El Verano School

The following information is from thesis research and survey conducted at El Verano School to determine how best to support the parent community.

ABSTRACT:

Parent participation is a multifaceted issue that increases in complexity the more one strives to understand. The reasons behind participation or the lack of it require a close examination. Generalizations can lead to misunderstandings that do not allow one to fully understand the problem; therefore, the solution cannot be “a one size fits all” remedy.

This project is designed to examine one school and the parent population that is served within the confines of that attendance area. El Verano School is a High Priority, Title One School in the third year of sanctions according to the Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) guidelines of No Child Left Behind legislation. These sanctions can lead to serious repercussions for the staff and school community unless the AYP increases and meets federal standards. El Verano has many support systems in place to help insure our students meet those standards. One such support is to increase parent participation in the schools.

No Child Left Behind legislation mandates that parents become more involved in their child’s education. However, Federal legislation does not guarantee participation or provide much direction on how to increase parent involvement.

The reality is that federal funding is now dependent on school-home compacts and on an increase in parent participation. Therefore, there is an added sense of urgency attached to parent participation.

Eligibility for Title One funding, available to school districts in high poverty areas, is now contingent upon the development of “compacts” in which families and schools agree to assume mutual responsibility for children’s learning. Partnerships must be forged between homes, schools and communities, requiring an unprecedented level of contact and communication between parents and educators. (Baker, 1998)

In addition, research has proven that parent participation can increase student achievement and have a positive impact on children’s social development. “A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family and Community Connections on Student Achievement” shows that students who have involved parents, regardless of family income or background, are more likely to achieve in a variety of ways. These students are more likely to:

·         get better grades and test scores;

·         pass their classes and not be held back in a grade;

·         have good school attendance;

·         adjust well to school, with better social skills; and behavior, and

·         go on to higher education. (Warner 2002)

Therefore, what research indicates is best practice and what the federal government is strongly suggesting is that schools need to make the best possible attempt to increase parent participation.

A project of such magnitude evolves and changes with the acquisition of more information and knowledge. The original purpose of this project has remained intact as well as taken on other characteristics that have increased its value to the El Verano School community.

While attaining more information and reflecting on the needs of the parents and the school, the writer found evidence that communication is the key to determining how we can work together as a community to increase student achievement and parent involvement. Parental responsibility to their children and the school is remarkable and profound, but the responsibility of the school to communicate the expectations and desires of the educational community to the parent is equally demanding.

This study is an investigation of parent participation and the communication between home and school in the El Verano school attendance area. Understanding the needs of both the school and parent is crucial in determining a method to increase participation and communication.

This project includes a literature review of parent involvement studies, the methodology developed for this project, findings from interviews and recommendations for future investigations. In education parents are often spoken to without providing them with much opportunity to be heard. This project is an attempt listen to parents regarding their views on participation, communication and how to improve both.

There has been some confusion about the exact definition of parent participation. Joyce Epstein of Johns Hopkins University in 1995 identified “Six Types of Parent Involvement” to help define parent participation. The types include:

·         PARENTING:  Help all families establish home environments to support children as students.

·         COMMUNICATING: Design effective forms of school-to-home and home-to-school communications about school programs and children's progress.

·         VOLUNTEERING:  Recruit and organize parent help and support.

·         LEARNING AT HOME:  Provide information and ideas to families about how to help students at home with homework and other curriculum-related activities, decisions, and planning.

·         DECISION MAKING:  Include parents in school decisions, developing parent leaders and representatives.

·         COLLABORATING WITH COMMUNITY:  Identify and integrate resources and services from the community to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning and development.

The National Parent Teacher Association and school districts across the country have adopted this framework. Incorporating the framework into a school can help define the types of participation that are needed, but how do these practices become a part of the school culture?

The complexity of parent participation is vast. Using Epstein’s framework “Six Types of Parent Involvement” provides educators and parents a starting point for dialogue. In addition it allows for researchers to define the area of interest for study.

Cultural Diversity:

According to Pena, most research up until 1998 focused on “White parental involvement in the education of their children…little of this exploration has described minority and/or low socioeconomic parents.” Pena states that as a result of the lack of research many stereotypes have developed.

Reyes Quezada, a Professor at University of San Diego, in his article Involving Latino Parents mentions eight contributing factors to barriers in parent participation.

1.        Inability to understand English

2.        Involvement equals interfering with school

3.        Unfamiliarity with the school system

4.        Lack of education

5.        Too many responsibilities

6.        Negative experiences with school

7.        School personnel’s negative or condescending attitude

8.        Lack of transportation and childcare

Quezada also offers some suggestions;

1.        Offer parents flexible schedules

2.        Offer transportation and childcare

3.        Ask parents for input regarding workshops or trainings

4.        Send school information home in Spanish and English

5.        View parents as contributors and collaborators

6.        Plan meetings and social events outside of school

7.        Provide hands-on trainings

8.        Make parents feel welcome

In September of 2003 during a conference in Santa Barbara, Dr. Quezada presented a workshop on parent involvement. Fortunately, the writer attended the conference and had a conversation with Quezada after the workshop. Quezada’s comment regarding parent participation is to “stress personal contact, create a comfort zone and to build on what they can do for you.” The interview presented in this paper was created using Dr. Quezada’s suggestions.

Conclusion of Literature:

Given all the information available on parent involvement and participation, the field is open for research that includes control groups and agreed upon definitions. Most information is anecdotal and commentary on past and current practice.

The commonalities in research include the importance of defining the type of participation you expect and promote. Even then the factors that play a role in parent involvement are as varied as the participation itself. Quezada provides a valuable list of barriers and suggestions to be aware of when promoting parent involvement.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

The parents interviewed all believe they participate in their child’s education. As mentioned before, the definition of participation is varied. Therefore, a possible recommendation from this project is to set a standard for parent participation in the area of volunteering and communication as defined by Epstein, with the understanding that not all parents will be able to meet that expectation.

El Verano recently held a parent meeting where everything was done to bring parents to the meeting. The expectation was clear; interpretation, childcare, phone calls, stickers, fliers and transportation if needed were provided and available. The turn out was high in all grade levels with over 55% of parents attending at each grade level. One parent mentioned, “the parent meeting helped very much…flash cards, mathematics, reading…the correcting is very easy, the games aren’t boring.”

As educators we hold high expectations for our students; we may need to do the same for our parents. It is the responsibility of the school staff to determine that standard. But with setting that expectation comes the understanding that we must provide the support needed to achieve and meet the goal as well as realizing that some constraints may not be changed or remedied.

Understanding and recognizing the population we serve is vital in the quest to increase participation. What would assist our parents in receiving more information based on their needs? What are some of the limitations and assets of the parent population? There isn’t a one-size fits all solution to parent participation; it is as diverse as our school population. Recognizing and embracing the diversity of our parents is a step in the direction of supporting their involvement.

Making information accessible and understandable should be a priority. How can we insure access to everyone of the information available? Language is a concern for many of our parents. The need to communicate and be understood will help lower some of the barriers that currently exist.

The following are some recommendations for change in how El Verano communicates with the parent population to increase participation:

·         Post a schedule of available interpretation services.

·         Offer interpretation services at all meeting including PTO.

·         Make phone calls personally inviting parents to attend meeting. Impress upon them their responsibility and the profound effect it will have on their child’s education.

·         Allow for more creative and flexible schedules of meetings. Be willing to have a Saturday gathering.

·         Offer transportation.

·         Clearly state on fliers the content of the meeting and that childcare is provided.

·         Let parents know that they are welcome to volunteer in the classrooms, offices and library and how to go about participating in those areas.

·         Plan events where children perform or food is offered.

·         Offer classes where parents can walk away with tangible, easy to use activities for their children.

·         Provide phone calls, phone trees and more personal contact.

·         Provide information on simple school procedures.

·         Recognize that parents want the best for their children and in most cases will do whatever it takes for them to succeed.

A recommendation for future study is to analyze school data to find similarities between levels of participation and student achievement. As mentioned in the literature review, research in the area of parent participation is challenging for many reasons. Determining a definition and establishing a control group would be necessary for further investigation in this area.

This project has had a profound effect on the writer’s view of parental participation. A significant number of parents believe that parent involvement is crucial. Most of them believe it will lead to student success. As Baker and Epstein point out, the definition of involvement varies from person to person. This writer has moved away from seeing participation solely as school site involvement and instead as a much more complex area of research.