One thought on “My Best Posts On Building Parent Engagement In Schools — 2012 (So Far)”

1. Parent-U-Turn Standards for Parents, Caregivers and Parent Leaders.

   Standards for Parent Engagement, seven standards are delineated. These standards fall under three larger organizers, as shown below, and include:
   The Focus of Parents Rights and Advocacy The Conditions for Parent rights and Advocacy Parent as a Advocate

   Standard 1: ParentsAccess to information and Data collection:
   • Access to information: The school/ district inform parents of testing results and the statistics of the area/school/subject matter.
    Information of results/statistics available via handouts or on-line
    The results would be printed in multiple languages
    Alert system to inform parents that the information is available
    Contact person that parents can ask to help them read and understand results-how readily available is this person.
    Parents understand and use varied assessments to inform instruction, evaluate and ensure student learning.

   • Collection and Analyzing data:
   o The school welcome parents on campus for research or just to observe.
    How easy or hard is it for a parent to come on campus for these purposes?
    Some type of procedure should be in place and strictly abided by, by all involved as to accommodate the parent as well as not to cause too much classroom disruption.
    There a person who is readily available to provide the parent support to conduct research.
   Standards 2: Parents in Decision-Making Roles
    Parents must be representative of school population, for example 1 parent for 3,000 students is not acceptable
    Space for parents to have access to administrators.
    The attitude of administration generally open to parent collaboration.
    Parents treated as reflective thinkers with possible solutions.
    Expanding roles of existing modes of parent representation, for example the PTA
    Parents can carry out research for the school, conduct trainings for other parents or even teachers on various subjects

   Step 3: Parents as Student Advocates:
    Teachers are open to have parents contact/participate within their classes
    The school is informing parents on how to contact people within the power map
   o For example: A handout which lists, “If you have a problem with _________ then you would contact _________ at number and office.”
    This can be in a handout that was sent home but is readily available at school functions, front office, and maybe even in the classroom.
    Trainings provided for the parent and school personnel which include power-mapping.
    Provide a list of common school-used terms complete with the definition of the term and the context it is most commonly used is readily available and sent home.
    Parents collaborate and communicate with students, parents, other educators, administrators and the community to support student learning

   Standards 4: Parent Leaders at Home and in the School-Community
    Information being passed out to parents to inform them of the college process and resources available to their child and family.
   o Handouts
    A process for reserving space at the school to facilitating easy meeting space for parents and the community.
    Assigned a person to be able to go to for trainings
    Parents assume responsibility for professional growth, performance, and involvement as individuals and as members of a learning community

   Standards 5: Parents Effective Two-Way Communication:
    Efficient amount of translators readily available for all languages spoken by parents at school functions
   o Handouts in multiple languages
   o “Efficient” would be at least 90% of the teachers who need translators have them
    For any type of communication home, teleparent or phone calls home, are the comments balanced between positive comments and things that the student needs improvement on.
    Teacher respond to e-mail of phone messages within a timely manner.
    Ongoing evaluation of effectiveness of the parent liaison.

   Standards 6: Parent District Level Support
    The district have a point-person whom the parent representative, the administrator who is the point-person at the school, and any other relevant persons could go to for support and resources. How available is this person?
   o This person could even run the parent-district meetings and act like the liaison for the district.
    An effect program that supports parent participation, may have minimum of 25 parent.

   Standards 7: Friendly School Atmosphere
    Is the school clean?
   o Trash
   o Tagging
   o Paint: Dingy? Peeling?
    Welcome signs
    Office personnel and Teachers maintain professionalism, have an understanding of and practices good customer service.
    Parents understand student learning and development, and respect the diversity of the students.