourage parents to join school committees so that they may make decisions on curriculum policies, parent-involvement activities, the school budget, and reform initiatives.

Use of school space- Hang signs to welcome parents, turn unused classrooms into on-site family or parent centers. This room can be used to convene parent-teacher meetings, borrow books, hold workshops, or to have lunch with parents and school staff.

Parent workshops- Workshops on parenting help families learn about child development and how to support student academic learning.

Preparing parents to participate in school decision making- many programs encourage parents to join school committees to make decisions on curriculum, the school budget, and parent involvement activities.

Family Resource center- Provide parents with training for creating, implementing, and evaluating school plans

Springville Elementary School

Local Parent Involvement

Bookends Program- K-1, 2-3 Making cross curricular connections centered around a chapter book. The students read at home with the parents.

Make and Take Parent night- The parents and students make reading related games. Also the teachers give tips and suggestions for reading.

Lunch Bunch Volunteer Reading Program- Students from 1st and 2nd grade read with a volunteer 1x/week during their lunch

On the school’s webpage teachers can set up their own online communication webpage so that the parents know what is going on everyday. Teachers post assignments, give feedback, and share resources that both the students and parents can use.

Newsletters- Each grade level creates a newsletter for parents.

SES Quad- To promote physical fitness throughout the year- walking, swimming, running, tubing/snowshoeing.

Parent training- The parents come to learn about new topics.

Parent-teacher conferences

Parp- (Parents as reading partners) – This program lasts for a month. The students and parents read together each day. They report what they are reading each night by filling out a chart. They need to read for 5 hours to receive a Darien Lake ticket.

o Movie Night- The students and Parents come to the school and watch a movie.

o Invite parents to SST meetings

6th grade orientation- This program invites parents and 5th graders to come and visit the Middle school.

Classroom volunteers . Parents come in and read with the children.

Grade level activities- Geography Fair, Math Fair, Donuts with Dad, Muffins with Mom

Field days Open House- Parents and

students visit the school and look at art work created by the students

The Parent Portal provides you with 24/7 access to your child’s academic information. With a parent portal account, you may log on at any time to view information regarding your child’s progress reports, report cards and attendance.

A parent portal account provides you with a sort of one-stop shopping no matter how many children you have in the district or which buildings your children attend. The computer does all the work of correctly matching you up with your children and only your children.

PTA Events Family Movie Night Fall & Spring Picture Days Homecoming Parade Book Fair Staff Recognition Luncheon Friday Night Roller Skating Holiday Carnival PARP - Read to Ride program Zappa A Snacks Fundraiser Transportation Recognition

Breakfast PTA Family Picnic 5th Grade Moving Up

Ceremony

Pinehurst Elementary

Wednesday Folders- This is a weekly communication lob between the parents and teachers. The parents have to sign off on it every week. This is also a place where the PTA posts information about ways that parents and families can get involved.

Parent teacher conferences Grades k-2 have parents as

partners reading program. This is where several times a week different parent comes in and share books with the class. The parent will read the book and sometimes have an activity that goes with it.

Classroom volunteers. Parents come in and read with the children. This occurs mostly in the k-2 setting.

On the school’s webpage teachers can set up their own online communication webpage so that the parents know what is going on everyday. Teachers post assignments, give feedback, and share resources that both the students and parents can use.

The school district has a family center. This is a service offered to families who live in the school district. Counseling is provided by Frontier Staff to families that are experiencing changes with family life. This also has services for academic counseling, social, and community problems.

 

The school district runs a drug and alcohol parent forum. This is a 90 minute program that addressed recognition of drugs, signs, and symptoms of abuse, health risks associated with the abuse and gives resources to parents on how to deal with this situation. In the middle and high school this Forum is mandatory for students to participate in any special event.

The school district provides a resource called “connect with kids” series. This series features real kids, true stories, experts and educators' a way to help parents and kids start a conversation about tough topics kids face every day.

PTA Book fairs 2xs a year

Assisting with field trips Family book night. This is

done two times a year, where parents and their children come in with a book, break up in groups and share with each other.

Field day

For each of the following scenarios, define the barrier (Communication, lack of resources, training/Information) for each specific case. Using your own experiences and what you have learned about successful family involvement, describe what could have been done to resolve the problem. 

Family Involvement Activity

Mrs. Edwards is having her students each brings in an item for a Father’s day project. The students have been bringing in the items for over a week, and each day Lilly walks into the classroom empty handed. Everyday Mrs. Edwards says, “Lilly, you must remember to bring in the candy, otherwise we won’t be able to complete the project?” Lilly replies, “Yeah, I will tomorrow.” It’s the last day to bring in the items and Lilly walks in empty handed. Mrs. Edwards waits until Lilly is alone and asks, “Why haven’t you brought in your supplies?” Lilly looks down at the floor as she whispers, “My mom doesn’t have the money to spend on the candy.”

Mr. Jones is having his students work on a variety of Christmas activities, one of which is preparing for a Christmas Play. Mr. Jones has noticed that in the past couple of weeks, Andrea has been getting pulled out of school by her parents. She is missing instruction including the practicing for the play. Mr. Jones has noticed that she hasn’t been rehearsing and memorizing her lines at home. When Mr. Jones asks her why she doesn’t know her lines, she says to him,” My family doesn’t celebrate Christmas.”

Miss Jacobs is an 8th grade math teacher. She has recently become concerned with one of her students, Kayla. Kayla is a well behaved student, who does average work. She noticed that she is struggling in math and is on the verge of failing. Miss Jacobs doesn’t understand why she can get her assignments done in class, but whenever she takes home homework it comes back incomplete. Miss Jacobs decides to write a note home to Kayla’s mom. The note comes back and written on it says, I am not able to help Kayla because I don’t know How to do the math.