Table of Contents
Table of Figures iv
About the Authors v
Acknowledgments vi
Introduction vii
The Purpose of This Book vii
How This Book Is Organized viii
Parent Engagement and Standards viii
How to Use This Book viii
Who Will Benefit from This Book? ix
Chapter 1 What Is Parent Engagement? 1
What Does Research Show About the Effect of Engaging/Involving Parents on Student Achievement? 3
What Is the Difference Between Parent Involvement and Parent Engagement and How Can They Be Assessed 4
Parent/Teacher Relationships 5
Parent Invitations and Roles 5
Decision-Making Power 5
What Is Social Capital and What Does It Have to Do with Schools? 11
How Can Community Improvement Directly Impact Student Achievement? 12
Chapter 2 Home Visits 15
What Is the Background of the Parent/Teacher Home Visit Project? 16
How Did the Parent/Teacher Home Visit Project Begin? 17
Training Workshop 18
Schedule of Visits 20
Coordination 20
Whose Energy Drives This Project and Who Initiated It? 22
What Are the Roles of the Parents and School Staff in This Project? 23
What Is the Purpose, Who Has the Decision-Making Power, and What Kinds of Partnerships Are Developed in This Project? 24
What Are Some Potential Challenges in Starting a Project Like This? 25
Money 25
Teacher Concerns 25
Logistical Issues 26
Working with Partners 26
Chapter 3 Technology and Family Literacy 29
What Is the Background to the Family Literacy Project? 30
How Did the Family Literacy Project Begin? 32
Whose Energy Drives This Project and Who Initiated It? 34
What Are the Roles of the Parents and School Staff in This Project? 35
What Is the Purpose, Who Has the Decision-Making Power, and WhatKinds of Partnerships Are Developed in This Project? 36
What Are Some Potential Challenges in Starting a Project Like This? 38
Chapter 4 Parent Engagement through School-Community Gardens 41
Who Are the Mien People? 43
Story #1 Creating the Evergreen School Community Garden 45
Story #2 Community-Based Science and Nutrition: The Mustard Greens Festival 48
Story #3 Building a Mien-American House 50
Story #4 Project Cultures: Ethno-botany as Family Literacy and Science in a Mexican School Garden 51
What Do We Learn from These Stories from the Field? 52
Who Initiates and Drives the Project? 52
What Is the Role of Parents in the Project? 54
What Is the Role of the Teacher, the Outreach Worker, or the Librarian? 56
What Is the Role of the Administrator(s)? 57
What Is the Purpose and Who Has the Decision-Making Power? 58
What Challenges Do School-Community Gardens Face? 59
What Kinds of Partnerships Are Developed? 60
Chapter 5 Schools and Community Organizing 63
What Is the Background of the IAF's Work with Schools? 65
How Did the IAF's Community Organizing Work with Schools Begin? 66
The Alliance Schools 67
Achievement Academies for Success 70
Pre-K to College Career Pipelines 71
Whose Energy Drives This Work and Who Initiates It? 72
What Are the Roles of the Parents and School Staff in This Organizing Work? 73
What Is the Purpose, Who Has Decision-Making Power, and What Kinds of Partnerships Are Developed in This Organizing Work? 74
Purpose 74
Decision-Making 74
Partnerships 75
What Are Some Potential Challenges in Starting and Doing Work Like This? 75
Teacher Time Constraints 75
Parent Time and Academic Constraints 76
Parent Mobility 77
Finding an IAF Organization 77
Afterword 79
Works Cited 80
Resources 83
Index 87
Table of Figures
Figure 1.1 Beginning the Process 6
Figure 1.2 Roles of Parents and School Staff 8
Figure 1.3 Purpose, Decision-Making, and Partnerships 10