Steve Zuber, Ombudsman

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School-Family PartnershipsWhat does it mean?
How do we do it?

• Presented by
• Steve Zuber,
  Ombudsman
• Office of the Education
  Ombudsman
• Governors
  Office
• 
  1-866-297-2597
• www.waparentslearn.org
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

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About the Presenter
Steve Zuber, M.Ed. is an Ombudsman in the
Office of the Education Ombudsman, a public
service agency within the Governors Office. This
office focuses on educating parents and students
about the public school system, supporting parent
involvement in education, and resolving conflict
between families and schools. Steves career
includes 10 years as a classroom teacher in a
public high school, and 20 years as a high school
counselor. Steve then became the Education
Liaison for Casey Family Programs, and continued
his work with youth, families, and schools.
Steve became an Ombudsman in 2008.
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• What is The Office of the Education Ombudsman?
• The Office of the Education Ombudsman
  (OEO) is an agency within the Governors Office
  created by the WA state legislature in 2006. It
  is not part of the public education system.
• Our mission is to promote equity in education
  and the academic success of students attending
  elementary and secondary public schools in the
  state of Washington.

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• OEO Services
• We listen. We inform. We help solve problems.
• OEO provides services to schools, families
  and students statewide.
• Informs families, students and others on how to
  understand and navigate the education system.
• Promotes school-family partnerships for student
  success.
• Helps resolve issues of concern between families
  and schools.
• Provides training workshops and presentations to
  build the capacity of schools and families to
  work together.
• Makes recommendations to public officials.

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What do Education Ombudsmen do?

• Ombudsmen are trained problem-solvers who bring
  families and educators together to resolve issues
  focusing on the best interest of the student
  involved. They have extensive knowledge of the
  public education system, education laws,
  policies, conflict resolution techniques, and
  cultural competency.
• Ombudsmen can make recommendations but do not
  have authority to force schools or school
  districts to take a specific action, terminate
  school personnel, or remove elected officials
  from public office.
• Education Ombudsmen are impartial. They do not
  advocate for any particular individual.
  Education Ombudsmen advocate for fair and
  equitable processes that support student academic
  success.

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How is OEO structured?

• OEO has 5 Education Ombudsmen and 2 Information
  and Referral
• Specialists serving schools and families
  statewide.
• OEO has two offices. They are open from 800 am
  to 500 pm
• Seattle Olympia
• Office of the Education Ombudsman Office of the
  Education Ombudsman
  
• 155 NE 100th Street, Suite 210
  1110 Capitol Way S, Suite 304
• Seattle, WA 98125-8012
  Olympia, WA 98504-0004
• Toll-free number 1-866-297-2597
• Website www.waparentslearn.org

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Taking Stock

• Quality Indicator Worksheets
• From Indiana Department of Education

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WHY BOTHER WITH FAMILY COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT?
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RESEARCH
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What the research says
National research consistently shows that family
involvement in education is a key element in
student achievement. Among the many types of
family involvement, supporting education at home
is the best predictor of student academic success
and high school completion. This holds true
across families of all ethnicities,
socio-economic levels, and education backgrounds.
Schools must become proficient at
establishing solid partnerships with all
families, and providing them with opportunities
to understand academic goals, and learn how to
support and extend student learning at
home. Mapp, K.L., Henderson, A.T., (2002). A
new wave of evidence The impact of school,
family, and community connections on student
achievement. Austin, TX Southwest Educational
Development Laboratory.
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What the research says

• Family involvement contributed to positive
  results for students, including higher
  achievement, better attendance, more course
  credits earned, fewer disciplinary actions.
• Catsambis, (2001). Expanding knowledge of
  parental involvement in childrens secondary
  education. Social Psychology of
  Education,5,149-177.
• Simon, (2004). High school outreach and family
  involvement. Social Psychology of Education, 7,
  185-209.

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What the research says

• Researchers Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler have
  consistently found that there are three variables
  that influence parents decision to become
  involved in education and in the school.
• 1. How confident they feel about their ability
  to help their children (Efficacy) - They might
  not believe they can make a difference in the
  education of their children.
• 2. Whether they feel invited and comfortable at
  the school (School climate) -They might perceive
  schools as cold, hierarchical institutions. And
  they might feel the school staff does not treat
  them cordially, like them or respect them.
• 3. How they define their job description as
  parents (Role Definition) Families perception
  of their role and responsibility in the education
  of their children varies due to cultural and/or
  socio-economic factors.
• Hoover-Dempsey,K.,Sandler,H. (1997.
  2001, 2007). Review of Educational Research,

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Further Research

• Source material
• Developing and Sustaining Research-Based Programs
  of School, Family, and Community Partnerships
  Summary of Five Years of NNPS Research
• Joyce Epstein, Ph.D
• Center of School, Family and Community
  Partnerships
• National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS)
• John Hopkins University
• September, 2005

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It is the law

• No Child Left Behind
• Section 1118 (c) (3)
• Each school served by the Title I program of
  NCLB shall jointly develop with parents for all
  children served a school-parent compact that
  outlines how parents, the entire school staff,
  and students will share the responsibility for
  improved student academic achievement and the
  means by which the school and parents will build
  and develop a partnership to help children
  achieve the states high standards.

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Its a Requirement

• OSPI
• Bulletin 042-08, May 23, 2008
• 1 of Title I allocation (.095) must be utilized
  for parent-related activities. These activities
  are defined as needing to include six specified
  elements and are informative activities, not
  social gatherings.
• One activity specifically calls for educating
  school staff on the value and utility of
  contributions of parents.

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How do we get families involved?
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We start with Core Beliefs

• 1. All families have hopes and dreams for their
  children.
• Although in some cases it may not seem so due to
  personal and life circumstances.
• 2. All families can contribute to their
  childrens education
• at some level.
• Regardless of their ethnicity, education
  or socio-economic status.
• 3. Family involvement is a legitimate element of
  the public education system.
• It contributes to student achievement and the
  closing
• of achievement gaps.
• 4. Families and school staff are partners in
  education.
• Education is a shared responsibility.

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We define Partnership

• Partnership a relationship between individuals
  or groups that is characterized by mutual
  cooperation and responsibility, as for the
  achievement of a specified goal. American
  Heritage Dictionary-4th Edition
• For a partnership to work, there must be mutual
  trust and respect, on ongoing exchange of
  information, agreement on goals and strategies,
  and a sharing of rights and responsibilities.
  Ballen and Moles (1994)

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THE PARADIGM SHIFT
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Traditional Concept of Parent Involvement in
Education

• Classroom volunteers
• Cookie bakers
• Chaperones for field trips
• School fundraisers

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REALITY Parent Family Single parents, foster
parents, grandparents, step parents, legal
guardians, extended families, same sex parents,
kinships.
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PARADIGM SHIFT
OLD DAYS
NOW

• BARRIERS
• Culture
• Language
• Socio-economics
• Mobility
• Childcare
• Transportation

• REALITIES
• Strategies sought
• Strategies shared
• Solutions found

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PARADIGM SHIFT

OLD DAYS
NOW

• PARENT INVOLVEMENT
• PERCEIVED AS AN EXTERNAL PROGRAM
• It is not the schools responsibility, parents
  need to get involved if they care for their
  children.
• We count the number of parents attending a
  meeting
• The funding for the program was cut.
• We have a PTA and they take care of that
• Parents are a necessary evil

• PARTNERSHIPS WITH FAMILIES
• SEEN AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
• Linkage of family involvement
• practices to academic goals
• Focus on student achievement
• Focus on student-centered school-family
  partnerships

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PARADIGM SHIFT
OLD DAYS
NOW

• FAMILY PARTNERSHIP SYSTEM IN DISTRICT SCHOOLS
• District and school Family Partnership policy
  that includes implementation steps
• Planned, coordinated activities connected to
  academic goals.
• Families as decision-makers
• Culturally relevant activities.
• Organizational structure.
• Partnerships with families seen as the
  responsibility of all staff

• NO SYSTEM IN PLACE IN THE SCHOOL TO INVOLVE
  PARENTS
• Parent involvement left to one or 2 staff members
  in the school.
• Activities for parents left to the PTA/PTO.
• Parent involvement seen as a social activity.
• Activities and events organized at the last
  minute disconnected from academic goals.

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WHAT IS FAMILY INVOLVEMENT?
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New Concept of Family Involvement Goes Beyond
Volunteerism
Student Achievement
Families as providers of home conditions that
support student learning
Families as active partners in education
Families as children advocates and school
supporters
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FAMILY INVOLVEMENT
Family involvement is not just another program
being imposed on a school. It is a way of
thinking, acting, and doing business that
recognizes the central role that families play
in their children's education and the power of
working together. Office of the Education
Ombudsman
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Epsteins Framework

• Sampler of Successful Practices
• Parenting Help all families establish home
  environments to support children as students.
• Communicating Design effective forms of
  school-to-home communications about school
  programs and childrens 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 curricular activities,
  including academic decisions and planning
  (Student Learning Plan).
• Decision Making Include parents in school
  decisions, developing parent leaders and
  representatives.
• Collaborating with Community Identify and
  integrate resources and services from the
  community.
• Joyce Epstein, John Hopkins University

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• The way schools care about children is reflected
  in the way schools care about childrens
  families.
• If educators see children just as students they
  
• are likely to see families and communities as
  separate from the school.
• If educators see students as children, in the
• context of their families, culture, and
  communities, they are likely to partner with all
  stakeholders in education.
• Joyce Epstein, Ph.D.
• Director of the National Network of
  Partnership Schools
• Johns
  Hopkins University, MD

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Resources

• 1. Office of Education Ombudsman
• Information source, pamphlets, trainings on a
  variety of topics for setting up a partnership,
  for improving a partnership, or to assist you in
  continuing a partnership.
• At www.waparentslearn.org
• 2. National Congress of Parents and Teachers
  (PTA)
• National Standards, Goals, and Indicators for
  Family-School Partnerships.
• Six standards of success are presented, with
  suggested goals and action plans.
• At www.pta.org

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Resources

• 3. National Network of Partnership Schools.
• Instructions and support in establishing Action
  Teams for Partnership.
• At www.csos.jhu.edu/P2000/
• 4. Project Appleseed
• Specific hints and action plans for each of the
  six steps.
• At www.projectappleseed.org
• tab Parent Organizing

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Resources

• 4. WSSDA Policy No. 4129
• Co-written with the Office of Education
  Ombudsman.
• Sample form of a district Family Involvement
  Standard.
• Includes Implementation, Goals, Roles and
  Responsibilities.

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Best Practices

• Pasco School District
• Lorraine Landon,
• Parent Education Center
• at www.psd1.org/psd2/index.php?/
• Cle ElumRoslyn School District
• Parent Action Council
• at www.freewebs.com/parentactioncouncil/

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Best Practices

• Kennewick School District
• Action Teams for Partnership
• Aligned with National Network of Partnership
  Schools
• Contact Sarah Del Toro, Parent Involvement
  Coordinator 509.222.6462
• At www.ksd.org
• Los Amigos School, Cucamonga School District,
  Rancho Cucamonga, CA
• Example of Parent Partnership Plan
• at www.cuca.k12.ca.us/la/parents/partnershipsplan
  .html

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• The idea of partnership in the time were in is
  so essential.
• Were in an era where teachers and principals
  and school staff need to have honest, genuine
  relationships with families from the very diverse
  communities in our state.
• When the kids see that were a team, we all
  win.
• Dr. Terry Bergeson

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My Top 3

• 1. All staff accept core beliefs and the shift
  from involvement to partnership.
• 2. Communication to and with the families.
• 3. Invitation to the families to partnering
  events.

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The Office of the Education Ombudsman

• Call us
• Toll-free 1-866-297-2597
• www.waparentslearn.org