Evaluating Initiatives to Develop ParentLeadership: Measuring What Matters

The Parent Leadership Development Indicators Framework

Joanna GellerSara McAlisterAnne T. HendersonKate Gill KressleyVianna AlcantaraWendy PerezRosann Tung

About the Parent Leadership Indicators Framework

Indicators

Initiative Content and Organization.....2

Personal Transformation.....5

Collective Action.....7

Public Officials and Community Leaders.....8

Civic Climate.....9

Additional Initiative Indicators.....11

Additional Personal Transformation Indicators.....12

Acknowledgments

Bibliography

Contents

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Parent Leadership Indicators Project 1

About the Parent LeadershipIndicators FrameworkAn “indicator” is a way to measurewhat is happening in any given area ofinterest. The parent leadership indica-tors framework tells us what qualitiesto look out for in initiatives orprograms that develop parents as lead-ers. The framework also lists whatchanges we should measure as a resultof a high-quality parent leadershipdevelopment initiative. These changesmay occur in individual parents;groups of parents working collectivelyto make change; public officials andcommunity leaders; and the commu-nity at large.

Accordingly, the framework has fivelevels of indicators: 1) initiative; 2)personal transformation; 3) collectiveaction; 4) public officials and commu-nity leaders; and 5) civic climate.Under each level, there is a list of indi-cators. Under each indicator is a list of“what this may look like.” These listsdo not include everything parent lead-ership initiatives do, nor should everyparent leadership initiative be expectedto do everything on the list. Theysimply serve as examples that wefrequently have seen in studying initia-tives that develop parent leadership.

As a starting point, we used the theoryof change, shown on this page, whichwas developed collaboratively withparent leaders in Phase I of this project(Henderson & Gill Kressley, 2016).We then reviewed existing empiricaland theoretical research on parent andfamily leadership initiatives to find

indicators that were identified in thosestudies that aligned to the theory ofchange. We incorporated two existingindicators frameworks – one for evalu-ating leadership development (Reinelt,Foster, & Sullivan, 2006) and one forevaluating community organizing(Gold, Simon, & Peralta, 2013).

The indicators framework has under-gone many cycles of revision, afterreceiving in-depth feedback from ourthought partners and advisory board,consisting of parent leaders, parentleadership initiative (PLI) staff,funders, evaluators and researchers. Wealso conducted site visits to three PLIsto gather feedback on the framework.During these visits, we listened closelyto parent leaders, program staff, public

officials, and community partnersabout the substance, language, andstructure of the indicators framework.These initiatives are diverse in terms oftheir model, focus areas, populationreached, and social and historicalcontext. Their feedback has greatlyinformed the indicators shown in thefollowing pages.

Parent Leadership Indicators Framework

2 Evaluating Initiatives to Develop Parent Leadership: Measuring What Matters

Indicators

The “ripple effect” begins with a high-quality parent leadership initiative(PLI), program, or model. Despitetheir differences, initiatives thatsuccessfully develop parent leadersshare several key attributes, which welist on page 2–4. The bullet pointsunderneath each indicator serve asexamples of what the indicator canlook like in practice. All PLIs in ourbroad sample are a bit different; somebullet points may speak to some PLIsand not to others. All high-qualityPLIs, however, have a core belief thatparents of all backgrounds and circum-stances can be effective advocates andcivic change agents on behalf of chil-dren. All have a demonstrated commit-ment to equitable outcomes forchildren and families regardless of race,gender, class, and language.

1. The initiative is accessible andinclusive of all.• The demographics of participantswho enroll and graduate representthe demographics of the broadercommunity (racial/ethnic back-grounds, educational attainment,and income levels)

• Childcare is offered

• There is no cost for participants

• Times are convenient

• Assistance with transportation isoffered

• Meals are offered

2. The initiative has highly skilledfacilitators and staff. (A highlyskilled facilitator is someonewho can respond to communityneeds.) Facilitators and staff:

• Have strong interpersonal skills,such as the ability to communi-cate, interact, and relate to others

• Have deep knowledge of thecommunity and the culture ofcommunity members

• Represent parents’ racial, cultural,and linguistic backgrounds andspeak the dominant language(s)of the parents

• Lead by example

• Receive high-quality professionaldevelopment and ongoing techni-cal assistance and are satisfiedwith it

• Receive training and professionaldevelopment that addresses raceand racism

• Have the skills and resources theyneed to promote equity andinclusion

• Started as initiative participants

3. The initiative values, respects,and engages the culture ofparticipants. • The curriculum/model is modi-fied to ensure that it is relevantand sensitive to the cultural back-ground of all parents (i.e., cultur-ally responsive)

• Information is provided that isdirectly relevant to parents’ livesand context

• Information is provided in multi-ple languages, or interpretationand translation service is providedin multiple languages

• Parents are encouraged to deeplyappreciate their language andculture and share them with theirchildren

• All aspects of the initiative buildon parents’ strengths, aspirations,and expertise

• Cross-cultural and cross-racialunderstanding, respect, andacceptance are intentionally culti-vated among the participants andstaff

• A commitment to participants isongoing and highly visible (it’sabout the people, with the peopleand for the people – con la gente,por la gente, para la gente)

• The initiative serves as a support-ive base for participants and theirchildren

4. The initiative gives parentsopportunities for decision-making and participation,including initiative structure,content, design, and delivery.• A parent advisory board meetsregularly and has consistent attendance

• The staff and board have allo-cated positions for parents

• The initiative regularly surveys orconducts focus groups withparents and uses the data forimprovement

• Parents have opportunities to talk with organizational leadersregularly

• Staff/organizational leaderscollaborate with parents to designnew initiatives

INITIATIVE CONTENT ANDORGANIZATION INDICATORS

In this category, the “unit of analysis”(i.e., the “what” or “who” is being stud-ied), is the parent leadership develop-ment initiative.

Parent Leadership Indicators Project 3

5. The initiative develops commu-nity among its participants.• Initiative activities occur in aclimate of hospitality so thatparticipants and their childrenfeel safe and welcomed

• Trusting and respectful relation-ships exist among parents andinitiative staff

• The initiative provides a spacewhere parents feel safe andcomfortable being vulnerable toone another

• Discussions grow increasinglyinformal and relaxed over time

• Team-building exercises create acollective sense of ownership andagency

• Activities foster intentional rela-tionship building among staff,among parents, and between staffand parents

6. The initiative creates an inter-active learning experience.• Parents exchange ideas, concerns,and information drawn fromtheir own experience

• Initiative activities use criticalquestioning to help parents inter-pret their own experiences in thecontext of larger systemic issues

• Parents explore solutions andstrategies together

• Parents engage in role-playdialogues

• The initiative connects parents tovarious external stakeholders whomay support their project orpersonal goals

• Opportunities are available forparents to practice new skillsoutside of the initiative context

• The initiative supports parents toimplement their own project orinitiative or join an existing proj-ect or initiative that is meaningfulto them

• Guest speakers dialogue withparents about issues affecting thecommunity

7. The initiative curriculum/modelcovers skills in communication,public relations, and groupprocess. Skills include:

n GROUP PROCESS SKILLS

• Facilitation

• Negotiation

• Mediation

• Conflict management

• Courageous conversations onrace, gender, class, and culturaldifferences

• Running meetings

• Intergenerational communication

n COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS

• Public speaking

• Persuasive arguing

• Telling powerful stories

• Visual (e.g., PowerPoint, video)

• Print (e.g., writing op-eds)

n PUBLIC RELATIONS SKILLS

• Creating frames/messages thatresonate

• Communicating a consistentmessage

• Staying on message at publicevents and media briefings

• Creating a presence on socialmedia

8. The initiative curriculum/modeldevelops parents’ understand-ing of systems and how tochange and improve systems.Increased understanding includes:

n HOW OUR DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM

WORKS

• The development of democracyin the U.S., including the historyof voting rights, the due processof law, and the Bill of Rights

• How to use the tools of democ-racy (freedom of speech, associa-tion, religion, and assembly; rightto petition the government for aredress of grievances)

• How U.S. government structuresoperate (functions of 3 branchesof government, how to influenceand participate, how budgets aremade)

• Interpreting and leveragingcity/state/federal law

• Knowing who their representa-tives are and who to contact inthe system

n KNOWLEDGE OF HOW SYSTEMS

MAY BE OPPRESSIVE, DYSFUNCTIONAL, OR LEAD TO

INEQUITABLE OUTCOMES AND

HOW TO CHANGE SUCH SYSTEMS

• Equity and how social inequitiesare connected (e.g., education,immigration, housing)

• Racial, class, and genderinequities in reform efforts andchange initiatives

• History of racism and discrimina-tion in the local context

• Tenets of basic human rights thatthe system is supposed to uphold

4 Evaluating Initiatives to Develop Parent Leadership: Measuring What Matters

• Parents’ and staff ’s criticalconsciousness

• Personal responsibility for collec-tive well-being and human rights

• How to access the system and usethe tools of democracy to pressfor change

9. The initiative curriculum/modeldevelops parents’ civic skills.Skills include:

• Forming agendas for meetings

• Reaching consensus in decision-making

• Identifying and assessing prob-lems

• Setting goals and picking strate-gies

• Designing and implementing anaction plan

• Locating and/or developingresources

• Participating actively in civicorganizations oriented to socialjustice agendas

• Forming recommendations forgovernment/community agencies

• Organizing others to take action

10. Parents receive coaching,mentoring, and peer-to-peersupport during the initiative andbeyond.• Parents are accompanied to meet-ings/events and receive on-the-spot coaching/mentoring

• Parents obtain support andencouragement from more experi-enced parent leaders

• Parents receive coaching/mentor-ing to achieve personal goals

• Parents obtain advice and feed-back on their action plans or projects

11. The initiative builds the capacityof leaders, staff, and parents toreflect on their initiative/modeland collect and use data tomeasure the impact of theirwork. • Initiative staff and parents taketime to regularly and consistentlydiscuss what’s working and what’snot working, ideally using evalua-tion findings, and take action toimprove

• The initiative dedicates resourcesfor qualitative and quantitativedata collection (e.g., pre-post andretrospective surveys, focusgroups, interviews, expert opin-ion, and personal narrative analy-sis)

• The initiative accesses technicalassistance to design an evaluationapproach that fits their mission,goals, and objectives

• The initiative disseminates newknowledge about the efficacy andimpact of parent leadership devel-opment

12. The initiative builds andsustains ongoing internalnetworks.• Staff/volunteer time is dedicatedto supporting social media groups(e.g., creating affinity communi-ties, posting action alerts, andrelevant sharing information) toengage/sustain membership

• Regular meetings are convened sothat parent leaders can stayconnected (e.g., renew relation-ships, celebrate achievements,voice concerns on issues, andrecruit support within thenetwork)

• Initiative staff reach out person-ally to current and former parentleaders

• Parents have opportunities to takeon leadership roles within theorganization

13. The initiative has strong visibilityand external networks.The initiative:

• Facilitates relationships betweenparents and other institutions,such as local advocacy organiza-tions, policy-makers, schools andschool systems, social serviceorganizations, the businesscommunity, and higher education

• Disseminates new knowledge andlearning to the community

• Generates public visibility forcommunity issues through mediaand social media

• Has staff and parents in activeroles in local coalitions and taskforces

• Builds grassroots communicationsnetworks (e.g., communitydiscussion groups, communitymessage boards, links to localopinion leaders)

Parent Leadership Indicators Project 5

High-quality PLIs can lead to personaltransformation among participants, forexample, applying what they learn tosolve problems, watching their innerstrengths unfold, attracting recognitionas a trusted information source, andbuilding networks that bridge race,class, and culture. Across many diversePLIs, we found that participants expe-rienced the following personal transfor-mation outcomes.

1. Parents increase their sense ofefficacy, or the feeling that theycan make a difference. Parents feel that:

• They can have a positive influ-ence on their family and commu-nity

• They can overcome negativeinfluences on their family andcommunity

• They can have an effect on theirchild’s school and other commu-nity agencies

• They can set a goal and achieve it

• They can just try again andsucceed, if they fail.

• They are in control of their lives

• They have a compelling personalstory to share

• Political and social change ispossible and they can help makeit.

2. Parents are able to relate to andappreciate others’ cultures. Parents:

• Build connections across race,ethnicity, culture, and language

• Recognize and work to addresstheir own prejudices and racialbias

• Challenge others’ biases

• Share counter-narratives

• Develop their own cultural iden-tity and pride in the value of theirown culture

• Support children to develop astrong and healthy cultural iden-tity

3. Parents develop their communi-cation skills for group work,collaboration, and influencingdecision-makers. Skills include:

n GROUP PROCESS SKILLS

• Facilitation

• Negotiation

• Mediation

• Conflict management

• Courageous conversations onrace, gender, class, and culturaldifferences

• Running meetings

• Intergenerational communication

n COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS

• Public speaking

• Persuasive arguing

• Telling powerful stories

• Visual (e.g., PowerPoint, video)

• Print (e.g., writing op-eds)

n PUBLIC RELATIONS

• Creating frames/messages thatresonate

• Communicating a consistentmessage

• Staying on message at publicevents and media briefings

• Creating a presence on socialmedia

4. Parents develop their socialnetworks. Parents:

• Have a shared emotional connec-tion with other parents

• Create communication channelsto support other parents and vali-date one another

• Develop personal relationshipswith other parents and commu-nity members

• Recruit other parents andcommunity members into theiractivities in the community, espe-cially those from differentcultural, racial, and socio-economic backgrounds

• Build friends and followers onsocial media

• Have access to community lead-ers, office holders, initiativeadministrators, and policy-makers

5. Parent leaders mentor andsupport one another.• More experienced parent leadersact as mentors and share theirstories with newer leaders

• Parent leaders share contacts andinformation, building inclusivenetworks

• Parent leaders hold each otheraccountable to taking action

PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION INDICATORS

In this category, the “unit of analysis,”(i.e., the “what” or “who” is being stud-ied), are changes in current and formerPLI participants, as a result of theirparticipation in the PLI.

6 Evaluating Initiatives to Develop Parent Leadership: Measuring What Matters

• Parent leaders build capacity ofother parents to lead

• Parent leaders support oneanother to achieve personal goalsand to cope in times of personaldifficulty.

6. Parents gain skills and knowl-edge that help them advocatefor the social change theydesire.Skills and knowledge include:

n HOW OUR DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM

WORKS

• The development of democracyin the U.S., including the historyof voting rights, the due processof law, and the Bill of Rights

• Using the tools of democracy(freedom of speech, association,religion, and assembly; right topetition the government for aredress of grievances)

• How U.S. government structuresoperate (functions of 3 branchesof government, how to influenceand participate, how budgets aremade)

• Interpreting and leveragingcity/state/federal law

• Knowing who their representa-tives are and who to contact inthe system

n KNOWLEDGE OF HOW SYSTEMS

MAY BE OPPRESSIVE, DYSFUNC-TIONAL, OR LEAD TO

INEQUITABLE OUTCOMES AND

HOW TO CHANGE SUCH SYSTEMS

• Equity and how social inequitiesare connected (e.g., education,immigration, housing)

• Racial, class, and genderinequities in reform efforts andchange initiatives

• History of racism and discrimina-tion in the local context

• Tenets of basic human rights thatthe system is supposed to uphold

• Parents’ and staff ’s criticalconsciousness

• Personal responsibility for collec-tive well-being and human rights

• How to access the system and usethe tools of democracy to pressfor change

n FUNDAMENTAL CIVIC SKILLS:• Forming agendas for meetings

• Reaching consensus in decision-making

• Identifying and assessing prob-lems

• Setting goals and picking strate-gies

• Designing and implementing anaction plan

• Locating and/or developingresources

• Participating actively in civicorganizations oriented to socialjustice agendas

• Forming recommendations forgovernment/community agencies

• Organizing others to take action

7. Parents increase the frequencyof civic behaviors.Increased behaviors include:

• Voting

• Contacting public officials

• Using the Internet to expressopinions

• Serving on a committee

• Discussing politics with family,friends, and community members

• Running for elected office

• Being elected to office

• Being appointed to an office, taskforce, or committee

• Attending public meetings

• Volunteering

• Participating in civic organizations

Parent Leadership Indicators Project 7

When parent leaders see opportunitygaps, they know the consequences fortheir children and take action, formingnetworks and joining forces with othergroups. Using their own stories, backedby data, and speaking in their authen-tic voices using their personal stories,they offer ideas that lead to more equi-table policies and practices. The indica-tors below demonstrate how parentstake collective action.

1. Parent leaders embrace collective action. Parent leaders:

• Demonstrate concern for all chil-dren, not just their own

• Shift from individual, organiza-tional, or local school-based tosystem- or community-basedefforts

• Come to love their communityand are determined to worktogether to make change

• Examine, discuss, and take actionto change structures that sustainunequal opportunity

• Develop an understanding of thepower of collective action tofoster public deliberation, lever-age resources, and create account-ability, and to counter thetraditions, structures, and powerrelations that maintain theinequitable status quo

• Develop a belief that togetherthey can make a difference

• Put forth a cohesive messagebased on group consensus

2. Parent leaders engage otherparents and communitymembers.Parent leaders:

• Identify and respond to commu-nity concerns

• Conduct door-knocking,community walks, and housemeetings to discuss issues, informvoters, or solicit signatures

• Speak at community meetings,rallies, and public forums

• Use social media, text messaging,and Internet platforms to buildan audience and share informa-tion and data

• Use personal social networks toshare information and data

3. Parent leaders build strategicalliances and coalitions.Parent leaders:

• Partner with other communityorganizing and advocacy groups

• Join regional and national advo-cacy coalitions to influence policyat multiple levels

• Develop coalitions or joint plat-forms with other communityorganizing and advocacy groups

• Develop alliances with publicofficials and positional leadersconcerned with the issue

• Develop relationships withresearchers who can provide

access to data and research, andhelp develop action research projects

• Develop alliances with serviceproviders, agencies, and institu-tions

• Hold partner organizationsaccountable

4. Parent leaders use a range ofpublic action strategies.Parent leaders:

• Hold rallies, meetings, and publicdemonstrations

• Meet with elected and public offi-cials

• Testify in front of public officialsat meetings and hearings

• Contact legislators in diverse ways(office visits, calls, texts, post-cards, letter-writing, and email)

• Speak and ask questions at publicmeetings

• Travel to city hall or the statecapital to press for specificchanges in policy and resources

• File official complaints andpursue accountability

• Work to increase voter turnoutfor school board and municipalelections and inform voters aboutcandidates and issues

• Negotiate with public officialsand positional leaders to modifypolicies and practices

• Publicly recognize public officialsand positional leaders who collab-orate to effect change

• Use a variety of social media tovoice concerns, advance propos-als, and build support for theirpositions

COLLECTIVE ACTION INDICATORS

In this category, the “unit of analysis,”(i.e., the “what” or “who” is being stud-ied), are changes in groups of parentswho are working together as a resultof their participation in the PLI.

8 Evaluating Initiatives to Develop Parent Leadership: Measuring What Matters

5. Parent leaders effectively usemedia and social media to buildpublic support for their posi-tions.Parent leaders:

• Build a presence on diverse typesof media to focus attention on theneeds and strengths of childrenand parents

• Write news stories, op-eds, andletters to the editors

• Generate reports, presentations,or infographics based onissue/policy analysis and research

• Post on Facebook, Twitter, Insta-gram and other Internet plat-forms that reach a large audience

• Develop and use print materialssuch as public service announce-ments, fliers, and posters

6. Parent leaders create newknowledge and use researchand data to make their case andhold officials and institutionsaccountable.Parent leaders:

• Reflect on and share theirpersonal experiences to generatenew knowledge about an issue

• Consult on research projects asexperts on their children andcommunities

• Act as critical co-investigatorsthrough dialogue, reflection, andaction

• Collect, analyze, and use dataabout institutions and communi-ties through interviews, surveys,focus groups, etc.

• Use data as evidence for publicofficials and positional leaders todemand additional supportand/or resources and to hold offi-cials accountable

• Use data and research to illustratesystemic issues and drive respon-sive reforms

• Make formal presentations ofdata and research to public offi-cials

• Share data and research widely tobuild public support for theirdemands

As public officials and communityleaders listen to parent leaders, theygain new information, create newopportunities to learn from diverseparents about local issues, and considerparents’ ideas. Support grows forgreater opportunities for all children.We found that public officials andcommunity leaders often change in thefollowing ways after interacting withparent leaders.

1. After interacting with parentleaders, public officials andcommunity leaders showincreased respect for parents,see parents as experts on theircommunity, and seek theiradvice and ideas. Public officials and communityleaders:

• Acknowledge parents’ knowledgeof what is happening in theircommunity

• Respond to parent leaders’ adviceand ideas, e.g., returning phonecalls, replying to email and textmessages, and agreeing to meet-ings

• Recognize parents as an emergingconstituency for children withlegitimate goals and interests

• Actively and intentionally engageparents in addressing issues andproblems

PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS

INDICATORS

In this category, the “unit of analysis,”(i.e., the “what” or “who” is being stud-ied), are changes in public officials andcommunity leaders who have inter-acted with parent leaders.

Parent Leadership Indicators Project 9

• Create awareness of effectiveactions that parent leaders havetaken

2. After interacting with parentleaders over time, public offi-cials and community leadersshow increased understandingof parents’ issues andconcerns. Public officials and communityleaders:

• Respond to parents’ invitations tovisit local initiatives and neigh-borhoods with greater frequency

• Seek out and share parents’ storieswith their colleagues and thepublic to understand and illus-trate issues

• Develop deeper understanding ofthe social, political, and economicconditions that create inequitiesand oppression in schools andcommunities

• Share information with theircolleagues about what they havelearned from parent leaders

3. After interacting with parentleaders, public officials andcommunity leaders develop agreater sense of accountabilityto parents. Public officials and communityleaders:

• Respond when parent leaders usedata and information to holdthem accountable

• Expand their sense of accounta-bility beyond their institution ororiginal “base” of supporters

• Take action when informed of aproblem raised by parent leaders

• Propose changes to programs,policy, or legislation based oninformation from parent leaders

• More readily agree to meet withparent leaders

• Broaden their understanding ofhow to serve a diverse base ofconstituents

4. After interacting with parents,public officials and communityleaders are more likely to valueand invest in developing parentleadership. Public officials and communityleaders:

• Facilitate and promote parents’participation in leadership initia-tives

• Support investments (e.g., fund-ing and in-kind resources) indeveloping the civic capacity ofparents, youth, and othercommunity members

• Facilitate parent leaders’ participa-tion in institutional improvementefforts

• Remove barriers to parent leaders’participation (e.g., providingstipends for transportation andchildcare)

• Create staff positions to hireparent leaders explicitly to bringparent voice into an agency ororganization

• Create mechanisms such as taskforces, town meetings, and advi-sory groups, to engage with andempower parent leaders on aregular basis

As parents become key informants,community leaders open new forumsfor dialogue, providing a platform toincrease public support for better chil-dren’s outcomes. Parents step up to bedecision-makers on committees,boards, and task forces. Some parentsrun for public office; others join thestaff of public agencies to provide afamily perspective. Communities aremore organized, informed, and readyto take action. We found that institu-tions, settings, and structures change inthe following ways due to parent lead-ership.

1. Parents become vital civicadvocates at the local and statelevel.Parents:

• Participate in formal and informalcivic spaces and discussions

• Are represented on the leadershipof city governing bodies

• Run for elected positions such asneighborhood advisory commit-tee and school board

• Are named to local and state-leveladvisory and governance boards,such as task forces on healthissues affecting children, such aslead poisoning, teen pregnancy,and childhood obesity

CIVIC CLIMATE INDICATORS

In this category, the “unit of analysis,”(i.e., the “what” or “who” is being stud-ied), are changes in communities andsystems as a result of a high-qualityparent leadership initiative.

10 Evaluating Initiatives to Develop Parent Leadership: Measuring What Matters

• Participate in local and state deci-sion-making bodies on a widerange of issues affecting childrenand families (budget, health,recreation, economic opportunity,housing, criminal justice)

2. Parents participate in schooland district decision-makingbodies.Parents:

• Become more active in parentorganization and school boardactivities

• Develop strategies for placingmembers in positions of power,such as school councils

• Serve on multiple committees,not just those focused on familyengagement

• Participate in decisions abouthiring staff and principals, schoolimprovement plans, and budgets

• Are represented on school deci-sion-making teams

• Are elected to school site councilsand local advisory councils

• Are represented on districtcommittees, school board activi-ties, curriculum task forces, text-book committees, and regionaland state advisory councils

• Set the agenda for selected schooland district decision-makingbodies

3. Local institutions invite andencourage parent participation.• Information about public policiesuses less jargon and highly techni-cal language

• Family support structures are fullyfunded

• Parents are provided with infor-mation about resources and rightsto support their children, in theirhome languages

• Parents are provided with knowl-edge, skills, and opportunities toactively engage in decision-making

• Institutions consider culture,language, race, and other diverseaspects of parents when encourag-ing participation

4. Schools and school systemsbecome more equitable andinclusive of parents.• Parents challenge prevailingbeliefs about their proper role intheir children’s schools and thepower imbalance that undergirdsthose beliefs

• Schools encourage families tobecome partners in improvingstudent learning

• Schools welcome and expectparents to be in the classroomsand hallways

• Parents and teachers describe theschool as “feeling like a family”

• People trust and care about eachother

• Teachers use mutual dialogue andjoint projects to gain deeper

understanding of students’ back-ground and to collaborate withfamilies to improve children’slearning

• Parents have equitable roles indecision-making along lines ofrace, class, language, and immi-gration

• The school system affirms multi-ple languages and cultures

• Officials move away from color-blind ideologies – from “We treateveryone the same no matterwhat” to “We seek to understandand appreciate students’ andfamilies’ race, culture, andlanguage”

5. There is more frequent andconstructive communitydialogue about addressingproblems.• Public, community, and organiza-tional spaces for dialogue, such asstudy circles, town meetings,hearings, and discussion sessions,are created or expanded

• Community dialogues includeincreasingly diverse voices, draw-ing in those that have been lessrepresented in policy debates

• Local officials appoint more taskforces and committees to studyissues and problems, and nameparent leaders to be members

• Public officials participate incommunity dialogues

• Community discussions of issuesbecome more respectful and opento all points of view

• Public policy decisions areinformed by input of parent leaders

Parent Leadership Indicators Project 11

6. Diversity of public officials andcommunity leaders improves.• Parent leaders from previouslyunder-represented communitiesbecome elected officials, work incampaigns, and serve as staffmembers

• Decision-making bodies are morerepresentative and racially, socioe-conomically, and culturallydiverse

• More elected officials are deeplyfamiliar with the community

• More elected officials arerespected by the community

• More elected officials representthe interests of communities that have been historicallymarginalized

7. Parent leaders’ collective actionleads to more informed policy-making that yields improvedresults for communities.• Public officials adopt parents’framing of issues

• The community supports issuesthat parents promote

• Parents secure policy and legisla-tive changes to better supportchildren and families

• There are fewer cuts and morestable funding for services thatsupport families (such as childcareand food stamps)

• Bipartisan support for policiesbenefiting families increases

• Media coverage of issues parentscare about increases

• Media coverage of parents’ actionsincreases and is more positive

Optional indicators include some indi-cators that will be relevant to somePLIs but not to others, as well as indi-cators that are aspirational – in otherwords, indicators that PLIs may aspireto but may not yet have the capacityfor. PLIs may choose to focus on oneof the optional indicators when consid-ering areas of growth and development.

1. The initiative has multi-year/stable funding that isaligned with its mission.• Initiative has multiple years ofguaranteed funding

• Initiative has several funders

• Funders are diverse (e.g., founda-tions, government, local busi-nesses)

• Staff includes designated grant-writer/fundraiser

• Opportunities are provided toinitiative staff to learn aboutfundraising

2. The initiative curriculum/modelcovers knowledge developmentabout the educational system.The curriculum/model covers:

• How to interpret assessment andaccountability data

• How to decipher educational andother official jargon

• How to unpack governmentalregulations and procedures suchas the Every Student Succeeds Act

• Standards-based reform

• The organizational structures ofschools and school systems

• What welcoming schools shouldlook and feel like

3. The initiative curriculum coverssupporting the child’s academic,physical, social, and emotionallearning and development.The curriculum:

• Provides informational,economic, educational, and child-centered resources to parents

• Offers developmentally relevantinformation, such as early child-hood development or require-ments for college admission andthe financial aid process

• Responds from a culturallyresponsive frame to parents’requests for information aboutchild-rearing, such as how todevelop boundaries, parent-childcommunication, identification ofrisk factors, creating a positivehome learning environment

4. The initiative curriculum/modelinvests in parents’ personal,professional, and educationaldevelopment.The curriculum:

• Celebrates and recognizes eachparent’s gifts and contributions

• Covers how to set personal goals

• Helps parents understand howthey learn

• Connects parents to other learn-ing opportunities

• Covers workforce and educationaldevelopment, including the devel-opment of marketable job skills

ADDITIONAL INITIATIVE INDICATORS

12 Evaluating Initiatives to Develop Parent Leadership: Measuring What Matters

5. The initiative curriculum/modeldevelops skills in actionresearch.Skills include:

• Qualities of strong research andevaluation

• How to pose a problem

• Interviewing

• Observation

• Survey design and data collection

• How to access data

• How to use data

6. The initiative curriculum/modeldevelops skills in financial liter-acy.• The initiative offers financialeducation sessions

• Parents receive regular financialcoaching and consultationthroughout initiative period

• Parents have access to writtenfinancial materials and resources

These indicators may be seen in somePLIs but not in others. The first threeof these additional indicators reflectunintended – rather than intentional –outcomes of PLIs (for example,improved physical health). The latterthree include those that may be rele-vant to some PLIs, based on the focusof their programming, but not toothers.

1. Parents’ mental, emotional, andphysical health improves.Parents:

• Know how to set personal goals

• Have improved confidence thatthey can achieve their goals

• Feel there is increased value andmeaning in their lives

• Have less stress

• Have reduced feelings of isolation

• Have less fear (e.g., of deporta-tion, of speaking up on behalf oftheir children)

• Have improved physical health

2. Parents develop their careerand educational pathways.Parents:

• Set and reach educational goals

• Find a job, if desired

• Change careers, if desired

• Get recognition at work or getpromoted

• Start a business

3. The whole family benefits.• Family relationships improve

• Parents model leadership to chil-dren

• Parents earn respect as leadersfrom other family members

• Children learn to be leaders

4. Parents develop tools forsupporting children academi-cally and socio-emotionally.Parents:

• Gain deeper knowledge aboutearly childhood development

• Understand requirements forcollege admission and the finan-cial aid process

• Know how to access informa-tional, economic, educational,and child-centered resources

• More frequently engage in educa-tional activities with their childrenat home and in the community

• Monitor teaching and learning inthe classroom

• Advocate for their children andother children

5. Parents develop their actionresearch skills.Parents:

• Understand qualities of strongresearch

• Can understand and articulate aproblem

• Have interviewing skills

• Have observation skills

• Can design surveys and collectdata

• Can access and use data

6. Parents develop their financialliteracy skills.Parents:

• Have financial self-efficacy

• Have financial knowledge

• Purchase assets

• Save money

• Talk to children about money,spending, and budgeting

ADDITIONAL PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION INDICATORS

Parent Leadership Indicators Project 13

AcknowledgmentsWe could not have created the indica-tors framework without the many indi-viduals who provided us with theirvaluable insights and ideas.

Thought Partners and FundersOur thought partners and funders havebeen tireless champions for parentleadership and have been visionaries forthis work for many years before theinception of this project. They include:

Irene Lee, Annie E. Casey Foundation

Jenefer O’Dell, W. K. Kellogg Foundation

Lynda Parmely, Hagedorn Foundation

Ada Sanchez, Peppercorn Foundation

Elaine Zimmerman, Administrationfor Children and Families

Advisory BoardOur Advisory Board offered us uniqueand innovative perspectives on thiswork, from revising indicators to help-ing us better understand how to makeevaluation useful. The two days weshared together in November 2016shaped the direction of this project ininnumerable ways. Members include:

Danielle Asher, Family LeadershipNetwork of Long Island, NY

Eileen Forlenza, SAS, Colorado

Soo Hong, Wellesley College,Massachusetts

Mary Ignatius, Parent Voices, California

Ann Ishimaru, University of Washington

Karen Mapp, Harvard GraduateSchool of Education

Aurelio Montemayor, InterculturalResearch and Development Associa-tion, Texas

Claire Reinelt, Consultant

Deloris Vaughn, Everyday Democ-racy, Connecticut

Parent Leadership Site Visit Organi-zationsWe thank the following three organiza-tions that warmly hosted us to pilot anearlier version of the framework. Inaddition to the staff listed below, weare grateful to the parent leaders andcommunity leaders who took the timeto share their experiences and ideaswith us.

ARISE (A Resource in Serving Equal-ity), South TexasSpecial thanks to Lourdes Flores,Ramona Casas, Michael Siefert,and Aurelio Montemayor

Parent Leadership Initiative of LongIsland and Choice 4 AllSpecial thanks to Danielle Asher,Lynette Batts, Jacob Dixon, andDorothy Santana

The Mississippi Low-Income Child-care InitiativeSpecial thanks to Carol Burnett andMary Harrington

In addition to the individuals andorganizations listed below, we are alsograteful for the research and evaluationthat informed the initial draft of thisframework. The bibliography belowlists these works. Finally, we thank Sam Ashley, former graduate researchassistant, and Margaret Balch-Gonzalezof the Annenberg Institute for SchoolReform, for editing, and Haewon Kimfor design and layout.

This report and other materials related to parent leadership indicatorsare available at http://parentleadershipevaluation.org.

BibliographyReports

Apley, A., Frankel, S., & Gill Kressley,K. (2009, April). Evaluation of TheParent Leadership Training Instituteand Parents Supporting EducationalExcellence programs: Impact of civicleadership training for parents.Portsmouth, NH: RMC Research.

Bridges, M., Cohen, S. R., & Fuller, B.(2012). Abriendo puertas: Openingdoors to opportunity–A national evalu-ation of second-generation trainers.Berkeley, CA: Institute of HumanDevelopment. Retrieved fromhttp://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED538864

Chrispeels, J. H., Bolívar, J. M., &Vaca, R. C. (2008). Parent Institutefor Quality Education high schoolstudy. University of California, San Diego. Retrieved from http://titleiii-ptlproject.wikispaces.umb.edu/file/view/PIQE_2nd_year_report.pdf/455825136/PIQE_2nd_year_report.pdf

Corbett, D., & Wilson, B. (2008,February 22). Knowledge is empower-ing: Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership Fellows’ involve-ment and influence after training.Lexington, KY: Prichard Committeefor Academic Excellence.

Corbett, H. D., & Wilson, B. (2000,December 12). “I didn’t know I coulddo that”: Parents learning to be leadersthrough the Commonwealth Institutefor Parent Leadership. Lexington, KY:

14 Evaluating Initiatives to Develop Parent Leadership: Measuring What Matters

Prichard Committee for AcademicExcellence. Retrieved fromhttp://www.prichardcommittee.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/I-Didnt-Know-I-Could-Do-That-Corbett-Wilson-2000.pdf

Frankel, S., Gill Kressley, K., &Henderson, A. T. (2014, April).National Parent Leadership TrainingInstitute evaluation, 2012-2013.Portsmouth, NH: RMC Research.

Frankel, S., Gill Kressley, K., Hender-son, A. T., & Yang, J. (2016, June).National Parent Leadership Instituteevaluation. Portsmouth, NH: RMCResearch.

Henderson, A. T. (2010). Buildinglocal leadership for change: A nationalscan of parent leadership trainingprograms. Education Policy forAction Series. Providence, RI:Annenberg Institute for SchoolReform at Brown University.Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED522167

Henderson, A. T., & Gill Kressley, K.(2016, July). Capturing the rippleeffect: Developing a theory of changefor evaluating parent leadership initiatives, final report phase I.Providence, RI: Annenberg Institutefor School Reform at Brown University. Retrieved from http://annenberginstitute.org/publications/RippleEffect

Moore, K. A., Caal, S., Lawner, E. K.,Rojas, A., and Walker, K. (2014).Abriendo puertas/opening doors parent-ing program: Summary report ofprogram implementation and impacts.Bethesda, MD: Child Trends.

Vidano, G., & Sahafi, M. (2004,December). Parent Institute for Quality Education organization specialreport on PIQE’s performance evalua-tion. San Diego, CA: San Diego State University, College of BusinessAdministration, Marketing Department.

W. K. Kellogg Foundation. (2003,January 22). Grassroots leadershipdevelopment: A guide for grassrootsleaders, support organizations, andfunders. Battle Creek, MI: Author.Retrieved from http://www.wkkf.org/resource-directory/resource/2003/01/grassroots-leadership-development-a-guide-for-grassroots-leadership-support-organizations-and

Books and Book Chapters

Chrispeels, J. (2012). Parents as actionlearners and leaders: Lessons foradministrators in working with fami-lies and intermediary organizations.In S. Auerbach (Ed.), School leader-ship for authentic family and commu-nity partnerships: Research perspectivesfor transforming practice (pp. 151–172). New York, NY: Routledge.

Hong, S. (2011). A cord of threestrands: A new approach to parentengagement in schools. Cambridge,MA: Harvard Education Press.

Johnson, M. (2011). A parent advo-cate’s vision of a 21st century modelfor bicultural parent engagement. InE. M. Olivos, O. Jiménez-Castel-lanos, & A. M. Ochoa (Eds.), Bicul-tural parent engagement, advocacy,and empowerment (pp. 145–158).New York, NY: Teachers CollegePress.

Ochoa, A. M., Olivos, E. M., &Jiménez-Castellanos, O. (2011). Thestruggle for democratic and transfor-mative parent engagement. In E. M.Olivos, O. Jiménez-Castellanos, & A.M. Ochoa (Eds.), Bicultural parentengagement, advocacy, and empower-ment (pp. 206–228). New York, NY:Teachers College Press.

Olivos, E. M. (2012). Authenticengagement with bicultural parentsand communities: the role of schoolleaders. In S. Auerbach (Ed.), Schoolleadership for authentic family andcommunity partnerships: Researchperspectives for transforming practice(pp. 98–114). New York, NY: Routledge.

Orr, M., & Rogers, J. (2011a). Publicengagement for public education:Reflections and prospects. In M. Orr& J. Rogers (Eds.), Public engagementfor public education: Joining forces torevitalize democracy and equalizeschools (pp. 301–314). Stanford, CA:Stanford University Press.

Orr, M., & Rogers, J. (2011b).Unequal schools, unequal voice: Theneed for public engagement forpublic education. In M. Orr & J.Rogers (Eds.), Public engagement forpublic education: Joining forces to revi-talize democracy and equalize schools(pp. 1–24). Stanford, CA: StanfordUniversity Press.

Terriquez, V., & Rogers, J. (2011).Becoming civic: The active engage-ment of Latino immigrant parents inpublic schools. In E. M. Olivos, O.Jiménez-Castellanos, & A. M. Ochoa(Eds.), Bicultural parent engagement,advocacy, and empowerment (pp. 186–205). New York, NY: TeachersCollege Press.

Parent Leadership Indicators Project 15

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

Bolivar, J. M., & Chrispeels, J. H.(2011). Enhancing parent leadershipthrough building social and intellec-tual capital. American EducationalResearch Journal, 48(1), 4–38.http://doi.org/10.3102/0002831210366466

Bonilla, C. M. (2014). Racial coun-ternarratives and Latina epistemolo-gies in relational organizing: Racialcounternarratives in relational organ-izing. Anthropology & EducationQuarterly, 45(4), 391–408.http://doi.org/10.1111/aeq.12077

Cunningham, S. D., Kreider, H., &Ocón, J. (2012). Influence of aparent leadership program on partici-pants’ leadership capacity andactions. School Community Journal,22(1), 111.

Delgado-Gaitan, C. (1991). Involvingparents in the schools: A process ofempowerment. American Journal ofEducation, 100(1), 20–46.

Doherty, W. J., Jacob, J., & Cutting, B.(2009). Community engaged parenteducation: Strengthening civicengagement among parents andparent educators. Family Relations,58(3), 303–315.

Doherty, W. J., Mendenhall, T. J., &Berge, J. M. (2010). The Familiesand Democracy and Citizen HealthCare Project. Journal of Marital andFamily Therapy, 36(4), 389–402.http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2009.00142.x

Lawson, M. A., & Alameda-Lawson, T.(2012). A case study of school-linked, collective parent engagement.American Educational Research Jour-

nal, 49(4), 651–684. http://doi.org/10.3102/0002831211427206

Lopez, M. E. (2005). Intermediaryorganizations as capacity builders infamily educational involvement.Urban Education, 40(1), 78–105.http://doi.org/10.1177/0042085904270375

Rogers, J. (2006). Forces of accounta-bility? The power of poor parents inNCLB. Harvard Educational Review,76(4), 611–641.

Wilson Cooper, C., & Christie, C.(2005). Evaluating parent empower-ment: A look at the potential ofsocial justice evaluation in education.Teachers College Record, 107(10),2248–2274.

Slaton, A. E., Cecil, C. W., Lambert, L.E., King, T., & Pearson, M. M.(2012). What a difference family-driven makes: Stories of success andlessons learned. American Journal ofCommunity Psychology, 49(3-4), 538–545. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-011-9449-7

Existing Indicator Frameworks

Gold, E., Simon, E., & Peralta, R.(2013). Getting to outcomes: A user’sguide to a revised indicators frameworkfor education organizing. Philadelphia,PA: Research For Action. Retrievedfrom http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED553145

Mapp, K. L., & Kuttner, P. J. (2013).Partners in education: A dual capac-ity-building framework for family-school partnerships. Austin, TX:SEDL.

Pastor, M., Ito, J., & Rosner, R. (2011,October). Transactions, transforma-tions, translations: Metrics that matterfor building, scaling, and fundingsocial movements. Los Angeles, CA:USC Program for Environmentaland Regional Equity (PERE).

Prosperity Agenda. (2014, September30). Head Start Parent AmbassadorIndividual Development Account(IDA) Project evaluation report.Bellevue, WA: Washington StateAssociation of Head Start & ECEAP.

Reinelt, C., Foster, P., & Sullivan, S.(2006, August 11). Evaluatingoutcomes and impacts: A scan of 55leadership development programs.Battle Creek, MI: W. K. KelloggFoundation. Retrieved fromhttp://www.wkkf.org/resource-directory/resource/2006/08/evaluating-outcomes-and-impacts-a-scan-of-55-leadership-development-programs