Educating Parents for Educating Parents for School SuccessSchool Success
Presentation prepared for Innovative Partnerships: The New American Services Collaborative
By Debra Landvik, Noemi Treviño, Ruslana WesterlundMinnesota Department of Education
Division of Learner Options
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Session Objectives:Session Objectives:
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AgendaAgenda
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Introductions and Ice-BreakerIntroductions and Ice-Breaker
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Group discussion: True or False? Group discussion: True or False?
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Parent AssumptionsParent Assumptions
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Family-school connections and Family-school connections and partnerships are important partnerships are important
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Socio-Historical Context
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Challenges Facing Challenges Facing Schools and FamiliesSchools and Families
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Barriers to School-Family Barriers to School-Family PartnershipsPartnerships
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Culturally responsive family engagement includes three key
qualities:1.Focusing on building trusting, collaborative relationships among teachers, families, and community members
2.Recognizing, respecting, and addressing families' strengths and needs, as well as class and cultural differences
3.Embracing a philosophy of partnership where power and responsibility are shared
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Appreciative Model of Diverse Families
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Transcending BarriersTranscending Barriers
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•Inviting facilities •Availability and Time•Two-way communication with
Families•Varied and frequent opportunities
for positive interactions•Engaging families in their
students’ learning experiences
Establishing a welcoming and family friendly school community
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To effectively partner with diverse To effectively partner with diverse families, educators must become families, educators must become skilled intercultural communicatorsskilled intercultural communicators
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Increasing families’
accessibility to
information
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Culturally Responsive Strategies Culturally Responsive Strategies to Increase Family-School to Increase Family-School
Partnerships Partnerships
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Improving family and school partnerships require a shift in how schools think about family involvement.
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Stretch breakStretch break
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Student
Peers Parents/ Family
Community Programs/ Services
Teacher School Programs/ Services
Supporting the NeedsSupporting the Needsof English Language Learnersof English Language Learners
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Support-Network Model Support-Network Model Tahtinen, 2007Tahtinen, 2007
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Support Level 1: Support Level 1: Communication and AccessibilityCommunication and AccessibilityThis level of support includes basic needs,
such as transportation, communication with teachers, doctors, etc. and transportation issues. This level is seen as one-directional and meets immediate needs of students and families.
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Support Level 2: Building Skills Support Level 2: Building Skills
This level of support includes building skills that support students and families in becoming more independent. It includes English classes, ESL trained content-area teachers, tutors, and participation in school and community activities. This level is also seen as one-directional as students and families are receiving help and learning about U.S. language and culture.
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Support Level 3: Support Level 3: Building RelationshipsBuilding Relationships
This level of support is bi-directional because students and parents both learn from and teach the school and community about their own cultural background. This is seen as an integrative level of interaction
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Support Level Continuum for Support Level Continuum for SCHOOLS SCHOOLS
Level 1Building
Communication& Access
Tahtinen, 2007
Translating materialsBilingual staff used
for purpose of communication
Providing a translator in front office
Translated forms of communication
Communicate with families via bilingual liaison
Other
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Support Level Continuum for Support Level Continuum for SCHOOLSSCHOOLS
Level 2
BuildingSkills
Tahtinen, 2007
ELL Trained content-area teachers
ELL staffTutorsPeer helpersSummer reading
program (in English)Encouraging
participation in school sports and extra-curricular activities
Other
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Support Level Continuum for Support Level Continuum for SCHOOLSSCHOOLS
Level 3Building
Relationships
Tahtinen, 2007
Learn about students/parents’ background
Learn about students/parents’ goals Learn about students/parents’ current
needs Hire bilingual staff to support native
language development Bilingual/bicultural counselor Latino Role models Allow students to be Bilingual program Cultural activities (i.e. Mexican Dance
group) Encourage leadership opportunities Other
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Schools…Schools…
…can use the continuum to identify areas of support available or needed for student needs.
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It’s Your Turn!It’s Your Turn!
With the people at your table, evaluate your district’s level of support available to immigrant parents/families
Identify areas of support needed to meet immigrant parent needs.
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Assessment: 3-2-1Assessment: 3-2-1
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Sharing and NetworkingSharing and Networking
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Share your 3-2-1