I have observed how parental/guardian communication seems to be less of a focus in secondary schools, where students usually work more independently. Yet, in his meta-study, William Jeynes (2007) found that there is a positive correlation between parental involvement and urban secondary student achievement. This correlation holds constant across the entire secondary student population, including minority students. Jeynes clarifies, however, that at the secondary level, parental involvement does not mean parental attendance at the school. What makes an impact on academic achievement, he states, are the more “subtle aspects of parental involvement such as parental style and expectations” (p. 100). So, while a syllabus may not bring parents/guardians into the school, it may help reinforce their expectations of their children, by allowing them to understand what the course entails and what support is available to both my students and their parents.
This syllabus is strong evidence piece for TRB Standard 4 because it explains how parents can communicate with me, and that I am always available to both students and parents/guardians for extra help and support. The syllabus also outlines how often and through what medium I will be providing feedback. As TRB Standard 4 indicates, it is important that parents receive information in a timely manner. Parents/guardians will receive the syllabus at the beginning of the semester, as well as continuous feedback throughout the semester. |
This evidence piece for TRB Standard 4, “Educators value the involvement and support of parents and guardians, families and communities in schools,” is an Action Team for Partnerships (ATP) meeting I attended at my practicum placement school in district 48. As a means of building connectedness, parents, students, community members, and school staff were invited to the school for a Saturday workshop to develop a one-year action plan to increase the school’s engagement with the community. We followed Epstein’s (2009) School, Family, and Community Partnerships Action Plan, concentrating on six types of involvement: parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and collaborating with the community. Together, we recognized what the school is already doing well and in what areas we can improve. We identified some long term goals for each type of involvement and then spent the afternoon establishing an action plan focusing on two of the types of involvement: communicating and collaborating with the community.
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