7. working together — family and … working together — family and community involvement in the...

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7.1 Working Together — Family and Community Involvement in the School 7. WORKING TOGETHER — FAMILY AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN THE SCHOOL Everyone has a role to play in raising and educating a child. As illustrated in the diagram below, children are influenced by their family, the classroom, the school, and the community. Individual C o m m u n it y S c h o o l C l a s s r o o m F a m i l y It t a k e s a w h o l e v i l l a g e t o r a i s e a c h i l d . This section will demonstrate the importance and value of active parenting and community involvement describe a variety of methods to involve and communicate with parents develop a climate for parental involvement outline a parent’s role in the IEP process discuss how schools and communities can work effectively together identify the need to work effectively with intersectoral partners and community organizations

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7.1

Working Together — Family and Community Involvement in the School

7. WORKING TOGETHER — FAMILY AND COMMUNITYINVOLVEMENT IN THE SCHOOL

Everyone has a role to play in raising and educating a child. As illustrated in thediagram below, children are influenced by their family, the classroom, theschool, and the community.

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“It takes a whole vil

lage

to raise a child.”

This section will

• demonstrate the importance and value of active parenting andcommunity involvement

• describe a variety of methods to involve and communicate withparents

• develop a climate for parental involvement

• outline a parent’s role in the IEP process

• discuss how schools and communities can work effectivelytogether

• identify the need to work effectively with intersectoral partners andcommunity organizations

Towards Inclusion: Tapping Hidden Strengths

7.2

Families of children who are alcohol-affected face unique and daily challenges.These families should be reassured that they are not alone in their struggle. Theschool can assist in this regard by ensuring that parents are aware of communityand school supports such as

• information on school/divisional services available to the family

• information regarding family support groups (e.g., the Fetal Alcohol FamilyAssociation of Manitoba)

• contact names for services in the community (e.g., respite services)

• assistance in completing referrals for additional services

This section will focus on ways that parents, the school, and the community canwork collaboratively and supportively in the best interests of all children.

Parental PartnershipsParents and educators need to be aware of the benefits of school-parentpartnerships.*

• Research has shown that students are more successful in school (higher testscores, higher grades, better attendance, more positive attitudes andbehaviour, higher graduation rates) when their parents are actively involved.

• Parents become more supportive of schools when they have first-handknowledge of what the school is trying to do, and view the school as apartner sharing the responsibility of their children’s learning. The levels andtypes of parental involvement increase when parents and the school worktogether.

• Parents and schools benefit from two-way information sharing andcollaborative problem solving. Parents feel more comfortable in meetingwith school personnel when they have been actively involved in schoolactivities and events. Schools gain the parents’ expertise and experience.

• Home-school partnerships help all youngsters succeed in school and in life.When the school and parents deliver a common message about the value ofattending school, and staying in school and working hard, students are morelikely to listen.

* Based on the work of Dr. Joyce Epstein, Director of the Centre on Families, Communities,Schools and Children’s Learning, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.

7.3

Working Together — Family and Community Involvement in the School

Parents and the school need to develop a working relationship that is based onmutual respect. Respect takes time to develop and it can only happen with asustained effort at building trust and acceptance.

Schools develop respect from the parent community when they

• provide meaningful opportunities for the involvement of the parents andcommunity in the school

• involve the parents and community in developing a vision, missionstatement, and plans for the school

• ensure that meetings with parents occur in a respectful, collaborative manner

• encourage parental involvement in school activities and events

• train staff members to workeffectively with parents

• ensure that parents and studentsare involved in the development ofIndividual Education Plans

• develop relationships with parentsbased on trust and integrity

Once the underlying principles forparental involvement have beenestablished and parents feel welcomedand respected in the school, theschool can develop specificinterventions for parents with childrenwho are alcohol-affected. A variety ofways to assist these parents are listed here.

Parent Information EveningsIn addition to the parenting programs that are available in the local school orcommunity (e.g., Developing Capable People), schools can offer parentinformation evenings on a variety of topics, perhaps jointly with several localagencies. The suggestions listed below comprise a sample of the types ofworkshops/parent information evenings that could be useful for families withchildren who are alcohol-affected:

• stress management/self-care

• sleep disorders

• conflict resolution

• assertiveness training

• accessing respite services

• forming parent support/advocacy groups

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Towards Inclusion: Tapping Hidden Strengths

7.4

• sensory integration

• transition planning

• behavioural issues for parents

• children who are alcohol-affected

• parent-school partnerships

• effective parenting

The staff of the local school or the divisional/district student servicesadministrator can assist parents in locating appropriate speakers for parentinformation evenings.

Supporting Birth Families, Foster Parents, andAdoptive Families The parents of children who are alcohol-affected may need assistance in raisingtheir child. If the school is to assist parents, they must first establishtrusting relationships. As schools workto establish these relationships theyshould keep in mind that parents ofchildren who are alcohol-affected may

• experience denial, guilt, anger,grief, and the feeling of loss (thegrief cycle). It will take time andinformation to work through thesestages. A trained counsellor orclinician can assist parents withthis.

• experience the stigma of having given birth to a child who is alcohol-affected.This stigma may result in the parents being isolated in the community because oftheir history of alcohol abuse or because of their child’s behaviour. Efforts needto be made to find connections for the parents. Community workers orchild welfare staff may need tobecome involved.

• find it difficult to engage with theschool due to their own personalexperience and history with schools.Initial contact with these parentsmay need to occur at a neutral siteremoved from the school. Theschool may encourage these parents to bring a friend or advocate to schoolactivities or meetings.

• find it difficult to accept the impact of the disabling condition on their futurehopes and dreams for their child. Talking with other parents who haveexperienced the same difficulties can be helpful.

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Supporting thefamily is supportingthe child.

7.5

Working Together — Family and Community Involvement in the School

• experience the fears of how the school system will manage their child. Theschool staff should welcome the parents and explain the services and supportsthat are available to the child. A staff member should take the time to explainhow a parent will be involved if an Individual Education Plan needs to bedeveloped.

Whether the child resides with a birth, adoptive, or foster family, supports areneeded to help the family cope with their child. When educators are developinga relationship with a family, it is important they are aware of the fears andissues that families are experiencing.

Strategies for Engaging ParentsOn occasion, schools may encounter parents who will not cooperate or comeinto the school to meet with staff. When faced with this type of situation,schools should continue to pursue ways of involving the parents. Schools mightconsider the following suggestions:

• Proceed with the programming for the child without the parent’sinvolvement.

• Continue to invite parents to come to the school.

• Document the attempts made to contact the parent.

• Try to find a key contact outside the school who is willing to work with thestaff to involve the parents (e.g., a neighbour, relative, co-worker).

• Offer to meet the parents at a site outside of the school (e.g., a restaurant).

• Do not personalize a parent’s negative response and become defensive. Theparents are likely tired and frustrated.

• Utilize other school division personnel to contact the parents (e.g., anattendance officer, community liaison worker).

• Involve external agencies who may be active with the parents already (e.g., alocal friendship centre, health agency, Child and Family Services).

• Work with a parent advocate.

• As a last resort, it may be necessary to involve a family services agency.

It may not happen overnight, but the key message is to “keep trying” to involvethe parent with the school.

Sometimes, despite their best efforts, people are unable to successfully meet theoutcomes established in the child’s Individual Education Plan. Areas requiringsupport sometimes fall outside of the school’s responsibility; therefore, it isessential that a 24-hour plan be established to maximize the opportunities forsuccess.

Even with the good intentions of all parties, the child, family, agency, or schoolmay be unable to meet all of the expectations. The staff, parent, or communityagency may wish to “give up” or start blaming, but this is the time that comingtogether as a team is most important. Successes may not be seen until yearslater. The impact of caring individuals in the life of any child cannot beoverstated.

Towards Inclusion: Tapping Hidden Strengths

7.6

A Closer Look at Involving Parents

This “Close Up” examines the steps taken by school staff to engage the motherof “Robert” in collaboration with the school.

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7.7

Working Together — Family and Community Involvement in the School

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Towards Inclusion: Tapping Hidden Strengths

7.8

Parents and Individual Education PlanningMany students who are alcohol- affected have Individual EducationPlans. It is very important that theparents and the student be involved inthe individual planning processwhenever possible. First, the schoolshould ensure that parents understandwhat an IEP meeting is about and howthey can prepare for it. The followingsuggestions should be given to parents prior to the meeting.

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4.6

Individual Education Planning: A Handbook for Developing and Implementing IEPs

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Individual Education Planning: A Handbook for Developing and Implementing IEPs

4.6

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How would you answer these questions?

7.9

Working Together — Family and Community Involvement in the School

Once the initial IEP meeting has occurred, formal team meetings to review andupdate the IEP usually occur two to three times per year. Therefore, it isimportant that the school case manager maintain contact with the parentsbetween meetings. It may be possible to develop a home-school communicationbook that will keep both the school and the home informed as to developmentsand progress. There may be parents who will be reluctant to come to school todiscuss the IEP. Staff members should consider meeting in other locations thatare comfortable for parents.

Intersectoral Committees

Children who are alcohol-affected require the support of the community.Communities often form committees composed of representatives of the majororganizations, government departments, and agencies operating in a local area.

These committee(s)

• provide an opportunity for networking with the staff representing the variousagencies or departments

• serve as a clearing house to share information and announcements

• provide a forum to discuss programming and service needs for the local area

• develop local projects or initiatives serving youth

• serve as a decision-making committee for accessing community services

• provide a mechanism for the discussion of individual cases

• advocate for additional services based on the needs established through datacollection in the local community

An important feature of the intersectoral committee is the willingness ofmembers to work together. Collaborative efforts take time and commitment todevelop successfully.

Activities include

• prevention and public education initiatives

• informal sharing among agencies

• identifying gaps/overlaps in service

• communication with external agencies

• facilitating the development of parent support groups

• creating professional development opportunities

• sharing resources with members and other service providers

Families, schools,and communityorganizations allcontribute tostudentachievement; thebest results comewhen all three worktogether.

Towards Inclusion: Tapping Hidden Strengths

7.10

This section has focused on ways that schools can workcollaboratively with parents and the community. By developing andsupporting families and community organizations, the school gainsvaluable support to deal with students who are alcohol-affected. It isimportant that schools develop these supports by making the familiesand community groups feel welcomed and appreciated.

“Better education iseverybody’sbusiness.”

-The Partnership forFamily Involvementin Education

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• Individual Education Planning for Students with Special Needs

• Intersectoral Partnerships

7.13

Working Together — Family and Community Involvement in the School

Individual Education Planning for Students with Special Needs*

Student Name ________________________________

Parent’s Name ________________________________

To develop the best possible program, we need your assistance and knowledge of your child. Below aresome questions for you to think about in preparation for the IEP meeting. You may wish to write downyour thoughts for future reference by the IEP Team.

• What do you feel are the strengths of your child?

• What do you feel are your child’s weaknesses (i.e., areas that may be frustrating or that you feelyour child has a particular need to improve in)?

• How do you think your child learns best? (What kind of situation makes learning easiest?)

• Please describe educational skills that your child practises at home regularly (e.g., reading, makingcrafts, using the computer).

• Does your child have any behaviours that are of concern to you or other family members? If so,please describe the behaviour(s).

• What are your child’s favourite activities?

• What are your child’s special talents or hobbies?

• Does your child have any particular fears? If so, please describe.

• How does your child usually react when upset and how do you deal with the behaviour?

• Do you have any particular concerns about your child’s school program this year? If so, pleasedescribe.

• What are your main hopes for your child this year?

• Is there other information that could help us gain a better understanding of your child?

• Are there any concerns that you would like to discuss at the next IEP meeting?

Thank you for contributing valuable parental insights.

Sincerely(IEP Team Coordinator)

* From <http://.bced.gov.bc.ca/specialed/iepssn/iepplan.htm>. Reproduced in accordance withthe Pan Canadian Schools/CANCOPY Copyright Licence Agreement (1999-2004).

7.15

Working Together — Family and Community Involvement in the School

Intersectoral PartnershipsSwan River FAS/FAE CommitteeThe Swan River FAS/FAE Committee is made up of representatives fromseveral agencies and groups involved in education, health, justice, employment,and family services. The committee is a member of the Swan River InteragencyCommittee.

The goals of the committee are to

• provide prevention and awareness workshops in the Parklands region

• provide resources and supports to families, individuals, and groups workingwith FAS/E individuals

• communicate with community agencies and groups

• provide education to community groups, schools, and agencies

Norway House FAS Roundtable CommitteeIn February 1997, the community of Norway House formed a committee toaddress issues related to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. The committee was formedby individuals who represented all of the social service, education, health, lawenforcement, and child protection agencies in Norway House. The key goals ofthe committee were to ensure that everyone would know about the dangers ofconsuming alcohol during pregnancy, and everyone would work together toprevent alcohol-related birth problems.

The committee established four sub-committees. Each sub-committee isresponsible for one of the following tasks:

1. writing a prevention curriculum for Grades 5-8

2. developing an early intervention program

3. addressing the concerns raised by high-risk mothers

4. developing an FAS/FAE public awareness program

Brandon Interagency FAS/FAE CommitteeThe Brandon Interagency FAS/FAE committee is composed of the agencies,programs, departments, and groups that provide services to individuals affectedby FAS/FAE. Approximately 20 groups are represented on the committee. Theyshare the common goal of encouraging and supporting activities in the Westmancommunity which will decrease the incidence of FAS/FAE and result in moreeffective interventions.

Activities include

• promoting prevention and public education initiatives

• informally sharing among agencies

• identifying gaps/overlaps in service

• communicating with the Regional Health Authority

• facilitating development of parent support groups

• creating professional development opportunities

• sharing resources with members and other service providers

Towards Inclusion: Tapping Hidden Strengths

7.16

Fetal Alcohol Support Team (FAST) Burntwood Region, Thompson, ManitobaFAST is a group of professionals, individuals, agencies, and communitymembers who are committed to addressing the needs of individuals who wereexposed to alcohol in utero, and their caregivers.

The goals for the program are to

• support children, individuals, families, and communities who are affected byFetal Alcohol Syndrome

• provide education regarding Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and secondarydisabilities related to the use of alcohol and drugs during pregnancy

• provide diagnostic services and a comprehensive plan for the child andfamily in their home community, in a sensitive manner that is at anappropriate time for the child and family

• develop and coordinate resources within the region

• develop a model for linking other professionals involved in Fetal AlcoholSyndrome with rural communities for diagnosis, multidisciplinary planning,skill transfer, and the sharing of information

A core team of professionals is responsible for diagnosis, case management,support, program development, training, education, and community liaison.Other agencies and individuals are involved on a case-specific basis.