Bringing Us All Bringing Us All Together!Together!

Family-School Collaboration Family-School Collaboration Learning CommunityLearning Community

Bringing Us All Together! Bringing Us All Together! Family-School Collaboration Learning CommunityFamily-School Collaboration Learning Community

IntroductionIntroduction

This session will delve into ways we This session will delve into ways we can tap into the expertise and can tap into the expertise and creativity parents bring to the school creativity parents bring to the school and district level. Sometimes parents and district level. Sometimes parents can be overlooked and/or can be overlooked and/or underutilized on schools teams, underutilized on schools teams, committees, and other school committees, and other school decision-making groups. decision-making groups.

Bringing Us All Together! Bringing Us All Together! Family-School Collaboration Learning CommunityFamily-School Collaboration Learning Community

IntroductionIntroduction

The Family-School Collaboration The Family-School Collaboration Learning Community (LC) launched Learning Community (LC) launched at last year’s Inclusion conference at last year’s Inclusion conference and supported through the IDEA and supported through the IDEA Partnership and HESC, has been Partnership and HESC, has been exploring exciting new ideas on how exploring exciting new ideas on how to help maximize family and school to help maximize family and school collaboration. collaboration.

Bringing Us All Together! Bringing Us All Together! Family-School Collaboration Learning CommunityFamily-School Collaboration Learning Community

IntroductionIntroduction

These bridges and barriers will be These bridges and barriers will be identified and explored further. In identified and explored further. In the spirit of inclusion, we will share the spirit of inclusion, we will share our accomplishments and help our accomplishments and help generate new ideas to bring more generate new ideas to bring more parents/caregivers to the table to parents/caregivers to the table to continue meeting our goals student continue meeting our goals student achievement. Multiple models and achievement. Multiple models and ideas will be offered. ideas will be offered.

Family-School Collaboration Family-School Collaboration Learning Community (LC):Learning Community (LC):

This vibrant LC has engaged regularly This vibrant LC has engaged regularly throughoutthroughout the year to share learning and the year to share learning and best practices from across multiple best practices from across multiple stakeholder perspectives, roles, and stakeholder perspectives, roles, and regions of the state. regions of the state.

Participants are encouraged to join the Participants are encouraged to join the LC's work and become a member that can LC's work and become a member that can share, receive and help generate share, receive and help generate information/ knowledge. The value and information/ knowledge. The value and potential of this method of learning together potential of this method of learning together will be explored and shared. will be explored and shared.

Family-School Collaboration Family-School Collaboration

Learning Community (LC):Learning Community (LC): Purpose Purpose

DevelopmentDevelopment NYSED wanting to engage other networks and NYSED wanting to engage other networks and

involve broad range of stakeholders to help with involve broad range of stakeholders to help with problem-solving and capacity building for problem-solving and capacity building for practitioners to increase student achievementpractitioners to increase student achievement

Vision: Vision: To increase parent involvement in education To increase parent involvement in education

through collaborative learningthrough collaborative learning Mission: Mission:

Work regularly at the local, state, and national Work regularly at the local, state, and national levels to identify innovative ways to engage levels to identify innovative ways to engage parents and families with educators that lead to parents and families with educators that lead to true partnerships to increase student true partnerships to increase student achievement achievement

Immediate GoalsImmediate Goals Support the implementation of IDEA 2005Support the implementation of IDEA 2005

Learning Community Learning Community MembersMembers

Helene Fallon Helene Fallon

Margaret HayesMargaret Hayes Janice Chu-ZhuJanice Chu-Zhu Susan WulczynSusan Wulczyn Maria LeMaire Maria LeMaire Renée Falanga-Renée Falanga-

BrennerBrenner Leslee MelamedLeslee Melamed

Jeannette Jeannette ChristieChristie

Cassandra Cassandra ArchieArchie

Patrice Linehan Patrice Linehan Diane Stachowski Diane Stachowski Max DonatelliMax Donatelli

Outcome of Today’s SessionOutcome of Today’s SessionYou will:You will: learn new strategies to strengthen learn new strategies to strengthen

and involve families into your school and involve families into your school community community

share strategies that are working in share strategies that are working in your schoolyour school

have access to new information in have access to new information in this area and have new ways to find this area and have new ways to find more more

become part of a dialogue that will become part of a dialogue that will help bridge the communication help bridge the communication barriers between educators and barriers between educators and parents parents

Outcome of Today’s SessionOutcome of Today’s SessionYou will:You will: have an opportunity to join an have an opportunity to join an

ongoing Learning Community ongoing Learning Community dedicated to enhancing family dedicated to enhancing family /school collaborations to build /school collaborations to build capacity at the local district levelscapacity at the local district levels

be invited to participate in the first be invited to participate in the first Leadership Summit of the NYS Leadership Summit of the NYS Disabilities Advocacy Association on Disabilities Advocacy Association on June 16, 2006 in AlbanyJune 16, 2006 in Albany

Ice BreakerIce Breaker Tell us about an idea, activity or Tell us about an idea, activity or

event that you have been a part event that you have been a part of or know about that was of or know about that was successful in getting parents successful in getting parents and families involved.and families involved.

BenefitsBenefits

Higher student achievementHigher student achievement Students: more positive attitudes and Students: more positive attitudes and

behaviorbehavior Higher graduation ratesHigher graduation rates Risk behaviors decreaseRisk behaviors decrease Make better transitions, maintain the Make better transitions, maintain the

quality of their work and develop quality of their work and develop realistic plans for the futurerealistic plans for the future

Increase parent and student Increase parent and student involvementinvolvement

Challenges Challenges Parental belief that their Parental belief that their

involvement is not neededinvolvement is not needed Teachers assume parents are Teachers assume parents are

not interestednot interested Parent education experience Parent education experience

(limited schooling or “ghosts in (limited schooling or “ghosts in the classroom”)the classroom”)

Language and cultural Language and cultural differencesdifferences

The information doesn’t get to The information doesn’t get to parentsparents

Challenges Challenges Transportation, Time – multiple Transportation, Time – multiple

priorities (work, other children, priorities (work, other children, etc.), child care needsetc.), child care needs

Resistance by staff or Resistance by staff or administration (overt and covert)administration (overt and covert)

Discovering that the parent(s) Discovering that the parent(s) may have a disability and need may have a disability and need assistance to be involved with assistance to be involved with their child's educationtheir child's education

Success StrategiesSuccess Strategies

Parent Mentor Program – HeleneParent Mentor Program – Helene Others from around NYSOthers from around NYS

Our children deserve it!Our children deserve it!

Keeping our eyes on the prizeKeeping our eyes on the prizeKeeping our eyes on the prizeKeeping our eyes on the prize

Learning Community Learning Community ForumForum

Join us online!!!!!!!!!! Join us online!!!!!!!!!! at http://www.systemschange.syr.edu/forums/at http://www.systemschange.syr.edu/forums/

ResourcesResources

www.ideapartnership.orgwww.ideapartnership.org www.vesid.nysed.govwww.vesid.nysed.gov www.syr.systemschange.eduwww.syr.systemschange.edu www.parentnetworkwny.orgwww.parentnetworkwny.org www.ftnys.orgwww.ftnys.org www.childrensaidsociety.orgwww.childrensaidsociety.org www.sinergiany.orgwww.sinergiany.org

Thanks!Thanks!