1. Making the Connection: Engaging Families to Improve Outcomes for Students with Disabilities NCSI/Cross State Learning Collaborative - 2015

2. 2 Research Shows… The most effective family engagement / involvement activities are what the parent does at home. Family engagement that is more directly related to student learning is more likely to have a positive impact on student achievement and can take place at home or in the community. (Westmoreland et al) 2015

3. 3 Research indicates… 3 The lack of engagement by minority, lower income, and families who speak limited English is often the result of differing needs, values, and levels of trust rather than lack of interest or willingness to get involved. (cited in Brewster & Railsback, 2003) 2015

4. 4 Research indicates… 4 The most popular measure of parental attitudes about education, particularly among teachers, is “family involvement ”. School personnel often treat poor families from a deficit perspective that becomes a barrier to family involvement. 2015

5. 5 SO……. WHAT WORKS AND how does your work on engaging “hard to reach” families fit into the SSIP Phase II questions you are already asking? 2015

6. 6 INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IS THERE A PIECE OF THE SYSTEM THAT MIGHT NEED TO BE FIXED? 2015

7. ecac 2010 7

8. 8 Questions to Ask… Has the LEA clearly defined their commitment to students and families? Are schools and school personnel “inclusive” in attitude? Is there collaboration across programs with other programs such as Title 1 and SPDG work? Do you have (or need) active community partners who are encouraged to lead? Tell us how our children will be assessed. Let us know how we can help you. Anne Henderson, Annenberg Institute for School Reform

9. Strategic planning should include discussions on engaging families at home and school… ecac 2010 9

10. 10 DATA You are not planning for the parents you know. You MUST identify the parents you do not know! Free and Reduced Lunch Homeless Disabilities Ethnicity Family Structure ESL Students Geography Culture Education Experiences 2015

11. 11 And then…. include that data in the design of your approach for the families you don’t know. 2015

13. 13 Instructions vs. Instruction 2012 13 2015

14. 14 Effective activities at home should be designed to: Engage the family Reinforce current classroom instruction Review or practice basic skills Challenge students who are ready to move forward Support Higher Expectations 2015

15. 15 TOOLS AND STRATEGIES Q and A tools Infographics on future planning I Wish/I Can Documents Videos on supporting learning “What Ifs” Teacher Education and Support PARENT EDUCATION Partnerships 2015

16. 16 What type of information or support do teachers need to effectively encourage involvement by providing instruction not instructions? This teacher’s response to a question from a father is a great example of effective communication and instructions. Let him read for 15 minutes, and have him read out loud so you can hear him. And when he makes mistakes, don’t say “No, you know better than that…” go in there and say…”I think you’ve misread this” and “Let’s go over this”. 2015

17. 17 Be creative with instructions for parents! TRY… Creating fill in the blank math stories to teach families how to use these at home Developing Q & A documents giving parents questions to explore with their child Sending home a weekly activity and directions… either by tweet, email, phone tree, website, and with the child. 2015

18. 18 When appropriate, how can you use technology to involve families? Mini camcorder or cell phone videos Email translation program such as: traduce al hora Conference calls Blogs Twitter Website Internet calendars 2015

19. 19 What types of home activities should happen throughout the year? Family Story / Math time Tips and prompts on reading to your child Teacher Q & A Reading list / Math scavenger hunt IEP Prep activities IEP Calendars Skill building conference calls or webinars Instructional video library Integrated universal strategies Math adventure stories 2015

20. COLLABORATION 20

21. 21 Community Partnerships Identify traditional and non- traditional “trusted allies” in the “focus” communities. Let the allies lead! Solicit input from families and community members. Create a “community agenda”. Expect your “allies” to operate with respect and strength based strategies. Create PR and community awareness plan. COMMUNICATE

22. 22 Schools that succeed in engaging families from very diverse background share three key practices. They focus on building trusting, collaborative relationships among teachers, families and community members. Schools recognize, respect and address family’s needs, as well as cultural and class differences. They embrace a philosophy of partnership where power and responsibility are shared. Ann Henderson and Karen Mapp (2002 ) 2015

23. 23 Every family functions as a home learning environment, regardless of its structure, economic level, ethnic or cultural background. Consequently, every family has the potential to support and improve the academic achievement of its children. ~ Unknown 2015

24. 24 In summary… Parents impact the individual child’s learning True collaboration is a process rather than an event The outcome should be parents who feel they are a valued and important part of their child’s education. 2015

25. 25 Your work with families DOES make a difference? 2015 25 Families’ involvement in their children’s education stands out as one of the greatest predictors of growth and well-being for students with disabilities. Elliott & Mullins, 2004; Resch et al., 2010