🚀 go-pugleaf

Hello:

I've been getting plenty of mail asking for more information on parental
involvement. The following checklist from Joyce Epsten, at Johns Hopkins
University's Center on Families, Communities, Schools, and Children's
Learning, is a great resource.  Should you need information about our
workshops this summer my office will be happy to provide it.

Thank you for your support!

Kevin Walker
President & National Director
Project Appleseed
The National Campaign for Public School Improvement
Phone (314) 644-7608    Fax (314) 725-2319

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THE FIVE TYPES OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

A Checklist For An Effective Parent-School Partnership

One way to start improving your school's parent-school partnerships is by
assessing present practices, says Joyce Epsten at Johns Hopkins
University.  The following questions can help you evaluate how well your
school is reaching out to parents.

- Which partnership practices are currently working well at each grade level?

- Which partnership practices should be improved or added in each grade?

- How do you want your school's family involvement  practices to look
three years from now?  Which present practices should change and which
should continue?

- Which families are you reaching and which are hoard to reach?  What can
be better done to communicate with the latter?

- What costs are associated with the improvements you want?

-How will you evaluate the results of your efforts?

-What opportunities will you arrange for teachers, parents, and students
to share information on successful practices in order to strengthen their
own efforts?

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TYPE I - PARENTING

GOAL
- Help all families establish home environments to support learning

PRACTICES
- School provides suggestions for home conditions that support learning
at each grade level.
- School provides workshops, videotapes, and/or computerized phone
messages on parenting and child-rearing at each grade level.

OUTCOMES
- For parents - increased self confidence in parenting, increased
knowledge of child development
- For teachers - understanding of family cultures and values

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TYPE II - COMMUNICATING

GOAL
- Design more effective forms of communication to reach parents

PRACTICES
- Teachers conduct conferences with every parent at least once a year,
with follow-ups as needed.
- Language translators are provided for minority families.
- Weekly or monthly folders of student work are sent home and reviewed,
parental comments returned to teacher.

OUTCOMES
- For Parents - understanding school programs, monitoring child's progress
- For Students - better decisions about courses and programs
- For Teachers - use of parent network for communications

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TYPE III - VOLUNTEERING

GOAL
- Recruit and organize parent help and support

PRACTICES
- Set up parent center where volunteers can meet and where resources for
parents are located.
- Send out annual postcard survey to identify all available talents

OUTCOMES
- For Parents - understanding teacher's job, increased comfort in school
interactions
- For Students - practice in communicating with adults
- For Teachers - readiness to try programs that involve parents in new ways

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TYPE IV - LEARNING AT HOME

GOAL
- Provide ideas to parents on how to help child at home

PRACTICES
- Distribute calendar listing possible topics for discussion by parents
and students.

OUTCOMES
- For Parents - Interaction with child as student at home
- For Students - achievement in skills practiced
- For Teachers - better, more efficient designs of homework assignments

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TYPE VI - REPRESENTING OTHER PARENTS

GOAL
- Recruit and train parent leaders

PRACTICES
- Become involved in independent advocacy groups, and participate in
and/or lead PTA/PTO or other parent organizations

OUTCOMES
- For Parents - input into policies that affect child's education
- For Students - rights protected
- For Teachers - awareness of parent perspectives for policy development

The Center on Families Communities, Schools, and Children's Learning
provides a variety of research literature and practical guides on parent
involvement.  To obtain a listing of resources, write the Center,
Attention:  Publications, The Johns Hopkins University, 3505 N. Charles
St., Baltimore, MD  21218, or call (410) 516-0370.