Building School Capacity for Effective Parent Engagement

• In Event: Roundtable Session 6
  In Roundtable Session: Principles for Transformative Latino Parent Leadership: Lessons From Three Investing in Innovation (i3) Grants

Abstract

Objectives/Purposes: Project 2INSPIRE provides parents and school leaders with a model approach for working together as partners to support student achievement by 1) building family awareness and competence in improving their children's educational outcomes by enhancing their knowledge, skills, and abilities to support student learning and school improvement; and 2) engaging school staff to support and cultivate positive environments and build relationships with families that increase their capacity to support their children's educational needs. The Project 2INSPIRE designed Family, School & Community Engagement Matrix (FSCEM) and a culturally responsive approach define the essential components of an effective partnership developed between Project 2INSPIRE families, schools and communities. As a result, a cadre of parent leaders and school personnel acquire knowledge about effective parental engagement practices and strategies and school capacity is augmented to ensure implementation of an effective parent engagement program that will improve student achievement.

Perspective(s)/Theoretical Framework: Schools that meaningfully engage parents show gains in student achievement and in their ability to make the needed changes at the school making it a better school for all students (Henderson & Mapp, 2007). Parents, teachers and school leaders develop the skills needed to work collaboratively to enhance services for all students. A matrix operationally defining the components for building diversity-responsive relationships of individuals within, among, and between the home, school and community addresses how these relationships develop and are sustained (Ramirez, 2010). The FSCEM is used to guide implementation of the essential components necessary for meaningful engagement of parents into the school community. Principals and project staff use the matrix to measure where they are in shaping their parental engagement program and to ascertain where additional supports are needed.

Methods and Data Sources: The development of the FSCEM is based on implementation of innovations research (CBAM, 2005). By looking at essential elements, practices and strategies that foster sustainable and authentic family engagement at the school and district level, all involved develop conceptual clarity of what the program looks like in practice. Once the “ideal” components and observable practices are defined, school/district leaders use the FSCEM to measure the level of implementation from strong evidence of program implementation to limited or no evidence of implementation. Additional data from parents, school site principals, school site staff, P2I-i3 staff and Project Director are used to measure progress in implementing the program.

Results: Data collected to date show that parents are building relationships with other parents and school staff; communicating with teachers and principals about their child’s academic progress; know how to help their child’s learning at home and provide them with frequent support; and are working with other parents and school staff to improve parent engagement.

Significance: District personnel, school staff, and parent leaders can use the FSCEM to assess a school’s parent engagement program and determine if parent engagement practices at a school create inclusive and diversity-responsive relationships and collaborations within, among, and between parents, teachers, school/district administrators, and other school personnel.

Authors

• Maria S. Quezada, California Association for Bilingual Education

• Maria Villa Marquez, California Association for Bilingual Education

• Rachel Saldivar