1. Parent-Teacher Partnerships for Student Success
CONTENT NOTES:
This session will focus on COMPETENCE as a partnership principle and PARENTING and LEARNING AT HOME as key involvement strategies. We will talk about competence from both a professional and parent perspective as it relates to supporting students, and as it helps support parenting and learning at home strategies. We will also look at these topics in our experiences at different district activities, and make suggestions for district improvement in these areas.
Module 4: Competence, Parenting, and Learning at Home

2. Respect Communication Equality Communicating Decision-Making 2/24/2019
Before we begin our new session, let’s review what we have learned and discussed so far.
KEY DISCUSSIONS:
What did we learn about Respect? Communication? Equality? Decision-Making?
Has this knowledge helped you, or your student(s), since our last session? If so, how?
Co-facilitators – review what was shared with the district point of contact and how responded.
Remember, the purpose of these sessions is to not only promote parent-teacher partnerships, but to partnership for student progress and better outcomes! So, as we go through the information and discussions, think about how we can impact student achievement with this information!
OPTIONAL: Ice Breaker Activity

3. 2/24/2019
Group Rules
Review with group. Keep poster at each meeting.

4. KEY DISCUSSIONS:
What does “COMPETENCE” mean to you? (You may want to have poster paper divided into 2 columns (1. teachers parents) and list examples for each)
Of the three areas, what is your strength? Challenge?
What might “Provide an Appropriate Education” look like for Teachers? Parents?
(Teachers = plan curriculum, instructional method, and assessment on child's individual needs and strengths; provide appropriate supports and services; least restrictive environment)
(Parents = keep staff informed of medical and emotional information; participate in IEP meetings; keep educational records together)
Teachers – do you continue to learn by gathering feedback from staff / families about your work?
Parents – how do you “continue to learn” regarding your child and school progress?
How do you demonstrate high expectations for a student to the Student? Parents? Staff?
CONTENT NOTES:
- According to Turnbull et al, there are three main skills that contribute to competence in parent-teacher partnerships:
1) PROVIDE AN APPROPRIATE EDUCATION: = an education that offers equal opportunities to learn
* NCLB - enhance core academic subjects - use scientifically based instructional strategies
2) CONTINUE TO LEARN
* TEACHERS - know your requirements by State / Employer
- reflect on your skills and interactions with families and improve
- get feedback about your work (teaching and partnerships) with families from colleagues and families
* PARENTS?
- continue to keep updated with district curriculum, workshops, activities
- learn how your child's disability may impact him/her in the school setting
- teach school staff to best help your child
3) SET HIGH EXPECTATIONS = provide hope and encouragement, set goals
* high expectations lead people to try harder with leads to higher motivations, greater persistence at tasks, more effective performance, and greater success
* false despair dissuades people from creating their future
OPTIONAL:
* Review and Discuss Competence Activities document

5. Information and activities that:
PARENTING
Information and activities that:
Help all families understand child and adolescent development and,
Help establish home environments to support children as students at each grade level
Help staff understand families’ backgrounds, cultures, and goals for students
Epstein, et. al, lists PARENTING as one of the 6 top ways to involve families with schools.
KEY DISCUSSIONS: (Capture on poster, smartboard, powerpoint, etc. . .)
Why is child and adolescent development important for understanding and helping students progress at each grade level?
Is this different for parents of a child with a disability?
Review Parenting Activities document –
What activities might the district provide parents?
Parents provide district?
Any you would add based on your experiences? (submit to Edmodo)
How do staff collect information on families’ backgrounds, cultures, and goals for students?
What does the district provide to staff to better understand the families in their district?
How does what we’ve learned so far (respect, communication, equality, decision-making, competence) affect partnerships in PARENTING skills?
CONTENT NOTES:
- Make information and activities available in a variety of ways for families (workshops, website, documents, etc. . .)
OPTIONAL:
* ACTIVITIES
1) Review and discuss Summary Type 1 – Parenting (Epstein, et al, p. 153)
2) Complete one of the following rating scales around Parenting:
a) An Inventory of Present Practices of School, Family, and Community Partnerships (Epstein, et. al., p. 174)
b) Measure of School, Family, and Community Partnerships (Epstein, et. al, p. 325)
School, Family, and Community Partnerships, by J. L. Epstein et al., 2009 by Corwin Press. 5 5

6. Involve and guide families with their children on
LEARNING AT HOME
Involve and guide families with their children on
How to help students with homework,
Other curriculum-related activities,
Course decisions, and
Future plans.
Epstein, et. al., lists LEARNING AT HOME as one of the 6 top ways to involve families with schools.
KEY DISCUSSIONS:
What does “LEARNING AT HOME” mean to you?
Do cultural / socio-economic differences affect learning at home? How do you address this as a Parent? Teacher?
PARENTS: What makes “learning at home” easy for you? Difficult for you? What do you need from staff?
TEACHERS: What are your expectations for learning at home? How do you support families to meet those expectations?
Review LEARNING AT HOME ACTIVITES document:
What is our (grade level / building / district) doing to support families to help students continue their learning at home / complete homework?
What recommendations do we have for the (grade level / building / district) to improve this area?
HOW are the other areas we have discussed (respect, communication, equality, decision-making, competence, parenting) essential to LEARNING AT HOME?
CONTENT NOTES:
does not mean parents do or teach - it means they encourage, listen, praise, guide, monitor, and discuss
Parents and teachers can design learning at home activities together
OPTIONAL:
1) Review and discuss Summary Type 4 – Learning At Home (Epstein, et. al., p. 156)
2) Complete one of the following rating scales around Parenting:
a) An Inventory of Present Practices of School, Family, and Community Partnerships (Epstein, et. al., p. 176)
b) Measure of School, Family, and Community Partnerships (Epstein, et. al, p. 327)
3) Discuss Ten Purposes of Homework chart (Epstein, et. al, p. 280)
School, Family, and Community Partnerships, by J. L. Epstein et al., 2009 by Corwin Press. 6 6

7. Link to Student Outcomes
2/24/2019
The purpose of these sessions is to not only promote parent-teacher partnerships, but to partnership for student progress and better outcomes!
KEY DISCUSSIONS:
How do you share what you know (competence) with others to support student progress? To support parenting? To support learning at home?
Discuss an opportunity you had to change a student’s achievement by focusing on high expectations!
How would the involvement strategy of PARENTING support the students in the district? The families? The staff?
Looking at this diagram, who else might you reach out to for parenting and/or learning at home support?

8. LINK to CURRENT PRACTICES
2/24/2019
Parents
Teachers
Student
General School
Activities
Special Education
Activities
KEY DISCUSSIONS: Facilitate group discussion and sharing of ideas in each area based on experiences and recommendations
***REMEMBER: ASK THE PARTICIPANTS TO TRY NOT TO USE SPECIFIC NAMES – AND KEEP CONVERSATIONS CONFIDENTIAL
* Keeping COMPETENCE, PARENTING, and LEARNING AT HOME in mind…
What have been your experiences with specific situations of general school activities?
(examples: student-focused meetings, parent-teacher conferences, PTA, school events, state testing, etc. .) a) What are the strengths of the (grade level / building / district) in these areas?
b) What would we recommend for improving parent – teacher partnerships in these areas?
2. What have been your experiences with specific situations of special education activities?
(Parent concerns / referrals, evaluations, IEP meetings)
a) What are the strengths of the (grade level / building / district) in these areas?
3. What is an immediate change that you can make around COMPETENCE, PARENTING and LEARNING AT HOME that would positively impact success for your student(s)?

9. Link to Improvement Share Bright Ideas / Session Highlights
2/24/2019
Link to Improvement
Share Bright Ideas / Session Highlights
Complete Session Highlights form
1. Have the group review their "bright ideas" - capture on large poster paper – then Session Highlights form
2. Decide what will be presented to district point of contact

10. 2/24/2019

11. Contents were developed under a grant from the US Department of Education, #323A and adapted in 2017 by The Ohio State University. However, the contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Project Officer, Jennifer Coffey. PTP Documents Archive: 11