Parent Support Engaging Parents
dif•fer•en•ti•ated Parent Support Engaging Parents in Unique Ways to Increase Their Involvement in School
Fran Hjalmarson Author of the book “Differentiated Parent Support”
School Counselor TurnAround Schools Associate
Lessons From No Excuses University Hjalmarson 2013
2Lessons From No Excuses University Hjalmarson 2013
Increasing Parent Involvement “The ?irst step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to
stay where you are.”
Our world has changed. Families are different.
We can not control others, we can only control how we respond to them.
Steps 1. Form a committee 2. Define parent involvement 3. Evaluate challenges and barriers 4. Implement a plan
3Lessons From No Excuses University Hjalmarson 2013
Parental Support Meaningful Dialogue
Set reasonable expectations
Establish routines
Supporting homework
Limits on TV and video games
Attendance
What is Parent Involvement? Parental Support
Parental Engagement
Parental Participation
Parental Engagement Establishing relationships Consistent communication Communicating in the 21st century Model behavior that matches school rules Model value of education/work Support college readiness
Parental Participation Attend school events Volunteer Participate in school committees Help with school decision making Community activities
What are the challenges or barriers for your families?
4Lessons From No Excuses University Hjalmarson 2013
Increasing Parent Involvement
One size fits all – NOT
Basic Human Needs
Ruby Payne Schools operate from middle class norms and values Individuals bring with them their hidden rules We must teach them there are two sets of rules.
BARRIERS Language Culture Jobs Time Transportation
Physical or mental health issues
Substance abuse
Belief We have to shift the belief about our parents!
TRASH THE TALK!
5Lessons From No Excuses University Hjalmarson 2013
Ruby Payne’s Frameworks for Understanding Poverty
Values Generational Poverty Middle Class Wealth
Survival Relationships Entertainment
Work Achievement
Material Security
Political Connections Financial Connections
Social Connections
6Lessons From No Excuses University Hjalmarson 2013
Differentiated Parent Support Tier One
Ideal parent Automatically involved Committed to education Basic needs are being met
Differentiated Parent Support Tier One Activities
Common communication Newsletters, flyers, conferences
Invite them to school events PTA, Open House, Classroom volunteer, Parent Education
Relationship develops naturally
Differentiated Parent Support Tier Two
More hesitant
Lacking some basic needs
Include all activities from Tier One
Develop a relationship
Initiate personal contact
Help with volunteer paperwork
Mail information
Differentiated Parent Support Tier Three
Relationship, relationship, relationship
Very hesitant
Help meet basic needs
Include activities from Tier One and Two
Communicate in the 21st Century
Home visits
Differentiated Parent Support Tier Four
“The Checked Out Parent”
How many tiers do you have?
What other strategies could you use?
Parent Support
Differentiated Student Instruction? Differentiated Parent Support Three Tiers
7Lessons From No Excuses University Hjalmarson 2013
NEU Parent Forum
One hour meeting “Mandatory”
Sign-in Flyer, Mail, Phone
NEU Parent Forum Code of Conduct
Parent Involvement Attendance
3 Way Pledge No Excuses Policy
Goals Take Five
Parent University
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Code of Conduct
Lessons From No Excuses University Hjalmarson 2013
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ATTENDANCE
SHARE THE DATA
DISCUSS SOFT TRUANCY
Lessons From No Excuses University Hjalmarson 2013
“NO RESCUE” POLICY
10Lessons From No Excuses University Hjalmarson 2013
Take Five!
Parent Goals
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Parent Handbook Contents Letter from the principal
Mission, Vision, Commitment
Campus Info
Code of conduct
Take 5
Parent Goal
Lessons From No Excuses University Hjalmarson 2013
Strategies Allow parents to bring their children Have food. Make it a social time Have a casual vs. formal meeting format Table games, skits, and hands-on activities, movies
Topics Home to School Connection Managing Your Child’s Behavior Communicating with Your Child Developing Responsibility/Consequences Developing Capable Young People Parent Information Nights ELL Family Homework Nights
Parent Education Create a “Catchy” Name Schedule in advance Advertise with flyers, newsletter, marquee, first day packets, Student Success Team Facilitators – Counselor, teacher, administrators, police officers, community members
Strategies “Ambassador Parents” Parent training on videos or DVDs Accountability – Principal sends letters home or schedules appointments when parents miss important meetings
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PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT Sponsored by the School Community Policing
Partnership
San Diego Police Department Northeastern Division
And
Los Penasquitos Elementary School
Alcohol and Tobacco:
The Gateway to Drugs and Crime
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
6:15 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Canyon Rim Community Center
Lessons From No Excuses University Hjalmarson 2013
Making Parenting Easier Recognizing the Goals of Your Child’s
Misbehavior
Tuesday, October 18
6 to 8 p.m.
Los Penasquitos Multi-Purpose Room
Presented by Fran Hjalmarson, Los Pen’s Counselor
Need Childcare? Please return the form below to your
child’s teacher.
Parent University
Developing Responsibility and Consequences
Monday, January 23
6:30 to 8 p.m.
Los Penasquitos Multi-Purpose Room
Presented by Fran Hjalmarson, Los Pen’s Counselor
Come and hear about:
Strategies to help develop responsibility Principles of logical versus natural consequences
The four R’s of logical consequences
Samp le Fly
ers
13Lessons From No Excuses University Hjalmarson 2013
Community Outreach “We can never judge the lives of others, because each person knows only their own pain. It’s one thing to feel that you are on the right path, but it’s another to think that yours is
the only path” ~Paulo Coelho
Community Partnerships Identify potential members
Contact potential members
Establish collaborative group
Meet monthly
Community Partnerships Determine School Contact
Establish Partnerships with community members to support families
Include faith based organizations
Community Partnerships Meet Families Basic Needs
Supporting families = Supporting kids
Supporting kids = Academic Success
Community Partnerships Determine families need support Contact families Establish needs Create data system Permission to connect to partners Provide information to partners Let it happen!!!
Community Partnerships Support for low SES families during holidays Year round support Clothing Food Household items
14Lessons From No Excuses University Hjalmarson 2013
Community Partnership Guidelines
Everything is value added Start small, let it grow
“It’s too big”, is just an excuse
Increasing Parent Involvement “A journey of a thousand miles
must begin with a single step”
~Lao Tzu, 6th Century B.C. Philosopher
Brainstorm Who are your community partners? Who can be your school contact? Which of your families need support? What are your agency resources? What will be your first step?
Resources Center on School, Family and Community Partnerships, www.csos.jhu.edu
Developing Capable People, www.capabilitiesinc.com
Positive Discipline, www.positivediscipline.com
Framework for Understanding Poverty, www.ahaprocess.com
Handouts can be downloaded here: http://tinyurl.com/NEUInstitutes
15Lessons From No Excuses University Hjalmarson 2013
Fran is available to provide on-site training at your school. For more information, please contact us at:
Was That My Life?”
“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing” ~Albert Einstein
“There is no greater exercise for the heart than to bend down and pick someone up.” ~John Holmes
“If we had no winter, the spring wouldn’t be so pleasant…..”
“….if we did not someEmes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” ~Anne Bradstreet
“The world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it.” ~Helen Keller
“Too o%en we underes-mate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the poten-al to turn a life around.” ~Leo
Buscaglia
“If you are not part of the soluEon, you are part of the problem. The price of greatness is responsibility” ~Winston Churchill
“We can not hold a torch to light another’s path without brightening our own.” ~Ben Sweetland
“To measure the man, measure his heart.” ~Malcolm Stevenson Forbes
“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.” ~James Barrie
“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, as long as ever you can.” ~John Wesley
“We just get one ride around the sun…” ~Jo Dee Messina
“Find the serenity to accept that which you cannot change, the courage to change that which you can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
“I can’t run this race believing I might lose.” ~JoDee Messina “
“Challenges are what make life interesEng: overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” ~Joshua J. Marine
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughGul, commiHed ci-zens can change the world. Indeed it’s the only
thing that ever has.” ~Margaret Mead
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” ~Winston Churchill
