Creative Connections: Communication Strategies to Reach Diverse Families

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Creative Connections Communication Strategies to
Reach Diverse Families

• Presenter Victoria Moreland
• Center for the Improvement of Student Learning
• OSPI Summer Institutes 2007
• Spokane/Vancouver/Auburn
• Auburn Co-Presenters Trise Moore and Sue Wolf

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CISL

• Increase access to information and resources
• Improve learning and teaching
• Promote academic success
• and equality for all students

CISL, OSPI 2007
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WHAT TO EXPECT

• Understanding of communication strategies for
  creating family friendly schools for all
• What are your expectations?

CISL, OSPI 2007
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RESEARCH SAYS

• Effective communication with families is
  essential in building partnerships, and serves as
  the foundation to build other home-school
  activities.

CISL, OSPI 2007
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OSPI

• Nine Characteristics of a High Performing School
• 1. Clear and Shared Focus
• 2. High Standards and Expectations for All
  Students
• 3. Effective School Leadership
• 4. High Levels of Collaboration and Communication
• 5. Curriculum, Instruction and Assessments
  Aligned with State Standards
• 6. Frequent Monitoring of Learning and Teaching
• 7. Focused Professional Development
• 8. Supportive Learning Environment
• 9. High Level of Family and Community Involvement
• For a complete listing, definitions,
  explanations and implementation
• suggestions of all Nine Characteristics of a
  High Performing School,
• visit www.k12.wa.us

CISL, OSPI 2007
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JOYCE EPSTEIN

• Six types of involvement
• Parenting
• Communicating
• Volunteering
• Learning at home
• Decision making
• Collaborating with community

CISL, OSPI 2007
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HENDERSON AND MAPP

• Partnership School
• All families and communities have something
  great to offer
• Open-Door School
• Families can be involved at our school in many
  ways
• Come-If-We-Call School
• Families are welcome when we ask them, but
  theres only so much we can offer
• Fortress School
• Families belong at home, not at school

CISL, OSPI 2007
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COMMUNICATION TIPS

• Various grade levels- different strategies
• Ask how families wish to keep in touch
• Keep it simple
• Communicate in various styles
• Communicate in an understandable and uniform
  formatno educational jargon
• Address communication DEAR FAMILIES

CISL, OSPI 2007
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COMMUNICATIING DIVERSE FAMILIES

• Communicate in families native language
• Identify best approach strategy
• Sensitivity and understanding
• Have patience- takes time for families to build
  trust
• All cultures want success for their child

CISL, OSPI 2007
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COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

• EPSTEIN HANDOUTS
• BASIC RESPONSIBILITIES OF SCHOOLS
• Conduct effective communications from school to
  home and from home to school about school
  programs and childrens progress
• DESIGN EFFECTIVE FORMS
• School-to-home and home-to-school communications
  about school programs and childrens progress
• TEACHER AND STAFF HANDBOOK
• GETTING PARENTS INVOLVED

CISL, OSPI 2007
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EXAMPLES

• Trise Moore, Family Partnership Advocate, Federal
  Way School District
• Sue Wolf, Title I/LAP/ELL Parent Involvement
  Liaison, Renton School District

CISL, OSPI 2007
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Sue Wolf Renton School District Parent
Involvement Liaison for Title I/LAP
and ELL

• Of the six types of involvement - Ive focused
  on
• Parenting
• Communicating
• Volunteering
• Learning at home
• Decision making
• Collaborating with community

Sue Wolf, Renton School District 2007
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YOU ARE INVITED! School Name
_______________________________ Invites our
families to A Family Event A Parent and
Teacher Conference A Parent Workshop
Topic ___________________________________ A
Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Meeting
Another Important School Meeting or Event
__________________________ A Classroom Event
Teacher Name _______________________________
Date _______________ Time _____am/pm to
_____am/pm Place At the School or Other
Location _____________ In the Gym or In the
Cafeteria or In Room_____ Cost Free
or Cost __________ Parents Only Event?
Yes / No Children can participate? Yes / No
Childcare provided? Yes / No Food is provided
Free? Yes / No Food is available to purchase?
Yes / No Interpreter is provided? Yes / No
School Address _________________________________
_ School Phone Number (____)_____________________
___
More information from the school about this
event may be attached in an English format for
you to have translated.
Sue Wolf, Renton School District 2007
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CREATIVE EXAMPLES

• My goal was to provide tools that schools could
  use to improve communication with family members
  starting with important information that staff
  expressed was needed.
• Families will know that they are Invited to a
  school event and feel welcome and encouraged to
  come.
• To give them important school information to keep
  handy as well as to understand attendance rules
  and early arrival or late pick up guidelines
• Finally, to have a chance to get comments and
  homework information from their childs teacher.

Sue Wolf, Renton School District 2007
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• Your Childs School Information
• (Please keep this important information for
  future reference)
• Your Childs School ______________________
  Phone number 425 -___________
• School address __________________________________
  __________________
• Classroom Teacher _______________________ ELL
  Teacher ________________
• School STARTS at ____________ am and ENDS at
  ____________ pm
• If it is a Half Day at school, it starts at
  __________ and ends at __________
• (Please refer to the School Calendar for
  scheduled Half Days and No School Days)
• If your child rides a school bus, the Bus Route
  Number is __________
• Children not riding the bus or walking must be
  dropped off and picked up at the appropriate
  school start and end times. (Unless attending a
  scheduled school program)
• Attendance Information

Sue Wolf, Renton School District 2007
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CREATIVE EXAMPLES

• Resources for ELL families have been added as
  needed
• Spanish Hotline for parents to call and ask
  questions and get answers in Spanish
• ELL Brochures translated in top 5 languages
• Kindergarten information in Spanish and Russian
  for Kindergarten Round up and registration days
• District weapons letter translated in 10
  languages
• Adult ELL classes at 3 school sites (the highest
  ELL populations) local community grant supported
• Learning at home flyers in English and Spanish
• American Red Cross Language bank information for
  families and for some generic translations
• Bilingual Volunteer program for schools to
  connect with volunteers especially for
  conferences (non-serious)
• Volunteer translations for school event flyers
  and information
• Written translations are still important to
  families whose children are no longer in ELL,
  since the parents English reading skills may be
  below our level of print information (remember
  clear and concise)

Sue Wolf, Renton School District 2007
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CREATIVE EXAMPLES

• Resources overlap to all families too
• Take home book programs for all Title I/LAP and
  ELL elementary programs
• Special workbook packets for summer learning for
  Title I/LAP and ELL elementary students
• Title I/LAP Parent Involvement group workshops
  for parents to learn about homework help
  strategies, how to deal with math today,
  internet resources, volunteering and
  communicating with school staff.
• Individual school parent groups
• WASL score letters translated in Spanish and
  Russian
• WLPT (ELL testing) letters translated in Spanish
  and Russian
• Extensive Big List of educational and resource
  websites
• TransAct Forms for NCLB required information and
  generic forms needed in other than top 5
  languages
• Connect schools with community resources for
  parents (libraries, parks department, after
  school programs)
• City, school and community members ESL group
  involvement to support

Sue Wolf, Renton School District 2007
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SMALL ways to do BIG things!

• Identify the diverse communication needs (for
  each school)
• Top languages families speak at home
• Ask families what types of communication they
  want and need
• Get staff involved in family communication
  strategies
• Gather teacher and office staff input about
  individual family and staff needs
• Identify bilingual staff members and set
  guidelines for using staff to help with
  interpreting or translations
• Identify key communications to have translated
  for families
• Registration, Home Language Survey
• School Handbook, calendars, newsletters
• Teacher communication notes
• School orientation DVD in various languages
• Parent Teacher conference interpreters

Sue Wolf, Renton School District 2007
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SMALL ways to do BIG things!

• Plan for building relationships with families
  through communication
• Engage the entire staff in the conversation of
  relationships with families
• Keep it simple and connect with as many resources
  as you can glean ideas

Sue Wolf, Renton School District 2007
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KEY RESOURCES

• School, Family, and Community Partnerships Your
  Handbook for Action. Joyce L. Epstein, Mavis G.
  Sanders, Beth S. Simon, Karen Clark Salinas,
  Natalie Rodriquez Jansorn, Francis L. Van
  Voorhis. 2002, Corwin Press, Inc.
• Diversity School, Family, Community
  Connections. Martha Boethel. 2003, National
  Center for Family Community Connections with
  Schools, Southwest Educational Development
  Laboratory. www.sedl.org/connections
• Beyond the Bake Sale The Essential Guide to
  Family-School Partnerships. Anne T. Henderson,
  Karen L. Mapp, Vivian R. Johnson, and Don Davies.
  2007, NY The New Press.
• The Nine Characteristics of High Performing
  Schools A Research-based resource for school
  leadership teams to assist with the School
  Improvement Process.
• Shannon, G.S. Bylsma, P. 2007, (2nd Ed.).
  Olympia, WA OSPI.
• http//www.k12.wa.us/research/default.aspx
• A New Wave of Evidence The Impact of School,
  Family, and Community
• Connections on Student Achievement. Anne T.
  Henderson, Karen L. Mapp.
• 2002, National Center for Family Community
• Connections with Schools, Southwest Educational
  Development Laboratory. www.sedl.org/connections
• Engaging All Families Creating a Positive School
  Culture by Putting Research into Practice.
• Steven M. Constantino. 2003, MD Rowman
  Littlefield.
• Family Involvement Network of Educator (FINE)
  www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/announcemen
  ts/04jun.html