Building effective partnerships with parents requires utilization of
diverse communication strategies.
Productive partnership is an outcome of teachers and parents engaging in
a collaborative exchange of ideas that is more than simply sharing assessment
and instruction information (Shapley
& Case, 2004). Diverse communication strategies requires
knowledge of two-way compared to one-way communication strategies (Barbour and
Barbour, 2001; Berger, 2000; Townsend,
2009). While one-way
communication strategies such as newsletters, school handbooks, and progress
reports, help to keep parents informed about school activities and policies,
effective partnership with parents requires proficiency with two-way communication
strategies.
The reality that problems
exist for families, regardless of their socioeconomic
status (SES),
is indisputable. A social justice mindset recognizes social conditions
creating an opportunity gap are leading indicators in education and must be
addressed if we ever want to truly mitigate the trailing indicator known as the
achievement gap. Mehlinger
(1995) posits, “If America’s poor children could be provided
the same conditions for growing up, including the same quality of schools, as
those afforded to middle-class suburban youth, we would have no crisis (in
education) at all” (p. 27).
Results of the Program
for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC)
international average distribution of literacy skills identify the opportunity
gap rather than an achievement gap as the major factor to be considered in
educational reform. PIAAC results show the United States had a
larger comparative percentage of adults performing at both the top and bottom
of the distribution. Thirteen percent of
U.S. adults age 16-65 performed at the highest proficiency level (4/5) on the
PIAAC literacy scale. This was higher
than the international average of 12 percent.
Yet, 18 percent of U.S. adults performed at the lowest level of the
PIAAC literacy scale (at or below Level 1), which was higher than the
international average of 16 percent.
The National Assessment
of Adult Literacy (NAAL) defines literacy as the use of “printed and written
information to function in society, to achieve one's goals, and to develop
one's knowledge and potential.” Average
scores on the PIAAC
literacy scale for adults age 16 to 65 ranged from 250 in Italy to 296 in
Japan. The U.S. average score was
270. Compared with the U.S. average
score, the average scores in 12 countries were higher. In 5 countries they were lower. In other 5 countries they were not
significantly different.
The
Elementary
and Secondary Education Act’s (1965) and its subsequent reauthorizations
(NCLB, 2001; ESSA, 2010) emphasized closing the achievement gap. The PIAAC results (2012/2014) indicate a
statistical significant change compared to the Adult Literacy and Lifeskills Survey
(ALL, 2003-08). However, PIAAC results
were not significantly different than the score on the International
Adult Literacy Survey (IALS, 1994-98). Metrics, including those
mentioned above have sought to quantify gaps in achievement. However,
perhaps it is more crucial to examine the qualitative experiences found in
diverse populations that lead to an opportunity gap.
The
seven correlates of Effective
Schools Research (Lezotte & Snyder, 2011) address the leading indicators
of learning. Schools that interdependently implement Effective Schools
Research optimize the learning for all mission regardless of SES
factors. Since we all desire to make a difference for our
future students, it is time to embrace the reality that the most effective way
to mitigate the adverse impact of a lack of opportunity is to ensure public
schools are culturally responsive, capable of emotional nurturance, AND staffed
by highly qualified educators prepared to deliver the curricula. Maslow (1959) initially
referred to basic needs as “deficiency needs” that must be satisfied BEFORE
growth can occur (p.125). The essential basic needs of anyone in a
classroom: love and belonging, can be addressed by implementation of effective
differentiation and Response
for (Reading) Interventions, which
mitigates failure. The results of educational failure in early childhood
education includes:
- Dropping out
in later years at 3-4 times greater rates is correlated with children who
have not developed some basic literacy skills by the time they enter
school (National Adult Literacy Survey, (2001) NCES, U.S. Department of
Education).
- More than 20
percent of adults read at or below a fifth-grade level. This is far
below the level needed to earn a living wage (National Institute for
Literacy, Fast Facts on Literacy, 2001).
- Approximately
50 percent of the nation's unemployed youth, age 16-21, are functional
illiterate. Given this they have virtually no prospects of obtaining
good jobs (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
- Illiteracy is
a variable in 75% of those on welfare, 85% of unwed mothers and 68% of
those arrested are illiterate. About 60% of America's prison inmates
are illiterate (Washington Literacy Council).
- Illiteracy
and crime are closely related. The Department of Justice states, "The
link between academic failure and delinquency, violence, and crime is welded
to reading failure." Over 70% of inmates in America's
prisons cannot read above a fourth grade level.
The link between reading failure in the early elementary
grades and failure in society is profound. Sixty-six percent (66%) of students
who cannot proficiently read by the end of 4th grade will become
involved in jail or on welfare. More than five million U.S. children (7%)
had a parent who lived with them go to jail or prison. This proportion is
higher among black, poor, and rural children. This creates a cycle that
only a social justice mindset can begin to mitigate. To promote the
common good, highly qualified, culturally responsive teachers must willingly
exhibit emotional awareness to nurture effective partnerships with students and
their parents.
Some teachers
may seem naturally comfortable building partnership with parents with little
apparent effort. However, the reality is
they more likely mastered emotional
intelligence skills and are aware of
personal needs in relation to social dynamics.
These teachers exhibit genuine interest in the parents’ point of
view. They exhibit effective
communication strategies and willing use two-way communication skills for
building parental partnerships.
Most prospective
teachers need to develop these skills for building effective parent
partnership. Awareness of a need is
insufficient to ensure implementation of effective practice. Simulations and multimedia case studies can
build the teacher candidate’s self-efficacy.
Research
by Walker and Dotger (2011) identifies the advantages of such a
process for optimizing this essential correlate of Effective
Schools Research.
Teacher preparation
programs need to offer this type of professional development. Otherwise, teacher candidates will continue
to enter the classroom ill-prepared for embracing and optimizing the
home-school correlate. Twenty-first
century tools such as avatar simulations and multimedia case studies can
supplement Clinically
Rich Teacher Preparation Programs.
A better relationship between teachers and parents results
in more dialogue, improved school climate, and increased student achievement
(Purkey & Novak, 2016). Knowing this,
effective
leaders plan for teachers’ professional development needs and encourage
utilization of action
research to improve instruction and classroom assessment
(Marzano & Waters, 2009) as well as optimal home-school relationships.
To cite:
Anderson, C.J. (March 30, 2018) Building
effective parental partnerships to help close the opportunity gap
References:
Anderson, C.J. (2016). A correlational study
examining demonstrated emotional
Barbour, C. & Barbour, N. H. (2001). Families, schools and
communities: Building partnerships
for educating children. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.
Berger, E. H. (2000). Parents as partners in education. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Merrill
Prentice Hall.
Lezotte,
L. W., & Snyder, K. M. (2011). What effective schools do:
Re-envisioning the
correlates. Bloomington, IN:
Solution Tree Press.
Marzano,
R. & Waters, T. (2009). District leadership that
works. Bloomington,
IN: Solution
Tree Press
Purkey,
W. W., & Novak, J. M. (2016). Fundamentals
of invitational education. (2nd Ed).
International
Alliance for Invitational Education. Retrieved from: http://invitationaleducation.net/product/category/books
Shapley, K.L. & Case, B.J. (2004) Building partnerships with
parents. Retrieved from
Walker,
J.M.T., & Dotger, B.
(2012). Because wisdom can’t be told: Using comparison of
simulated
parent-teacher conferences to support prospective educators’ interpersonal
skill
development.
Journal of Teacher
Education 63 (1): 62-75. Retrieved
from
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