Dust Off Your Old School-Parent Compact Connecticut State Department of Education Linking School-Family Partnerships to Your School Improvement Plan

“Schools, families and communities all contribute to student success, and the best results come when all three work together as equal partners.” CSBE Position Statement on School-Family-Community Partnerships School-Family-Community Partnerships

A New Wave of Evidence: Family Engagement Can Have a Powerful Impact on Student Achievement By Anne T. Henderson and Karen L. Mapp

Compact: A written agreement of shared responsibility A catalyst for collaboration and better communication between school staff and parents …by translating goals for student achievement into shared ACTION statements USDE 1996

The Myths The Compact…  must be signed by teachers and parents  is a good place to teach parenting  is the place to correct student behavior

A Missed Opportunity  One of the weakest areas of Title 1 Compliance (USDE 2008)  As documented by the results of recent Title I monitoring activity, the need for technical assistance in this area remains substantial. (Federal Register, March 27, 2006,) Compacts are not present Not meaningful Not specific

District Improvement Plan School Improvement Plan School-Parent Compact Grade Level Compact Strategies Parent-Teacher Conferences Home Learning DISTRICT SCHOOL GRADE CLASS HOME STUDENT DATA

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

What’s In a Compact? 1. What Teachers Should Do 2. What Parents Should Do 3. What Students Should Do 4. Communication About Student Progress 5. Activities to Develop Partnerships 6. Jointly Developed with Parents 7. Friendly format and Language Essential Elements

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. “A great learning process. Parents are much more willing to do things than we thought.” Teacher in pilot project.

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

For Additional Information Judy Carson, Ph.D. Connecticut State Department of Education 25 Industrial Park Road Middletown, CT