1. Educational Champion Training MODULE 1: Beliefs, Expectations and Aspirations © National Center for Youth Law, April 2013. This document does not constitute legal advice or representation. For legal advice, readers should consult their own counsel. This document may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes provided any reproduction is accompanied by an acknowledgement. All other rights reserved. 1

2. Why Focus on Beliefs, Expectations and Aspirations? Research shows that high parental aspirations and expectations for academic performance are correlated to children’s success in school. High parental aspirations and encouragement, specifically discussions of college planning and college attendance, are strongly associated with continued HS attendance, higher test scores and college enrollment. A parent’s own sense of self-efficacy affects his/her ability to be a “good parent.” APRIL 20132

3. What you think and say can have an impact on how the child feels about education. Know that your belief in the child’s ability to succeed in school, and your high expectations and aspirations for the child, can help build up the child’s self-confidence and improve his/her performance in school. When you are talking to the child about school, be aware that your words may impact how the child thinks and feels about education, and about his/her own ability to do well in school. REMEMBER: if you believe that you have the ability to help the child in school, then you will help the child in school. APRIL 20133

4. Tell the child that you believe education is important. Let the child hear you express excitement about school and interest in learning new things. Talk to the child about the ties between school and the future – like getting to go to college, having good job options, and being financially secure. APRIL 20134

5. Show the child that you believe education is important. Keep a folder or scrapbook of the child’s best schoolwork. This will show the child that you value his/her hard work and achievements. If your schedule allows it, think about signing up to volunteer in the child’s classroom or at a school event. Attend school meetings and events. APRIL 20135

6. Other ways to show the child that you believe education is important. When something the child is learning in school comes up in daily life, talk about it with the child. This will help the child understand that what s/he is learning in school is important. Encourage the child to read every day. APRIL 20136

7. A NOTE FOR Birth Parents and Education Rights Holders NOTE FOR BIRTH PARENTS WHO ARE EDUCATIONAL CHAMPIONS: If the child does not currently live with you and you are not sure whether your case plan allows you to volunteer at school or attend school events, be sure to check with your attorney or social worker first. NOTE FOR EDUCATIONAL CHAMPIONS WHO DO NOT HOLD EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS: If you do not hold education rights, reach out to the person who does to talk about participating in school meetings. If the education rights holder is the child’s birth parent, check with the social worker for the best way to do so. APRIL 20137

8. Let the child know that you believe s/he has the ability to do well in school. Here are some examples of things you can say to the child: “I know learning _____ is hard work, but I believe you can do it.” “I know that your goal is to get into college, and I am confident that you can do it.” “You came up with a very interesting idea for your project. I think you’ll do a great job on it.” APRIL 20138

9. Regularly praise the child for his/ her hard work, improvements and success in school. Here are some examples of things you can say to the child: “Great job with your homework this week!” “I’m very proud of you for working so hard on this assignment.” Let the child hear you compliment his/her hard work, improvement, and successes in front of other adults. APRIL 20139

10. Setting educational goals for younger children. Here are some things you can say to a younger child: “What kinds of things do you want to learn to do by the end of this school year?” EXAMPLES: learn to read a book with chapters, learn multiplication tables “Let’s set a goal for something you want to do this week.” EXAMPLES: get 90% on my math quiz, practice all of my spelling words APRIL 201310

11. Setting educational goals for older children. Here are some things you can say to an older child: “What classes would you like to take next year and why?” “Have you thought about taking any honors or AP (Advanced Placement) classes?” “What is your goal GPA (grade point average) for this year?” For long-term goals, help the child develop smaller, more manageable steps. APRIL 201311

12. Keep a positive attitude. Be encouraging. If the child is struggling in school, he or she may feel frustrated or sad about school. It is important that you: Always keep a positive attitude; and Encourage the child to always keep a positive attitude. APRIL 201312

13. Focus on improvement and problem-solving. Help the child focus on how to problem-solve and improve the situation. FOR EXAMPLE, if the child is struggling in a specific subject, here are some ways you can help the child focus on improvement: Talk to the child about the situation, and let him/her know you are there to help figure out a solution. Review the child’s work in that subject. Look at the questions/assignments the child did well on, and the ones with which the child struggled. Try to determine why the child struggled. APRIL 201313

14. For Education Rights Holders. Know your rights as the educational decision maker for the child. As the person who legally holds education rights for the child, you can make decisions regarding such issues as: changing school placement, requesting school records, consenting to psychological testing, and requesting meetings with teachers (to name just a few). Don’t hesitate to ask the Court or your attorney if you have questions about your right to advocate for the child. APRIL 201314

15. Consider getting input from other adults involved in the child’s life. Especially if the child does not live with you, you may want to ask other adults in the child’s life for support and feedback in making education-related decisions. EXAMPLES: If you are not the child’s caregiver right now, think about inviting the child’s caregiver to attend parent-teacher conferences. You may also want to consider inviting tutors, coaches, or other adult family members to school meetings. APRIL 201315

16. My Goals: What I will do:How often I will do this: _____________________________________ APRIL 201316

17. Resources. This PowerPoint, Tip Sheets, Mentoring Modules, and supporting materials can be found at: www.foster-ed.org. www.foster-ed.org If you have questions about the materials, please contact: info@fostered.org. Other Resources: Action Information Sheet: A Parent’s Vision and High Expectations are Powerful, written by the Minnesota Parent Center High Expectations, guidelines written and translated by ExpectMoreArizona.org A New Wave of Evidence, written by the National Center of Family & Community Connections with Schools APRIL 201317