MD6AssignErnstD

docx

School

Walden University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

6640

Subject

Sociology

Date

Jan 9, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by dernst1964

Educational Reform and the Family Dynamic Dianne Marie Ernst Walden University Judith L. Byers, M.Ed. EDUC 6640-3 Designing Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment October 15, 2017

2 There is an African proverb that states it takes a village to raise a child. This saying is at the heart of my teaching philosophy and the foundation of the school, family, and community partnerships to help support student success. Not only can students achieve more with this partnership, but the community will reap the benefits as well. It helps promote positive social change that can make improvements in the lives of individuals, local communities, and even around the world (Walden University, 2014). So why have community and parent involvement in students' education? First, research shows that cooperation between schools, families, and communities can lead to student academic achievement (Maša & Mila, 2017). Secondly, today's schools have a diverse student body, and schools need to understand the demographics of our community to serve them better and to provide the necessary support for the community. The students of today are the world partners of tomorrow. If we instill collaboration, cooperation, and acceptance of diversity in today’s students, we will reap the benefits in the future. When a group of school, family, and community stakeholders work together to build the learning environment, positive relationships are formed among the stakeholders. Although involvement may mean different things to each stakeholder, the result is a decrease in achievement gaps that help "build strengths and resilience in children to enhance their academic, personal, social, and college-career outcomes" (Bryan & Henry, 2012). Successful partnerships are not a one-and-done project nor are they programs that are added on to existing programs. Instead, they are integrated into the school's overall goals. What is this paper titled "Home and School Compact" that came home the first week of school? This paper provides a meaningful way for the school, parents, and students to see what each of their responsibilities are in student education and open a dialogue between all

3 members. Compacts list the specific actions that parents, students, and teachers take to improve student performance; are linked to current school improvement plans; and are grounded in achievement data (Henderson, Carson, Avallone & Whipple, 2011). They are a federal requirement of all Title 1 schools who receive additional funding due to a high percentage of low socio-economic status population. Additionally, it confirms that parents have responsibility for their students’ learning and are allowed to have input that effects school planning thus permitting a more real-world, community based learning environment (Hensen, 2015). Our compact states "All children can learn and each student is a valued individual with unique physical, social, emotional, and intellectual needs" (Bainbridge Elementary. (n.d. b). This statement is the start of goal setting for the students, school, and the community for the betterment of education and collaboration with and among stakeholders. How does our school build relationships with families and communities? One of Bainbridge Elementary School’s goals is to build trust and relationships to collaborate with families and community members effectively (Bainbridge Elementary, n.d. a ). Maintaining an open dialogue with families and easy access to information allows families to feel that they have a say in their children’s learning. Families are the first teachers of the students we serve. We need to collaborate to make each child successful and gain self-efficacy. One way the school is providing a way to create trust and family involvement is by establishing a Family Involvement Team (FIT) that is comprised of administrators, teachers, PTO family members, and community organizations. FIT provides various after school or evening events to promote fun, interactive educational activities for families. These activities may be academically related or may provide various outreach programs for the families. In keeping up with changing family dynamics, we do not limit families to just parents but encourage grandparents and other caretakers to participate as

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 well. On our school website, there is a Family Involvement survey allows families to indicate which activities have been successful and they would like to have us provide again; what kind of events they would like to see us add; and which activities they did not find helpful or engaging. FIT analyzes this data so we can provide the services and activities that correlate with family needs and interests. Where does the community fit into all of this? Organizations play an important role in facilitating social engagement and promoting the well-being of students, families, and schools (Walden University, 2014). While establishing community involvement in school improvement creates an educational climate to meet the needs of students better, the resources should be within the students’ communities to promote civic awareness (Bukoski, Lewis, Carpenter, Berry & Sanders, 2015). Although students may feel a greater sense of belonging to their immediate communities, outreach programs, guest speakers, and collaboration with colleges and universities open the doors to new experiences for students, families, and schools. These unique experiences may facilitate student exploration into fields of study or other interests that they may not have exposure to otherwise. It may create feelings or responsibility, empathy, or community awareness. Our community provides many services for our school by donating school supplies and equipment, providing reading programs though Cecil County Library, and food distribution for students. Additionally, the 4-H club, Fair Hill Nature Center, and Cecil County School of Technology provide free programs to enhance the Common Core State Standards lessons taught in school. By providing these services, the community helps strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning. So why do schools try to promote school, family and community relationships? In part, we have to. We don't just do this because No Child Left Behind mandates it, but because we

5 know it is the right thing to do. Time again, research shows that a close relationship with families, schools, and communities help students experience academic success in all aspects of learning regardless of the diverse backgrounds of students. Everyone is a stakeholder when it comes to student learning and achievement. Students are encouraged to be successful and can experience how people and local businesses and organizations can combine ideas, resources, and time to support each other. In turn, we are promoting civic awareness. How can you learn more? As a 21st-century school, we provide many ways for students, families, and the community to stay informed. Look for our monthly newsletters, informational fliers, updated website, and even like us on Facebook. Where do we go from here? Tom Haig (2014) stated that stable connections between schools, families, and communities are crucial to the success of the broad social mission of education. Bainbridge Elementary School has a high concentration of students who receive free and reduced meals (FARM). Historically low socio-economic families tend to not participate in school functions as often as middle-class families for a variety of reasons. One of the goals that the school and I have is to target those families and increase their involvement in school functions. One way to encourage family involvement for the FARM population is to provide an in-school food pantry during school functions. Students and families will benefit from educational and social support and will also have the opportunity to supplement their dietary needs. By combining the efforts of local farms, farmers markets, and other donations from businesses, food would be available to subsidize the dwindling food supply that occurs by month end. It is a win-win for all involved. And what a better way to show that it takes a village to raise a child.

6 References Bainbridge Elementary. (n.d. a). Retrieved October 14, 2017, from https://www.ccps.org/Bain Bainbridge Elementary. (n.d. b). Retrieved October 14, 2017, from https://www.ccps.org/domain/523/Title%201%20Compact.pdf Bukoski, B. E., Lewis, T. C., Carpenter, B. W., Berry, M. S., & Sanders, K. N. (2015). The Complexities of Realizing Community: Assistant Principals as Community Leaders in Persistently Low-Achieving Schools. Leadership & Policy In Schools , 14 (4), 411-436. doi:10.1080/15700763.2015.1021053 Bryan, J., & Henry, L. (2012). A Model for Building School-Family-Community Partnerships: Principles and Process. Journal Of Counseling And Development , (4), 408-420. doi:10.1002/j.1556-6676.2012.00052.x Haig, T. (2014). Equipping schools to fight poverty: A community hub approach. Educational Philosophy And Theory , 46 (9), 1018-1035. Henderson, A. T., Carson, J., Avallone, P., & Whipple, M. (2011). Making the most of school- family compacts. Educational Leadership , 68 (8), 48-53. Henson, K. T. (2015). Curriculum planning: Integrating multiculturalism, constructivism, and education reform (5th ed.). Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press Maša, D., & Mila, B. (2017). Parental involvement as an important factor for successful education. Center For Educational Policy Studies Journal, Vol 7, Iss 3, Pp 137-153. Walden University (2014). Social Change Impact Report. Retrieved from https://www.waldenu.edu/-/media/Walden/files/about-walden/2014-

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 social-change-impact-report.pdf?la=en

Related Documents

Peer Assessments.docx

HCA460 Week 2 Quiz 21 out of 30.docx

WEEK2_ASSGN_FultonS.docx

WEEK3-ASSGN-Fulton.S.docx

observation 4.docx

MD1AssignErnstD.docx

Copy of Cultural Competence in the Classroom.docx

Soleil Dixon-Widman Clinical Field Experience B_ Administering, Analyzing, and Applying Assessment

Soleil Dixon-Widman Clinical Field Experience C_ Roles and Responsibilities of the Special Educator.

Soleil Dixon-Widman Determining the Least Restrictive Environment.docx

Selena__Kisnasawmy_HIS_200__Applied_History-8.docx

Wk2 Discussion.docx

Recommended textbooks for you

Social Psychology (10th Edition)

Sociology

ISBN:9780134641287

Author:Elliot Aronson, Timothy D. Wilson, Robin M. Akert, Samuel R. Sommers

Publisher:Pearson College Div

Introduction to Sociology (Eleventh Edition)

Sociology

ISBN:9780393639407

Author:Deborah Carr, Anthony Giddens, Mitchell Duneier, Richard P. Appelbaum

Publisher:W. W. Norton & Company

The Basics of Social Research (MindTap Course Lis...

Sociology

ISBN:9781305503076

Author:Earl R. Babbie

Publisher:Cengage Learning

Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Scien...

Sociology

ISBN:9780134477596

Author:Saferstein, Richard

Publisher:PEARSON

Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach (13th Edition)

Sociology

ISBN:9780134205571

Author:James M. Henslin

Publisher:PEARSON

Society: The Basics (14th Edition)

Sociology

ISBN:9780134206325

Author:John J. Macionis

Publisher:PEARSON

SEE MORE TEXTBOOKS

Recommended textbooks for you

Social Psychology (10th Edition)
Sociology
ISBN:9780134641287
Author:Elliot Aronson, Timothy D. Wilson, Robin M. Akert, Samuel R. Sommers
Publisher:Pearson College Div
Introduction to Sociology (Eleventh Edition)
Sociology
ISBN:9780393639407
Author:Deborah Carr, Anthony Giddens, Mitchell Duneier, Richard P. Appelbaum
Publisher:W. W. Norton & Company
The Basics of Social Research (MindTap Course Lis...
Sociology
ISBN:9781305503076
Author:Earl R. Babbie
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Scien...
Sociology
ISBN:9780134477596
Author:Saferstein, Richard
Publisher:PEARSON
Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach (13th Edition)
Sociology
ISBN:9780134205571
Author:James M. Henslin
Publisher:PEARSON
Society: The Basics (14th Edition)
Sociology
ISBN:9780134206325
Author:John J. Macionis
Publisher:PEARSON