Family-School Collaboration Lara Pascoe February 10, 2011 Dr. Coleman

System’s Theory WHAT IS A SYSTEM? Systems are units, composed of sets of interrelated parts, that act in organized, interdependent ways to promote the adaptation or survival of the whole unit. Why are we concerned about this? Teachers, parents, students and administrators make up a system

Systems Principles HOW SYSTEMS WORK:  Each member affects, and is affected by every other member.  When a member is added, subtracted or changes behavior in some way, the entire system must reorganize to accommodate the change.  A system as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Interaction PATTERNS OF INTERACTION WITHIN A SYSTEM: Behavior occurs in circular patterns with each person contributing Repetitive cycles take place in which the same outcomes occur repeatedly: a to b to c to d to a

Behavior Problem from a Systemic View Behavior Problem from a Systemic View A to B to C to D to A Teacher criticizes child Child complains about teacher to parent Parent criticizes teacher Child misbehaves in class INTERACTION

Pupil Development LEARNING: Each student is unique and may have a different way of receiving and processing information. Professionals are encouraged to include families in actively planning, implementing, and evaluating the supports. (Carr et al., 2002).

Pupil Development ACCORDING TO CDE: The California State Board of Education recognizes that a child's education is a responsibility shared by school and family during the entire period the child spends in school. Although parents come to the schools with diverse cultural backgrounds, primary languages, and needs, they overwhelmingly want their children to be successful in school. Schools, in collaboration with parents, teachers, students, and administrators, must establish and develop efforts that enhance parent involvement and reflect the needs of students and families in the communities which they serve.

Pupil Development RESEARCH: Research indicates that home-school collaboration is most likely to happen if schools take the initiative to encourage, guide, and genuinely welcome parents into the partnership. Professional development for teachers and administrators on how to build such a partnership is essential.

Parent Involvement in Education POSITIVE EFFECT: Empirical literature strongly supports the association of parent involvement in education with substantial benefits, including greater academic success for children (e.g., Epstein, 1991; Rumberger, 1995) and increased parent support for teachers and schools. (e.g., Ames, 1993; Epstein, 1986)

Parent Involvement in Education POSITIVE EFFECT: Students whose families are involved in their education, regardless of family background or income, are more likely to earn higher grades, be promoted, show improved behavior, and enroll in postsecondary education programs. (Henderson & Mapp, 2002)

Parent Involvement in Education POSITIVE EFFECT: Children who have parents who help them at home and stay in touch with the school do better academically than children of similar aptitude and family background whose parents are not involved. The inescapable fact is that consistent high levels of student success are more likely to occur with long- term comprehensive parent involvement in schools.

Parent Involvement in Education NEGATIVE EFFECT: Some families' attempts to comply with demands from the school to help with homework resulted in increased conflict between parents and children or embarrassment when parents themselves did not know how to do the homework. (Lareau, 1989; Lareau & Horvat, 1999; Lareau & Shumar, 1996)

Parent Involvement in Education NEGATIVE EFFECT: Data suggested that parents' ability to comply with school demands varies by social class. Specifically, middle-class parents tended to have greater flexibility in job schedules, better access to transportation and child care, and more extensive social networks of other parents from whom information about the school could be obtained than parents considered "working" or "lower" class.

Parent Involvement in Education MOST IMPORTANTLY: Although many factors have contributed to the increased emphasis on collaboration between parents and teachers, three issues are clear: 1) Parents want to be involved, 2) Engaging families yields positive outcomes for children and, 3) Federal law requires collaboration between schools and families, particularly in early intervention services, Head Start, and Title 1 schools. Even the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) expected schools to engage with parents. (Heward, 2006)

STUDENT Benefits Benefits of family-school collaboration: Build trust Improved student achievement Better behavior Better attendance Higher self-concept Positive attitude toward learning Higher achievement and test scores Increased homework completion Greater participation in academic activities Even fewer placements in special education.

PARENT Benefits Benefits of family-school collaboration: Enhanced self-efficacy Better understanding and more positive experiences with educators and schools Improved communication with their children Better appreciation for their role in their child’s education

EDUCATORS Benefits Benefits of family-school collaboration: Report greater job satisfaction Higher evaluation ratings from parents More positive associations with families

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST Role School psychologists should take part in national, state and local efforts to define parent involvement in education as true collaborative partners School psychologists should advocate for more home-school collaboration School psychologists should identify strategies to encourage family participation

COLLABORATION Collaboration is based on the assumption that families, children, and educators are doing the best they can; efforts are made to understand others' behavior and intentions rather than judge them as right or wrong.