21st Century Parent Framework

1. The Urban Parent Advocacy
Standards
Parent skills for the 21st Century

2. Goals:
 Deepen parents understanding of the
Parent Involvement that works for the 21st
Century.
 “100% Parents Preparation” on advocacy
and school structure.
 Connect school site and district work to
student’s achievement.
 Acquire skills that assist parents in
navigating their children beyond K-12 and
into higher education.

3. Brief History:
 Most “models” are written
by researchers whom have
little to no experience
living in the communities
their model is applied to.
 Developed by parents of
color living in low-
performing school areas
within Los Angels.
 These parents also
successfully navigated their
child through the K-12
school system and into
institutions of higher
education.

4. What are some ideas you have about
the roles you feel parents currently
play on school sites?

5. Parent Advocacy Standard 1:
Access to Information and Data
Collection
 Parents need to have
access to timely and
accurate information
regarding their
child’s education in
order to best
support their child’s
academic success.

6. “An informed parent is a
powerful instrument for social
change.”

7. Parent Advocacy Standard
2 : Parents in Decision-Making Roles
Parents provide
leadership in schools
by being at the table
with teachers and
administrators to
develop policies,
allocate resources,
and incorporating
input from the
community.

8. Parent Advocacy Standard 3:
Parents as Student Advocates
 Parents need to know how
to navigate and negotiate
the school system. We
need to support the
creation of an environment
where parents have access
to the information and
support systems necessary
to be effective advocates
by monitoring and
directing the education of
our children.

9. “Only when parents know the
rules of engagement, can they
hold the system accountable.”

10. Parent Advocacy Standard 4:
Parent Leaders at Home and in the
School-Community
 Parents need opportunities to build
leadership and advocacy skills to enhance
student-parent-community partnerships.
Schools will serve the family and
community needs for health and social
service and provide resources and
information for accessing those services

11. In Addition:
 Parents will learn
intergenerational and
cross-cultural
communication
strategies
 Parents will learn
“twenty-first century
parenting skills”
 Parents will
understand the college
requirements and
financial aid process.

12. Parent Advocacy Standard 5:
Effective Two –Way Communication
 Communication must be
translated in languages
that parents speak in
their home., it must be
two-way and meaningful.
 Parent Liaison roles
include helping bridge
the open communication
between school and
home and helping to
create effective home/
school relationships.

13. Parent Advocacy Standard 6:
District Level Support
 Structures are
provided to build
parent capacity that
is well-defined, has
meaningful
participation where
dialogue,
empowerment and
action are critical
components of
educational reform.

14. Parent Advocacy Standard 7:
Friendly Schools Atmosphere
 Schools will create a
welcoming
environment for
people of all cultures,
staff will receive
customer service
training to better
serve the
community, and their
progress will be
monitored.

15. Questions or Comments?