FAMILY INVOLVEMENTCreating Home-School

Partnerships So That All Children Succeed

Anne ThompsonMiami-Dade County Public Schools

Office of Parental Involvement305-995-1233

athompson@dadeschools.net

A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family and Community Connections on Student Achievement By Anne T. Henderson and Karen L. Mappwww.sedl.org/connections

When families are involved at home and at school --Children do better in school, and the schools get better

Overall Finding:

If Parents are Involved, Students from All Backgrounds Tend To: Earn higher grades and test scores Enroll in higher-level programs Be promoted and earn credits Adapt well to school and attend

regularly Have better social skills and behavior Graduate and go on to higher

education

Parent and community involvement that is designed to improve student learning hasa greater effect on achievement.

Finding #1: Link to Learning

Parent Impact: Middle-High SchoolGreatest impact on student

achievement:High expectations for student successDiscussing plans for future educationHelping students prepare for collegeMonitoring progressKnowledge of courses and classes(Catsambis, 1998; Ho and Willms, 1996)

Parents will attend workshops on helping children Parents will use this information to help their children Students will do better as a result

Finding #2: Programs Work

Finding #3: Advocacy is ProtectiveThe more families can be advocates for children and support their progress, the better their children do, and the longer they stay, in school.

1. Know how system works2. Work with school staff to plan for

children’s future3. Guide children through

the system4. Know where to get

help 5. Speak out for other parents

What are Advocates?

Finding #4: All Families ContributeFamilies of all backgrounds are involved at home.

Talk about school Help plan for higher education

Keep focused on learning and homework.

Encourage their children

Finding #5: Working with Community Groups Gets Results • Upgraded school facilities • Improved school leadership and

staffing• Higher quality learning programs• Resources to improve teaching and

curriculum• Funding for after-school programs and

family supports (Lewis, Mediratta and Fruchter, 2002)

Findings #6-8: Practices that Work to Engage All Families

Focus on building personal relationships

Reach out and remove barriers

Address class and cultural differences

Parents Are More Likely to Become Involved When:Parents understand that they

SHOULD be involvedParents feel CAPABLE of

making a contributionParents feel INVITED by the

school and their children(Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler, 1997)

Where does your School Fall?1. Partnership School: We do

WHATEVER IT TAKES to work with families so all students succeed

2. Open-door School: We offers lots of ways for parents to be involved

3. Come-if-we-call School: Parents are welcome when we set the terms

4. Fortress School: Parents belong at HOME

What can YOU do? Encourage conversations with other parents about how

their children learn, what seems to help them. Organize small gatherings at home, church, community

centers or schools nearby; invite parents to talk about what they consider important in education. Keep inviting!

Don’t give up on parents. Keep working with teachers and other personnel to

establish connections between families and the school. Keep showing respect for each family, no matter what

your feelings are about how good or bad they are as parents.

Encourage parents who have concerns to talk to the teachers, counselors or principals. Offer to go as support with them if they feel embarrassed or shy.

Remember: it’s all about the children!

We need a new vision for parent involvement

A vision that matches the reality of the 21st Century