family involvement parents as partners. beyond the bake sale: the essential guide to family-school...
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Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships
Anne T. Henderson, Karen L. Mapp, Vivian R. Johnson, and Don Davies
Family-School Partnerships
When schools, families and community groups work together to support learning children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more.
Core Belief #1All parents have dreams for their children
and want the best for them
Assuming that all families want the best for their children is the first step in cultivating and maintaining strong partnerships.
To support families’ dreams educators must demonstrate their belief that parents can help them achieve them
Core Belief # 2All parents have the capacity to support
their child’s learning.
Parents are more motivated to support their children’s learning when they receive clear invitations and support from teachers and other school staff to be engaged, are confident about their ability to help their children, and are clear about what they should do to support their child’s learning.
Core Belief #3Parents and school staff should be equal
partners
Parents often see school staff as the “professionals,” who have the power to assign children to their teachers, dole out discipline, make the rules, and control access to desirable programs. As a result, parents may feel that they are supposed to help their children at home and come to school only when asked.
Core Belief #4The responsibility for building partnerships
between school and home rests primarily with school staff, especially school leaders
Reaching out to parents is easier for educators than “reaching in” to teachers and other staff is for parents. The principal and teachers must take the first step, especially when parents already feel intimidated by school staff.
Barriers to Achieving the BeliefsWhen the faculty and other staff are from a
different cultural and social background than students and their families, fears and feelings that people carry may prevent them from embracing these beliefs.
What are your barriers?
Developing RelationshipsThe school feels warm and friendlyPeople are accessibleSmaller is betterHonor families by recognizing their strengths and
contributionsAdopt a partnership philosophyEmbrace our familiesListen and respond to familiesMake parent-teacher conferences family friendlyAccentuate the positiveEmbrace families’ confidenceSet ground rules for involvement
Linking to LearningAll programs at your school should help
families:Get a clear idea of what their children are
learning and doing in classPromote high standards for student workGain skills to help their children at homeUnderstand what good teaching looks likeDiscuss how to improve student progress
Examples Back- to school nights/ Adopt a theme School grounds Book Fair Family fun nights/themes Parent group meetings / workshops
What’s new? Working in the classroom Student-led conferences Homework Safety Special Education Enrichment
Classroom visits Class meetings School newsletters Curriculum nights
Addressing DifferencesRecognize and support different forms of
parent involvement.Make sure there are no “hidden rules”Recognize, learn about and affirm all cultures
in the school.Connect families’ cultures to what students
are learning.Get to know your community and identify its
assetsAddress unequal resources
Sharing PowerThe starting point for teachers and
administrators to see families as partners and not simply as clients or guests.
Make sure parents are prepared to become effective members of councils and committees
Develop effective and meaningful policies and compacts.
Title I Requirements
1 % of Title I budget allocated for parent involvement95 % goes directly to school sites
District-level and school-level policies
School-Family compacts
District PolicyGoals for 2011 / 2012Provide a series of workshops on district
initiativesProvide updates on Title I initiatives through
the district websitesParticipate in School-a-brationTranslate district policy into SpanishProvide reimbursement for background
checksRecognize outstanding commitment to school
and family partnerships