Enhancing Family Engagement for Student Success in Education

Supporting Student Success Enhancing Family Engagement Module 3

The mission of the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) is to support the efforts and initiatives of the PaTTAN s Mission Bureau of Special Education, and to build the capacity of local educational agencies to serve students who receive special education services.

Our goal for each child is to ensure PDE s Commitment to Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams begin with the general education setting with the use of Supplementary Aids and Services before considering a more restrictive environment.

Discuss research on family-school relationships and students success Examine key elements of engaging families Explore strategies at various levels to enhance family engagement and increase student achievement Module 3 Goals

Family Engagement promotes equitable partnerships among schools, families and communities to actively promote student achievement through shared commitment, decision-making and responsibility. Family Engagement #PAFamilyEngagement

IDEA Regulations and Implications for Practice ESSA PA State Performance Plan (SPP) Indicator 8 Component 4C - Communicating with Families Danielson Framework Component 4A Maximizes Parent and Community Involvement and Outreach PA System for Principal Effectiveness

Image of Understanding the Every Student Succeeds Act A Parents' Guide to the Nation's Landmark Education Law ESSA Parent Guide Share with Your School Community!

All families have dreams for their children and want the best for them. All families have the capacity to support their children s learning. Core Beliefs of Family Engagement Families and school staff are equal partners. The responsibility for cultivating and sustaining partnerships among school, home, and community rests primarily with school staff, especially school leaders. Mapp, Carver & Lander, 2017

FAMILY ENGAGEMENT AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT SECTION 1

Elevated test scores in reading and math More positive attitudes towards academics Student Benefits of Family Engagement Improved study skills and attention Better school attendance Easier transitions between grade levels Increased graduation rates

Families involvement in their childrens education is impacted by: Their own educational experiences Influences on Family Engagement Their own parents involvement in their school experience Beliefs shaped by culture and values Family responsibilities and time commitments Mapp, 2002

Communicate expectations for achievement Discuss learning strategies Prepare and plan for the future Foster educational and vocational aspirations Activities Supporting Academic Success Hill & Tyson, 2009

Engage in homework completion Set subject-specific educational goals Attend academic meetings Activities Supporting Academic Success (cont d) Van Voorhis, 2001; Sheldon & Epstein, 2005; Baker, 2018

Take a Closer Look Activity 3.1 Closer Look .Activity 3.1 Closer Look

LEA-Level Strategies for Enhancing Student Achievement by Engaging Families SECTION 2

Best Practices Family members on academic committees and councils Academic information in all languages of your LEA Prioritizing Partnerships Families are shown how to access academic information Family trainings on participation in academic activities

A shared commitment to collaborative family-school partnerships Positive language is used with and about families Attendance at trainings on effective family engagement Family engagement in academics is an everyday activity Establishing Expectations for Staff Members

Best Practices Family engagement is written into LEA s mission and vision statements Family Engagement in Missions, Visions, and Goals LEA s mission, vision, goals, and progress are shared with families often Families contribute towards LEA-wide academic goals Family engagement activities are connected to LEA s academic goals

Envisioning Family Engagement Activity 3.2 Envisioning Family Engagement

BUILDING/SCHOOL LEVEL STRATEGIES FOR ENHANCING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT SECTION 3

Family Involvement Family Engagement Families Help Create and Oversee School Events & Activities School Leads with its Ears* Schools respond to families concerns by encouraging connections to move toward broader action. Families Participate in School Events & Activities School Leads with its Mouth* Are They the Same? Schools respond to families concerns with a narrow focus Waterford.org, 2018 *Larry Ferlazzo, 2011

More likely to: Earn higher grades or test scores Graduate from high school and attend post- secondary education Develop self-confidence and motivation in the classroom Have better social skills and classroom behavior Children with Engaged Parents are Less likely to: Have low self-esteem Need redirection in the classroom Develop behavioral issues Waterford.org, 2018

Versions of Family-School Partnerships Come-if- We-Call School Open- Door School Fortress School Partnership School Henderson, Mapp, Johnson and Davies, 2007

Connect all family-based activities to what the students are learning Encourage families and teachers to look at student work and test results together Send home student work every week with a scoring guide Invite community groups to provide tutoring and homework programs at the school Linking to Learning in a Partnership School Henderson, Mapp, Johnson and Davies, 2007

Create a school climate and structures that support student success Create a family resource center Designate a Parent Representative (family) and a Family Liaison (staff) Set up a homework helpline Utilize the Academic Parent-Teacher Teams (APTT) model Strategies to Promote Student Success

Provide Access to Families Home Visits Comprehensive Services and Centers Two-Generation Strategies Oversight and Accountability More Building- Level Strategies NCLS 2018

Communicate with families often and with a professional approach Offer family workshops and trainings Building- Level Strategies (cont d) Family report card Create opportunities for families, teachers, students, and community members to share ideas on: improving student success addressing barriers to family engagement school improvement

Activity 3.3 Connecting with Families The Perfect Fit

To better serve families, educators need to share data about students attendance, behavior, and academic progress at the individual and school levels. Engaging Families in Data Discussions What data is most meaningful for families? What data indicates why we need to partner? What data provides a snapshot of learning? What data conveys student progress? REL Pacific, 2005

CLASSROOM-LEVEL STRATEGIES FOR ENHANCING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT SECTION 4

Classroom Strategies to Promote Student Success Provide families with a list of grade- level mastery skills in all subjects Starr, 2011

Share students non-academic accomplishments with families Consult with families on: gaps in students background knowledge cultural norms and practices how students learn best students histories (e.g., traumas, athletics) family culture More Classroom Strategies

Helping Families Understand Homework Ensure that families understand what their children are learning and doing in class . Encourage families to promote high standards for student work Discuss how to improve student progress with families Teach families skills to help their children at home Henderson, Mapp, Johnson and Davies, 2007

Interactive Homework Assignments Provide parents with: Information on assignments increases time students spend on homework increases level of student achievement Specialized training elicits even greater levels of achievement Bailey, 2006

Best Practices Meet with families more than annually Become a partner with families Share data on aggregate classroom performance & individual students Set educational goals together with families Model strategies to support learning at home Building Capacity for Academic Collaboration

American Psychological Association. Parent Engagement in Schools. Retrieved from apa.org: https://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/programs/safe-supportive/parental- engagement/default.aspx Bailey, Lora B,. (2006). Interactive Homework: A Tool for Fostering Parent-Child Interactions and Improving Learning Outcomes for At-risk Young Children. Early Childhood Education Journal, 34(2), 155-167. 10.10007/s10643-006-0114-y. Barnyak, N. C., & McNelly, T.A., (2009). An urban school district s parent involvement: A study of teachers and administrators beliefs and practices. The School Community Journal, 19(1), 33-58. References(1) Bryk, A., Sebring, P., Allensworth, E., Luppescu, S., & Easton, J. (2010). Organizing Schools for Improvement: Lessons from Chicago. University of Chicago Press. Cox, D. D. (2005). Evidence-based interventions using home school collaboration. School Psychology Quarterly, 20(4), 473 497. Epstein, J.L., Coates, L., Salinas, K.C., Sanders, M.G., & Simon, B.S. (2008). School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action. (3rd ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Ferlazzo, L. (2011, May). Involvement or Engagement? Retrieved July 02, 2020, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational- leadership/may11/vol68/num08/Involvement-or-Engagement%C2%A2.aspx, pp 10-14

Grand Rapids Public School District. What Is Parental Engagement? Retrieved from grps.org: https://www.grps.org/parents/parental-engagement. Henderson, A. T., & Mapp, K. L., (2002). A new wave of evidence: The impact of school, family, and community connections on student achievement. Austin, TX: National Center for Family and Community Schools, Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. Hill, N., & Tyson, D. (2009). Parental Involvement in Middle School: A Meta- Analytic Assessment of the Strategies That Promote Achievement. Developmental Psychology,45(3), 740-763. Resources References (2) Hoover-Dempsey, K., Walker, J., Sandler, H., Whetsel, D., Green, C., Wilkins, A., & Closson, K. (2005). Why do parents become involved? Research findings and implications. The Elementary School Journal, 106(2), 105 130. How Parent Involvement Leads to Student Success. (2018, November 1). Retrieved July 02, 2020, from https://www.waterford.org/education/how- parent-involvment-leads-to-student-success/

Kaufman, T. Family Engagement and Student Success: What the Research Says. Retrieved July 02, 2020, from https://www.understood.org/en/school- learning/for-educators/partnering-with-families/family-engagement-and- student- success?_ul=1*1mv0hdh*domain_userid*YW1wLU9qT3FFYmFXeU85WkU5TEdRaD V6bUE. Mapp, K. L., Carver, I., & Lander, J. (2017). Powerful partnerships: a teachers guide to engaging families for student success. New York, NY: Scholastic. References (3) Mapp, K. L., (2002). Having their say: Parents describe how and why they are involved in their children s education. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA. McDonald, C. (2016, June 3, personal communication); Dawson, K., & Berry, M. (2002). Engaging families in child welfare services: An evidence-based approach to best practice. Child Welfare, 81, 293-317. Parallelus. (n.d.). National Network of Partnership Schools: Johns Hopkins University School of Education. Retrieved from https://www.partnershipschools.org

Pena, D. C., (2000). Parent Involvement: Influencing factors and implications. The Journal of Educational Research. 94(1), 42-54. REL PACIFIC, (2015). Toolkit of Resources for Engaging Parents and Community as Partners in Education Part 4: Engaging All in Data Conversations. Retrieved October 16, 2015, from http://relpacific.mcrel.org/resources/~/media/RELPacific/Files/Part4_Mar2015.ashx Sheldon, S. B., & Jung, S. B. (2015). Parent Involvement and Children s Academic and Social Development in Elementary School. Johns Hopkins University, School of Education. References (4) Sheldon, Steven B., and J. L. Epstein. Involvement Counts: Family and Community Partnerships and Mathematics Achievement. The Journal of Longitudinal Research. 98(4), 196-206 Starr, L. (2011, January 1). A Dozen Activities to Promote Parent Involvement. Retrieved February 27, 2015, from http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr200.shtml Wairimu, M.J., Macharia, S.M., Muiru, A. (2016, November 27). Analysis of Parental Involvement and Self-Esteem on Secondary School Students in Kieni West Sub- County, Nyeri County, Kenya. Journal of Education and Practice, Vol 7. (82-98)

Weyer, M. (2018, September 24). Family Engagement in Education, Retrieved July 02, 2020, from https://www.ncsl.org/research/education/family- engagement.aspx Weiss, H. B., & Lopez, M. E. (2011). Making data matter in family engagement. In, Sam Redding, Marilyn Murphy, & Pam Sheley (Eds.), The handbook on family and community engagement, pp. 21-28. Retrieved from http://www.schoolcommunitynetwork.org/downloads/FACEHan dbook.pdf References (5) Xu, Z., & Gulosino, C. A., (2006). How does teacher quality matter? The effect of teacher-parent partnership on early childhood performance in public and private schools. Education Economics, 14(3), 345-367.

PaTTAN East 1-800-441-3215 Kimberly Jenkins kjenkins@pattan.net PaTTAN Harrisburg 1-800-360-7282 Erin Campion ecampion@pattan.net Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Tom Wolf, Governor PaTTAN Pittsburgh 1-800-446-5607 Jennifer Geibel jgeibel@pattan.net