Monday, June 10, 2013

Introduction

America’s school system is an every changing and evolving component of the nation’s culture. As it continues to change to meet the needs of its inhabitants, schools continue to face the issue of meeting the needs of its student population. One component of the educational landscape is creating schools that encourage involvement and interactions with families, students, and community stakeholders as well as the school staff. In an effort to improve the education of students, schools seek to engage families in supporting their students, thus improving the odds of their student’s educational, and lifelong success. Traditionally, schools seek this engagement in the form of involvement, asking for parent volunteers with school projects, parent-teacher conferences, and daily help at home with student’s homework. More recently, involvement is being traded in for engagement. This blog seeks to explain the differences between involvement and engagement, share the purpose of engagement, as well as its affect on the student population that it serves.
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Discussion


Engagement can be defined as the creation of, as well as continuation of, partnerships between school members, community members, students and families.Engagement differs from traditional school involvement in that its relationships are deeper and longer lasting those than involvement creates. Ferlazzo (2011) seeks to explain these differences in his paper Involvement or Engagement?.He explains engagement as connections built on “relationships, listening, welcoming and shared decision-making” (p. 10).He further describes the differences, making the point that engagement challenges schools to do more listening to families and stakeholders than talking to; taking time to do things with stakeholders instead of to them (p. 10).Engagement also has the ability to positively effect more than just in school issues, enabling the larger community to benefit from the connections formed.These non-school factors address issues such as health, safety, affordable housing, and English language learning, as well as community GED programs.Though these issue may happen outside school grounds they “account for about two-thirds of the variance in student achievement” (p. 10).Family engagement and involvement do not have to be mutually exclusive, and many schools foster both types of programs.However, schools with family engagement programs have longer lasting positive effects on student learning such as “fourfold [increases] in their English assessment scores” as seen at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, California (p. 11).

The process of moving to a program that includes engagement is not any easy or quick fix, and therefore carries with it challenges as well as successes.Of the many challenges in implementing engagement in schools, it is time and change in perspectives that are needed.Both teachers, and school staff, as well as families and community members must change their perspective on interaction and involvement to create a successful engagement program.For educators this is seen in their need to “readjust their mindset” about parents, due to their tendency to “doubt families’ capacity to help their children… [Holding] the erroneous belief that [they] hold the key to the failure or success of these children” (Dunlop, 2012).Putting trust back into the hands of families is a critical part of engagement programs.

At the middle school level there is seen a “trivialization of caregivers" role in the engagement of early adolescents’ education” (Dunlop, 2012) which decreases the involvement of parents in their student’s education.As student grow and become more independent, teachers often only interact with families when there is a problem; students often insist on this, claiming their own need to be self reliant.Working with parents both in positive, and constructive situations is a shift in thinking for many middle school families, teachers and students.Creating these long lasting and positive partnerships is a cornerstone of engagement programs.

In addition to the differences in engagement at the elementary and middle school level, there are also cultural factors that need to be met through engagement programs.Schools seldom have only one cultural or socio-economic population in their schools, and therefore, their means of engagement need to reflect the needs and interests of the different populations present in their schools.For example, when comparing engagement in Mexico and the United States, researchers found the definition of partnership varied.In the United States the school often led partnerships and Mexican-American parents “did not perceive themselves as involved in defining the partnership process” (Dotson-Blake, 2010, p.112).When preparing for interactions with families, schools need to be aware of the expectations of families, their needs and the best way to communicate with groups of families, such as the Mexican-American grouping.Another example is appropriately reaching out and engaging the immigrant population in schools. Suarez-Orozco, Onaga, and de Lardemelle found that “due to differential cultural scripts about schooling, many parents are unaware of the expectations in the new land to monitor their children’s education” (2010, p. 18). With intentional communication and understanding, all groupings of families can be more engaged in their school communities.


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Resources

Head Start. (2013). Image of Parent, Family, and Community Engagement Framework

Head Start Approach to School Readiness. Retrieved from http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/sr/approach/pfcef

This chart shares information about the interaction between parents, families and communities

in order to work for positive engagement.


Harvard Family Research Project. (2013). Image of Family Engagement a Shared


This chart shares the interaction between opportunities, roles and learning in order to create positive engagement in schools.


Images:

Minnesota Department of Education. (2012). Image of School Family and Community

Partnerships. Retrieved from http://gcannonblog.wordpress.com/

This image shares the relationship between schools, families and communities in creating positive partnerships and engagement opportunities in schools.


Kansas Parent Resource Information Center (2012). Image of Family Engagement


This image shares the data collected from parent surveys surrounding questions of family engagement with school.


Harvard Family Research Project. (2013). Image of Family Engagement as a Systemic,


This image shares information about an integrated strategy if promoting student achievement through school engagement.


Harvard Family Research Project. (2013). Image of The Effects of Comprehensive Parent


This image shares the effects of parent engagement on students learning outcomes at school.


Knapp Elementary. (2012). Image of Family Engagement Twitter Account. Retrieved


This image shares a twitter account created by Knapp Elementary to enhance parent engagement at the elementary school.


Journal Articles & Conversations:

Brooks, M. (2012). Parent engagement: leaders to learn from 2013 lessons for district leaders. Retrieved from http://leaders.edweek.org/profile/michele-brooks/

This article interviews a parent and engagement advocate who worked with a Boston high school to reach out to parents and school staff to better meet the needs of the high school’s student population.


Dotson-Blake, K. P. (2010). Learning from Each Other: A Portrait of Family-School-Community

Partnerships in the United States and Mexico. Professional School Counseling. 14(1), 101-114.

This article gives information on how families and school counselors can work together to create more engagement in their school communities.


Dunlop, T. (2012). Learning First Alliance. Retrieved from: www.learningfirst.org.

This article shares an interview done to gain information about a specific engagement program piloted in Arizona.It contains information about the program, as well as results of the program after the first pilot year.


Ferlazzo, L. (2011). Involvement or Engagement?. Educational Leadership, 68(8), 10-14.

Retrieved from:


This article outlines the differences between school involvement and school engagement.It cites many pros for engagement as well as ideas about how to successful transition from an involvement program to an engagement program.


Ferrara, M. M. (2011). Phrase versus Phase: Family Engagement. Clearing House: A Journal Of Educational Strategies, Issues And Ideas, 84(5), 180-183. Retrieved from: http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.seattleu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ935842&site=ehost-live

This article shares ideas about how to transition a school to an engagement program.It also outlines ways in which to foster engagement in the school and family communities.


Kim, N., & Park, J. (2012). The Effects of the Family-Involved SDLMI on Academic Engagement and Goal Attainment of Middle School Students with Disabilities Who Exhibit Problem Behavior. International Journal Of Special Education, 27(1), 117-127. Retrieved from:
http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.seattleu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ979719&site=ehost-live

This article focuses on engagement in the context of students with disabilities and problem behaviors.It outlines the importance of engagement for fostering success with this population of students.


Mapp, K. L. (2002). Having Their Say: Parents Describe How and Why They Are Involved in Their Children's Education. Retrieved from:


This article shares about family engagement from the perspective of parents.It discusses the importance of parents have a voice in schools, and the positive effect this has on students achievement.


Mutch, C., & Collins, S. (2012). Partners in Learning: Schools' Engagement with Parents, Families, and Communities in New Zealand. School Community Journal, 22(1), 167-187. Retrieved from: http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.seattleu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ974691&site=ehost-live

This article shares a study on family engagement done in New Zealand schools.It outlines the purpose of the study, the components of the study, as well as the results.


Sprick, B., Rich, M., & Appleseed. (2010). A Proposal to Strengthen Family and Community Engagement within the Elementary and Secondary Education Act: An Implementation Guide. Appleseed. Retrieved from:
http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.seattleu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=ED539611&site=ehost-live

This article shares a proposal for implementation of a specific engagement program.It outlines the program, as well as its implementation in both a primary school setting and an secondary school setting.


Suarez-Orozco, C., Onaga, M., & de Lardemelle, C. (2010). Promoting Academic Engagement among Immigrant Adolescents through School-Family-Community Collaboration. Professional School Counseling, 14(1), 15-26. Retrieved from: http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.seattleu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ952169&site=ehost-live

This article focuses on engagement and its interaction with the immigrant population.This article laid out information on important issues to address with the immigration population, as well as ways to connect to this population.This article also shares how family engagement can work to improve student achievement in immigrant students.


Wilson, S. (2012). A Blueprint for Empowering Families: The National Standards for Family-School Partnerships. Our Children: The National PTA Magazine, 37(3), 10-11. Retrieved from: http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.seattleu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ962040&site=ehost-live

This article shared information about how to empower families to engage in their school communities and their students learning.


Videos:

Author Unknown. (2013). Teaching tolerance: family engagement. Retrieved from


This video series outlines the steps to creating a family engagement in a school.


National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2013). Partnerships With

Parents. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/.

This video shares the importance of the parent-teacher relationship for children. It demonstrates how to establish and maintain positive communication and handle common problems teachers face in working with parents.


Design for Family Support. (2000). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,

Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Head Start Bureau. Retrieved from http://www.headstart.org

This videotape supports the national training guide, A Design for Family Support.


Websites:


KG Dynamic Group, LLC. (2013). Families in schools: building partnerships for student


This website is a resource full of information about family engagement and its effects on student success in schools.


National Center for School Engagement. (2013). National Center for School Engagement. Retrieved from http://www.schoolengagement.org/index.cfm/Welcome

This website is full of information about creating school engagement programs to meet the needs of different school communties.


OSHS. (2012). Safe Supportive Learning. Retrieved from http://safesupportiveschools.ed.gov/index.php?id=34

This website outlines a training program for implementing family engagement in schools.


Parents for Public Schools Inc. (2013). Parents for public schools. Retrieved from


This website is geared towards parents.Sharing information, answering questions and helping parents promote school engagement.
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Letter to Educators

Dear Educators,

As a part of the educational system, and as advocates for student success you need to be aware of family engagement in your school community. The purpose of school engagement is to include all stakeholders in helping students to succeed in school. Being purposeful in inviting parents to be a part of their student’s lives at schools is an important component of engagement as well as student achievement. There are various ways that teachers can promote engagement in their schools.

The first step is to be conscious and intentional in understanding all groups of students and parents present in the community. For example at any given school there are many different cultures, languages, learning styles and life styles represented. In beginning a conversation of engagement all parties needs and feelings need to be addressed. Without purposeful forethought, groups will not fully buy into engagement programs or will fell marginalized by the system. Teachers have the closest link to their students and therefore must be conscious of the family groupings represented in their classrooms and schools.

After considering the school population, groundwork needs to be laid to invite families to participate, share and listen about the purpose of and importance of engagement. Through this conversation further information about needs can be gathered. Lastly, with implementing an engagement program teachers need to promote the program and its importance to their colleagues. Only with the buy in of both teachers and parents can engagement truly benefit the students served in the school community.

As you conclude your teaching year, and look to the future, consider the importance of promoting family engagement in your classroom and school. The benefits will handily outweigh the time, energy and work involved in the creation of this tool for students success.
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