Harnessing the Combined Power

of Home, School, and Community

Jessie B. Lavorgna Family, School, and Community Partnership Specialist

MSDE 2017 Family Engagement Summit: Engaging Families in Modern Times

Linthicum Heights, MD | August 3, 2017

@jessie__bee__

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Here’s the plan:

• First, housekeeping

• Then, engage

• Next, explore

• Last, reflect

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ENGAGE

Notice, Wonder,

Question, Predict

EXPLORE

Investigate, Observe, Record data

REFLECT

Discuss, Draw conclusions,

Formulate theories

Source: Foundations of Science Literacy. Copyright © 2013. Education Development Center, Inc.

HOUSEKEEPING

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Learn about an i3 development grant: LASErS

(Literacy and Academic Success for English Learners through Science),

Explore ways to foster culturally-sustaining family-school partnerships

and link all families to students’ learning,

Hear about lessons learned, and

Make friends & have fun!

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Who am I?

(What role do I play in my professional life?)

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Why am

I here?

(What would I like to get out of this session?)

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Who am I?

Why am I here?

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A World of Impact

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EDC’s Early Childhood work has inspired national and global best practices.

BACKGROUND

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Research is always part me-search.

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How do we engage and partner with all students’ families?

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LASErS seeks to harness the

combined power of school, home,

and community and the engaging

context of science to bolster

language, literacy, and academic

outcomes for English learners (ELs).

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Professional Development:

Science and Literacy Training

and Materials

Schools & Teachers: Classroom

Implementation

Families & Teachers:

Home-based activities and School-based

events

Community: Science Center

and Family Centers

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Hartford, Connecticut

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Data source: District Profile and Performance Report for School Year 2015-16: Hartford School District (Rep.). (2017). Connecticut State Department of Education.

Hispanic or Latino Black or

African American White

Students Educators

White Black or

African American Hispanic or Latino

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Data source: District Profile and Performance Report for School Year 2015-16: Hartford School District (Rep.). (2017). Connecticut State Department of Education.

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Professional Development:

Science and Literacy Training

and Materials

Schools & Teachers: Classroom

Implementation

Families & Teachers:

Home-based activities and School-based

events

Community: Science Center

and Family Centers

Easy! Just need to teach content and help teachers link fmilies to learning

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Connecting through

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Partners in Education: A Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships

Source: SEDL. (2013). Partners in education: A dual capacity-building framework for family-school partnerships. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/documents/family-community/partnerseducation.pdf .

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Opportunity Conditions: Process Conditions

Process conditions are key to the

design of the effective initiatives

for building capacity of families

and school staff to partner in ways

that support student achievement

and school improvement.

(Mapp & Kuttner, 2013)

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Process Condition: Linked to Learning

Initiatives are aligned with school

and district achievement goals

and connect families to the

teaching and learning goals for

the students.

(Mapp & Kuttner, 2013)

Science

Literacy

Language

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A major factor of the initiative is on building respectful and trusting relationships between

home and school. (Mapp & Kuttner, 2013)

Side A Side B

Process Condition: Relational

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Process Condition: Developmental

The initiatives focus on building the intellectual, social, and human capacity of stakeholders engaged in the program.

(Mapp & Kuttner, 2013)

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Process Condition: Collaborative

Learning is conducted in group

rather than individual

communities and networks.

(Mapp & Kuttner, 2013)

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Process Condition: Interactive

Participants are given

opportunities to test out and

apply new skills.

(Mapp & Kuttner, 2013)

EXPLORE

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Sources: http://ltd.edc.org/sites/ltd.edc.org/files/FamilyEngagementTips.pdf http://ltd.edc.org/culturally-resp-family-engagement

Culturally Responsive Family Engagement Approach

33

According to Grant and Ray (2016), a culturally responsive

family engagement “approach involves practices that

respect and acknowledge the cultural uniqueness, life

experiences, and viewpoints of classroom families and draw

on those experiences to enrich and energize the classroom

curriculum and teaching activities, leading to respectful

partnerships with students’ families” (p. 5).

Grant, K. B., & Ray, J. (2016). Home, school, and community collaboration: Culturally responsive family engagement (Third ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.

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Build Relationships and

Be Present

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Recognize, Honor, and

Promote Existing Knowledge

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Identify and Use What Works

for Each Family

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Promote a Culture of

Awareness, Learning, and

Sharing

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Foster Community by

Building Social Capital

Build relationships and be present.

Recognize, honor, and promote existing knowledge.

Identify and use what works best for each family.

Promote a culture of awareness, learning, and sharing.

Foster community by building social capital.

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System 1: Fast

System 2: Slow

Source: Kahneman, D. (2015). Thinking, fast and slow. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

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Implicit Bias

Implicit Bias refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our

understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner.

Source: Understanding Implicit Bias. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2017, from http://kirwaninstitute.osu.edu/research/understanding-implicit-bias/

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Who am I? Who are you?

Self-awareness and Bridge Building Tool

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REFLECT

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Experience: What did you think?

Question: What do you wonder?

Next Step: How might you use this?

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• Learn about an i3 development grant: LASErS

(Literacy and Academic Success for English Learners through Science),

• Explore ways to foster culturally-sustaining family-school partnerships

and link all families to students’ learning,

• Hear about lessons learned, and

• Make friends & have fun!

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Any final questions?

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THANK YOU

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Jessie B. Lavorgna jlavorgna@edc.org Direct: 860-278-6360 @jessie__bee__