ERIC ED424933: Parents as School Partners Dissemination Kit.

58 Pages·1996·2.7 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 424 933
PS 027 039
TITLE
Parents as School Partners Dissemination Kit.
INSTITUTION
National Council of Jewish Women, New York, NY. Center for
the Child.
SPONS AGENCY
Danforth Foundation, Clayton, MO.; General Mills Foundation,
Wayzata, MN.; Kellogg Foundation, Battle Creek, MI.
PUB DATE
1996-00-00
NOTE
57p.; Funding also received form the Kalman & Ida Wolens
Foundation.
AVAILABLE FROM
National Council of Jewish Women, 53 West 23rd Street, 6th
Floor, New York, NY 10010; Tel: [phone]; Fax:
212-645-7466; Web site:
http://www.ncjw.org; e-mail:
[email protected]
PUB TYPE
Guides
Non-Classroom (055)
EDRS PRICE
MF01/PC03 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS
Academic Achievement; Administrator Attitudes; Educational
Policy; *Elementary Secondary Education; *Family School
Relationship; Focus Groups; *Information Dissemination;
Literature Reviews; Parent Attitudes; Parent Participation;
*Parent School Relationship; *Parents; Partnerships in
Education; Principals; Superintendents; Teacher Attitudes;
Teachers
ABSTRACT
Parents as School Partners is a volunteer research
initiative of the National Council of Jewish Women and its research
institute, called the Center for the Child. This initiative focuses on parent
involvement to promote children's school success. This document contains a
project overview and six accompanying reports providing a detailed
presentation of the project's activities:
(1) surveys of 193 school district
superintendents regarding the existence of parent involvement policies and
the types of programs being enacted to implement these policies;
33 focus
(2)
groups with parents, teachers, and principals about what parent involvement
means to them and what they need to make it work;
(3) a compilation of
replicable school-based programs for enhancing parent involvement;
(4) a
literature review of over 200 articles on the impact of parent involvement on
children's school success. The findings provided a broad description of
current issues in the field of parent involvement and revealed that although
there was widespread consensus among parents and educators that parent
involvement is critical to children's school success, parents and schools do
not share a vision of how to educate children. Both parents and teachers
identified a need for open dialogue between homes and schools, especially for
interactions that are positive and not problem-focused. Professional and
inservice training for teachers on working with families is not widely
available. The findings reported that most model parent involvement programs
require parents to conform to school practice rather than training educators
to accommodate to the culture of parents, or to incorporate parents' views.
The six accompanying reports include, "Program Compilation: Replicable
Programs to Enhance Parent Involvement"; "Literature Review: A Critical
Review of the Research Evidence"; "Parent Focus Groups: Voices from the
Field"; "Teacher Focus Groups: Voices from the Field"; "School Principal
Focus Groups: Voices from the Field"; and "School District Superintendents
Survey: Parent Involvement Policies, Programs, & Practices." (Author/KB)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
0 This document has been reproduced as
received from the person or organization
originating it.
4:1110
)(Minor changes have been
made to
improve reproduction quality.
Points of view or opinions stated in this
akj6:4,
document do not necessarily represent
official OERI position or policy.
As
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PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND
DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS
BEEN GRANTED BY
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BEST COPY AVAILABLE
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)
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Parents As School Partners
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Project Overview
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Parents As School
Surveys of 193 school dis-
Partners is a volunteer
trict superintendents
research initiative of the
regarding the existence of
National Council of Jewish
parent involvement policies
Women (NCJW) and its
and the types of programs
applied research institute,
being enacted to imple-
the Center for the Child.
ment these policies.
This action/research project
Thirty-three focus groups
focuses on parent involve-
with parents, teachers, and
ment to promote their chil-
principals to hear from the
dren's school success, a topic
"voices in the field" what
that has received significant national attention.
parent involvement
means to them and what they
Parents As School Partners is unique in its simulta-
need to make it work.
neous consideration of policies, programs, practice,
A compilation of replicable school-based programs
and research to determine the status of current
for enhancing parent involvement.
knowledge in the field of parent involvement.
As the start of its long term commitment to this
A critical and scholarly literature review of over
200 articles on the impact of parent involvement
issue, in the spring of 1995 NCJW launched Parents
on children's school success.
As School Partners with funding from the Danforth
Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the
The knowledge gained from these activities pro-
Kalman and Ida Wolens Foundation, and General
vides an in-depth investigation of what we do and do
Mills Foundation. Four preliminary activities
were
not know about parent involvement, what policies
conducted to make a significant contribution to the
and programs are being enacted, and what they are
field of parent involvement. These activities involved
likely to mean in the lives of those most affected.
both researchers at the Center for
The six accompanying reports provide a more
the Child and volunteers in 52
detailed presentation of each of the project activi-
NCJW Sections around the
ties which together make up the Parents
country:
As School Partners project.
The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is
a 90,000 member volunteer organization
with a onehundred year history of community service, advocacy, research, and education.
NCJW's Center for the Child was founded in 1983 to conduct research
to improve
programs and policies for children and their families.
Working together, NCJW Sections and the Center for the Child
can make a difference
in the lives of women, children, and families.
For more information, please contact Dr. Amy Baker, Director, NCJW Center for the Child,
53 W. 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010 Ph: [phone] Fax: [phone]
4
Parents As School Partners
0 0 0
Parent Involvement: Challenges and Opportunities
0 0 0
The data collected from the four Parents As School Partners activities provides
a broad mapping of current
issues in the field of parent involvement. Ten major themes emerged which deserve special
attention as they
point to directions in future programs and practice.
There is widespread consensus among parents, educators,
practitioners, policy
makers, and researchers that parent involvement is critical
to children's
school success.
,
While parents and schools share
a common mission of educating children,
they do not share a vision of how to accomplish this goal. There
are inherent
tensions in the roles and responsibilities of parents and teachers.
Parent involvement theory and exemplary parent involvement
programs recognize the
value of creating meaningful partnerships
among homes and schools in order to enhance
parent involvement. These partnerships recognize and value the unique contribution of
homes and schools to the education of children.
There is a need for more open dialogue between homes and schools,
especially
interactions that are positive and not problem-focused. Parents and teachers
want more opportunities to talk about how parent involvement feels to them
and how it can be enhanced.
Professional and in-service training for teachers
on working with families is not
yet widely available.
Parent involvement requires effort on the parts of teachers and
parents who do not have
regularly scheduled time in their daily routines for
parent involvement.
There are many institutional and personal barriers
to effective home-school partnerships.
There are few opportunities for personal and individualized
contact between parents and teachers.
A-3C2E
ACANO
Most model parent involvement
programs require parents
to conform to school practice rather than training educators
to accommodate to the cultures of or incorporate the views
of parents.
Less is known about the effectiveness of specific
types of
parent involvement for enhancing children's school achievement than commonly has
been assumed.
../
Thanks to the following NCJW Sections who participated
in the Parents As School Partners Project
Akron (OH)
Gr. Kansas City (KS)
Gr. Rochester (NY)
Baltimore (MD)
Kendall (FL)
Sacramento (CA)
Chicago (IL)
Long Beach (CA)
San Jose (CA)
Cleveland (OH)
Los Angeles (CA)
Seattle (WA)
Concordia (NJ)
Louisville (KY)
Gr. Somerset (NJ)
Contra Costa (CA)
Marin County (CA)
South Cook (IL)
Gr. Dallas (TX)
Gr. Miami (FL)
South Suburban (MA)
Gr. Danbury (CT)
Mid Bergen (NJ)
St. Louis (MO)
Gr. Detroit (MI)
Milwaukee (WI)
Stamford (CT)
Edison (NJ)
Gr. Minneapolis (MN)
Gr. Syracuse (NY)
El Paso (TX)
Mt. Diablo (CA)
Gr. Teaneck (NJ)
Essex (NJ)
Nashville (TN)
University (FL)
4
Evanston-Niles (IL)
Gr. New Haven (CT)
Valley (AZ)
Hollywood (FL)
Gr. New Orleans (LA)
West Morris (NJ)
t*
Houston (TX)
New York (NY)
West Virginia (WV)
Howard County (MD)
Northern Virginia (VA)
Gr. Westchester (NY)
Jacksonville (FL)
Peninsula (NY)
Worcester (MA)
Pittsburgh (PA)
k
Special thanks to the NCJW Gr. Miami Section (FL) for helping underwrite these materials.
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We would like to gratefully acknowledge the following foundations for their support:
Danforth Foundation
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
General Mills Foundation
Kalman & Ida Wolens Foundation
The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the funders.
National Council of Jewish Women
53 West 23rd Street, 6th floor
New York, NY 10010
Ph: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.ncjw.org
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Special thanks to the NCJW Gr. Miami Section (FL)
for helping underwrite these materials.
The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW)
is a 90,000 member volunteer organization
with a onehundred year history of community
service, advocacy, research, and education.
NCJW's Center for the Child
was founded in 1983 to conduct research to improve
programs and policies for children and their families.
ProgranrCompilation: Weplicable Programs To Enhance Parent Involvement
The Issue 0 0 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
There is widespread consensus that
To address this need, the NCJW
Center for the Child identified and
parent involvement is a key compo-
nent for the school success of
researched promising parent involve-
America's children. Based on this
ment programs for school districts
around the country. The program com-
belief, policies are being enacted to
promote and increase parent involve-
pilation was one of four activities of
Parents As School Partners, NCJW's
ment at all levels of schooling.
volunteer research and action project
Therefore, schools will be seeking
exploring parent involvement to pro-
innovative programs to foster school-
home partnerships.
mote children's school success.
Procedures
O 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0
Programs were considered for inclu-
gathered to determine if it could be
through rigorous program evaluation
sion in the compilation if they could be
considered "promising" for implemen-
was not considered a criteria of promis-
implemented by schools, were for
tation by schools based on its current
ing programs. While this would be
school-agecrchildren, and aimed to
use and a well-documented set of pro-
ideal, too few of the programs were rig-
increase parent involvement.
gram materials. It is important to note
orously evaluated to meet that criteria.
Information about each program was
that having demonstrated effectiveness
oo oo o o oo
000
The Findings 00000
o o o
o o
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
o
a
Five types of school-based programs
to provide parents with skills and
strong emphasis on parental involve-
for improving parent involvement were
information to increase involvement
ment in every aspect of the program.
in their children's education.
identified:
OTHER PROGRAMS:
MULTI-COMPONENT
CURRICULUM MODELS:
Programs which did not fit into any
PROGRAMS:
Programs with a fully developed cur-
other categories. These programs aim
riculum in which parents and chil-
Programs which have many compo-
to train teachers, enhance parent
dren work together to improve the
nents, including parent workshops,
volunteerism, increase school-home
child's skills and abilities. These pro-
home-based materials, and a parental
communication and bring books into
grams deliver materials to parents
decision-making component.
the home.
through workshops or home visits, or
by sending them home with children.
HOME-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS:
The chart on the following pages pro-
Programs which are not
vides basic information about these promis-
PARENT WORKSHOPS:
curriculum-based, but which aim to
ing programs.
improve the school climate with a
Programs which consist of workshops
Highlights
There are few parent involvement programs for parents of children older than
elementary school-aged.
Few parent involvement programs have been rigorously evaluated.
Most parent involvement programs aim to change parents' behavior.
There are few parent involvement programs for training teachers or changing
the way that schools and parent interact.
Parents As School Partn4rs
cas
Ut,
Program Compilation: Freplicable Programs To Enhance Parent Involvement
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Curriculum Models
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DURATION
PROGRAM CONTACT
PARENT INVOLVEMENT
GRADE
PROGRAM
YEAR
Virginia Schmidt
Parents learn a variety of
5-12 Yrs
17 books
Bowdoin
1975
Webster International Inc.
parent involvement lessons,
Method I/II
(800) PARNTED
cognitive skills, how children
learn, and emotional and social [phone]
needs of children.
Duvall County Board of
Ongoing
Parents receive calendars from
K-6th
Calendar of
1992
Education, Michael Walker
school with daily learning
Skills
[phone]
activity suggestions.
Parent-child, parent-school,
8 2 1/2-hour Family Service America
Prek-3rd
Families and
1988
parent-parent,.parent-team,
Linda Wheeler, Director
sessions with
Schools
and parent-community
monthly follow-
Together
[phone]
interactions.
[phone] (fax)
(FAST)
up sessions
K-9th
Virginia Thompson,
Parents learn how to work with
Family Math
3-6
1981
child on math activities.
Director
2-hour sessions
[phone]
Dorothy Rich,
Ongoing Parent learn in workshops how
Elem.
1988
Mega Skills
Home School Institute
& Mid.
to use "recipes" of home learning
activities with child. Focus on life
[phone]
skills for academic achievement
and emotional growth.
Adrienne Adams,
Parents are trained to use
Parents and
2 3-hour
Elem.
1982
Instructional Technology
& Mid educational software to use at
Computers
sessions
Detroit Public Schools
home with child.
Teaching
[phone]
Students
(PACTS)
lst-3rd Parents are trained to interact
Pam Lott,
Ongoing
Parents as
1986
positively with their children
Grandview Consolidated
Educational
and to work with their children School District
Partners
at home.
[phone]
(PEP)
Parents learn in workshop Karen Sullivan,
Parents on
1 3-hour
4-14 Yrs
workshop how to help children Active Parenting Press
Board
succeed in school.
[phone]
7th
Parents study with child one
Push for
June Brown, PUSH-EXCEL
10 weeks
hour per weeknight.
[phone]
Excellence
K-8th
Children interact with parents
Karen Clark Salinas,
Teachers
Ongoing
1988;
John Hopkins University
or other family members to share
Involves
1995
Parent in
(rev)
ideas and to complete homework.
[phone]
Schoolwork
as
Parent& As School Partners 4,
10
3