european family learning network parental involvement seminar nuremberg, 21-22 november 2007

European Family Learning Network Parental Involvement Seminar

Nuremberg, 21-22 November 2007

Parental Involvement in the United States of America: Standards and Tools for an

Effective Parent-School Partnership

Gianfranco Garotta – IRRE LIGURIA

G. Garotta -IRRE Liguria Nuremberg, 21-22 November 2007

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A.T. Henderson, C.L. Marburger, T. Ooms, Beyond the bake sale. An Educator’s Guide to Working with Parents, The National Committee for Citizens in Education, 1986

In the U.S., as in many other countries during the eighties, parents’ collaboration with schools essentially meant a fundraising role

A participatory democracy milestone in the field of USA Parental Involvement


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Parental involvement according the No Child Left Behind Act (2001)

For the first time in the history of Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Parental Involvement has a specific statutory definition. The term “Parental Involvement” means the participation of parents in regular, two-way and meaningful communication involving students academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring that:

• Parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning


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Parental involvement according the No Child Left Behind Act (2001)

• Parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their children’s education at school

• Parents are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and advisory committees to assist in the education of their children

• Other activities are carried out, such as those described in section 1118, title I of ESEA

Since 1965, Title I “Improving the Academic Achievement of the �Disadvantaged” has been the main federal program and funding resource for affirmative action (i.e. positive discrimination) policy in the field of education


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Benefits of parental involvement

When schools work together with families to support

learning, children tend to succeed not just at school, but

throughout life

Source: The Parent Institute www.parent-institute.com


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Parental Involvement as Equity Factor: what research says

• Equity in European Educational Systems – a set of indicators

The research carried out by “European Group for Research on Equity in Educational Systems” through the Socrates project SO2-61OBGE (University of Liège, 2005) identifies 29 equity indicators.

Among the context indicators we can find three “Cultural resources indicators” strictly connected with Parental Involvement and Families cultural capital:

• n. 5 – Level of education of adults• n. 6 – Cultural resources of 15 year-old students• n. 7 - Cultural practices of 15 year-old students


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Family reading in USA, 1895


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Some milestones of Parental Involvement development in U.S.

as often happens in every democratic society, citizens’ autonomous initiative precedes lawmaking

1897 National Congress of Mothers (NCM) was founded

1908 NCM was renamed Parent-Teacher Association (PTA)

1960sEducators and policy-makers focused on parent involvement as a promising way to improve educational outcomes for poor and underachieving students

1960s1970s

•Parent involvement mandates (Title I of ESEA)•Headstart model –Involvement of parents as paraprofessionals•Movement for community control in education


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Some milestones of Parental Involvement development in U.S.

1980s •Reagan administration withdrew federal mandates•Beyond the Bake Sale

1990 to Today

•Parent involvement mandates - School Accountability Teams•Movements for community control in education •Focus on implementing strategies to promote parent, family, and community involvement•The Title I legislation recognized the importance of parents as essential to children doing well at school•J. Epstein’s Six types of Parent Involvement•No Child Left Behind Act

Looking to the future

Parents will continue to request better schools and a stronger role in helping to shape decisions that affect their children


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Parental Involvement as School Success Factor: what research carried out in U.S.

• Lack of parental involvement is the biggest problem facing public schools

• Family participation in education is twice as predictive of students’ academic success as family socioeconomic status

• The more parents participate in schooling, in a sustained way, at every level – in advocacy, decision-making and oversight roles, as fund-raisers and boosters, as volunteers and paraprofessionals, and as home teachers – the better for students’ achievement


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• The most consistent predictors of children’s academic achievement and social adjustment are parents’ expectations of the child’s academic attainment and satisfaction with their child’s education at school


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The major factors of parental involvement in the education of their children are:• Parents’ beliefs about what is important,

necessary and permissible for them to do with and on behalf of their children

• The extent to which parents believe that they can have a positive influence on their childrens’ education

• Parents’ perception that their children and school want them to be involved


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Families whose children are doing well at school exhibit the following characteristics:• Establish a daily family routine• Monitor out-of-school activities• Model the value of learning, self-discipline and

hard work• Express high but realistic expectations about

achievement• Encourage children progress at school• Encourage reading, writing and discussion

among family members


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Parental Involvement as School Success Factor: the students’ view

• Most students at all levels – elementary, middle, and high school – want their families to be more knowledgeable partners about schooling and are willing to take active roles in assisting communications between home and school

• When parents come to school regularly, it reinforces the wiew in the child’s mind that school and home are connected and that school is an integral part of the whole family life


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Parental Involvement as School Success Factor: teachers’ professional

development

• To improve the learning of all students, professional development should provide staff with knowledge, skills and competencies to involve families and the wider community

• Teachers working with families have to understand parents’ cultural backgrounds, communicate clearly and show a sincere interest for students and families well-being. In coordinating parent-teacher meetings they can create a sense of team-work between school and family


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Parental Involvement as School success factor: the leader’s role

Leaders who are effective in involving parents and the community:– Know that the building of consensus with the

larger school community is a crucial part in their work

– Can communicate clearly in an understandable way

– Can illustrate their values and behaviour criteria

– Can respect values and opinions of others– Can listen and value others’ views and

identify aspects of commun interest


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Toward U.S. Parental Involvement Standards

Community Impact model by Ira Gordon (1979) includes six roles for parents:

1. Parents as Teachers2. Parents as Volunteers3. Parents as Paraprofessionals4. Parents as Adult Learners5. Parents as Adult Educators6. Parents as Decision-Makers


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Conceptual framework for Parent Involvement by B. Cervone and K. O’Leary (1982) includes four forms of Parents’ activity:

1. Reporting progress (exchange of information)2. Special Events3. Parent Education4. Parent teaching in school and at home


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In 1982, research conducted by O. Moles identified the key characteristics with reference to the programs of parent involvement:

• Educational resources/strategies to assist parents in helping their children at home

• Parent education, referral and support services to help parents improve their children’s learning

• Channels for home-school communication• Opportunities for parent-teacher contact to improve

student learning


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Parental Involvement Standards

Joyce Epstein, director of the Center on School, Family, and Community

Partnership at Johns Hopkins University,

has identified six important types of cooperation between families, schools, and other

community organizations.


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Source: Epstein, J.L., and Others (1997), School, Family and Community Partnership: Your Handbook for Action, Thousand Oaks, CA. Corvin Press.


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Parental involvement standard 1

Standard Description Example

I Communicating

Communication between home and school is regular,two way and meaningful

Design effective forms of school-to-home and home-to-school communications about school programs and children’s progress


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II Parenting

Parenting skills are promoted and supported

School helps all families establish home environment to support children as student


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Parental involvement standard 3Standard Description Example

III Student learning

Parents play an integral role in assisting student learning

School provides information and ideas to families about how to help students at home with homework and other curriculum –related activities, decisions, and planning


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IV Volunteering

Parents are welcome in the school, and their support and assistance are sought

School recruits and organizes parent help and support


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V Decision making Parents are full partners in the decisions that affect children and families

School includes parents in school decisions, developing parent leaders and representatives


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VI Collaborating with Community

Community resources are used to strengthen schools, families, and student learning

School identifies and integrates resources and services from the community to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning and development


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Tools for an Effective Parent-School Partnership

• School-Parent Compact Template• Family Involvement Policy Template• Project Appleseed Parental Involvement

Checklist • Project Appleseed Parental Involvement Pledge • Project Appleseed Parental Involvement Report

Card


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Parental Involvement in U.S. Useful links

• U.S. Department of Education (www.ed.gov.index.html)• National Parent-Teacher Association (www.pta.org)• National Center for Bullying Prevention (www.pacer.org)• National Education Association (www.nea.org) • National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education

(www.ncpie.org) • Appleseed Project (www.projectappleseed.org)• National Network on Partnership Schools -Johns Hopkins

University (www.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/)• Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports

(www.pbis.org/families.htm)

european family learning network parental involvement seminar nuremberg, 21-22 november 2007

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