Supporting the Success of All Students Through Effective Family Engagement and Communication

Presented by Seena Skelton, The Equity Alliance at ASU and Mel Lewis, Davis Joint Unified School District

August 10, 2011

OutcomesParticipants will…

Understand the importance of family-school partnerships in

student success

Understanding the role of school staff in helping all students and families feel a sense of belonging and connectedness to school

Examine barriers and opportunities to promote

equity for all students

Learn about culturally responsive strategies for creating positive family

and community connections

Time Topic8:30 Welcome and introductions

Session overviewWhat do equitable learning communities look and feel like for staff, students and families?Why is family-school partnerships important for student success?

10:15 Break

What is my role in creating an inclusive learning community?What are key practices for creating positive family and community connections?

11:20 Adjourn

Wrap up and Adjourn

Agenda

Compose a “Tweet”140 characters or less.

Who are you?What does appreciating diversity mean to you?

District Equity Goal• Staff and students will respect and understand the

importance of diverse cultures by consciously creating inclusive and equitable learning environments and systems that value and engage all students and their families.

District Responsiveness Goal• The District will provide a culture and processes that are

open, proactive, equitable and responsive to student needs and interests, (and that acknowledge the) contributions and concerns of families and the community.

Family-school connections and partnerships are important

Education is at the core of all vital communities.

Family-school partnerships are at the heart of culturally responsive

schools.

Families often play a critical role in student success.

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What do equitable learning communities

look and feel like?

the overall approach one takes when delivering instruction, using curricular materials, making decisions, including student discipline; and interacting with students and their families.

the lens through which educators and staff see students and their families.

the filter through which educators and staff listen to how students and families express their needs and desires.

Cultural Responsiveness is…

In culturally responsive schools, teaching and learning occur in a culturally-supported, learner-centered context, whereby the strengths all students bring to school are identified, nurtured, and utilized to promote student success.

Understanding Culture as the Dynamic Ingredient in Human Interaction

What people bringwith them

What’s alreadythere

The work peopledo together

Cultural Histories

The Institutional Culture The Culture We Create

Equity Alliance at ASU nccrest@asu.edu

Equity Alliance at ASU 11

Understanding Culture as the Dynamic Ingredient in Human Interaction

What people bringwith them

Cultural Histories

What is Culture?

Culture is:

Learned

Social

Dynamic

Equity Alliance at ASU 13

Education

Exploring personal identitiesActivity

Understanding Culture as the Dynamic Ingredient in Human Interaction

What’s alreadythere

The Institutional Culture

Equity Alliance at ASU nccrest@asu.edu

Values

Curricula

Policies

Expectations

Power, Privilege and Difference

Person of Color White

Standard English Speaker

Dominant Culture

Middle to Upper Class

Culturally Diverse Culture

English Learner

Privilege & Power

Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

• In small group:– Discuss the article

• Key points• Provocative statements

–Generate a list of conditions of privilege that your assigned group may experience.

Power & Privilege Activity

Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack Group Discussion

Groups1.White 2.English Language

Proficiency3.Middle Class SES4.Male

Understanding Culture as the Dynamic Ingredient in Human Interaction

The work peopledo together

The Culture We CreateEquity Alliance at ASU nccrest@asu.edu

An Appreciative Perspective of Family Diversity

Home languages and cultures are seen as

strengths and enrich the entire school community

Recognize diverse family structures

Focus on building trustValue all families lived

experiences

Family/community involvement

linked to student success

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Safe

Welcomed

Valued

All families and students feel…

Why is family and school partnership important for

student success?

Socio-Historical Context

Culture is not inherited; rather we are socialized to behave according to traditions established

over generations

The cultures of schools may or may not be in

harmony with the culture each student

brings to school

Schools greatly influence how young

people see themselves and therefore need to

understand and validate their backgrounds

Challenges Facing Schools and Families

Achievement Disparities

Opportunity Gaps

Meaningful Home/School Engagement

Societal Pressures

Diverse Perspectives About Parent – Teacher Role

Explanations for Achievement Disparities

Linguistic DifferencesCultural DifferencesSocietal RacismInferior EducationRationales for Schooling

Au, 1998

Access to Resources

AP and IB Course Fees.

School/District PoliciesIdentification procedures for Gifted Programs that include cut of scores on

standardized test.

Educators’ Beliefs

Parents who care about their

children’s education attend parent-teacher conferences.

Gaps in opportunities present challenges for students and families.

Lack of information“The student’s parents don’t speak English. I

can’t communicate with them.”

School/District Practices

Housing New Comers Program in one school in the district. Students

attend that school, irrespective of their

neighborhood.

Societal factors

Economic Constraints

Patterns and History

Educational Mandates

Demographic Shifts

Political Climate

Diverse Perspectives About Parent – Teacher Role

Family’s role is to raise “respectful, well-behaved

children and academic instruction is the

teacher’s responsibility

Family’s role is to help students be successful in

school by supporting academic instruction at home and

collaborating with teachers

Barriers to School-Family Partnerships

Families’ disconnection to the school community

Communication differences

Lack of information about school expectations, programs and resources

Family isolation

What is my role in creating an inclusive learning community?

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Equitable change is enacted through…

People: Students, faculty, administrators, staff, etc.

Policy: Federal and state mandates, university and college policies, etc.

Practice: Pedagogy, procedures, curricula, etc.

Culturally responsive family engagement includes three key qualities:

1. Focusing on building trusting, collaborative relationships among teachers, families, and community members

2. Recognizing, respecting, and addressing families' strengths and needs, as well as class and cultural differences

3. Embracing a philosophy of partnership where power and responsibility are shared

Transcending BarriersEstablishing a welcoming and family friendly school community

Creating opportunities for collaboration

Becoming skilled in intercultural communication

Increasing families’ accessibility to information

• Inviting facilities •Availability and Time•Two-way communication with

Families•Varied and frequent opportunities

for positive interactions•Engaging families in their

students’ learning experiences

Establishing a welcoming and family friendly school community

Creating Opportunities

for Collaboration

Making connections with families in your

community

Collaborating with community centers and

houses of worship to create after-school

programs

Providing opportunities beyond open house

and conference nights for parents, community members and teachers

to interact

Alternative scheduling to accommodate families with busy

schedules

To effectively partner with diverse families, educators must become skilled intercultural communicators

Understanding differences in communication styles

Capacity to address language diversity

High Context/Low Context Continuum

Nonverbal Communication

Family Communication Norms

Speakers of language other than English/Standard English

Print Literacy

Interpreters

Translated materials

Multiple means of presenting information (e.g. print, audio)

Increasing families’ accessibility to information

Multiple means of delivering information

Consistent monitoring of information flow

Known methods for families to talk with someone to address questions

Increasing families’ accessibility to information

Culturally Responsive Strategies to Increase Family-School Partnerships

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How well does your school address the

barriers to meaningful family-

school partnership?

Tools for Learning

Equity exists, in part, to the degree that all students feel they belong, are included, and are empowered.