1. Let’s Renew our Title I Compact
To reach our school improvement goals, everyone needs to be on board!
CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

2. CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Compact:
A written agreement of shared responsibility
How will families and teachers work together this year to achieve the goals of the school improvement plan and make AYP?
USDE 1996
CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

3. CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Our New Compact Will:
Link to the goals of our School Improvement Plan and our grade-level achievement data
Describe strategies families can use at home to strengthen students’skills
Explain what teachers will do to support family learning
Describe what students will do to reach their achievement goals
Be written in family-friendly language with meaningful input from families and students

4. Not Use General Statements Like:
CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Not Use General Statements Like:
Teachers will hold high expectations for all children and offer high-quality instruction
Parents will monitor attendance and TV watching, and make sure their children do their homework
Students will be good citizens, read 30 minutes every day, and bring home notices from school.

5. CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Why do This?
Section 1118 of the law says we must have a School-Parent Compact
Research says that engaging families helps students do better in school
Parents and families want to help
We need all the help we can get to make AYP

6. CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
School-Family-Community Partnerships
“Schools, families and communities all contribute to student success, and the best results come when all three work together as equal partners.”
CT State Board of Education Position Statement on School-Family-Community Partnerships
First edition was in 1997
CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

7. Organizing Schools for Improvement
CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Organizing Schools for Improvement
Long-term study of Chicago schools: When schools have strong family and community ties, their students are:
Four times more likely to make significant gains in reading
Ten times more likely to make significant gains in math.
Anthony S. Bryk et al, (2010) Organizing Schools for Improvement: Lessons from Chicago (Chicago: University of Chicago Press)
CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

8. What are Strong Family Ties?
CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
What are Strong Family Ties?
Title I students‘ reading and math scores (3-5th grades) improved 40-50% faster when teachers:
met with families face-to-face
sent materials on ways to help their child at home
telephoned routinely about progress
(Westat and Policy Studies Associates, 2001)
CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

9. First Two Steps to Success
CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
First Two Steps to Success
1. Motivate and get buy-in from staff
- Explain at a staff meeting what Compacts are
and how they contribute to student success
2. Designate a leader
- Pick a person with leadership skills. Math/literacy
coach, AP, data team leader, home-school
coordinator

10. Next Two Steps to Success
CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Next Two Steps to Success
3. Align Compact with school improvement plan
- Review and analyze school data and SIP goals to
ID skills to focus on
4. Get grade-level input on skills that need to
improve in each grade
- Data teams ID three goals/grade level and draft
home learning ideas to discuss with parents

11. School-Parent Compact
CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
STUDENT DATA
District and School Improvement Plans
School-Parent Compact
Grade Level Strategies
DISTRICT SCHOOL GRADE CLASS HOME
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Home Learning
CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

12. CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Steps to Success #5 and #6
5. Reach out to Families - Meet by grade level to discuss how to work together (workshops, class meetings, math night). Two-way conversations! 6. Don’t forget the Students - How will they take responsibility for their learning? - What do they want teachers and parents to do to support them?

13. It’s All About the Conversations!
CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
It’s All About the Conversations!
Recruit parents to fun event -- then break into grade level groups with translators.
Ask: How can the school help YOU support your children’s learning? \
Type up and circulate parents’ideas.
Teachers meet at each grade level to respond, draft Compact plan.
Parents approve.
CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

14. CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
What do Teachers Say?
"As a result of collaborating with families on our school compact, we teachers looked at parents differently, appreciating how much they were willing to help. We realized that as teachers we never were specific about the learning skills and strategies that we wanted them to do at home, and often assumed that there was no support.  Wow, were we wrong!!  Our relationship with families grew stronger and finally, we were all on the same page to strengthen student achievement.”
Teacher, Geraldine Johnson School, Bridgeport CT

15. Next Two Steps to Success
CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Next Two Steps to Success
7. Pull it All Together - Create an attractive, family-friendly Compact with input from all - Design a roll-out plan 8. Align all Resources - ID professional development - Pull in volunteers and community partners, - Tap the Title I budget for materials, speakers

16. School Action Team for Partnerships
CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Aligning Resources
Budget
Parent Workshops
Staff Development
Volunteers, Tutors and other Partners
Title 1 Evaluation
School-Parent Compact
Grade Level Strategies
School Action Team for Partnerships
CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

17. Last Two Steps to Success
CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Last Two Steps to Success
9. Market the Compact - Get the word out at every opportunity - Refer to the Compact at parent-teacher conferences and meetings 10. Review, Revise, Celebrate Progress - Discuss what worked, what needs to Improve, then develop new plan. - Celebrate success and ask students to show off!

18. CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Quality Indicators
Link actions to goals in SIP and to school data
Connect activities for families to what students are learning and doing in class
Include follow-up steps to support parents and students
Consult with parents on communication strategies that work best for them
Translate into families’ home languages
CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

19. It’s all about the Conversations!
CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Remember:
It’s all about
the Conversations!