leveraging back to school to inform parents about college- and career-ready standards
DESCRIPTION
Leveraging Back to School to Inform Parents about College- and Career-Ready Standards Thursday, September 18 2:00-3:00 p.m. EST. Agenda. Welcome and overview of goals for today’s webinar About Achieve Share out reporting trends on parents and the CCSS - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Leveraging Back to School to Inform Parents about
College- and Career-Ready Standards
Thursday, September 182:00-3:00 p.m. EST
2
Agenda
Welcome and overview of goals for today’s webinar
About Achieve
Share out reporting trends on parents and the CCSS
Overview of the latest research on what parents are really saying with Michael Gilligan, Achieve’s Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Alex Bratty, Partner with Public Opinion Strategies
State-based advocates Erin Hart and Christie Silverstein representing the Arizona Aims Higher Coalition will share tips they’ve learned on communicating with parents
Jared Myracle, with Gibson County Special School District in Tennessee, will lend his perspective as a district-leader via video
Highlight resources
Q&A
Brief survey
3
About Achieve
Achieve is strongly committed to ensuring all students graduate from high school “college and career ready” or, in other words, fully prepared academically for any and all opportunities they choose to pursue.
Achieve is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit education reform organization dedicated to working with states to raise academic standards and graduation requirements, improve assessments, and strengthen accountability and public reporting systems.
Since 2005, Achieve has worked with a cross-sector of state leaders to improve postsecondary preparation by aligning key policies with the demands of the real world.
To support states, Achieve convenes leaders from within and across states, provides technical assistance, conducts timely research, and offers advocacy, communications, and outreach tools and support.
The webinar is being recorded and all the resources highlighted will be available on our website at: www.achieve.org/meetings-webinars
4
“Common Core – particularly math – is overly complicated.” •“Math under Common Core has even parents stumbling,” The New York Times, 6/29/14
“It’s different from how I learned. I can’t help my child with his/her homework because I don’t know the methodology.”
•“Parents speak out at first Common Core session,” MySuburbanLife.com, 9/3/14
“Common Core is one-size-fits-all, and my child’s needs and learning style won’t be accommodated.”
•“Letter: Common Core leads to one-size-fits-all school,” Wisconsin Rapids Tribune, 9/8/14
“There’s no longer any memorization of basic facts that students need to know.”•“Common Core teaches kids new way to add 9+6 that takes 54 seconds,” The Daily Caller, 9/3/14
“Common Core = testing. There’s too much testing and teaching to the test, and not enough learning.”
•“Anti-Common Core rally in Hauppauge draws politicians, parents, teachers,” Newsday, 9/4/14
Parents and the Common Core: Media Trends
Insights from Focus Groups
6
Perceptions of the Standards
Aware of the standards, but still lack understanding
Real hesitation on the standards –
Don’t see the need for change
One size fits all
Perception as “national,” “federal”
7
Perceptions of the Assessments
In AZ, little regard for old statewide assessment (AIMS)
Skeptical about the new tests
Don’t connect that the tests will be aligned to new standards
See more steps to get an answer are more opportunity for error
Expect teachers to still teach to the test
8
Perceptions of Public School Moms
Communications Challenge: Moms’ personal experiences are negative and frustrating vs. positive reaction to written description
Elementary and Middle School Moms
Railed against the new way of teaching math
Frustrated when helping with homework
•Being told NOT to help their kids using the old way
•No text books or examples for them to even begin to understand the new way
There is a significant gap between how the standards and tests are being described and the day-to-day experiences of the moms and their children
9
Communications Vehicles
Hearing from teachers proved paramount
Elementary school parents also want to hear from principals/school boards
Parents want to interact and ask questions
Top 3 resources desired
Parent-focused website, but expect interactivity (ask questions, interact with others, blogs)
Meet with child’s teacher or counselor
Attend a parent workshop
10
Messages that Worked
Existing messaging was ranked highest
Tests not required for graduation, scores may look lower, etc.
Supported:
Consistency across districts and states
A test that measures what students are really learning is appealing
Too much time teaching to the test
Share success stories
11
Recommendations
Communicate real information, not advocacy – avoid sounding politically correct
Help them understand the “why”
Explain how the goals of the standards are going to be achieved
Reassure that graduation is not dependent on passing the test
Provide resources to parents to support their child
12
Recommendations
Find educators who are supportive of the standards and have them speak in person to parents
Ramp up all methods of communication. A significant and consistent effort to get parents the support and information they need to help their kids is needed
Create and disseminate resources that help parents help their children
Exemplary State- and District-Based Efforts
Leveraging Back to School to Help Inform Parents about the Transition to College- and Career-Ready
Standards
Expect More ArizonaWhat are we? Statewide 501c(3) non-partisan education advocacy organization
Who are we? Movement comprised of parents, voters, educators, business & community leaders
What do we do? Raising public awareness, engaging and mobilizing voters and parents, and convening partners to take collaborative action on key education issues
Arizona Public Engagement Task Force
Independent collaboration of 50 partners across business, philanthropy, education, communityExpect More Arizona serves as the convenerGoals: Increasing awareness and support for Arizona’s College and Career Ready Standards and high quality, aligned assessment This Year’s Focus: Providing Resources and Information to parents
Opportunities to Support Parents this Year
Help parents understand what the standards are and why they are necessarySupport schools and teachers in sharing information with parentsShare information on implementation of new assessmentAlleviate frustrations with mathDemonstrate what high expectations look like
3 Ways We’re Doing This…
Arizona Aims Higher campaignBack to School Parent-Teacher Conferences
Arizona Aims Higher
Multi-media campaign to increase awareness
Infographic
Digital / Email
Radio
Parent Resources
Back to School ToolkitGoal = To distribute resources to parents via schoolsIncludes links to all materialsShared with partners and educators across ArizonaUse materials at Back to School Nights, Curriculum Nights and parent teacher conferencesRelatively easy way to support schools in providing resources to parents
expectmorearizona.org/BacktoSchool
Back to School Parent GuideIncludes information on the standards, assessments and how parents can help their childMailed to 44,000 households statewide
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Distribution of grade by grade milestones• Key things children will learn
in English and math• Activities to do at home• English and Spanish
Questions to ask your child’s teachers• Email, infographics, collateral
Other National Resources
National PTA Parent GuidesGreatSchools GreatKids Milestones(sneak peak – coming in October)
28
Jared Myracle, Supervisor of Instruction, 9-12, Gibson County Special School District, Tennessee
To learn more about the great work happening in Gibson County, check out these articles:
District-Based Efforts
Different and Better: What Common Core Implementations Looks Like in Gibson County - College Ready
9 Ideas to Help Explain Common Core to
Parents
29
Resources for Parents and Families on CCSS
Achieve compiled a sampling of the resources that state education agencies, school districts, and third-party and national advocacy organizations have developed to empower parents to help their students succeed, which is posted on our website at www.achieve.org/achieving-common-core
Please send additional resources to Anne Bowles at [email protected]
Questions & Answers
31
Anne BowlesAssociate Director, Strategic [email protected] or 202-419-1553
Michael GilliganVice President, Strategic Initiatives
[email protected] or 202-745-2317
Kelly HughesCommunications Associate
[email protected] or 202-745-2306
Contact Us!
32
Achieve will post the slides and resources highlighted on our website at www.achieve.org/meetings-webinars
We are very interested hearing your Feedback on this webinar.
Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/B2Swebinar
Thank you!