Supporting the Success of All Students Through Effective Family Engagement and Communication Presented by Seena Skelton, The Equity Alliance at ASU and Mel Lewis, Davis Joint Unified School
Dec 24, 2015
Supporting the Success of All Students Through Effective Family Engagement and Communication
Presented by Seena Skelton, The Equity Alliance at ASU and Mel Lewis, Davis Joint Unified School District
August 10, 2011
OutcomesParticipants will…
Understand the importance of family-school partnerships in
student success
Understanding the role of school staff in helping all students and families feel a sense of belonging and connectedness to school
Examine barriers and opportunities to promote
equity for all students
Learn about culturally responsive strategies for creating positive family
and community connections
Time Topic8:30 Welcome and introductions
Session overviewWhat do equitable learning communities look and feel like for staff, students and families?Why is family-school partnerships important for student success?
10:15 Break
What is my role in creating an inclusive learning community?What are key practices for creating positive family and community connections?
11:20 Adjourn
Wrap up and Adjourn
Agenda
Compose a “Tweet”140 characters or less.
Who are you?What does appreciating diversity mean to you?
District Equity Goal• Staff and students will respect and understand the
importance of diverse cultures by consciously creating inclusive and equitable learning environments and systems that value and engage all students and their families.
District Responsiveness Goal• The District will provide a culture and processes that
are open, proactive, equitable and responsive to student needs and interests, (and that acknowledge the) contributions and concerns of families and the community.
Family-school connections and partnerships are important
Education is at the core of all vital communities.
Family-school partnerships are at the heart of culturally responsive
schools.
Families often play a critical role in student success.
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What do equitable learning communities
look and feel like?
the overall approach one takes when delivering instruction, using curricular materials, making decisions, including student discipline; and interacting with students and their families.
the lens through which educators and staff see students and their families.
the filter through which educators and staff listen to how students and families express their needs and desires.
Cultural Responsiveness is…
In culturally responsive schools, teaching and learning occur in a culturally-supported, learner-centered context, whereby the strengths all students bring to school are identified, nurtured, and utilized to promote student success.
Understanding Culture as the Dynamic Ingredient in Human Interaction
What people bringwith them
What’s alreadythere
The work peopledo together
Cultural Histories
The Institutional Culture The Culture We Create
Equity Alliance at ASU [email protected]
Equity Alliance at ASU 11
Understanding Culture as the Dynamic Ingredient in Human Interaction
What people bringwith them
Cultural Histories
What is Culture?
Culture is:
Learned
Social
Dynamic
Equity Alliance at ASU 13
Education
Exploring personal identitiesActivity
Understanding Culture as the Dynamic Ingredient in Human Interaction
What’s alreadythere
The Institutional Culture
Equity Alliance at ASU [email protected]
Values
Curricula
Policies
Expectations
Power, Privilege and Difference
Person of Color White
Standard English Speaker
Dominant Culture
Middle to Upper Class
Culturally Diverse Culture
English Learner
Privilege & Power
Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack
• In small group:– Discuss the article
• Key points• Provocative statements
–Generate a list of conditions of privilege that your assigned group may experience.
Power & Privilege Activity
Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack Group Discussion
Groups1.White 2.English Language
Proficiency3.Middle Class SES4.Male
Understanding Culture as the Dynamic Ingredient in Human Interaction
The work peopledo together
The Culture We CreateEquity Alliance at ASU [email protected]
An Appreciative Perspective of Family Diversity
Home languages and cultures are seen as
strengths and enrich the entire school community
Recognize diverse family structures
Focus on building trustValue all families lived
experiences
Family/community involvement linked to student success
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Safe
Welcomed
Valued
All families and students feel…
Why is family and school partnership important for
student success?
Socio-Historical Context
Culture is not inherited; rather we are socialized to behave according to traditions established
over generations
The cultures of schools may or may not be in
harmony with the culture each student brings to
school
Schools greatly influence how young people see
themselves and therefore need to understand and
validate their backgrounds
Challenges Facing Schools and Families
Achievement Disparities
Opportunity Gaps
Meaningful Home/School Engagement
Societal Pressures
Diverse Perspectives About Parent – Teacher Role
Explanations for Achievement Disparities
Linguistic Differences
Cultural Differences
Societal Racism
Inferior Education
Rationales for
Schooling
Au, 1998
Access to Resources
AP and IB Course Fees.
School/District PoliciesIdentification procedures for Gifted Programs that include cut of scores on
standardized test.
Educators’ Beliefs
Parents who care about their
children’s education attend parent-teacher conferences.
Gaps in opportunities present challenges for students and families.
Lack of information“The student’s parents don’t speak English. I
can’t communicate with them.”
School/District Practices
Housing New Comers Program in one school in the district. Students
attend that school, irrespective of their
neighborhood.
Societal factors
Economic Constraints
Patterns and History
Educational Mandates
Demographic Shifts
Political Climate
Diverse Perspectives About Parent – Teacher Role
Family’s role is to raise “respectful, well-behaved
children and academic instruction is the
teacher’s responsibility
Family’s role is to help students be successful in
school by supporting academic instruction at home and
collaborating with teachers
Barriers to School-Family Partnerships
Families’ disconnection to the school community
Communication differences
Lack of information about school expectations, programs and resources
Family isolation
What is my role in creating an inclusive learning community?
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Equitable change is enacted through…
People: Students, faculty, administrators, staff, etc.
Policy: Federal and state mandates, university and college policies, etc.
Practice: Pedagogy, procedures, curricula, etc.
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
Transcending BarriersEstablishing a welcoming and family friendly school community
Creating opportunities for collaboration
Becoming skilled in intercultural communication
Increasing families’ accessibility to information
• 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
Creating Opportunities
for Collaboration
Making connections with families in your
community
Collaborating with community centers and
houses of worship to create after-school
programs
Providing opportunities beyond open house and
conference nights for parents, community
members and teachers to interact
Alternative scheduling to accommodate families with busy
schedules
To effectively partner with diverse families, educators must become skilled intercultural communicators
Understanding differences in communication styles
Capacity to address language diversity
High Context/Low Context Continuum
Nonverbal Communication
Family Communication Norms
Speakers of language other than English/Standard English
Print Literacy
Interpreters
Translated materials
Multiple means of presenting information (e.g. print, audio)
Increasing families’ accessibility to information
Multiple means of delivering information
Consistent monitoring of information flow
Known methods for families to talk with someone to address questions
Increasing families’ accessibility to information
Culturally Responsive Strategies to Increase Family-School Partnerships
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How well does your school address the
barriers to meaningful family-
school partnership?
Tools for Learning
Equity exists, in part, to the degree that all students feel they belong, are included, and are empowered.