Michele Brooks Keynote Address Slides
- 1. Michele P. Brooks Assistant SuperintendentOffice of Family & Student EngagementBoston Public SchoolsBuilding Systemic Engagement
- 2. OverviewReform or Transform?Why Engage Families and Communities?Transforming EngagementLeadership Matters
- 3. IntroductionsWho is in the room?
- 4. Reform or TransformWhat is the difference?Reform indicates a fix Transform indicates a shift
- 5. Why Engage Families?What is the core enterprise of school districts and schools?
- 6. Why Engage Families?Instructional Core – Dr. Richard Elmore, HGSEStudentInfluencing Factors:~Family/Home Culture~Community Culture~School CultureTeacherContent
- 7. Why Engage Families & Communities?5 Essential SupportsLeadershipParent-Community TiesProfessional CapacityStudent-centered learning climateInstructional Guidance
- 8. Why Engage Families?The impact of school, family and community connections on student achievementwww.sedl.org/connections
- 9. Why Engage Families?When parents and school staff work together to support learning, students:Earn higher grades and test scoresEnroll in higher level programsAre promoted more and earn more credits
- 10. Why Engage Families?When parents and school staff work together to support learning, students:Adapt better to school and attend more regularlyHave better social skills and behaviorGraduate and go on to higher educationA New Wave of Evidence – Key Findings
- 11. Why Engage Families & Communities?What does effective engagement look like?
- 12. Why Engage Families & Communities?Family engagement in student learning…Is a shared responsibility. Is continuous across a child’s life.Occurs in multiple settings in which children learn.National Working Group for Family and Community Engagement
- 13. Family Engagement: Reframing the Work
- 14. Transforming EngagementRequires a paradigm shiftFrom seeing families/communities as a part of the problem to seeing them as a part of the solution.From seeing families/communities as by-standers to seeing them as c0-producers.From seeing families/communities as passive participants or adversaries to seeing them as partners.
- 15. Transforming EngagementDistrict-Level ContextLeadership Matters – A commitment to family/community engagement that is clearly articulated and supported at the highest levelsShared Vision – A collective vision for what success looks likeStructures and Resources – Alignment of structures, staffing and resources to support the work
- 16. Transforming EngagementDefining the WorkVision, Core Values/Beliefs & GoalsOrganizing the WorkStandards, Expectations & OutcomesFacilitating the WorkTools, Strategies & Evaluating for Continuous Improvement
- 17. BPS Context: Defining the WorkBPS Vision for Family & Student Engagement“Every school will welcome every family and every student, actively engaging them as partners in student learning and school improvement”
- 18. BPS Context: Defining the WorkCORE BELIEFSThe Boston Public Schools is committed to the authentic engagement of families/parents and students that reflects the following core values;Every parent* has dreams for their children and want the best for them
- 19. Every parent* has the capacity to support their children’s learning
- 20. Parents and school staff should be equal partners in the education of children
- 21. The primary responsibility for building partnerships between home and school rests primarily with school leaders and staff *regardless to race, class, culture, socioeconomic status, language limitations, sexual orientation or disability Adapted from “Beyond the Bake Sale”, Henderson, Mapp, Johnson and Davies, 2006.
- 22. BPS Context: Defining the WorkCORE BELIEFSEvery student* wants to excel and achieve – it is the role of the adults to listen, engage, support and encourage them in ways that impact their achievement
- 23. When students are at the center of the decision-making process they are more engaged and take “ownership” of their education; enhancing school climate, improving student/adult relationships and increasing overall student achievement *regardless to race, class, culture, socioeconomic status, language limitations, sexual orientation or disability
- 24. BPS Context: Defining the WorkDefining the Work:CAPACITY BUILDINGof Schoolsof Familiesof Studentsof Communitiesof The District
- 25. Boston Context: Organizing the WorkEstablishing StandardsProvide a guide for establishing authentic family and student engagement in schools
- 26. Provide a guide for the district for aligning professional development and support
- 27. Provide measures for accountability
- 28. Provides clear engagement opportunities for families, students and the community Boston Context: Organizing the Work
- 29. Boston Context: Organizing the WorkPolicy ImplicationsBPS Acceleration AgendaStrategy #3 – Deepening partnerships with families, students and community.Title 1: Section 118 Parental InvolvementSeven Essentials of Whole School ImprovementEssential 6: Partner with families and community to support student learning and engagement.Dimensions of Effective Teaching and PrincipalshipBoth include: Partnerships with Families and CommunityBPS Achievement Gap PolicyPartnerships in Family and Community Engagement
- 32. Boston Context: Facilitating the WorkHigh Impact Strategies that link Engagement to Student LearningThe strategy focuses on a specific group of students (such as all 1stgrade students or students struggling with a specific math concept)It is organized around a specific learning task (such as learning 100 high frequency words)It has a home learning activity that engages parents to help students with the learning task (such as flash cards or a game)There is two-way communication between parent and teacher regarding student progress with the learning task and celebrating success
- 33. Facilitating the Work: Tools of EngagementTool kit includes:
- 34. Description of the strategy
- 35. Connection to the research
- 36. Alignment to Academic targets
- 37. Implementation plan (structured for WSIP)
- 38. Electronic copies of all materials needed
- 39. List of resources for implementationHigh Impact Strategiesfor linking Family Engagement to Learning
- 40. Facilitating the Work: Tools of EngagementFamily Learning GuidesLearning Goals for each grade based on the BPS standards; Math, ELA, Science & Social StudiesTips for talking with your childTips about talking with teachers
- 41. Facilitating the Work: Tools of EngagementMulti-Tiered System of SupportsFocused differentiated instructional strategies and supportBased on BPS Academic Achievement FrameworkOFSE adapted the model to create a framework for supporting the engagement work in schools
- 42. Family Friendly SchoolsCertification and Engagement AwardSchools with engagement practice that meets the designations of “progressing” or “excelling” based on the Standards Assessment ToolGrounded in the BPS Family & Student Engagement Standards and existing BPS best practice
- 43. Parents Are Powerful!Preparing Parents to become Powerful Partners for Student Learning and School Improvement
- 44. PARENT UNIVERSITYParents Are TeachersChild DevelopmentParenting StrategiesSupporting Learning from Birth to FiveParents Are AdvocatesNavigating the BPSLearning StandardsAdvocating for Children with Disabilities and English Language LearnersParents Are LeadersLeadership SkillsSchool Parent Council/ School Site CouncilOrganizing SkillsParents Are LearnersAreas requested by parentsNutritionMoney Management
- 45. PARENT UNIVERSITYFormat3 full day Saturday Learning Sessions (October, January & May)Intersession offerings at schools and community based organizationsYear-long ESL classesStrand of classes in Spanish, Haitian Creole and Chinese
- 46. PARENT UNIVERSITYIndicators of SuccessQualitativeParents report positive behavioral changesParents report increased engagement their child’s learning at homeParents report increased engagement with school and teachersParents report more confidence in advocating for their childSchools report increased engagementQuantitative# parents attending# parents attending more than once# parents completing 5+ PUPs# parents completing 10 + PUPs# non-English speaking parents# schools representedIndicators of Success
- 47. PARENT UNIVERSITY1500 Parent University Participants 2010-11153 parents completing 10 + PUPs60% non-English speaking parents94 schools represented
- 48. PARENT UNIVERSITY : THE DATA95.6% of participants ranked their experience as Good or Excellent89% say that they are better able to help their children with homework94% say they have a better understanding of what their child should be learning72% say they communicate more with their child’s school or teacher as a result of Parent University98% say they have been able to use what they learned in Parent University
- 50. ConclusionStudent Achievement is the goal of any engagement effort and it must be a district wide endeavorStructures must promote collaboration and connections in ways that impact the work from the executive level down into the classroomThere must be an awareness and an intentionality to reduce the impact the role that privilege, race and class have in the level of engagement of families and the practice of educatorsFamilies and community must be viewed as an asset; respected and valued as partners in student success
- 51. ConclusionOur practice must reflect our beliefs and the leader is the role model.Engagement of families must become more than what we do … It must be part of who we are
Editor's Notes
- #28: Our alliance with the Office of Accountability also provided an opportunity to strengthen the family engagement component of the Whole school Improvement Plan. For the first time, schools were required have a family engagement strategy that was linked directly to their instructional strategy. This was a stretch for most schools, but the high impact strategies tool kit provided schools with a road map to make the connection. The HIS was introduced in Sept and 20% of BPS schools are using at least one strategy in their school.
- #29: Our Alliance with the Office of Curriculum and Instruction provides an ongoing connection for linking engagement to learning. In addition to supporting class development at Parent University which I will talk about in a few minutes, we worked together to produce family learning guides, which help families understand what students should know and be able to do at each grade from K1 to 8. The guides are in production and will be published in the seven major languages. Over the summer we will be working with C& I on a classroom tool for promoting engagement in the classroom that is linked to learning.
- #30: RTI Response to Intervention – PBIS Positive Behavior Interventions and SupportMulti-tiered System of Support adapted for Engagement
- #31: Linked to the StandardsIn alliance with RAE aligned the standards to the District Climate survey
- #32: Our primary strategy for building the capacity of families to become more effective partners in support of student learning and school improvement. BPS Parent University was developed in response to the research findings of Shumov and Lomax, Henderson, Mapp and others, that demonstrate how increasing parent efficacy, the feeling that they can impact their child’s learning, produces the most profound effects on student outcomes. It is based on the successful models like Parent Academy established by Rudy Crew in Miami Dade County Public Schools; Parent Universities in Charlotte and Savannah and our own experiences in the mid-90’s with Parent Leadership Academy.The theory of change that will drive the BPS model is: If we provide all BPS parents with the knowledge and experiences that build their capacity to advocate and support not only their child’s learning but their own personal learning, then parents will become more engaged and intentional in demanding and supporting quality education for their children in ways that result in improved student outcomes and school improvement.
- #33: Collaborations with Countdown to Kindergarten – this year parents will receive PUPs for Play to Learn groups; Welcome Services – to provide information to parents about transitions; High School Supports- Success Ready,College BoundCollaborations with BPONThe class offerings are grouped into strands Parents are Teachers; focuses on child development, expanding parenting strategies and tools, and supporting learning at home; Parents are Advocates; focuses on learning standards; accessing resources and navigating the BPS; Parent are Leaders focuses on the development of leadership skills; building consensus, organizing parents, building partnerships; and Parents are learners focusing on the personal development of parents; financial literacy, health and nutrition, college counseling. To date 661 parents have participated in Parent University; 40% were Spanish speaking parents; 90% rate their experience with Parent University as good or excellent.Parent University allowed us to build an alliance with the Office of Curriculum and instruction to develop classes that were focused on helping parents understand the curriculum and how to help their children at home. As result, C & I has partnered with us to develop family learning guides.
- #37: Linking parent participation to student ID.