Deepening Family Engagement in Educational Systems

Strand 5: Family Engagement October 17, 2019

Strand 5 In this strand, participants will explore six essential components of meaningful family engagement in multi-tiered systems of supports that deepen family and school commitment to authentic partnership while increasing specific student and family outcomes across domains.

Learning Intentions Identify the value of, and strategies for collecting key data on family perceptions and participation Identify ways to link family and community engagement efforts to student indicators Identify strategies for engaging families and community partners in data-based planning and implementation of systems and practices Develop or refine a vision for family and community engagement based on currently collected or needed data

Lets Get to Know Each Other Central Office School Administrator School Counselor General Education Teacher Exceptional Education Teacher School Social Worker or Psychologist Who did we miss?

The VTSS Framework 1. Aligned Organizational Structure 2. Data Informed Decision Making 3. Evidence-Based Practices 4. Family, School, and Community Partnerships 5. Monitoring Student Progress 6. Evaluation

What does this look like?

Family Engagement in VTSS ...an active, interactive, dynamic, and ongoing process in which family members and key stakeholders engage as equal partners in decision- making, planning, and implementation to support children and adolescents across settings . Aligning and Integrating Family Engagement in PBIS , p. 2

Family Engagement Components Positive Relationships- educators recognize families needs and cultural characteristics, leading to greater understand and respect among all Family Empowerment- educators use effective strategies to identify and encourage families knowledge, skills and efficacy for supporting students learning From Minch et al., 2017

Family Engagement Components (cont.) Leadership- Family Engagement is included in professional development, school vision, mission, and goals and are aligned with division vision and goals for engagement Multi-tiered Approach- multidimensional approaches are used to engage families in dialogue through multiple communication modes.

Six Components (cont.) Data-based Goals & Outcomes- goals and outcomes are identified based on student outcome data and input from families and staff Collaborative Problem-Solving- families of children receiving Tier 2 and Tier 3 supports are effectively engaged in all steps of the problem-solving process

Alignment with MTSS, PBIS and Culturally Responsive PBIS MTSS Family Engagement PBIS Culturally Responsive-PBIS Leadership Leadership PBIS Team Family voice and perspective included in teaming Data Evaluation Data-based Goals & Outcomes Evaluation Including goals regarding equitable outcomes Communication and\ Collaboration Positive Relationships Faculty Commitment Emphasis on personal relationships among students, teachers, and families Capacity Building Infrastructure Family Empowerment Implementation Plan PD includes culture and self- awareness Multiple Tiers Of Supports Multi-tiered Approach Expectations, Rule Lesson Plans/Teaching Rewards. Discipline Procedures Classroom Systems Stakeholders central to the development of behavioral curriculum Collaborative Problem Solving Data Entry and Analysis Includes review of disaggregated data Minch, Kincaid, Tremaine & Thomas, 2017, in Aligning & Integrating Family Engagement in PBIS

What does your Division do well? Positive Relationships Family Empowerment Leadership Multi-tiered Approach Data-based Goals & Outcomes Collaborative Problem- Solving Is it consistent across schools? What facilitates these strengths? What assets are already in place? How do you know this is your strongest?

Stronger Family Engagement- VTSS Videos Part 1: Building Positive Relationships and Empowering Families Part 2: School Leadership and Multi- dimensional Approach Part 3: Family Engagement in Action-Using Data and Problem Solving

Part 1: Positive Family Relationships and Empowering Families Please see your VTSS State Coach for this video.

School Feedback from Videos on 6 Elements Most commonly endorsed strength ( family engagement element where your school/district is strongest ) = Building Relationships Most commonly identified challenge ( family engagement element where your school/district needs most support ) = Empowering Families Data from Family Engagement in VTSS Video evaluations summer 2019

Why Engage Family, Youth, and Community For students: higher math and reading achievement higher social skills adapt better to school and attend more regularly lower aggressive behaviors

Why Engage (cont.) For Families: perception of their job description shifts gain confidence in their ability to share and influence their children s learning and development develop an increased sense of accountability to their school or neighborhood, and advocate for all children versus their children empower to take on new challenges in terms of their educations and careers link their personal growth with civic and political action

Engagement for Educators For Educators: In elementary schools, teacher perceptions of families as partners in students education are strongly related to their decisions to remain in their school. Increased trustful relationships with families. Increased communication with families. Increased teacher longevity.

Strengthening Family Engagement to Improve Outcomes for Children Please see your VTSS State Coach for this video.

Families: The great untapped resource.

Why is this so hard?

Why Families Engage: Three Factors that Matter Families believe that through their efforts to become engaged in the school-learning lives of their children they can exercise more positive outcomes. Families believe that the school values their participation and the genuine nature of the invitation. Families personal perception of their lives is it feasible to be engaged, and the degree to which they believe their own skill, time, and energy is conducive to their engagement. Based on the work from Hoover-Dempsey, et al., 2005

How to have significant, sustained & positive impact on learning? Building personal relationships and mutual understanding with families via class meetings, informal one-on-one conversations, and home visits Sharing data with families about student skill levels Modeling high-impact teaching practices such as dialogic reading and hands-on math activities so families can use them at home (Henderson, Mapp, Johnson and Davies, 2007)

Positive Impact on Learning (cont.) Listening to families ideas about their children s interests and challenges, and using this input to differentiate instruction. Incorporating content from families home cultures into classroom lessons. (Henderson, Mapp, Johnson and Davies, 2007)

What do educators want from family engagement? Families visit the school and attend school events Volunteering, attending conferences, celebrations, back-to-school night Family cooperation with school requests and expectations (especially regarding homework) Home-based support to establish students value of school and facilitate teachers ability to teach Families respond to written communications from schools (signatures) Lawson, 2003

What do families want from family engagement? Families want to feel heard and listened to More opportunities for open, ongoing, two-way communication Discussions, not assumptions, especially as it pertains to: parenting and academic/behavioral concerns families lack of attendance at school events Opportunities to define their engagement Advocating for the best interest of their children Less social isolation from other families in the building

Breaking the Cycle Ideas, objectives, initiatives, and strategies that requires a shift in thinking will drift toward the existing culture unless significant work is done to augment, expand, and change the culture to embrace the desired change.

Taking Time to Reflect and Consider Read the statements in your workbook and mark a few that align with your view of family engagement. Next take your activity sheet, an index card, and something to write with and form a group representing all 4 playing card suits. Take time for each group member to share at least one statement and a little bit about why you landed on your choice. Record few ideas that resonate, and you think will be important for your team to discuss and consider.

Creating a New Vision Your informed vision for family engagement (educator/ family collaboration) is key. Engagement has these aspects: behavioral (things we can observe); emotional (interest, value, and feelings toward the school environment); and cognitive (effort).

Managing Complex Change

The Teams Work is Managing Change The graphic on the previous slide is a framework for thinking about systems change developed by Knoster, Villa and Thousand. This framework outlines the components of meaningful change: vision, action plans, skills, resources and motivators. When components are missing, certain organizational behaviors will manifest: without vision, there is confusion; without action plans, there are false starts; without skill building, there is anxiety; without resources, there is frustration; without motivators, there is resistance and limited outcomes.

Confusion

Time for your Vision A vision statement is an idealized description of a desired outcome that energizes, inspires and helps you create a mental image of your target. Remember - engagement may have behavioral, emotional and cognitive aspects.

Creating a Vision for Family Engagement Step 1 Take a few minutes for each team member to respond to the following: If we could create the division of our dreams, what would family engagement look like and sound like? Use words, or - even better - draw! What colors or images capture the heart of your vison?

What are the common themes? Step 2 Take turns sharing your words, phrases and images. What are the common themes and threads? Step 3 Draft a vision statement that captures the essence of those themes. Is there a visual image that inspires your team?

Expanding the Vision How will you input from families and the community to inform your vision? What additional data or information might you want to gather to have a clearer picture of your current reality?

Guiding Questions for Family Engagement Organized by the 6 elements of Family Engagement within VTSS: Leadership Data-based Goals & Outcomes Positive Relationships Family Empowerment Multi-tiered Approach Collaborative Problem-Solving In the guiding questions table, identify data needed to answer question(s), examine what is available and list needed sources.

Work Time - Guiding Questions As team, review the guiding questions for each element. In third column, list any data currently collected, and in fourth column, note any that you might be able to collect. Reflect on your strengths and challenges in each element and your immediate as well as longer term actions.

Six Components of Family Engagement Leadership: Does school/division leadership understand, value and actively support family engagement and inclusion of family voice in VTSS efforts? Family Empowerment: Are families valued, encouraged and supported to be equal partners in their children s education? Are efforts to empower families ongoing, consistent and authentic? Positive Relationships: Do families have welcoming, respectful, genuine and positive experiences with the school and division?

Six Components of Family Engagement (cont.) Data-based Goals and Outcomes: Do families and educators collaboratively develop data based goals and evaluate their outcomes? Multi tiered Approach: Do families understand tier distinctions and their implications? Collaborative Problem Solving: Are families included (input obtained and utilized, participation encouraged and made accessible) in the practices and processes (including the problem solving process) for students receiving tier 2/3 services?

Need for Data School Climate data for students and faculty/staff? Is this data disaggregated by identity groups (e.g. race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc.) Attendance data; discipline data Family input surveys (which families responded?) Family engagement initiatives: What did you do? Which families were involved? Was the initiative successful? What data informs this?

Digging Deeper What can we use to collect information about engagement from stakeholders? Michigan family engagement strategy checklist Family Engagement Self Assessment from Madison WI Metro School District (MMSD) Create your own!

How can we ensure were hearing from our most marginalized stakeholders? Time: How long does it take to respond? When do you need to know? Language: Do we understand what you are asking? Will our responses be valued? HOW: Who and how are you asking? Do I trust you enough to answer honestly?

Building a Better Survey Explain why someone should participate Make sure that every question is necessary Keep it short and simple Ask direct questions Ask one question at a time Avoid leading and biased questions Speak your respondent's language Take your survey for a test drive End on a high note

For December Share your vision statement with others in your division, school teams, families, community partners. Revise if needed. Share and revise as needed the Guiding Questions worksheet. Share Family Engagement in VTSS video series with other division leaders and school teams to help them understand the 6 components. COLLECT family and community DATA you just identified. Come back in December with final vision, Guiding Questions and DATA!