Parent Involvement Plan

docx

School

Kenyatta University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

700

Subject

Sociology

Date

Nov 24, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by kelvintommy8

1 Parent Education/Involvement Plan Student’s Name Course Number and Name College Instructor’s Name Date

2 Parent Education/Involvement Plan The Parent Involvement Plan is situated at a Preschool in Palo Alto, California where a close friend named Fred used to work and its main purpose is to serve underserved children. The goal of the school is to offer opportunities to the children so that they can attain a college education, while also addressing and overcoming any barriers or obstacles that marginalized groups may face, and challenging any negative stereotypes associated with these groups. The overarching mission of the school is to ensure that every student has a clear path to college. The school is situated in the city of East Palo Alto, which has a historical reputation for being plagued by high crime rates, including a significant amount of gang-related violence and homicides. This city was once referred to as the "murder capital." However, over the past few decades, the community has undergone significant changes, leading to a decrease in crime rates. According to data, the median earnings per worker in Palo Alto is $157,594 which is lower compared to other cities in the metropolitan area. Ladera CDP is the only city with the highest median earnings per worker at $250,001, which is 58.6% greater (Town Charts, 2023). In addition, among individuals aged 25 years or older in Palo Alto, 97% have either graduated from high school or completed a Graduate Equivalency Degree (GED) or some equivalent certification or credential. This percentage is the second lowest among all the cities in the metropolitan area (Town Charts, 2023). The median age of men in Palo Alto, California is 6.4% lower than the median age of women in the same city. In the last quarter of a century, there has been a profound transformation in the community, which has led to a substantial decrease in crime rates. The demographic makeup of the population has undergone a significant change, with African Americans being replaced by a predominantly Latino population. The student population at the school accurately reflects the

3 current demographic makeup of the East Palo Alto community, with a high percentage of Latino children (95%) and a large number of children from families who are eligible for free or reduced- cost lunches (90%). This demonstrates that the school is effectively serving the needs of its surrounding community. At the school, the majority of the student body is made up of Latino children, and the school does a fantastic job of embracing and celebrating this culture. The school also has a strong focus on building relationships with families and utilizing their unique knowledge and perspectives to enhance the educational experience for all children. It is unfortunate that the African American and Pacific Islander student populations at the school do not receive the same level of attention and participation as other student groups. This disparity results in a lack of support and engagement for these children, which can negatively impact their academic success and overall experience at the institution (Berger & Riojas-Cortez, 2012, p. 37). It is crucial that steps are taken to address this issue and ensure that all children, regardless of race or ethnicity, receive equal opportunities for support and growth. I have chosen this site because it emphasizes relationship-building with families and culturally responsive teaching (Berger & Riojas-Cortez, 2012, p. 49). The school is moving towards an engagement model, which is a shift from traditional involvement approaches. However, there are some areas of improvement needed in terms of the representation of minoritized groups, particularly those that are not Latino. The goal of our Parent Involvement Plan is to strengthen the relationship between the school and the minoritized groups in Palo Alto. By capitalizing on the current strengths and resources, this plan aims to foster a positive and successful partnership between the school and these communities. This will involve creating opportunities for meaningful engagement, such as workshops, events, and open forums, where

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

4 parents and caregivers can provide input and feedback on their needs and concerns. In turn, the school can use this information to improve its programs and services, ensuring that all children receive the support they need to succeed. This plan is a crucial step towards promoting inclusiveness and equity in education and will help to build a stronger and more supportive school community for everyone (Berger & Riojas-Cortez, 2012, p. 81). Action Plan Our Family Involvement Plan has a clear objective: to create robust and mutually beneficial relationships with families from diverse backgrounds, with the ultimate objective of enhancing the academic achievement of the children. This plan targets educators, administrators, and school districts and recognizes the important role that educators play in shaping their children’s futures. However, to achieve meaningful and lasting results, it is imperative that the changes made are comprehensive and encompass the entire educational system. This plan is designed to be a comprehensive and inclusive approach to promoting family involvement in education, and it is our hope that it will serve as a model for successful and equitable engagement in schools everywhere (Berger & Riojas-Cortez, 2012, p. 15). Research indicates that for significant results to be achieved, frameworks must be comprehensive, well-integrated, and sustained over time. Therefore, we believe it is crucial to communicate our ideas and strategies at the district level and to ensure that administrators at each school site are committed to upholding them. To achieve this, there needs to be a clear structure in place and specific goals that need to be met at every level, from the classroom to the district (Berger & Riojas-Cortez, 2012, p. 29). Additionally, resources, funding, and support from both the school and the community will be crucial in bringing our Family Involvement Plan to fruition. Relationship-Building

5 In order to strengthen the relationship between educators and families, it is important to maintain positive interactions and communication. Research has shown that the quality of interactions is more significant than the frequency in shaping family-school partnerships (Adams & Christenson, 2000). As a result, it is crucial to regularly send positive communication to families, even if it is not possible to have direct personal interactions with every family each day. Our plan includes a communication tracker where educators can log positive communications they have sent, including in-person interactions, phone calls, emails, or texts. This helps to ensure that all families receive positive feedback on a regular basis. At Fred's former school, they emphasized the importance of positive communication and even held staff challenges to see who could send the most positive messages to families. These messages often included pictures of the children to show that they were safe, happy, and making progress in school. To strengthen the relationship between families and schools, it is crucial to validate and celebrate the home language and culture of families. Fred's former school had made an effort to build this bridge at the classroom and school levels. Cultural and Linguistic Characteristics Collaboration The plan will establish regular communication channels by scheduling regular meetings, phone calls, or email exchanges to keep everyone informed and up-to-date on relevant issues. This will help to ensure that everyone is on the same page and can contribute to decision- making. This will help to ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals and can contribute their unique perspectives and expertise. All the responsibilities and roles of each stakeholder will be clearly defined including site administrators, general education teachers, caregivers, and medical/mental health professionals to ensure that everyone knows what is

6 expected of them and can work together more effectively. For instance, the roles of the site administrators exhibit strong leadership skills to ensure that parents have been involved (Berger & Riojas-Cortez, 2012, p. 78). Diversity of the Families The focus will be on diversity and identity where children together with their family history through self-portraits, interviews, and other activities. At the school level Palo Alto community has a high population of Latin students and African American students. For instance, Latin students are very serious about their culture, especially the Latin America Celebration and the Day of the Dead. These need to be recognized and created within the school in collaboration with parents and staff. This is one way of recognizing diversity as the Latin children will be able to learn songs and dance, and their parents will be able to cook for their kids and create exciting projects for them. There is also an effort to recognize African American and Pacific Islander cultures through the African American Celebration and the Pacific Island Celebration. Initially, these events have been lacking the same level of enthusiasm and participation as the Latin America Celebration, indicating that these groups did not receive the same level of validation and celebration. To improve this aspect of the school site plan, it is important to ensure that all groups feel represented and celebrated by allowing their parents to attend these events, especially their fathers and teach them one or two things about their culture (Berger & Riojas- Cortez, 2012, p. 20). Additionally, in order to monitor whether the distribution of the resources is even among the diverse student’s data will be collected on student outcomes, conducting surveys, and soliciting feedback from stakeholders and share with the diverse parents as well as the teachers

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

7 to identify the way forward. As there were only a limited number of African American and Pacific Islander families at the school, the school must work harder to engage with the community and seek outside resources to increase involvement and support from these groups. Community Collaboration Home visits play a crucial role in building trust and understanding between educators and diverse families. They allow educators to see children in their home environment and learn about their families' unique experiences and strengths. This understanding can then be incorporated into the classroom, making learning more relevant and engaging for children(Berger & Riojas- Cortez, 2012, p. 68). However, it's important that these visits are conducted in an authentic and respectful manner. Educators should approach these visits with an open mind, free of judgment and biases, and be ready to listen and learn from the families. By doing so, the relationships between diverse families and educators can be strengthened and the foundation for positive and productive partnerships can be established. . The utilization of culturally responsive teaching is a crucial component of our educational plan, especially for African American children who have been marginalized by the current education system in the United States (Berger & Riojas-Cortez, 2012, p. 44). The

8 overrepresentation of African American children in suspension and behavioral challenges highlights the flawed nature of the education system. In order to counteract this problem, educators must adopt new methods for effectively teaching and building trust with African American children and their families. This can be achieved through the implementation of asset- based thinking, the use of education as a tool for empowerment, the incorporation of a culturally relevant curriculum, and the adoption of a positive mindset in the classroom. Therefore, it is critical for educators to comprehend that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to teaching and they must adapt their instruction to meet the needs of all children (Berger & Riojas-Cortez, 2012, p. 47). In addition, it is crucial for educators to uninterruptedly reflect on their schooling practices and ensure their instruction is engaging and relevant to all children. Objective: to create robust and mutually beneficial relationships with families from diverse backgrounds, with the ultimate objective of enhancing the academic achievement of the children Activities Staff Task Timeline Evaluation Create educational videos/online courses on digital literacy and citizenship for students, parents, and staff. Specialists, Building Administration, Educator members Fall of 2023 begin to provide educational videos/online training modules on technology Planning during 2022-2023 Educational videos/online training modules available to the school community

9 Develop opportunities and procedures for increased parent volunteer support for schools at the secondary level school. Building level Administration, Assistant Superintendent of Operations 1. Fact-finding with parent organizations and interest survey of community members. 2. Identify volunteer opportunities at the secondary level; identify and train volunteers. 2023-2024 2024-2025 Opportunities identified and procedures developed. Volunteers identified and Trained. Increased volunteer opportunities carried out by parents in all secondary schools. Explore the development of procedures to standardize communication with the school community. Technology personnel; Building administration; Building staff; District administration Begin review of current practices and identify types of communication to standardize. Develop procedures Summer 2023 Standardized communication procedures developed were appropriate.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

10 where appropriate. References Berger, E. H., & Riojas-Cortez, M. (2012). Parents as partners in education: Families and schools working together (8th ed.). Prentice Hall.

11 Town Charts. (2023). Palo Alto California Economy Data . United States City, State, Zip Code, and County Demographics, Economy, Education, Healthcare & Housing Data. https://www.towncharts.com/California/Economy/Palo-Alto-city- CA-Economy-data.html

Parent Involvement Plan

Related Documents