Engagement 101: How to Host an Effective Parent-Teacher Conference 1

Session Objectives 2 As a result of this presentation participants will learn:  Engagement Office’s structure, priorities and supports designed to build capacity of school staff to better engage their school communities.  How to utilize the Parent-Teacher Conference online toolkit and other resources that promote productive and informative dialog between instructional staff and families. In addition, facilitators will share how PTC materials support the School-Parent Compact as required per Title I requirements.  Researched based strategies and best practices that foster parent rapport and family engagement which aligns with Plan 1 and Plan 6 of the Teacher Effectiveness Model.

3 The Engagement Office Baltimore City Public Schools The Engagement Office Baltimore City Public Schools Our mission, function and structure Objective 1

District Organizational Framework 4

Engagement Office Overview The mission of the Engagement Office is to:  PROMOTE the good work of students, teachers, principals, staff, schools and partners.  COLLABORATE to keep students, parents, staff members, and community informed of initiatives, events, and announcements.  CREATE OPPORTUNITIES for meaningful public input and community engagement around key decisions and priorities.  BUILD CAPACITY of stakeholders to more deeply engage in student success.  MOBILIZE resources in support of schools and student achievement. 5

Engagement Functions 6  Planning events and activities for public, staff, and student input and engagement  Planning and attending events to hear public concerns and soliciting recommendations for district improvements  Building capacity of school communities to effectively support student success  Establishing and maintaining partnerships and alliances to support schools and student achievement

Engagement Supports and Services 7 Engagement Office Parent Involvement Community Relations School Partnerships

B ALTIMORE C ITY P UBLIC S CHOOLS Family and Community Engagement Specialists EDUCATION/TRAINING STRATEGIC PLANNING/ CONSULTATION BUILDING CAPACITY/ TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE MONITORING & REPORTING 8 FCE P OLICIES AND B EST P RACTICES T ITLE I P ARENT I NVOLVEMENT E NGAGEMENT STRATEGIES S CHOOL F AMILY C OUNCIL O UTREACH ( SPECIALIZED POPULATIONS ) P ARTNERSHIP AND R ESOURCE D EVELOPMENT O RGANIZED P ARENT G ROUPS V OLUNTEERS 21 ST C ENTURY AND OTHER I NITIATIVES C OMMUNICATIONS

9 The Family – Friendly School The Family – Friendly School Does your school provide a welcoming environment? Objective 3 Objective 3

B ALTIMORE C ITY P UBLIC S CHOOLS Is Your School Family-Friendly? 10

Research on Parent Engagement 11  California State University conducted a Meta-Analysis study  Study considered 77 studies which comprised of 300,000 K-12 students  Researched the link between Parent Involvement and Student Achievement

Research on Parent Engagement 12

13 Local and State Family Engagement Requirements Local and State Family Engagement Requirements Does your school only engage parents for the sake of compliancy? Objective 3

Comments or Questions? 14 P1 – Know your students P6 - Mobilize families and stakeholders in student success in student success INSTRUCTIONAL FRAMEWORK

School-Parent Compact 15  Parent Involvement  Community Relations  School Partnerships   Jointly developed agreement between parents, students and school in support of academic success  Defines reasonable expectations and responsibilities for all stakeholders  Recommended for all schools but mandatory for Title I Schools (parent - teacher conferences)  Living document that should be edited to align with school performance goals and student needs.

School-Parent Compact Sample 16  Parent Involvement  Community Relations  School Partnerships 

School-Parent Compact Sample 17  Parent Involvement  Community Relations  School Partnerships 

18 Designing an Effective Parent-Teacher Conference Designing an Effective Parent-Teacher Conference How to strategically plan before, during and after the Parent-Teacher Conference? Objective 3

Before Conferencing 19

During the Conference 20

After Conference 21

22 Engaging Difficult Parents Engaging Difficult Parents How well do you engage difficult parents? Objective 3

Engaging Difficult Parents 23  The Over-Involved Parent  The Absent Parent  The Demanding Parent  The Defensive Parent  The Uncooperative Parent  The Angry Parent

The Over-Involved Parent 24  Reassure the parent that the student is well adjusted socially, behaviorally and academically o Provide specific details as evidence  Assure the parent that you will contact them if there is a problem  Create an action plan that addresses their concerns  Suggest a communication strategy o Commit to checking with the parent every two to three weeks

The Absent Parent 25  Acknowledge the parents busy schedule and try to accommodate  Offer brief conversations over the phone in lieu of face to face meetings  Arrange for a translator if language serves as a barrier o Refrain from using the student as the translator.  Remember that almost every parent really does care about their child’s performance in school.

The Demanding Parent 26  Explain the rationale for student placement. o Be prepared to provide assessment results, homework assignment and other student artifacts.  Consider the parent request and feedback  Inform the parent that providing difficult material often invokes frustration and ultimately rebellion

The Defensive Parent 27  Maintain a positive attitude and objective perspective  Highlight the student’s attributes then address one area of concern  Develop a preliminary action plan to improve the situation  Acknowledge and compliment any efforts the parent may have contributed  Suggest strategies parents can employ to support learning at home  Assure the parent that the student can improve through parent-teach collaboration

The Uncooperative Parent 28  Be sure your classroom policies are approved by school leadership  Communicate polices to families early in the school year  Adhere to the policy unless there are extenuating circumstances

The Angry Parent 29  Remain calm and professional  Listen actively to their concerns and root causes  Inform the school leaders so they can be prepared  Solicit parent for reasonable suggestions  Remove yourself from escalated conversations that may result in verbal and/or physical abuse  Document and report any volatile interactions with parents

30 Parent-Teacher Toolkit and other Resources Parent-Teacher Toolkit and other Resources Parent-Teacher Conference Considerations Objective 2 Objective 2

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