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Family Engagement Strategies
- 1. Trending Topic: It’s All About Family Engagement
- 2. Reneé Jackson, Ed.D. National PTA Senior Manager, Education Initiatives @reneelajackson rjackson@pta.org
- 3. Stand up if you work at the district level Stand up if you work at the school level Stand up if you have children or grandchildren in a school Who are you? Sit down if you are a PTA member Sit down if you believe in the power of family engagement
- 4. By the end of this workshop you will be able to: • Understand what it means to effectively engage all families • Identify PTA’s National Standards for Family-School Partnerships • Demonstrate how to partner with families for continuous school improvement by using National PTA Standards for Family-School Partnerships
- 5. Question to Ponder What is your district’s/school’s vision and core values for family and community engagement?
- 6. 4 Types of Partnerships
- 7. Core Values • All parents have dreams for their children and want the best for them. • All parents have the capacity to support their children’s learning. • Parents and school staff should be equal partners. • The responsibility for building partnerships between school and home rest primarily within the school staff, especially school leaders. (Henderson & Mapp, 2008)
- 8. National PTA’s Definition of Effective Family Engagement National PTA worked with the leading researchers to develop a formal definition of effective family engagement. There are three components.
- 9. National PTA’s Definition of Effective Family Engagement A Shared Responsibility in which: • Schools and other community agencies and organizations are committed to engaging families in meaningful and culturally respectful ways, and • Families are committed to actively supporting their children’s learning and development.
- 10. National PTA’s Definition of Effective Family Engagement Cradle to Career: • Continuous across a child’s life, spanning from Early Head Start programs to college and career.
- 11. National PTA’s Definition of Effective Family Engagement Across Contexts: • Carried out everywhere that children learn – o Home o Pre-kindergarten programs o School o After-school programs o Faith-based organizations o Community programs and activities
- 12. Why is Family Engagement Important? No matter what their family income or background may be, students with involved parents/caregivers are more likely to: • Earn higher grades and test scores • Pass their classes • Attend school regularly • Have better social skills • Graduate and go on to postsecondary education Henderson, A., & Mapp, K. (2002). A new wave of evidence: The impact of school, family, and community connections on student achievement. Austin, TX: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.
- 14. Effective Family Engagement New research shows that meaningful family And community engagement is one of five essential ingredients for effective school reform: 1. (Principal) leadership as the driver for change 2. Family-school-community ties 3. Professional capacity 4. Student-centered learning climate 5. Instructional guidance Bryk, A.S., Sebring, P.B., Allensworth, E., Luppescu, S., & Easton, J.Q. (2010). Organizing schools for improvement: Lessons from Chicago. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- 16. Standard 1 Welcoming All Families
- 17. Standard 1: Welcoming All Families • Set up a parent help desk or welcome center • Conduct meet-and-greet walks in the neighborhoods where students live • Host events in varying community locations or format • Use a professional development day to address assumptions about race, class, and culture • Explore family resource center options • Consider childcare and transportation solutions • Show families their presence is valued
- 19. Standard 2: Communicating Effectively • Use all communication channels: social media, cable television, newspapers, radio, automated phone systems, text messaging, school and parent group web sites, etc. • Identify parents, community members, organizations and businesses that can help facilitate home-school communication • Communicate in languages and formats that will best inform all families • Sponsor events that encourage interaction between educators and families in a fun, social way
- 20. Standard 3 Supporting Student Success
- 21. Standard 3: Supporting Student Success Link all events to student learning, including activities focused on making all families feel welcome. For example: Provide workshops on interpreting standardized test data Collaborate with teachers to provide fun, family- centered events focused on topics such as literacy, study skills, individual curriculum areas, and college and career planning
- 22. Standard 4 Speaking Up for Every Child
- 23. Standard 4: Speaking Up for Every Child • Host information sessions about special programs; reach out to under- represented populations to ensure access and equity for all students. • Involve families in ongoing training on topics such as being an effective advocate for your child, identifying and supporting learning styles, resolving difficulties, and fostering student achievement. • Share the school’s policy and procedures for resolving concerns frequently. • Promote any successful changes fueled by family engagement. • Facilitate family participation in school committees and other community groups.
- 25. • Identify ways the parent groups can support the school improvement plan • Provide opportunities to interact with your elected officials • Conduct an annual family survey or focus groups to get on current and potential school programs and policies • Sponsor a school accountability meeting to inform families about school programs, services, and performance data • Invite parents to share concerns and ideas through a suggestion box or through other tools Standard 5: Sharing Power
- 26. Standard 6 Collaborating with Community
- 27. Standard 6: Collaborating with Community • Identify your goals and determine opportunities for community collaboration that will help you to achieve your desired results for family engagement and student learning • Leverage individual community connections and encourage connected individuals to take the lead on forging and sustaining the collaboration on behalf of the PTA/school • Bring partners together around a shared vision • Recognize partners and thank them whenever you can
- 28. Best Practices National PTA Standards for Family-School Partnerships Examples • 10 states have codified the Standards into law and 5 states have included the Standards in State policy • Boston Public Schools uses the Standards as a part of their training for principals and school staff • Indiana PIRC embedded the Standards into their curriculum for Statewide Parent Leadership Academies • Kansas has integrated the Standards into their State Guidelines for School Improvement Plans
- 29. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and Family Engagement • Title I, Section 1116: Parent & Family Engagement – Requires written family engagement policies • 1% reservation of Title I school district funds for family engagement activities such as professional development and home visiting programs
- 30. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and Family Engagement • Consultation of parents in development of state plans • Parent-friendly state report cards • Title VI, Part E: Statewide Family Engagement Centers – Provides technical assistance and capacity building for states and school districts to engage families in their child’s education
- 32. At a National PTA School of Excellence, families feel welcomed and empowered to support student success, and PTA is a key partner for continuous school improvement.
- 37. Family Engagement Tools at PTA.org • National Standards Poster • National Standards Brochure • National Standards Assessment and Implementation Guides • Tip sheets for parents and teachers • 100 Ways to Help Your Child and School Succeed brochure and poster • …and More!
- 38. PTA Parents’ Guides to Student Success Grade-specific guides that: •Increase understanding of the importance of academic standards •Provide key items children should learn in English language arts and mathematics •Share activities families can do at home to support learning •Offer methods for families to build stronger relationships with teachers •Give tips for planning college/career (high school only) pta.org/commoncore
- 39. Visit PTA.org to stay connected! • Site map for our programs, tools and resources • Social media (Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, LinkedIn, One Voice Blog, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube)
- 40. Closing Reflection: PIE P: Priceless piece of information What has been the most important piece of information for you today? I: Item to Implement What is something you intend to implement from our time today? E: Encouragement I received What is something that you are already doing that you were encouraged to keep doing?
Notas del editor
- [INTRODUCE YOURSELF] Welcome to Trending Topic: It’s All About Family Engagement breakout session. I am excited that you have decided to join my session today. [SAY] Today, we’re going to learn more about family engagement and how you can strengthen your family-school partnership through the National PTA School of Excellence. [CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE]
- [SAY] It’s time for a Stand Up Poll! When I call out each item, stand up if it applies to you. If you stand up, stay up! Don’t sit down until I tell you to! [Click to advance each bullet] [Click to next slide]
- [SAY] By the end of this workshop, you will be able to.. Understand what it means to engage all families Identify PTA’s National Standards for Family-School Partnerships Demonstrate how to partner with families for continuous school improvement by using National PTA Standards for Family-School Partnerships [CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE]
- Before we begin our session, I would like to pose the following question for you briefing jot down your response as you reflect on your district. “What is your district’s vision and core values for family and community engagement?
- Anne Henderson & Karen Map in their book “Beyond the Bake Sale” they describe what family-school partnerships truly look like. They begin providing a rubric for family-school partnerships based on 4 types of partnerships. As you look at the vision and core values that you jotted down I want you to reflect on where your district may be and where you would like to see it go. Fortress School – Parents belong at home, not at school. If students don’t do well, it’s because their families don’t give them enough support. We’re already doing all we can. Our school is an oasis in a troubled community. We want to keep it that way. Come-if-We-Call School- Parents are welcome when we ask them, but there’s only so much they can offer. The most important thing they can do is help their kids at home. We know where to get community help when needed. Open-Door School – Parents are involved at our school in many ways – we’re working hard to get an even bigger turnout for our activities. When we ask the community to help, people often respond. Partnership School – All families & communities have something great to offer – we do whatever it takes to work closely together to make sure every single student succeeds.
- How do we engage families and community partners? We need to reach out with the goal of building partnerships in mind on mutual respect and common purpose, families/communities will respond. Discuss the core values of family engagement.
- [ASK] By a show of hands, how many of you have heard of family engagement before? [ASK] What do you think it means? (Take 3-4 responses, responding in a positive way to each answer) [SAY] Family engagement is a research-proven approach to supporting student success. But the research shows not all family engagement has the same impact. Some family engagement strategies are more effective than others. That’s why the National PTA worked with the leading researchers in this field to develop a formal definition of effective family engagement. There are three components… [CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE]
- [SAY] First, family engagement is a shared responsibility. So what does that mean? That means that schools, community agencies and organizations working with families, and the families themselves – all play a role in student success. Schools and the community organizations must engage families in meaningful and culturally respectful ways. And families must be committed to supporting their children’s learning and development. Did anyone notice that we aren’t using “Parent” engagement or “Parent” involvement? This definition, especially the importance of engaging families in meaningful and culturally respectful ways, has really helped to inform our shift to always saying family engagement. We know that many families have varying family structures – and the students’ caregiver or educational support system may include another relative or adult. Using family engagement is inclusive of all families – every child. It welcomes anyone who is caring for the student to be involved in supporting learning and development. [CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE]
- [SAY] Second, effective family engagement spans from cradle to career. Family engagement should be continuous across a child’s growth from Early Head Start programs to college and career. This includes an enduring commitment from parents and families, and recognizing that parents’ roles change as children mature into young adults. [CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE]
- [SAY] Third, family engagement should be integrated across contexts. That means it should it should be carried out everywhere that children learn – including: Home Pre-kindergarten programs School After-school programs Faith-based organizations Community programs and activities. Remember how the first two parts of the family engagement definition were a shared responsibility from cradle to career? This slide really sums up how families, schools and community partners collaborate throughout a child’s growth from infancy to adulthood to support student learning. Each of these destinations is a place where families can be engaged in meaningful ways to support student learning, as well as social and emotional development. [ASK] Any questions so far? (Answer any questions…) [SAY] So now that we know what family engagement is – let’s talk about why it’s so important. [CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE]
- [SAY] While researcher Joyce Epstein paved the way for family engagement, two researchers and long-time National PTA friends, Anne Henderson and Karen Mapp, continued to strengthen the importance of family engagement in their 2002 study, “A New Wave of Evidence: The impact of school, family and community connections on student achievement.” They found evidence clearly supports that when families are involved at home and at school, children do better in school! They earn higher grades Pass their classes Attend school regularly Have better social skills Graduate and go on to postsecondary education But an important note here – this is true no matter what the family income or background may be! That’s why so many of National PTA’s program strategies and template tools for PTAs focus on increasing family engagement. [CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE]
- Dual Capacity Framework is a compass that lays out goals and conditions necessary to chart the path towards effective family engagement efforts that are linked to student achievement (Mapp & Kuttner, 2013). Video will be used to describe the framework from Dr. Karen Mapp is embedded.
- [SAY] In a groundbreaking 2010 study on school improvement, family engagement was identified as a key ingredient for school turnarounds. So not only does family engagement support student success – it supports effective school reform. The “essential supports” for effective school reform included: School leadership as the driver for change Family, school and community partnerships Professional capacity of the faculty A student-centered learning climate Instructional guidance. This study specifically evaluated school improvement in low-income, urban schools. They found that elementary schools with strong family engagement were 10 times more likely to improve in math and four times more likely to improve in reading than schools weak on this measure. The study also demonstrates that, for school improvement to be successful, schools must treat family engagement as an integral part of the school improvement process, rather than just an “add-on” activity. So we know what Family Engagement is at a high-level now – the research-based definition and theoretical famework. We know why it’s important. But are you sitting there wondering – how does PTA play a role? The National PTA embodies the partnership between families-schools-and community. That combination is the fabric of our membership. We are parents, caregivers, teachers, administrators, students, and representatives from community, government and business partners. [CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE]
- [SAY] In 1997 National PTA convened the many different stakeholders whom we represent to develop the National Standards for Family-School Partnerships, which for the first time, articulated what family engagement should look like at the school level. In 2001, National PTA updated the Standards, and now these are in use by school, PTA and community leaders nationwide as a framework for thinking about, structuring, and assessing family engagement: Standard 1: Welcoming all families into the school community Standard 2: Communicating effectively Standard 3: Supporting student success Standard 4: Speaking up for every child Standard 5: Sharing power Standard 6: Collaborating with community The National Standards for Family-School Partnerships is the foundation for all of our programs. We ask ourselves: How does this program help the PTA and school work together to welcome all families? And we design tools to facilitate that. We think about the tools local PTAs might need to communicate effectively about the program or the educational messages they are trying to convey through the program. And we design turn-key templates to help with that. We make sure that in some way – we are providing families with the information they need to support student success and we make sure there is always a take-home component as learning doesn’t stop in the classroom. We ensure our programs provide information that empowers families to speak up for their child’s needs – and take a seat at the decision-making table – sharing power with school decision-makers. And finally, we aren’t the experts in everything and we certainly don’t want to recreate the wheel. We bring in experts – experts like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, experts like Safe Routes to School, experts like America’s Promise and MALDEF – and we connect their expertise and resources to our PTAs. So how can you and your school partner use these Standards to more effectively engage families? Let’s explore each standard to learn more. [CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE]
- Standard 1: Welcoming all families into the school community Under Standard 1, families are active participants in the life of the school, and feel welcomed, valued, and connected to each other, to school staff, and to what student are learning and doing in class. As I share the standards with you, I’ll also give you some helpful goals and questions to think about. Goal 1: Creating a Welcoming Climate Develop personal relationships Create a family-friendly atmosphere Provide opportunities for volunteering Goal 2: Building a Respectful, Inclusive School Community Respect all families Remove economic obstacles to participation Ensure accessible programming As you think about your school or schools in your district, consider these questions: How welcoming is the school environment? Are there welcome signs inside and outside the school, written in all the languages of the school community? Is office staff friendly? Are relationships between families and teachers strong? Do the school’s polices and programs reflect, respect and value the diversity of the families in the community?
- [SAY] Thank you for sharing all that you’re doing! Here are a couple of other suggestions from the National PTA’s Standards for Family-School Partnerships Implementation Guide, which you can find on our Web site at pta.org – when you click on “Family Engagement.” Hopefully you’ll see some ideas you’ll want to add to your “Take-home” column! What PTA Leaders Can Do Establish a PTA welcoming committee Greet other parents at school activities and events Sit with someone you don’t know and find out their interests or potential contributions Recruit bilingual parents or use translation headsets Offer family activities at low or no cost Consider child care and transportation solutions Host events in varying community locations or formats What School Leaders and Staff Can Do Work with PTA to develop customer service guidelines for all staff Set up a parent help desk or visitor welcome center Conduct meet-and-greet walks in the neighborhoods where students live Use a professional development day to address assumptions about race, class, and culture Explore potential of a family resource center in the school Be accessible and available Show families they are welcomed and valued [CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE]
- Standard 2: Communicating effectively Under Standard 2, Communicating Effectively, families and school staff engage in regular, two-way, meaningful communication about student learning. Goal 1: Sharing Information Between School and Families Use multiple communication paths Survey families to identify issues and concerns Have access to the principal Provide information on current issues Facilitate connections among families As you think about your school or schools in your district, consider these questions: Are communication materials informative, regular, and accessible by all families? Is there a school policy for teacher communication with families? Are there translators? Is there a policy for family communication with teachers? Does the school and PTA provide opportunities for families and staff to share information in a variety of ways (e.g., e-mail, home visits, phone calls, printed materials)? Is it is easy and convenient for parents to contact teachers and provide feedback to the school around policies and issues of concern?
- [SAY] Thank you for sharing all that you’re doing! Here are a couple of other suggestions from the National PTA’s Standards for Family-School Partnerships Implementation Guide, which you can find on our Web site at pta.org – when you click on “Family Engagement.” Hopefully you’ll see some ideas you’ll want to add to your “Take-home” column! Here are some ideas to get you started: Use all communication channels: cable television, newspapers, radio, automated phone systems, text messaging, school and PTA web sites, school and PTA newsletters, social media, etc. Identify parents, community members, organizations and businesses that can help facilitate home-school communication. Communicate in languages and formats that will best inform all families. Sponsor events that encourage interaction between educators and families in a fun, social way. We have many other recommendations on our Web site at pta.org under Family Engagement and in the National Standards for Family School Partnerships Implementation Guide section. [CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE]
- Standard 3: Supporting student success Under Standard 3, families and school staff continuously collaborate to support students’ learning and healthy development both at home and at school, and have regular opportunities to strengthen their knowledge and skills to do so effectively. Goal 1: Sharing Information About Student Progress Ensure parent-teacher communication Link student work to academic standards Use standardized test results to increase achievement Share school progress Goal 2: Supporting Learning by Engaging Families Engage families in classroom learning Develop family ability to strengthen learning at home Promote after-school learning As you think about your school or schools in your district, consider these questions: Do parents have regular opportunities to learn what students are doing in class? Is student achievement data used to inform and improve teaching and learning? Do parents have opportunities to learn how to work with their child? Are parent education and other courses or training for parents available (e.g. GED, college credit, family literacy, ESL)?
- [SAY] One really important way PTA could support student success is to link all events to student learning, including those activities focused on making all families feel welcome. For example, you could work with school leadership to conduct workshops on interpreting standardized test data. Or collaborate with teachers to provide workshops for families on topics such as study skills, individual curriculum areas, and college and career planning. [CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE]
- Standard 4: Speaking up for every child Under Standard 4, families are empowered to be advocates for their own and other children, to ensure that students are treated fairly and have access to learning opportunities that will support their success. Goal 1: Understanding How the School System Works Understand how the school and district operate Understand rights and responsibilities under federal and state laws Learn about resources Resolve problems and conflicts Goal 2: Empowering Families to Support Their Own and Other Children’s Success in School Develop families’ capacity to be effective advocates Plan for the future Smooth transitions Engage in civic advocacy for student achievement As you think about your school or schools in your district, consider these questions: Are families consulted about major decisions? Do the PTA and school support leadership opportunities for all families? Does school leadership and other school staff believe that parents should be partners in education? Do parents know how the local school and district operate and how to raise questions or concerns about school and district programs, policies, and activities? Do they understand their rights and responsibilities under federal and state law? Are parents prepared to monitor students’ progress and guide them toward their goals through high school graduation, postsecondary education, and a career?
- [SAY] Thank you for sharing all that you’re doing! Here are a couple of other suggestions from the National PTA’s Standards for Family-School Partnerships Implementation Guide, which you can find on our Web site at pta.org – when you click on “Family Engagement.” Hopefully you’ll see some ideas you’ll want to add to your “Take-home” column! Getting Started: A PTA and School Collaboration Host information sessions about special programs; reach out to under-represented populations to ensure access and equity for all students. Involve families in ongoing training on topics such as being an effective advocate for your child, identifying and supporting learning styles, resolving difficulties, and fostering student achievement. Share the school’s policy and procedures for resolving concerns frequently. Promote any successful changes fueled by family engagement. Facilitate family participation in school committees and other community groups. [CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE]
- Standard 5: Sharing power Under Standard 5, families and school staff are equal partners in decisions that affect children and families and together inform, influence, and create policies, practices, and programs. This is often one of the hardest standards to achieve. Goal 1: Strengthening the Family’s Voice in Shared Decision Making Have a voice in all decisions that affect children Address equity issues Develop parent leadership Goal 2: Building Families’ Social and Political Connections Connect families to local officials Develop an effective parent involvement organization that represents all families As you think about your school or schools in your district, consider these questions: Do the PTA and school support leadership opportunities for all families? Does school leadership and other school staff believe that parents should be partners in education? Are families full partners in making decisions on issues that affect their children at school and in the community? Do you believe your PTA represents the needs and concerns of all families?
- [SAY] Thank you for sharing all that you’re doing! Here are a couple of other suggestions from the National PTA’s Standards for Family-School Partnerships Implementation Guide, which you can find on our Web site at pta.org – when you click on “Family Engagement.” Hopefully you’ll see some ideas you’ll want to add to your “Take-home” column! Here are some ideas to get you started: Use all communication channels: cable television, newspapers, radio, automated phone systems, text messaging, school and PTA web sites and or newsletters, etc. Identify parents, community members, organizations and businesses that can help facilitate home-school communication. Communicate in languages and formats that will best inform all families. Sponsor events that encourage interaction between educators and families in a fun, social way. We have many other recommendations on our Web site at pta.org under Family Engagement and in the National Standards for Family School Partnerships Implementation Guide section. [CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE]
- Standard 6: Collaborating with community Under Standard 6, families and school staff collaborate with community members to connect student, families, and staff to expanded learning opportunities, community services, and civic participation. Goal 1: Connecting the School with Community Resources Link to community resources Organize support from community partners Turn the school into a hub of community life Partner with community groups to strengthen families and support student success As you think about your school or schools in your district, consider these questions: Are families aware of resources in the community that link to learning? Are students organized to provide a service to the community? Is the community engaged in supporting learning through such opportunities as service learning and internships? Are community members included in planning and implementing programs and policies?
- [SAY] As you are developing your plan for the year, you will see obvious opportunities and gaps that will require community collaborations. It’s important to recognize that – every person in your school – staff, students, PTA leaders/members, and families – every person has their own community connections. When you share your plan with these stakeholders, you’ll see quite easily – community connections emerge. That’s an opportunity to encourage new PTA member involvement and leadership. If someone has a connection, ask them to forge the collaboration, and encourage them to take the lead building and sustaining the relationship. Be sure to bring partners together around a shared vision and recognize them whenever you can. Some other ideas might be: Host a community resource fair that highlights programs that support the cultural, recreational, academic, health, social, and other needs of families. Reach out to senior/retired citizens and invite them to volunteer at the school. Work with the local newspaper or media to promote special events that are happening at the school. Invite school alumni to volunteer time to the school. Sponsor an annual Give Back Day to encourage students to implement community service projects. [ASK] What has your PTA or school done? [CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE]
- [SAY] Here are some best practices school districts, PIRCs, and states have implemented using the National Standards. These provide great examples of how the standards can be put into action. Policy: 10 states have codified the National Standards for Family-School Partnerships into law. Five states have included the Standards in State policy. Professional Development: Boston Public Schools in Massachusetts is using PTA’s National Standards for Family-School partnerships as part of their training blueprint for principals and other school staff. The district plans to provide professional development linking instruction to family engagement. Alabama’s Department of Education also uses PTA National Standards to guide their training and vision of meaningful parental involvement. Parent Leadership Academies: Indiana’s Parental Information and Resource Center has embedded PTA’s National Standards for Family School Partnerships into their curriculum for statewide parent leadership academies. In addition, all 25 schools participating in the parent leadership academies are surveyed on their school-family partnerships using PTA’s National Standards. Turning around Struggling Schools: In Kansas, PTA’s National Standards for Family-School Partnerships have been integrated into the state’s guidelines for school-improvement plans. In their school improvement plans, schools must describe how they will use at least two of PTA’s National Standards as part of their comprehensive goals for school improvement. [ASK] Do any of you know of other best practices you’d like to share? [FACILITATE DIALOGUE AROUND BEST PRACTICES] [CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE]
- [SAY] Our signature program–National PTA School of Excellence. Through this program, National PTA celebrates PTAs and schools that focus on achieving the National Standards for Family-School Partnerships. As we’ve shared with you – we know this approach works. Research shows it. This program and these standards – they are what sets us apart from other unaffiliated parent groups. These standards uphold ideals that formed the roots of our history when we were founded in 1897. And through the years, it is the implementation of these ideals – these standards – that has grown PTA’s power as the largest child advocacy organization across the country. [CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE]
- [SAY] When we surveyed PTA leaders at the 2012 National PTA Convention, they gave us a lot of suggestions. The common thread is represented in this definition: At a National PTA School of Excellence, families feel welcomed and empowered to support student success, and PTA is a key partner for continuous school improvement. Do you see how the National Standards for Family-School Partnerships comes to life in this definition? [CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE]
- [SAY] PTA’s goal for programs and partnerships is to enrich the educational experience and overall well-being of students. We can achieve this by forming family-school partnerships and leveraging community resources that help to improve schools in these three key areas: family engagement in education, health and safety, and arts in education. [CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE]
- [SAY] In 2014, 170 schools received the designation as National PTA School of Excellence Recipients in 30 State PTA Congresses including Germany which is not pictured. [CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE]
- [SAY] In August of 2014, National PTA released the National PTA School of Excellence report. In this report, an analysis was completed on all of School of Excellence recipients’ family surveys. In 2013 – 2014, the program served more than 122,000 students, with 30% qualifying for free/reduced lunch in the 170 recognized schools School demographics varied with 57% schools being Title I schools. 76% elementary schools, 12% Middle, 11% high school and 1% K-8 [CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE]
- [SAY] The following are key outcomes that demonstrated improved family-school partnerships generated by the School of Excellence recipients. The results reflect a comparison of information gathered from family surveys and interviews with school leaders in the fall and spring of the 2013 – 2014 school year. [CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE]
- [SAY] National PTA has a number of other resources available for you at PTA.org. I’ll highlight some of our turn-key programs, downloadable tip sheets, tools, posters and resources to support your family engagement efforts! We will continue to refresh and evolve these tools during the coming year as part of our support for all PTAs, especially those participating in the PTA School of Excellence program. Let me give you a sample of some of the turn-key ways National PTA supports you! [CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE]
- [SAY] At pta.org/commoncore, you can find a number of tools focused on the implementation of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, including an advocacy toolkit and these Parents’ Guides to Student Success. The National PTA Common Core team worked with educators and education experts to develop these grade-specific guides that increase understanding of the importance of academic standards, while providing key items that children should be learning in English language arts and math. It’s really important for parents to know this information because they better understand what they can do at home to support learning. In addition, they’ll have the information they need to grow their relationship with teachers, including asking questions about where their child is compared to the standards and how they can be more supportive of the child’s progress. Visit pta.org/commoncore to see what’s available and share these guides with the parents and teachers in your school. [CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE]
- [SAY] With so much going on at National PTA, it’s important to stay connected and be informed. To do so, visit National PTA’s homepage at www.pta.org and scroll all the way down. [CLICK] There, you will see a high-level site map that will point you to our programs, tools and resources. We also have a very robust search function that you can use. [CLICK] I also want you to check out our social media. Many times we hear from local leaders, “I wish I knew that!” Following PTA’s social media is a great way to keep up with the many new programs and resources we are unveiling in the coming year. This includes local PTA grant and in-kind donation opportunities! Finally, take a look at the very bottom – if you can see it, you’ll see Contact Us. When you click on “Contact Us,” you’ll be directed to a page that includes a staff list. You are our members – and our staff are here to serve you! [CLICK TO NEXT SLIDE]
- Reflection on the session
- Remind participants to go to the mobile app to complete the session evaluation.