Families and Collaboration

Meeting the Challengefor Diverse Populations

Denise R. JohnsonNew Dominion Alternative Center

Families and Collaboration

Today’s Meet

http://todaysmeet.com/AltEd

Build trusting collaborative relationships among teachers, families, and community members

Recognize, respect, and address families’ needs, as well as class and cultural difference

Embrace a philosophy of partnership where responsibility is

shared

Today’s Objective


Families and teachers might wish that theschool could do the job alone. But today’sschools need families and today’s familiesneed the schools. In many ways, this mutualneed may be the greatest hope for change. “

Rich, 1987


A significant knowledge base suggests that toenhance learning outcomes, productive

home-school collaborations are essential (Lewis &Henderson, 1997).


While most educators agree with the value offamily involvement, putting such

relationshipsinto action can be challenging.


Shared educational goals

Maximizes opportunities for the student to learn

Builds social capital

Parent and educator perspectives leads to a better understanding of the student

Blaming can be avoided when a child exhibits learning and behavior difficulties

Benefits of Working with Parents as Partners


Challenges for Diverse Families and Educators

Demographics of students served is rapidly changing

Family structures and values are more varied

Service providers are child focused and have limited training on family interaction

Suspicion about treatment from educators

Lack of responsiveness to parental needs

Lack of supportive environment and resources (e.g., poverty, limited access to services)



Transportation

Day care issues

Illness of caregiver or other family

Language differences

Economic, emotional, and time constraints



Tendency to blame parents for student

academic/behavioral performance

Use of jargon

Lack of sensitive/aware personnel

Lack of linguistically/culturally diverse materials

Inflexible scheduling



It is never a good idea to ignore family lack of involvement

Even under the most frustrating conditions, educators still must continue to build respectful relationships

Engaging Families at All Levels


Differentiating family supports is just as important as differentiating instruction

One size does not fit all

Multiple approaches are needed to engage parents, grandparents, single parents, foster parents, older siblings, teen parents, military parents, incarcerated parents, etc.

Engaging Parents At All Levels


Tier Model for Differentiating Strategies to Maximize Family Engagement

Opportunities affordedto all families.

Additional supportsto boost some

families.

Special efforts

for a few families.

Indicated: 3rd Tier

Selective: 2nd Tier

Universal: 1st Tier

Create a welcoming environment

Solicit family input Provide an orientation Establish ongoing

communication Sponsor social

activities

Universal Strategies for ALL Families


Connect families with each other

Offer families education and training

Translate materials Solicit family input Recruit family members to

serve on advisory groups

Selective Strategies to BOOST Some Families:


Tailor approaches to each family

Repair relationships between the student and his/her family

Strategies for Hard to REACH Families


Provide examples of each

1. Do I accept parents as they are, or do I try to change them to “fit” a

predetermined parent role?

2. Do I try to build relationships, or do I stay aloof in my interactions with

family members?

3. When I tell parents that I will do something, do I follow through?

4. Am I always trying to teach parents something, inform them of

something, or instruct them about something, or do I also try to learn from

them and about them?

Reflection: Personal Attitudes Toward Families


Educators must meet parents where they are, not where they think parents should or could be.

Everyone should assume that each party is doing the best he or she can.

This means that judgments must be suspended and an effort made to understand the family’s perspective.

Fostering Positive Relationships


Listen to one another’s perspective

View differences as strengths

Focus on mutual interests

Solicit input (e.g., ideas and opinions about the child, concerns, goals, and potential solutions to problems)

Ways To Model Positive Attitude


Make shared decisions about a child’s educational program and goals

Demonstrate a willingness to address conflict

Refrain from finding fault

Ways To Model Positive Attitude


Differences are to be expected, because parentsand teachers observe children in their respectivesettings.

A win-win attitude in the presence of conflict is essential to fostering positive relationships.

Educators demonstrate a win-win attitude when they state a desire to work toward resolution and discuss what can be done at home and at school to achieve goals for the student.

Dealing With Conflict



1. What extra effort have I made to enhance the involvement or connection to school for the student?

2. How can my relationship with the student be enhanced so that the student wants to invite the caregiver to attend back-to-school night or parent-teacher-student conferences?

3. Does the student feel it is his or her school (i.e., has a sense of belonging)?

4. Do I convey appreciation for parents’ ideas and input about their child?

Reflection: Building Trust with Students


Greeting families by name and initiating positive contact when they first enter the school

Maintaining a point of contact between home and school

Preparing print materials in multiple languages.

Checking the tone and content of messages school personnel convey

Providing prompt responses to parent concerns

Practices that Build Trust and Create a Welcoming Climate


Making contact at the first sign of a concern Offering group activities such as

information-sharing sessions) to encourage families and staff to become acquainted

Reaching out to parents through positive telephone calls

Offering to meet parents at their convenience

Asking parents to report good news to the school



Be an active listener Use solution-oriented language Express concern for the student

Try not to start off by reciting a laundry list of problems that the child might have

Most families do not want to hear what is wrong with their children, but want to hear specific behavioral descriptions of what their children are doing



Help parents view their children as learners

Phrase communication in such a way that a message of hopefulness is evident. Negative messages such as, “Your child is having trouble,” or “Your child is not motivated” may encourage caregivers to give up hope instead of trying to help by becoming involved.

Include students in communications whenever possible.



Schedule specific dates for parent-teacher conferences and offer meeting times during and after school

Use locations, such as home or a local library to hold parent-teacher conferences

Offer child supervision during meetings Provide options for transportation Supply interpreters/liaisons for ESOL population Create flexible school office hours so parents

may come by before or after work

Be flexible in accommodating parents and families


Provide feedback in a comfortable environment

Keep number of professionals to a minimum Ask about child’s strengths and weaknesses Remember that the child is an individual Use conflict resolution strategies to clarify

any contentious issues

Be flexible in accommodating parents and families



Do you/your school personnel:

1. Help families maintain a sense of power, dignity, and authority in rearing their children?

2. Demonstrate mutual respect, critical reflection, and caring?

3. Find opportunities for families to provide input and make decisions about their children’s learning?

Reflection: Are families considered a resource?


As the use of technology in our parents’ and students’ lives changes, so should the way we communicate with them and keep them informed and involved in their education.

Technology for Parent, Teacher, and Student Collaboration at

NDAC


Telephone conference E-mail Text message Virtual teacher plan book School/class webpage Educational social media Class blogs

Technology for Parent, Teacher, and Student Collaboration at NDAC


Phone conference





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For families:

Learn school policies, procedures, and practices

Develop and define family roles in relation to the student

Implications


For professionals:

Involve influential family/community members

Conduct home visits Make communication reciprocal

Craft goals consistent with values

Be aware of cultural diversity

Implications


For educational programs:

Provide transportation/meeting flexibility

Assign interpreters for families (long term)

Develop materials for different languages/ cultures

Look for opportunities to work with community institutions

Implications


Does your school: Used welcoming strategies (e.g., personal invitations in native

language, translators)? Planned for logistical barriers (e.g., daycare, transportation)? Invited family assistance and input when addressing school-

based concerns? Kept the focus of interaction child centered and solution

oriented (e.g., what can be done to foster the child’s progress)? Offered fun events that also may meet a family need (e.g.,

raffles, contests, meals)? Used community outreach (e.g., meet in neutral sites, home visits)?

Identified influential family and community members who will spread good messages about the school?

Surveyed families to determine the reason for noninvolvement?

Examined family recruitment procedures to ensure they are appropriate?

Involving Families Checklist


Thank you!


Christenson, S.L., & Sheridan, S.M. (2001). Schools and families: Creating essential connections for learning. New York: Guilford Press.

Comer, J. P., Haynes, N. M., Joyner, E. T., & Ben-Avie, M. (1996). Rallying the whole village: The Comer process for reforming education. New York: Teachers College Press.

Epstein, J.L. (2001). School, family, and community partnerships: Preparing educators and improving schools. Boulder, CO: Westview.

Sources


Hoover-Dempsey, K. V., & Sandler, H. M. (1997). Why do parents become involved in their children’s education? Review of Educational Research, 67(1), 3–42.

Liontos, L. B. (1992). At-risk families and schools: Becoming partners (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. EA 023 283). Eugene, OR: ERIC.

National P. T. A. (2000). Building successful partnerships: A guide for developing parent and family involvement programs. Bloomington, IN: National Educational Service.

Sources


Al-Hassan, Suha & Gardner, Ralph, III, Involving Immigrant Parents of Students with Disabilities in the Educational Process. TEACHING Exceptional Children, v34 n5 2002

Arcia, E., & Gallagher, J. J. Who are underserved by early interventionists? Can we tell? Infant-Toddler ntervention, v3, 1993

Zhang, Chun & Bennett, Tess, Facilitating the Meaningful Participation of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families in the IFSP and IEP Process. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, v18 n1, 2003

Sources


About. (2012, December 3). Retrieved December 3, 2012, fromEdmodo: http://about.edmodo.com/

Friend, M., & Cook, L. (2010). Interactions: Collaboration Skills ForProfessionals. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education,Inc.

Planbook. (2012, December 3). Retrieved December 3, 2012, fromPlanbook: http://planbook.com/signin.html

Teen Chat Acronym Decoder. (2012, December 3). RetrievedDecember 3, 2012, from Teen Chat Decoder:http://www.teenchatdecoder.com/

TodaysMeet. (2012, December 3). Retrieved December 2012, 2012,from TodaysMeet: http://todaysmeet.com/EDSE662

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http://planbook.com/signin.html

http://planbook.com/signin.html

http://www.teenchatdecoder.com/



http://todaysmeet.com/EDSE662

http://todaysmeet.com/EDSE662


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Families and Collaboration