CHAPTER 8: CULTIVATING HOME-SCHOOL COLLABORATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS

Kenley Downing, Megan Ecker & Garrett Shelburne

“I take care of her at home, you are in charge of the school part…”

Will this parent perspective increase student success?

Potential Barriers when collaborating with Families

Time Limitations Sense of parental failure Anticipation of negativity

We need to build communication with parents

Listen to parents thoughts too!

Family Structures

What is the family like? Struggles? Negative attitudes? Single parent? Fearful of schools? Low income? Lots of children?

Attitudes and Understandings

These can be huge barriers: Judging attitudes Stereotypes False expectations Different values

Don’t play the blame game

Cultural and Linguistically Diverse Families

See from their perspective Different definitions/views of disabilities Communicate informally too One approach does not fit all

Strategies for working with CLD families

1. Acknowledge cultural differences 2. Examine your own culture 3. Meet families on their own turf 4. Learn about the families 5. Learn cultural greetings and use them 6. Leave your misconceptions and

stereotypes out of it

Developing Home-School Partnerships

1. What are your personal values?

Developing Home-School Partnerships

2. Build collaborative relationships Avoid using jargon Listen to parents Be positive with comments too Focus on Family Strengths Provide support

Developing Home-School Partnerships

3. Initiate home-school interactions Invite parents to get involved When parents get involved they see school

in a new light 4. Individualize it

Know your family’s culture Know strengths and needs of your families

Use checklists and forms 5. Evaluate the collaboration

Ask parents how they think it went Evaluate yourself as well

Cultivating Home-School Collaborations and Partnerships

Education of students with special needs is a shared responsibility. Education of the whole child requires solid well-functioning partnerships among the school, family, and community. In a 2003 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll of attitudes towards public schools, 94 percent of respondent's declared that home life, parent involvement in education, student interest in education, and community environment were crucial in improving student achievement.

Rational for Collaborative Family-School Partnerships

Broadened concept of family. When collaborating with adults a broad , inclusive, definition of

family should be used. Consultants need to help school personnel accommodate

differences in families. Families of children with disabilities, poverty level families, CLD families.

Educators should respond to families in individually relevant ways rather than make assumptions based on their language, ethnicity, or background.

Legal Mandates for family involvement. Education of all handicapped children act (pl. 94-142) IDEA Individualized Family Service Plan for ages 3-5Benefits of Family-School partnerships

Research shows that family involvement can enhance a students chances for success in school and significantly improves achievement.

Allows teachers to better understand their students.

Moving from Parent Involvement to Partnerships with Parents

Empowerment of families Families are a constant in children's lives and

families need the knowledge, skills, and motivation to become advocates for themselves and their children.

Empowered people have the means and the knowledge to act; they know what they want and take action to get it.

Schools should help in empowering parents by educating parents.

Collaboration can be hard for parents due to overwhelming life events like work schedule, poverty, single-parent families, etc.

Equal Partnership Model

Parent Involvement-Parent participation in activities that are part of their children's education. (Conferences, meetings, newsletters, tutoring, and volunteer work)

Family Collaboration- Development and maintenance of positive, respectful, egalitarian relationships between home and school. It includes mutual problem solving with shared decision making and goal setting for students needs.

Consultants who are striving for equal partnership model of family-school collaboration should focus on: Understanding of their own perceptions of teacher-parent

parity. Recognizing family strengths. Including the expertise of the family.

Recognize Family Strengths

The Equal Partnership Model stresses the importance of providing opportunities for the family to use their strengths and skills to contribute to the formal education of their children.

Schools can use interviews or checklists to assess parents and determine what kind of contributions families can bring to the students education.

Include the Expertise of the Family

Educators must remember family member's are the experts about their children, their families, and their communities.

Educators should honor the fact that family member’s are: Individuals with initiative, strengths, and

important experiences. The best advocates and case managers for the

child with special needs. The best information resource about the child,

the family, and the culture. Partners in setting goals and finding solutions.

Family Participation and Interest Checklists

Collaborating in Planning and Conferencing

Planning and progress meetings and conferences should be only one of the many points of contact between school personnel and family members.

Family Partners in IEP, ITP, and IFSP Planning

IEP: Individualized Education Plan ITP: Individualized Transition Plan IFSP: Individualized Family Service Plan

Before entering a formal meeting, be aware…

Parents may be emotional about their child’s problems

Teachers may be apprehensive about meeting with parents in emotion-laden situations with sensitive issues to discuss

Being proactive= Meeting success

Provide family members with information before the meeting Communication can take place by phone,

letter, or informal interview Inform parents/guardians about names and

roles of staff members who will attend, typical procedure for meetings, ways they can prepare for the meeting, contributions they will be encouraged to make, and ways in which follow-up to the meeting will be provided.

Successful IEP meetings include:

Preparation before the meeting Starting the meeting on time Sharing expectations and visions for the

student Reviewing evaluations and assessments Sharing priorities, resources, and concerns

(both family and educators) Working collaboratively to develop plans Addressing expected outcomes or addressing

issues Determining placement and services Summarizing

At the end of the meeting…

Educator should wrap up the meeting and ask for questions or feedback

Educators should keep in mind that family members may be Anxious or nervous about the meeting and may

not have questions at the time of the meeting Emotions may prevent them from “hearing”

everything said during the meeting On a strict time schedule for returning to work,

picking up small children, or keeping a medical appointment.

Handout

Student-Led Meetings

Counterproductive to formulate goals and objectives without the student’s input

Allow the student to plan the meeting to increase his/her sense of ownership (with assistance from teachers) Develop a purpose Set goals

Allow the student to decide: Which work samples to show What learning activities to describe

Develop a sample rubric beforehand to evaluate the meeting after it takes place to add to the learning process.

The classroom teacher or special education teacher, or both, may want to have a brief practice session so the process feels familiar and the student is comfortable when the meeting takes place.

Steps to a Successful Student-Led Conference

1. Decide on a goal and discuss why having a student-led meeting is a good idea.

2. Together, make a simple, uncluttered agenda with time limits built in.

3. Determine who will be invited and how they will be informed of the meeting.

4. Have the student sketch a preferred location and a seating arrangement.

5. Together, choose work samples. 6. Rehearse!7. After the conference, have a debriefing.

Maintaining Home-School Collaboration and Partnerships

Successful models include: Respecting the family as the child’s first

teacher Empowering families and communities to

support and advocate for all students Understanding learning as a lifelong

endeavor involving families and communities

Recognizing that all families want the best for their children and can have a positive, significant impact on their children’s education

Ethics for Working Together with Families

Avoid judgment and stereotyping Keep in mind that collaboration will not

require total agreement in values or educational philosophy, but school personnel and families must focus on needs and interests of children and their families.

Barriers?