1. Technology and Parent Engagement
Karen Rice Osterman
Middleton-Cross Plains School District

2. Demographics in MCPASD
Total number of ELLs: 348
Total number of Spanish-speaking ELLs: 210
Total number of parents needing language support services: 179
How/why we keep track of parents needing LSS
How we keep track of parents needing LSS:
Infinite Campus, “Interpreter Needed” tab
Indicates parent or student or student/parent
Helps the teacher to know when to use language services when communicating with families
Why we keep track?
Communication is key to family engagement
It is the ethical and equitable thing to do (equal access to education)
It is the law
We’ll talk more about these language support services during this presentation and how that relates to parent engagement.

3. Parent Engagement Dramatic shift in population during last 5- 10 years
Historically, same parents attending every event
Goal to increase numbers of parents participating in events, increase parent engagement

4. Turn and Talk
What goals does your district or school have for parent engagement?
Have you noticed trends with attendance at school or events?

5. District website Use of Google Translate Available in MANY languages
Not perfect, but makes websites accessible

6. Spanish Attendance Line
We noticed families weren’t reporting attendance
Each building had different procedures for contacting families when a student was absent
Using in-building vs. district staff
Promotion of attendance line use
Explain attendance line –
What info to leave
That they won’t get a call back
They have the option of pressing another button to bounce to my extension
Monitored by district staff

7. Share Out
How does your district or school handle attendance for speakers of other languages?
Have you noticed that families call in or don’t call in to report attendance?
How is attendance an important part of parent engagement?
What can you do to increase engagement in this area?

8. Conference Calls
The use of conference calls has increased school- home connection
New practice that’s being done to contact families
More efficient than scheduling meetings for smaller issues, concerns, or questions
Message is more accurately relayed
Parents talk directly to school staff, which further improves school-home connections
Parents have a chance to ask questions directly
Give examples of successful calls

9. Computer Classes
Partnership with Latino Academy of Workforce Development
LAWD provides teachers and curriculum
District provides space, computers, childcare, coordination of events, outreach, promotion
Teaches parents basics, including setting up , using the parent portal, checking their child’s Facebook account, typing, etc.
Classes offered two different years
Has led to increase of parents using to communicate with school

10. Parent Portal Use of Portal taught during computer classes
Translated Parent Portal guide
All parents have an account
Parent Portal has Google Translate option so families can navigate in other languages
Parents requesting additional training
Not every family is using this, obviously, but the numbers have definitely increased

11. Automated Messages (“All Call”)
Done through Infinite Campus
Can be automated, although automatic pronunciation of other languages is unclear and causes confusion
We record our own through Audacity
Send them out through filters to families requesting Interpreters
Use to promote events, parent meetings, weather closures, etc.
Challenge: parents don’t answer phones, call back to ask what message was about; often creates more work
Has helped communicate messages, especially about school events and school closures
This started because of snow or weather cancelations that were only going out in English
Can be done with too

12. Translator Email Account
Created to streamline language requests
Used for requests for all languages
Managed by district ESL/Bilingual staff
Use of the account has improved communication with staff, and between home-school
Increase in documents translated and meetings scheduled with an interpreter

13. Simultaneous Interpretation
We recently purchased equipment for meetings
Allows parents to be discreet in large group meetings regarding language needs
Increased participation in parent meetings
Parents feel a part of the school community
Has increased success of parents attending and participating in school meetings

14. Turn and Talk
How are you using technology resources to increase parent engagement?
Do you use features in Infinite Campus or other student management systems? Which ones?
What’s working well?
What goals do you have with regard to use of computers and computer systems?

15. Technology Access for All Program
Chromebooks
Graphing Calculators
Mi-Fi
Purpose: increase student and parent engagement by making technology accessible to ALL families
Provides option to purchase technology at reduced rate for F/R families or families asking for scholarships
Initiative began as a part of our Technology Department
Available to 8th and 9th grade students

16. Professional Development
Purpose is to increase awareness among school staff on increasing school-home connections
Training staff at building staff meetings:
How do know if a student/parent needs language services
Why we need to provide language services
How to access language services
Available outreach services
Language services video

17. Have these strategies been effective?
Overall, yes!
We still have a long way to go, but we’ve made great strides too
Increased attendance at parent meetings, events
Increase in staff using language services
Increase in services provided
There are still challenges
We have seen a definite increase in parent engagement through using these tools and technology
Challenges:
Still want to increase families accessing technology
More parents participating in school events
Staff knowing how to use technology and to access services to increase engagement
Don’t have staff/resources to do everything we want to do

18. Collaboration is key! We try to work with all staff in our district
Spreading the word to the community
Partnering and sharing with other districts
Networking and partnering with community agencies

19. Share Out How do you engage parents?
Are there any of these strategies or ideas that would be useful?
Any strategies or ideas that you do that might be useful to us?
What will you take way from what MCPASD is doing, both positive and negative?

20. Questions?

21. Please feel free to contact me with any questions!
Karen Rice Osterman