Home Notes: Strengthening HomeSchool Partnerships

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Home Notes Strengthening Home-School
Partnerships

• Ariadne V. Schemm
• CBC Seminar
• 4/18/02

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• What is a Home Note?

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What is a Home Note?

• Teacher completes, assessing academic, social,
  behavioral progress of the student.
• Sent home for parent review parent may assess
  behavior in the home setting parent applies
  consequences signs and returns.

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Why use Home Note system?

• Improves student motivation and class behavior.
• Creates a cycle of communication is facilitated
  and continued without constant meetings.
• Focuses on childs engagement with schooling and
  learning.
• Focuses on the positive vs. what the child didnt
  do.
• -Christenson, 1999 Kelly, 1990 Jenson Reavis,
  1996

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• Perpetuate the approach that parents are a
  childs first and continuing teachers.
• Help develop a problem-solving team between home
  and school.
• -Goldstein McGinnis, 1997

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• Home notes as an intervention component of CBC
  provides a hands-on opportunity for parents to
  contribute to childs education through day to
  day efforts on the parents part.
• -Christenson Sheridan, 2000

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Home Note Components

• Ensure parents are included and receive
  information on implementation.
• Consequences should include loss of basic home
  privileges.
• Ensure design is effective
• Focus on measurable behaviors.
• Consider self-monitoring component.
• Determine home note logistics prior to
  implementation

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Setting up a Home Note System

• 1) What are team ideas for note set-up?
• 2) Set up a team meeting (PAI).
• -provides opportunity to discuss everyones
  role and ensures that members take responsibility
  for those roles (Kelly, 1990)
• 3) What are the behaviors to be included?
• -consider developing rough form at meeting
  with teams input
• 4) How will behaviors be rated?

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• 5) What will the consequences for behavior be?
  Who delivers?
• 6) What is the consequence if the child does not
  bring note home or to school?
• 7) Explain the note, expectations, and
  consequences to child prior to implementation.
• 8) Start!
• -Jenson, Rhode, Reavis, 1994

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Considerations

• Close communication will ensure child doesnt
  get away with forgery
• Ensure both the note and delivery of consequences
  fit into the culture of the family
• Note should be easy and quick to implement.

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• Ensure consequences and reinforcers have power,
  change as necessary.
• Note should be easily revised as goals change.
• Team members should feel free to suggest changes
  that would ensure implementation is easier for
  them.

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Why involve the student?

• The student is the main purpose of meeting and
  developing the plan.
• Treating the student as an essential member of
  the problem-solving team may increase investment
  (Minke, 2000).
• Student is able to witness the process of plan
  development (avoids behind-my back sense).

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• Student becomes part of the team working together
  to solve the problem vs. the problem.
• Involving student may be a stepping-stone to
  self-management which can be faded out (Kelly,
  1990).
• Students organizational skills may also be
  improved (Kelly, 1990).

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Presenting to the Student

• Focus on the potential benefits for the student.
• Home Note system will cut down on parental
  nagging.
• Privileges can be earned back.

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• Student will receive increased positive feedback
  from teacher.
• Student will be more aware of parent and teacher
  expectations.
• Note may help the student reach certain academic,
  material, or personal goals.
• -Kelly, 1990

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Troubleshooting

• Potential problems?
• Could you use a Home Note in your current cases?
• Does it lend itself to use with ELL students?
• Other questions...

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Class Exercise

• Develop a Home note for your case
• Why would it be an important part of the plan?
• Key issues that might be addresses?

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Case 1 Nick

• 15 year old freshman in high school, enjoys going
  to the YMCA, playing on the computer
• Mom is uncomfortable with school setting and
  feels concerns are often unheard, history of poor
  communication with school
• Referral concerns
• Failing grades, low motivation, incomplete
  homework assignments
• Target Behaviors
• Home Bring home and complete homework
• School Use class time effectively
  (listening to lecture or working on
  assignments)

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Case 2 Tom

• 13 year-old in middle school, enjoys sports,
  socializing with friends, money
• Mom is concerned but unsure of how to be more
  involved with sons progress, limited
  communication with teachers
• Referral concerns
• Leaves home rather than complete home
  chores, frequent talk-outs in class, receives
  frequent think-times for not following class
  rules
• Target Behaviors
• Home Chore completion (emptying dishwasher,
  laundry)
• School Following class rules (raising hand
  to speak out in Social Studies and Math)