Row 1: Cris Whitehead (NNPS Key Contact), Stephanie Ward, and Mary Canchola (NNPS Key Contact). Row 2: Maria Gutierrez, Mayra Hernandez, Francisca Gonzalez, and Bridgette Stanciel.
Strategic Learning Initiatives (SLI), a two-time NNPS Partnership Organization Award winner, provides schools with technical assistance on Shared Leadership, Professional Development, and Parent Engagement. Its Parent Engagement Program Workshops, parent leadership training, celebrations, and other events are planned collaboratively with the Action Teams for Partnerships in three collaborating schools. SLI provides orientation sessions and monthly meetings to facilitate the schools’ Action Teams for Partnerships, and fosters a local “network” (Pilsen Education Network) so that the schools can share ideas about parent workshops and other effective partnership practices.
In 2006, the schools designed and conducted several workshops for English- and Spanish-speaking parents. For example, parent leaders worked with math teachers on a workshop for parents on Place Value, including math materials that parents could use to see how their children learn this important concept. Other schools now may implement the planned and tested workshop. The workshops and all activities are linked to goals in the schools’ Improvement Plans.
End-of-year evaluations and other tools are used to help the school teams decide whether to continue, improve, or eliminate activities from year to year. For example, to improve outreach to parents who typically did not attend workshops, one school showed videos of prior workshops at Open House, answered parents questions about workshops, acknowledged parents’ attendance at workshops, and worked with teachers to send thank you notes to attendees.
Data indicated that 50% of parents at the three schools attended workshops in 2006; 76 parents attended 8 or more workshops; and 26 parents attended all 14 workshops that were offered. Of 81 parents who completed an end-of-year survey in May 2006, 90% reported that they improved their parenting skills and involvement activities because of the workshops, with many saying that they learned to listen, praise, and work with their children at home. Teachers at one school reported that students whose parents attended workshops were taking “more pride in their schoolwork.”
SLI also worked with the schools and parent leaders to learn if parents used workshop materials at home. At each workshop, parents shared whether and how materials from prior workshops were used at home with their children. One end-of-year celebration honored parents who attended workshops in 2006 with a luncheon at the Mexican Fine Arts Museum in Chicago.
To assess its own work, SLI conducts an organization “retreat” to review activities that were conducted and to plan for the next school year. SLI aims to scale up assistance to more schools in the area.
First, I would encourage [other organizations] to check out the wealth of information, resources, and networking opportunities at the NNPS website. Second, I would inform them of the importance of attending the Leadership Development Conference in Baltimore in October. Third, I would explain that NNPS is a nationally known research-based organization. Finally, I would tell them how valuable membership has been for SLI. By being a member, you eliminate isolation – there is always someone to help and support you, answer your questions, provide information, and share materials to help you plan and evaluate your program.
For more information, visit Strategic Learning Initiatives at www.strategiclearninginitiatives.org. See the summary of SLI’s Partnership Organization Award in 2005 on the website, www.partnershipschools.org in the section Success Stories.