Supporting Family Involvement in Correctional Education Programs Webinar for NDTAC

1Huff Osher Consulting, Inc.Strengthening Partnerships with Families

Supporting Family Involvement

in Correctional Education Programs

Webinar for NDTAC

Barbara HuffTrina OsherJuly 27, 2006

2Huff Osher Consulting, Inc.

The Issues

The positive impact of parents and families on student outcomes and school performance is now well documented1.

Reaping the benefits of family involvement for children who are at risk or adjudicated as neglected or delinquent and placed outside their home school and community is an ongoing challenge

Involving families in the education of these students can be further complicated by institutional restrictions or court orders

1. Henderson, A.T. and Mapp, K. A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement, the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory 2002


NDTAC is Developing Tools to Help

The Family Involvement Guide Meeting in January Family expert panel

Phone calls Feedback

Collecting examples of effective practices

Spotlight Brief Webinar


How Correctional Education Administrators Told Us They Involve

Families Invite families to treatment planning – IEP meetings Encourage family visits and special occasions – e.g.,

GED ceremony Provide referrals to services that can support family

needs – e.g., parents anonymous Offer parent leadership opportunities to be involved in

the program or system - e.g., youth commissions, advisory committees

Hold facilities and programs accountable for family involvement – e.g., collect and verify data


What Correctional Education Administrators Told Us They Want

Help With

Developing peer-to-peer networks for families Providing services for siblings Providing additional family support based on issues they

identify Helping parents and youth understand the legal issues Making the philosophical shift BACK to a rehabilitation

model


What Correctional Education Administrators Told Us They Want

Help With– continued

What to do when a family visit does not go well Rebuilding or strengthening relationships between

students and their families Addressing racism – in the system and in the program Investing in parent empowerment Flexibility to implement policies that are family friendly


What Do Parents Expect?

Family-friendly approach Dignity, respect, honesty A positive focus and hope Cultural competence Flexible scheduling Transportation and child care when

needed


What Do Parents Expect? - continued

High quality therapeutic education Qualified teaching staff Vocational assessments and

training Creative but rigorous alternative

learning strategies Social skills training Similar goals


Involving Families Requires Understanding and Respecting Their

CultureCulture influences how the family approaches the tasks of daily living and can also direct how a family interacts with their child’s school program

Culture is about preferences and possibilities Respect, humility, and understanding are at the root of

cultural competence Schools and settings must reflect the cultures and beliefs

of their students and their families Cultural competence is a process, not an outcome


Establishing Communication Requires Creativity and Persistence

Use more than one strategy to reach out

Make a second and third and fourth effort

Seek out further information about the best way to be in touch

Read and write in English?Use E-mail?Have a secure mailbox?Best time of day for making a phone call?Have to call you back collect?Receive calls at work –

and do they feel safe getting calls from you while they are at work? Have someone who you can leave a message with?Prefer a face-to-face

meeting?

Some family members are easy to connect with and some families face more challenges that make them harder to reach and engage


One Strategy is Not Likely to Work With All Families

Intensive StrategiesSpecial Efforts for A

Few FamiliesSelective StrategiesAdditional Supports to

Boost Some Families

Universal StrategiesOpportunities Offered to ALL Families


Universal Strategies for All Families1st Tier

Create a welcoming environment

Solicit family input Provide an orientation Establish ongoing

communication Sponsor social activities


Create a Welcoming Environment1st Tier Strategies

Train staff who greet families (receptionists) to be welcoming, courteous to ALL family members

Provide qualified translators Make waiting and meeting areas comfortable

Decorate spaces families will use in a manner that reflects their various cultures

Offer refreshments to families – especially those who have to make a long journey to the facility and school

Have appropriate toys to occupy other children who come with their families


Solicit Family Input 1st Tier Strategies

Ask the family for help getting educational records from previous schools

Ask the family for their input on education and transition planning – not just for IEP meetings Share results of education assessments with the family

Recognize and acknowledge family expertise about their child and the school and community to which they will be returning


Provide an Orientation 1st Tier Strategies

Give each student’s family a tour of the campus and school as soon as possible

Make sure the tour guide speaks the family’s preferred language and can answer any questions they have

Explain the education program in general and the specific options available to their child – not just the rules

Send a video or DVD showing the campus and school if family cannot come to the campus


Establish Ongoing Communication 1st Tier Strategies

Find the communication medium (phone, mail, e-mail) that works best for each family – their child may be able to tell you what will work best

Give each family a weekly or bi-weekly update on their own child’s educational activities and progress – include samples of their work occasionally

Give each family a list of their child’s teachers along with information about how and when it is best to contact them


Sponsor Social Activities 1st Tier Strategies

Hold family suppers or picnics on campus or in the school every few months - get families to help you plan these events

Sponsor a cultural fair or festival twice a year – students can help plan and conduct these activities

Allow school staff to occasionally go to social or cultural events in the communities where families live


Selective Strategies to Boost Family Involvement

2nd Tier

Connect families with each other Offer families education and

training Take advantage of family visits to

their child Recruit family members to serve

on advisory groups


Connect Families With Each Other2nd Tier Strategies

Offer families a safe time and place where they can meet and talk with each other – without staff supervision or facilitation – so they can: Share common experiences Identify similar concerns Find solutions together

Offer family peer support groups on visiting day Arrange for or link families with peer support groups and

family-run organizations in their home towns if they live to far from the facility to come on a regular basis


Offer Families Education and Training

2nd Tier Strategies Ask families what they want to learn about Offer seminars with expert speakers on topics chosen by

families – e.g., medication management, parent’s and student’s educational rights, nutrition

When possible, invite family members to attend in-service programs scheduled for school staff


Offer Families Education and Training (p. 2)

2nd Tier Strategies

Offer family members a series of classes to develop their own skills – e.g., English language, computer skills training

Offer family members workshops on writing a resume and searching for a job


Take Advantage of Family Visits2nd Tier Strategies

Arrange for school staff to be available on the facility's visiting day

Give every student’s family a packet with samples of their child’s recent work when they come to visit: Coach students to review the packet and explain it to their family Send the packet home in the mail for families who cannot come


Take Advantage of Family Visits (p. 2)2nd Tier Strategies

Give tours of the school and display student work – or have a family resource center open at the school during the facility’s visiting hours: Ask teachers to describe their curriculum and what their class

has been doing lately Use a rotating schedule if their duties do not allow all staff to be

available


Recruit Family Members to Serve on School Wide Planning and Advisory

Groups2nd Tier Suggestions

Make sure new families understand the nature and extent of the commitment necessary to serve in this capacity

Provide new group members with an orientation to the group’s history, mission, procedures, and politics

Assign an experienced member of the group to be a buddy or mentor to new family members

Share all information and reports in advance with a practical and reliable way for family members to get help understanding any technical information


Intensive Strategies for Hard to Reach Families

3rd Tier

Tailor approaches to each family

Repair relationships between the student and their family

Hire Family Liaisons to work with families 1:1


Tailor Approaches for Each Family3rd Tier Strategies

Focus on strengths - the family’s and the student’s Avoid blame and shame Acknowledge the family’s cultural values and respect

their practices Find the best pathway to reach the family – this may be

through a trusted friend, another professional, or a spiritual leader


Repair Relationships Between the Student and Their Family

3rd Tier Strategies

Find ways to better understand the perspectives and feelings of the student’s family – a good place to start is by visiting them at home or at another place they prefer

Talk with the family about their child’s academic accomplishments

Offer individualized counseling services and gradually bring the family together with their child to work on resolving issues


Hire Family Liaisons to Work With Families 1:1

3rd Tier StrategiesFamily Liaisons are trained family members who can

easily gain trust and Focus on the family – not on the student Meet the family on their terms (often in their own home) Learn about their strengths and the challenges they face Help the family assess its capacity to support and

supervise their child in all domains – including education Provide a bridge between the family and the school –

supporting the family until it feels comfortable on its own Continue working with the family once their child returns

to the community


Develop School-wide and Institutional Policy and Programs to Encourage Family

InvolvementUtilize your existing councils to establish policy

Focus on each family’s own strengths and challenges

Choose the most effective strategies to engage them in their child’s education program – and beyond

Foster communication Build a trusting relationship


Funding Sources for Family Involvement

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Title I, Part D of Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) formula grant funds can be used

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grants

Systems of Care grants focused on returning students to their home communities and schools


Working with Families of Children in the Juvenile

Justice and the Corrections System:

A Guide for Education Program Leaders, Principals and Building Administrators Who has responsibility for family involvement and what should they

do? Factors to consider when working with families to insure educational

access and successful transitions. Characteristics of good relationships between schools and families. What families say helps them to get involved with correctional

education programs. What families expect and desire in a correctional education program Supporting family involvement. Using family visits to engage parents in school activities. What to do when a family visit does not go well. How do you know family involvement is improving?

Coming

Coming

Soon!Soon!


If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact us at the following:

Trina W. Osher

[email protected]

301-434-4071

Barbara Huff

[email protected]

316-315-0432

Contact Information

Supporting Family Involvement in Correctional Education Programs Webinar for NDTAC

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