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HomeMy WebLinkAbout5.1 From Parent Involvement to Parent Engagement PresentationFrom Parent Involvement to Parent Engagement Michele Giroux Parent Involvement Committee 15 January 2020 Shifting the Focus From “how to get more parents into the school to how we can support them at home…” Ken Leithwood, Webcasts for Educators, 2012 From “…parent involvement (merely being present) to parent engagement” School Community Journal, 2016 Evolving Role of Parents in Education Partnerships School / Families and communities engaged in helpful ways to help students succeed Learning Struggling Change Learning Struggling Change The Traditional Role Volunteering/Fundraising School Events Major Issues Advisory Role Providing input and advice to the school Volunteering, Fundraising, Attending school events Narrowly defined advisory role Recognizes all forms of helpful Involvement, Joint efforts of educators and parents 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s 90’s 21st Century Kerr & Thurston, 2001 How do parents engage? Your Child’s Education – Be a Part of It! Translated into: •Arabic •Chinese •Chinese Simplified •English •Farsi •French •Russian •Somali •Spanish •Urdu •Vietnamese “..removing barriers to involvement may become a course of action to parent engagement” School Community Journal, 2016 Barriers to Involvement 1.Time 2.Newness to Canada 3.Language 4.Not Feeling Welcome 5.Personal Experience with School 6.Family Responsibility Group Activity Identify strategies/ tools to overcome barriers to parent involvement. What’s in place/ what’s needed Barrier #1 - Time Strategies to address barrier #1: •Afford parents flexibility to get involved at their convenience Tools: •Speaker Series in evenings •Parent Conference on weekends •OCDSB app providing parents with instant access to calendars, busing information, etc. Barrier #2 – Newness to Canada Strategies to address barrier #2: •Facilitate the integration of the newcomers into the school system •Familiarize newcomers with available supports Tools: •Family Reception Center support for newcomers •Workshops in the Parent Conference to acquaint parents with processes taking place at school Barrier #3 – Language Strategies to address barrier #3: •Develop tools to support non-English speakers Tools: •Translation support through MLOs and Family Reception Center •ThoughtExchange in a number of languages Barrier #4 – Not Feeling Welcome Strategies to address barrier #4: •Engage in discussions with groups that may experience systemic bias and barriers •Engage parents through a variety of venues Tools: •Focus groups on lived experiences •Community Use of Schools Barrier #5 Personal Experience with School Strategies to address barrier #5: •Build staff capacity in conflict resolution •Engage parents through community partners Tools: •Professional Development for staff •Extracurricular activities involving parents Barrier #6 – Family Responsibility Strategies to address barrier #6: •Acknowledge the various ways parents are involved in their child’s education and wellbeing •Offer tools to allow parents meet other family commitments Tools: •Provide daycare/food during events •Allow participation in meetings through electronic means Next Steps How does this inform our workplan?