Seattle Public Schools | Family Involvement

Family Involvement Ideas from Seattle Schools
Family Partnerships school sites are working on aligning their family involvement plans to their annual academic goals and tailoring their activities to the needs and desires of their families. They are also making sure that families are included in the planning and coordination of the activities themselves. Besides grants to schools, the Family Partnerships Project provides coaching, training, resources, and technical assistance to schools so that they learn how to create targeted family involvement programs or improve existing ones. OUTSTANDING EXAMPLES FROM THE 2003-2004 SCHOOL YEAR Involving Latino, Chinese, Vietnamese, and African-American Families Over the past three years, Beacon Hill Elementary has targeted outreach efforts at specific groups, starting with Latino families. Each year, Beacon Hill expands their goal to reach a new target group. With each group, Beacon Hill has established unique programs based on a needs assessment, which is conducted families through group meetings, surveys, and focus group sessions. Examples of the unique programs established for each target group include a Latino mini-PTA steering committee; ESL classes and math literacy programs for Latino families culminating in their volunteering in the classrooms and teaching math to other Latino parents; an after-school homework program for Chinese and Vietnamese families; and parent-training workshops for African-American/English-speaking parents, which focused on academic standards. Brighton United Parent Alliance (B.U.P.A.) Brighton Elementary has formed an immigrant and refugee parent alliance with the mission of having an organized, involved group of Brighton parent leaders focused on the academic excellence and social awareness of their children. The goal of B.U.P.A. is to recruit parnets and adult family members representing the diverse demographics of Brighton and to train them to become natrual leaders in the education of their children. Next year, Brighton will offer the parents in B.U.P.A. an in-depth training in parent leadership. Family Enrichment Center The Family Enrichment Center at Meany Middle School provides a welcoming, relaxed place where Meany families can find resources and support. The Family Enrichment Center offers classes and workshops on parenting, computer skills, job skills, and health care; school support programs for parents to help their children with homework, school information, and conferences; family activities such as cultural celebrations, science nights, technology nights, and literacy events. The staff involved in the creation of the Family Enrichment Center have also put together a video for family members, which provides parents with information that they need to know about Meany Middle School. The video has been created in several different languages, with ELL/Bilingual students presenting information in their home language. WASL University and Parent Prep Academy The WASL University and Parent Prep Academy at Dearborn Park Elementary was designed to both teach 4th grade students skills and strategies for taking the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) and to teach parents and family members how to help their children study for the WASL at home. WASL University classes were held once a week for three months. The adult family members were required to participate in two Parent Prep Academy classes, at which translated materials and interpreters were provided. The parents were also asked to help out at the WASL University classes at least once throughout the three-month session. At the end of WASL University, there was a graduation and family pot-luck to celebrate everyone's achievements. National African-American Parents Day Stevens Elementary celebrated National African-American Parents Day, which took place on February 10th, 2004, by inviting the African-American parents to spend the day at school. At the beginning of the day, parents were welcomed to the school, after which they had the opportunity to visit their children's classrooms. The parents also had lunch with the staff and other parents and participated in a discussion group at the end of the day with staff members. Partnership with the Parent Coaching Institute (PCI) Rainier Beach High School and Interagency Academy have partnered with the Parent Coaching Institute (PCI) to provide parent coaching services to a selected group of parents. Each parent is assigned a professional coach that has participated in a year-long, graduate-level parent coach training program. During coaching phone conversations, the coach supports the parent by listening, asking key questions, providing information, and offering specific suggestions to help the parent implement new attitudes and strategies as a parent. By enhancing the parenting skills through the Parent Coaching Institute, Rainier Beach High School and Interagency Academy have been able to create better partnership programs at their school. Improving the School-Home Community System Hamilton International Middle School has improved its school-home communication system by publishing a new School Family Handbook, which is written in family-friendly language; reviewing all of its school-to-home materials and letters to reformat and re-write in family-friendly language that is easy to translate; publishing and mailing quarterly Global Outlook Newsletters; posting Family Weekly E-bulletins with school news, a calendar of activities, family resources, learning at home tips, PTSA and district news, and community news and resources; revamping and continuously updating the school website; establishing and maintinaing a Family Involvement Database for volunteer interests and parent leadership opportunities; contracting with the Language Line Services for phone interpretation when Bilingual IAs are not available. Saturday Family Get-Together and Lunch B.F. Day Elementary hosted a Family Get-Together and Lunch at the New Holly Family Center. At the event, families were given ideas for organizing and supporting homework at home and participated in a literacy activity and parent workshop led by B.F. Day staff members. Parents also took home activities to do with their children, and each child was given a free book to take home. Interpreters and free childcare were available at the event. The RBHS Men's Group Rainier Beach High School formed a men's group that consists of fathers, male school staff, male community members, and male students. The purpose of the group is to strengthen and support the school's mission and to crete better partnerships with the community. The group works to create volunteer and leadership projects that create learning opportunities for students and for adults. Group members serve as mentors and role-models to students and advocate for systemic change and integration of the best practices of parent involvement in the school. Food for Families - Body and Mind The Rainier Beach High School Family Center collects weekly food donations from Safeway stores in the neighborhood. The food is shared with Interagency Academy, located in the same neighborhood. The food is donated to families, who stop by to collected it at each school location. As the families collect food, they are provided with school, parenting, and resources information. Outstanding Examples from 2002-2003 Top Family Partnerships • 206-252-0992 • lrslater@seattleschools.org