A Social Network for Parents of Prince George's County Public Schools Students

The Department of Family and Community Outreach’s Office of Parental Engagement has created a social network for parents of PGCPS students. The social network is called “PARENTS AND PGCPS” and will hopefully provide an effective means for parents to stay connected with each other. Through the use of the social network parents and community members can create new social experiences that are:

• Unique
• Informative
• Networking
• Career Enhancing
  

There is no cost to join the “PARENTS AND PGCPS” social network, simply click on the link http://parentsandpgcps.ning.com/main/invitation/new and sign up. Join the many who have already become members. Once you become a member you can create your own social network within the network such as:

• Alumni of PGCPS
• Alumni of _____ high school
• PGCPS Parents of High School Students
• Etc.
  

For more information contact: Michael A. Robinson at 301.925.2535.

Parents and Students Really Benefit From Classroom Observations

Over the past two years Prince George's County Public Schools have put forth an increased effort to have parents visit their child’s school and observe their classrooms. The push has proven to be successful from a pure numbers perspective, as we have seen the quantity of classroom observations jump from 500 in 2006-2007 to 8,500 in 2007-2008 and to over 40,000 in 2008-2009. However, while the numbers are impressive, they do not speak to what parents and family members are saying about their visit(s) and the benefits to them and their child.

In a survey of over 500 parents, overwhelmingly parents stated their visit was beneficial and informative. A closer look revealed parent classroom observations are a successful tool to increase and maintain parental engagement. Below, you will find the results of the survey.

Today's visit gave me a better understanding of my child's day-to-day school routine.
Not at all (2.7%)
Somewhat (21.2%)
Very much (76%)

Today's visit gave me some ideas how to help my child at home.
Not at all (3%)
Somewhat (23%)
Very much (74%)

The classroom activities were useful, exciting and engaging for my children.
Not at all (1.2%)
Somewhat (20.2%)
Very much (78%)

As a result of today's visit, I am more likely to participate in other school sponsored activities.
Not at all (.5%)
Somewhat (18.2%)
Very much (81.3%)

I felt welcome and comfortable during today's visit.
Not at all (.8%)
Somewhat (5.0%)
Very much (94.3%)

FATHER'S DAY RALLY : Saturday, June 20, 2009 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC

WHY?
Over 2 million children in the United States live in Fatherless homes. As a result, child/teen statistics related to violence, failure in academics, broken relationships and more, have grown to an alarming rate. Active involvement of both parents has proven to be direct link to child success in personal life decisions, academics, and beyond.

"The National Rally for Responsible Fatherhood, On Behalf Of America’s Children: A Call to Personal Responsibility" will take place on Saturday, June 20, 2009 Lincoln Memorial In Washington, DC from 10:00am-2:00pm.

A few of the guest speakers will be:

• Roland Warren, President, National Fatherhood Initiative
• Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, District of Columbia
• Joe Jones, President & CEO, The Center for Urban Families, Baltimore, MD
• Ed Gordon, Emmy Award Winning Broadcaster & Founder of Daddy's Promise

For more Rally information please contact the Fatherhood Website at:
www.fathersdayrally.com www.npclstrongfamilies.comwww.fatherhoodconference.com
For more information click on http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15835429/
For a copy of the agenda click on http://www.fathersdayrally.com/images/Fathers_Day_Rally_2009,_Drafted_Agenda_FOR_WEBSITE.pdf

President-elect Barack Obama Named 2009 Father of the Year

President-elect Barack Obama, has been named 2009 Father of the Year by the Fatherhood Education Institute because of his efforts to encourage parenting skills and responsibility. To read the full story click on http://www.fatherhood-edu.org/pdfs/BarackObamaFatheroftheYear.pdf

Parent Participation is on the Rise in PGCPS

By: Michael A. Robinson, Coordinating Supervisor, Parental Engagement

Parent participation in Prince George's County Public Schools is on the rise. A quick review of data collected throughout the 2009-2010 school year by the Department of Family and Community Outreach clearly revealed parents, guardians and other significant family members have embraced their role in the academic success of students.

While the data has not been completely analyzed, early results point to a major shift in the relationship between home and school. What was once a relationship in many cases built on limited trust and even less communication, has now moved to one of increased communication and an improved understanding of each partner’s role in the process of parental engagement and involvement.

In Prince George's County Public Schools there are many factors which have contributed to the rise in parent participation. A primary factor has been the efforts of over 220 Parent Liaisons. Parent Liaisons have the specific task of engaging parents, by developing Parental Engagement Plans designed to enhance the academic success of students, through parent involvement.

Several Parent Liaison Parental Engagement Plans included innovative communication approaches to reach parents and family members with non-traditional schedules. Many of the Parental Engagement Plans implemented a wider use of technology as a means to keep parents informed, while offering an opportunity to become engaged in ways never before offered. As new ways to communicate to parents were explored, lots of the time-honored forms of communication remain the center-piece of engagement plans. Utilization of new and innovative communication approaches, combined with the traditional methods has proven to be a great success in Prince George's County Public Schools’ efforts to increase parental engagement for the 2008-2009 school year.

Below are a few schools with high rates of Parent Participation. This indicates that at least a ____% of the parents based on student enrollment have participated in a minimum of one non sports related activity:

• Arrowhead ES has a Parent Participation Rate of 75%
• Bond Mill ES has a Parent Participation Rate of 95%
• Heather Hills ES has a Parent Participation Rate of 80%
• Owens Road ES has a Parent Participation Rate of 85%
• Paint Branch ES has a Parent Participation Rate of 72%
• Princeton ES has a Parent Participation Rate of 95%

An Interview with Parent Liaison Luz Santizo of Calverton Elementary

Q. How do you define parental engagement as it relates to education?

A. Parent engagement is the participation of parents in every facet of their children’s education. Parents are the primary educator. When parents are engaged, it makes a big difference in the children’s education and life.

Q. What are some of the major barriers to parental engagement today versus years ago as it relates to education?

A.

- Parents working extra hours
- Language barrier
- Lack of education
- Lack of motivation
- Parents don’t know the American Education System
- Some parents don’t feel welcome at school

Q. What are some of ways parents can become more engaged with their children around school?

A. Parents can be more productive partners if schools:
- Provide parents with clear information in both languages
- Establish times for conferences that are convenient for the parents
- Use technology such as e-mail and voice mail in both languages
- Do surveys in both languages
- Create a volunteer program for ESOL and not ESOL parents
- Create a two ways communication system in both languages
- Support parents with workshops in both languages
- Link parents to community programs
- Include parents on decision making

Q. What do you believe the school system has to do in order increase parental engagement?
A. Schools have to create a plan identifying the mission, vision, values and goals including parents’ opinions. In PG County the ESOL population is growing every day. We need to educate parents. We need to teach them how the American system works. Those parents should be included in the PTA, programs, meeting, etc. It is important to have a bilingual Parent Liaison in each school to provide services to International parents. Parental involvement does not happen by accident. Schools need to have a plan to increase parental involvement. See the needs, set goals, activities and evaluate the progress of the plan.

Q. In your opinion, do you believe active parental engagement has an impact on the persistence of students at the secondary and/or postsecondary level?
A. Yes, I believe active parental engagement has an impact on the persistence of students at any level. As students get older peer pressure is a major issue in their life. When parents are involved or engaged in their child’s education it helps to minimize problems with peer pressure in the school.

Helping Your Middle School Teen to Learn How To Study

The National Association for College Admission Counseling (2007) lists the following ways that parents can help their middle school teen:

It is no surprise to you as parents that good study skills can help your child succeed in school. Your job is to provide a nurturing and supportive environment so that teens want to learn. Now that your teens are taking more courses, you can begin to teach them how to develop their personalized schedule, which includes school and activities outside of school. This schedule can be kept in their rooms or on the refrigerator, as well as in their school notebooks.

At home, teach them how to study smart and efficiently by:
• Identifying a comfortable place in the home to study
• Clearing off the desk or workplace; only include relevant material
• Making sure they have all the materials they need
• Encouraging them to study at the same time every day if possible. Regular study time is ideal
• Making sure the space is quiet (Some teens like studying with music, and that’s fine as long as you see results)
• Taking them to the library, recommending it as another place to study
• Making sure they know how to use the different resources in the library. This will be helpful when they have to write research papers
• Making sure they understand the difference between doing homework, reviewing homework and studying for exams.

Building a Foundation for Educational Success for Your Middle School Teen

The National Association for College Admission Counseling (2007) lists the following ways that parents can help their middle school teen:

Identify Your Teens Interest: Your teen is becoming their own person. As a parent you should encourage and support your teen’s interests, and you can do so in several ways:

• Spend time with teens and listen to what they talk about
• Look at what they read for fun
• Watch TV with teens and listen to their reactions
• Encourage them to participate in after-school activities
• If they like music, consider private music lessons
• If they like sports, encourage sports in and/or out of school
• Make time to attend concerts and athletic competitions
• Talk about the importance of developing and sustaining friendships through extracurricular activities. Helping them learn more about what they enjoy shows them that you value their interests and, by extension, that you value them. This will help you better communicate with your teen.

Communication: Some parents and teens complain about their inability to communicate with one another. It doesn’t have to be this way––Here are some tips that might help:

• Spend time together (i.e., playing games and outdoor activities)
• Find time to talk and listen, over meals, in the car or while watching TV
together
• Talk about risky and responsible behavior
• Discuss the importance of having and honoring values
• Ask other parents how they communicate
• Be a good role model when communicating with your own friends
• Listen and do not judge
• Ask teens what they think about certain issues
• Independent of what grades teens receive, always ask them what they think.
You learn more when you ask questions

An Interview with Parent Liaison Vanessa Hamlet of Clinton Grove ES

Q. How do you define parental engagement as it relates to education?
A. Parental engagement as it relates to education is simply a parent or guardian’s involvement in what their child is being taught and how they are learning. Parental Engagement also is being an integral part of the decision making process as it relates to the goals for heir child, which we believe is to successfully graduate from high school.

Q. What are some of the major barriers to parental engagement today versus years ago as it relates to education?
A. As it relates to education, the major barrier to parental engagement today versus years ago is the lack of a true nurturing partnership between home, school, and the community. Parents have difficulties developing trusting relationships with staff and leadership that change often. Teachers and staff easily become frustrated with families that do not comprehend specific ways in which they can support their child’s educational advancement. And besides making financial contributions to the school, community businesses and organizations struggle with their idea of a mutually beneficial relationship in this triad. Developing and maintaining long-lasting bonds between these three domains have a very low probability compared to years ago without a definitive and purposeful plan.

Q. What are some of ways parents can become more engaged with their children around school?
A. There is an enormous amount of opportunities for parents to become more engaged with their children around school issues. The core opportunities are visiting their child’s classroom, having frequent correspondence with their child’s teacher(s) via phone, meetings, or on-line communication, and participating in parent workshops. The workshops focus on the most prevalent information for parents, provides a forum that allows for questions and feedback, as well as teach skills for application.

Q. What do you believe the school system has to do in order increase parental engagement?
A. The school system currently has exceptional programs to promote and increase parental engagement. The Parent Assisting Teacher program, Parent Visitation Program, Parent Volunteer Program, formal parent-teacher organizations, parental involvement with the School Improvement Plan, and the assignment of school-based parent liaison personnel with duties and responsibilities tailored to meet the needs of parents all have impact on the lives of children and the overall progress of schools. Data collected within the past 2 ½ years from the Department of Family and Community Outreach is demonstrative of this fact. The school system needs only to be patient in the process of a naturally occurring culture shift for caregivers.

Q. In your opinion, do you believe active parental engagement has an impact on the persistence of students at the secondary and/or postsecondary level?
A. Absolutely! In my opinion, for children to be ready to receive the knowledge acquired at school, there needs to be structure. Of course, provision of the basic food, shelter, clothing, and love is a given. However, structure determines how fluent the process of learning will be. Structure occurs where there are identified rules to be followed, consistency in enforcing the rules, and accountability when the rules are not adhered to. Parents provide the accountability for structure. Children at the secondary and/or postsecondary level experience significant physical and developmental changes. Parental engagement through a child’s journey of growth will be the key ingredient to their survival and success of these changes. Therefore, parental engagement in my opinion, would motivate, guide, and serve as a model of perseverance for children.

50 Ways Parents Can Help Schools

The Center for School Change (n.d.) lists the following ways that parents can become involved in schools:
• Come to school to assist.
1. Share information with a student or class about a hobby.
2. Share information with a student or a class about a career.
3. Share information with students about a country you visited or lived in.
4. Tutor one or a small group of students in reading, math, or other area.
5. Help coach an athletic team.
6. Help check a student's written work.
7. Help put out a school or classroom newsletter (can also be done at home).
8. Help sew or paint a display.
9. Help build something (such as a loft in a classroom or new playground).
10. Help students work on a final exhibition or project (can also be done at home or workplace).
11. Help answer the schools' phone.
12. Help plan a new playground for the school.
*13. Help plan a theme-based presentation for students.
*14. Help present a theme-based program for students.
*15. Demonstrate cooking from a particular country or culture to students.
*16. Share a particular expertise with faculty (such as use of computers, dealing with disruptive students).
17. Help students plan and build an outdoor garden or other project to beautify the outside of the school.
18. Help coach students competing in an academic competition (such as Odyssey of the Mind, Future Problem Solving, Math Masters).
19. Help bring senior citizens to school to watch a student production.

• Help arrange learning opportunities in the community.
1. Help set up an internship or apprenticeship for a student at your business, organization, or agency.
*2. Host a one-day 'shadow study' for one or a small group of students about your career in business or some other organization.
3. Go on a local field trip with a teacher and a group of students.
4. Go on an extended (3-5 day) cross-country field trip with a teacher & students.
*5. Contact a particular local business or organization regarding possible cooperation.
*6. Help to create a natural area outside the building where students can learn.Serve on an advisory or decision-making committee.
7. Serve on the school-wide site council.
8. Serve on a school committee that reports to the site council.
9. Serve on a district committee representing the school.
10. Serve as an officer in the school's PTA.
11. Help organize a parent organization for the school.
12. Help design a parent and or student survey for the school.
13. Help conduct and or tabulate results of a parent survey regarding the school.Share information or advocate for the school.
14. Serve as a member of a 'telephone tree' to distribute information quickly.
15. Write a letter to legislators about the school.
16. Write a letter to school board members about the school.
17. Go to a school board meeting to advocate for the school.
18. Go to another school to provide information about this school.
19. Help design a brochure or booklet about the school.
20. Help translate information from the school into a language other than English.
21. Help translate at a parent-teacher conference for people who don't speak English well.
22. Provide transportation to a parent-teacher conference for a parent who needs a ride.
23. Write an article for publication in a magazine about the school's activities.
24. Help arrange for a political leader (mayor, city council, state representative, member of Congress) to visit the school.Increase financial resources available to the school.
25. Help write a proposal that would bring new resources to the school.
26. Donate materials to the school.
27. Arrange for a business or other organization to donate materials to the school.
28. Help with a fundraiser for the school.Help other parents develop their parenting skills.
29. Help teach a class for parents on ways they can be stronger parents.
30. Help produce a videotape for parents on ways they can be more