Bringing Families and Elementary Schools Closer Together Bringing Families and Secondary Schools Closer Together

1) Category:
Tool

2) Issues Behind the Project:

Among a multitude of factors in young peoples success, parents involvement with their children throughout the educational process is undeniably a key factor. One of the most productive means of fostering parent involvement is to bring the family and the school closer together.

3)

!jecti"es:
Diversify collaboration between the school and the family. Bring families and school staff closer together and foster greater understanding between them. elp schools to work with parents and education partners to determine what works best in bringing all stakeholders together.

#) En"ironment:
!rimary and secondary schools

$) Target %rou&:
!ersonnel "teachers, non#teaching staff, support staff and principals$ in primary and secondary schools %chool childcare &amilies and various members of the community

') (ey )ords:

Bringing Families and Elementary Schools Closer Together, Bringing Families and Secondary Schools Closer Together, coeuraction, school-family-community partnership, guide, tool, primary, secondary, teacher, parent, inventory, questionnaire, collaboration, participation, student, academic success, communication

This factsheet was taken from the following website' www.coeureaction.(c.ca.

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*) +escri&tion:
+n the literature consulted, numbers of models were constructed to pinpoint and e,plain the factors to be taken into account in school#family collaboration. Based on this work, four areas of collaboration "focus areas$ were chosen, namely, school#family communication, parenting, parent participation in school life, and collaboration with the community in meeting the needs of families. Two distinct guides were created, one for primary schools and the other for secondary schools. Both suggest a process and instruments that foster the development of school# family#community collaboration. The guides include tools for doing an inventory of the schools practices and a (uestionnaire for parents. The compilation of the outcomes of both processes makes it possible for all stakeholders to work together to determine what family# or community#related factors the school wants to improve and strengthen. +nventory of the %chools !ractices' This tool is a discussion guide intended for all members of the school team, including the partners whose involvement in the process is deemed important. The broader the range of people consulted in the school and community, the easier it will be to choose suitable practices to adopt. -sing (uestions, reflection topics, illustrations and e,amples, the +nventory allows the school to gain an overview of its current collaborative relationship with parents with regard to each of the four focus areas and then to plan a course of action. .uestionnaire for !arents' The .uestionnaire allows parents to present their viewpoints, comments and suggestions and to e,press their needs in relation to the focus area"s$ selected by the school team. After analy/ing the parents input, the school then checks whether its practices match parents concerns and wishes. 0ater, the school can ad1ust or enhance its practices. The two instruments described above are designed to foster reflection on how school# family collaboration is faring and to choose actions to improve the situation, and not to obtain (uantifiable results. 2ach instrument comes with forms for facilitating analysis of the results obtained.

,) Ste&s:
Certain elements must !e ta-en into account !e.ore !eginning the &rocess: I/ Appoint a specific person or form a team to coordinate the process II/ 2nsure the support and active involvement of the different stakeholders III/ Assign the different tasks to staff members and possibly free them from their regular duties I0/ +dentify community partners 0/ 2nsure communication and information

1) 2cti"ities32ctions:
The pedagogical approach, inspired by community education principles, also takes it cue from the needs e,pressed by the participants. +ndividuals are seen holistically and the approach takes their learning needs into account as well as their e,perience of reality

This factsheet was taken from the following website' www.coeureaction.(c.ca.

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as parents and adults. +n other words, themes are chosen to mesh with participants interests, concerns, and aspirations. 4ompiling the results and planning the ations takes place in two phases. During phase ), the team uses the first results#analysis form to analy/e the results of the +nventory and to indicate any immediate action or measures to implement or consider. This provides the first picture of school#family collaboration. owever, the portrait is incomplete because it is based only on the school team5s perception. 6hen this phase is completed, it is itme to choose the focus area"s$ to include in the .uestionnaire in order to enhance the school5s practices. !hase 3 begins after parents have completed the .uestionnaire. -sing the second results#analysis form, those in charge of the consultation compare +nventory results with .uestionnaire results, for a picture of the points on which parents and the school team agree and disagree in order to plan how to ad1ust the school5s strategies, activities and services. The results obtained allow the school to ad1ust or possibly enhance its practices.

14) 5esources 5e6uired:

uman resources' %chool staff, including one individual or team responsible for the process 4ommunity partners "early childhood education centers, community organi/ations, municipal services, cultural groups, health and social services centers, interpreters, contacts, etc.$ &amilies7parents &inancial resources o Budget for the different activities

11) 5oles o. the Sta-eholders:

The individual or team in charge ensures that the process runs smoothly' o plans and moderates the meetings8 o is tasked to collate, analy/e and disseminate the results. %chool team, partners and families' o participate actively in consultation meetings in order to identify immediate and long#term action.

12) Scienti.ic Basis or 0alidity:

The two guides are based on the following documents' o 4onseil de la famille "3993$. 0es familles avec adolescents, entre le doute et lincertitude. 0e rapport 399)#399) sur la situation et les besoins des familles et des enfants, .u:bec, ;ouvernement du .u:bec, ))< p.

This factsheet was taken from the following website' www.coeureaction.(c.ca.

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Deslandes, >., ? -ne vis:e partenariale dans les relations entre l:cole et les familles ' compl:mentarit: de trois cadres conceptuels @, 0a revue internationale de l:ducation familiale, vol. =, no )#3, )<<<, p. =9#AB. ational !ongitudinal Survey of Children and "outh , %tatistics 4anada, )<<A. 2n(uCte sur la collaboration :cole#famille "0ise %aint#0aurent, )<<A$. 2pstein D. 0., %chool, &amily and 4ommunity !artnerships, Boulder, 4O, 6estview !ress, 399). EinistFre de l5Gducation, du 0oisir et du %port. %upporting Eontr:al %chools !rogram, .u:bec, 399=, p. )B. ;O-H2>I2E2IT D- .-GB24. T#o et#or$s% &ne &b'ective( The )evelopment of "outh, *greement for the complementarity of services bet#een the health and social services net#or$ and the education net#or$ , Eessage from the Einisters, .u:bec, 399=. %chool and &amily !artnerships' %urveys and %ummaries, D. 0. 2pstein and J. 4. %alinas ")<<=$, Dohn opkins -niversity.

o o o o o

13/ Project 7aterial:

Bringing &amilies and 2lementary %chools 4loser Together' o 4ompanion ;uide, which includes ' +nventory of the %chools !ractices .uestionnaire for !arents >esults#Analysis &orms >elated to the .uestionnaire for !arents o ;uidelines for -sing the .uestionnaire for !arents Bringing &amilies and %econdary %chools 4loser Together' o 4ompanion ;uide, which includes ' +nventory of the %chools !ractices .uestionnaire for !arents >esults#Analysis &orms >elated to the .uestionnaire for !arents

1#) 2dditional In.ormation :

The two guides complement %upporting Eontr:al %chools !rogram and %trat:gie dintervention Agir Autrement

1$) Contact:
%upporting Eontr:al %chools !rogram =B=B, rue %herbrooke 2st, Ae :tage, aile Ouest Eontr:al ".u:bec$ )K =B= Tel.' *)A *<L#B<BB &a, ' *)A *<L#L=*L 2mail' richercMcsdm.(c.ca 6ebsite "in &rench$ ' http'77www.mels.gouv.(c.ca7conseillers# pedagogi(ues7integration7milieu#defavorise7ecole#montrealaise7
This factsheet was taken from the following website' www.coeureaction.(c.ca. !age A of *

&rance ;adoury, !rofessional 4ontact Direction des services :ducatifs compl:mentaires et de l5intervention en milieu d:favoris: EinistFre de l5Gducation, du 0oisir et du %port 2mail' france.gadouryMmels.gouv.(c.ca 6ebsite "in &rench$' http'77www.mels.gouv.(c.ca7conseillers# pedagogi(ues7integration7milieu,#defavorises7agir#autrement7

This factsheet was taken from the following website' www.coeureaction.(c.ca.

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