Oh I love this idea! I think hearing questions and concerns straight from the staff is a great idea. The teachers are able to get answers quickly and ask follow up questions if needed.

Open communication between all group is vital to make the school district a positive one.

When all of the issues are able to be settled before they get to individual schools then the school and teacher are able to provide students with their education. If school districts are able to focus on academics this will entice other families to come to the school district that strives in academics.

This danger zone statement is one that will tear a county apart. The teachers will stand together and ruin the school board.

Unfortunately I have seen where individuals forget this question. I feel certain individuals have their own plan without doing what is best for the child. We need to definitely start asking this question more.

If this is how the school board and superintendent act, this is only going to filter down to staff then to students then the community. This is going to cause a lot of issues for the entire community.

This is such a powerful statement! I feel as though this should be the mentality of everyone in education.

I think professional development to board members is great idea. I was just recently thinking the school board needs to be held responsible attending PD put on school board associattions.

Unfortunately about 5 years ago this was an issue for my school district. The board of education had some members siding with the superintendent and while others were not. This made for a very toxic environment.

I couldn’t agree more with this statement. Board members need to work with other county staff than just the superintendents and directors. I always invited the board members into my classroom.

When the school board and superintendent's focus is on the students and academics there will be more positive outcomes in the school district.

There should be a system in place for the board president and superintendent to relay information to the community.

I feel as though the same board member members should not hold the same position for several years (8 +). School boards need fresh eyes and ideas to improve the school district.

I am curious on how this would work since the school board positions are elected positions.

Oh I really like this statement! Ther are times individuals forget that they are part of a group and it is not just their individual motive.

I feel as though this should be the focus of not just the superintendent and board but the directors and board also. If everyone is working together it is only going to benefit students and staff.

Now that the school board members and superintendent have a good relationship the county is moving in a more positive direction.

Our school board should have expectations for the school system. However the district is not able to be held to those high standards then the board members needs to sit down with staff for a conversation. I feel as though the school board needs to meet with directors and staff in the school buildings.

I have unfortunately seen this happen with past superintendents and past school board members. While this was going on we saw a decline in student enrollment and teachers.

I feel like this is how the school board members and all directors should be with each other.

This is the biggest barrier for many schools. The funds are tight especially with decreasing enrollement.

This would be a great resource given to students at the end of their junior year. If a student does not have a supportive person in their life, they are able to still do everything independently.

Having students participate in public speaking is beneficial due to students lacking those social skills.

I would love to see more colleges off this to high school students. I feel kids need to know what the field is really like before they spend time taking classes in college for it.

If students do not have support of families to motivated them for a better future they may have someone in the community who supports them. As educators we have to remember not everyone has the same family support.

This is something we need to make sure our teams are doing. If a program is not working there is no sense in the program to keep going.

This is something our county never had to deal with. Families spoke English as their first language. In the past few wears we have families who have enrolled in our district who first language is Spanish and Arabic. We have had to adapt items in our schools to have both English language and the other language posted in our buildings. .

Each student needs different things to be successful is the same for schools needing different things to be successful.

I feel this needs to be stressed more. Having family and community partnerships are valuable to the school. I know one schools whose dynamics are completely different and I feel it is because their is no family and community partnership in the building.

This is difficult for schools to do. One issue is getting the parents to actually commit to volunteering. The next issue is making sure the parents are responsible during their volunteering time.

Block scheduling is so much better for students to get more experiences out of their classes. The high school had block scheduling when I was in high school but now it has periods. I would like to see the difference in attendance, grades, and test scores between periods and blocks.

This is perfect! Students need to realize that not everyone comes from the same environment. This will allow students to have better understanding for each other.

If students were able to use what they were interested in to complete assignments I am sure they were able to get more participation out of the student.

If we see students doing what they need to be doing we need to celebrate those achievements. Students do not need to be provided with big awards. They can just get a shout out on morning announcements.

Students today do not have the conversational skills like before. They communicate through texting or Snapchatting. They have very few actual conversations with individuals.

I love this!!! I talk about doing professional development in small groups so we can conduct the trainings on a more personal level and have conversations.

In order for students to enjoy learning we have know what the student is interested in and what their achievement level is. We will be able to create lessons with topics students like to make them more enjoyable.

This statement is perfect! We cannot rely on the state or federal government to make education better. We need start focusing on our schools and how we can improve it for our students.

Then why do they have regular classes and honor classes? Everyone should be in honors then.

How are they assessing the honors class and regular class the same way when they do not have the same material. This would not be fair to the students in the regular classroom. That is setting them up for failure.

Pg: 38 Studies show that when teams take time to evaluate, their schools are more likely to improve the overall quality of their partnership programs.

After going through the entire process to collect data why would you not take the time to go over the data. That is just a waste of your time and the families time who filled it out. This data is what is going to drive your future programs and activities.

Pg: 38 Create Local Questionnaires. School teams and other education leaders may create their own surveys of parents, students, and/or teachers to gather ideas for improvements or to evaluate specific programs and practices of family and community engagement.

If you are not able to find a survey you like you may need to create your own to make sure there is one tailored to the needs of your area.

Page 34: Short exit evaluations

This is great way to get feedback from individuals. This is not something they are going to need to do at home or tae much time. They can fill it out on the way out the door.

Page 33: Steps in evaluating partnership programs and practices

When planning engagement activities you have to evaluate the program to see if it is was presented the way it was supposed to. I have seen programs planned perfectly but the delivery was not productive.

Page 33: Evaluate the quality of teamwork and the implementation of activities.

This is important to remember especially when working in a group. If you have someone who is constantly taking charge but does not follow through with anything you may need to have discussion with that individual. They may be better suited for another area.

Page 33: Implement practices using 2 framework of six types of involvement zo engage parents and the community in different way und places.

If you are able to have to have each of the 6 types of involvement then your action plan is going make sure you are meeting the needs in different ways.

Page 33: Write a plan

When meeting as a team it is beneficial to write out the one year action team to make sure you staying focused and prepared for activities coming up.

Page 32: Answers to these questions also should help schools identify next steps to continually improve the school climate, increase the number of families engaged in their children’s education at school and at home, and increase student success in school

If you are not able to get these answer from the survey given to the families you may need to reevaluate the survey given. You may need to adapt survey to meet the needs of the families for example if you have a parent who cannot read you may need to read it to them or have a digital copy that can read it to the individual.

Page 31: I think it is important to recognize that some students may not have family support but they do have members of the community who may be their support. (Example: Coach, Pastor, Neighbor, Employer)

Page 32: family involvement helps students improve achievement, attendance, promotion to the next grade, and rates of graduation from high school

It does not matter if you come from the most prestige family in the community if you do not have family involvement the student will struggle with academics, attendance, and graduation.

I think every district has a goal of a coherent instructional system but there are always going to be factors that negatively impact the system. Financials are usually the one that impacts instructional systems the most.

This seems to be a big issue for a lot of school districts to be able to implement programs effectively.

We are never going to be able to say this is how we are going to teach our students and never change. The materials have to change and be updated as new research results are published. We also have to change depending on how students learn.

When beginning to implement a program it is important to remind yourself you are not going to see reliable results for a few years. The first few years teachers will be working out the glitches of teaching. They will be working on teaching with fidelity.

Meeting to make sure resources and individuals are aligning are helpful to make adjustments as time goes on. Waiting until the end of the time to review issues you may have been wasting time and resources.

I feel this important because when taking on a director role you do not want to change anything. However if something is not working why are we going to keep putting energy into it if it is not helping.

This whole model is how our Success For All reading program is laid out. I have seen it have great success with our students.

This is something we need to get back to focusing on. We have students with social emotional needs. The staff members need to make sure we are also helping students work through situations. If we are not able to help with social emotional needs then the academics are not going to come along.

I know staff has become frustrated because materials are not in or a program is not working correctly. We have to realize that these glitches are not always the board offices fault. We may order materials in a timely manner but the shipping is delayed on the companies side.

I feel this is an important factor at this time. Due to covid we have seen the gap widen back open again. We are now trying again to close that gap again.

As much as a school system we would just love to start implementing a program we have to stop and look at all factors. We have to make sure we are following policies and making sure the funding is there also.

This is a big focus for the students I work with. I try hard in making sure students are have access to community support to help with social emotional needs. I refer a lot of students to our school based health center for counseling.

Unfortunately we are in a time where we have a shortage of teachers. We need to focus on recruiting teachers and staff to help fill those positions especially in special education.

I know the principals are evaluated by the superintendent but why can’t the staff fill out a form for the superintendent to review. This will allow the superintendent to get feedback from the people who work with the principal day in day out.

If a school district wants specific results then they are going to need to provide the staff with what they need to produce their results.

I think it is important to have each member of the school system understand the importance in the role of students succeeding. The individuals who do not have direct contact with students need to understand how they are an important factor for student success.

This mindset has to change. I worked in a building where the staff would say well when this teacher was here this is how we used to do it. It did not make for a good environment for the school.

Looking at a few strategies will make it easier to look at data. The data will also be gathered with more fidelity. The staff will not be overwhelmed with many different strategies being implemented.

Communicating with staff about how you want your staff to improve student outcomes is important especially for buy-in from staff.

I think this is where we start to see the fall within the school and whole school system. The school or school district wants to improve a specific area but begins to implement too may initiatives at one time. You are not able to see which one is actually working.

If parents know a routine of scheduled homework this will make them more comfortable completing homework.

If teachers send videos on how to complete the homework this will help the parents feel more confident.

I can definitely see how homework and achievement has stronger link. Students in high school are going to have homework to prepare them for college.

It takes a village to help a student. There are areas that offer after school tutoring at churches and business. Schools will offer after school tutoring for students. Parents offer homework help to their child.

This is how homework should be thought of. I know trying to get information from kids about their school day. Having the student and parent communicate more is a positive for both.

I think funding is the driving factor for a lot of programs the county looks at.

I feel in elementary homework should only be for completing class assignments that were not completed or practicing fact fluency or sight words.

Family dynamics are so different now compared to 10 years ago. Parents are working more to provide to the family financially which means they kids may be a babysitter or relative in the evening. Some parents may not see their child until the next morning before they go to school.

This statement touches on one of the important concepts of the social and emotional and cognitive cost and benefits of homework. Assigning busy work is just go to cause even more trouble.

I have students who hold it all together at school are crashing at home because it is their safe place. Homework is then a huge struggle for the parents. I have so many parents say home work that should take at max an hour is taking two to three hours.

Each year your needs are going to be different. You will need to continue to meet to discuss how you can address that year's needs.

Every school does not have need that another school may have. Meeting to address common needs and specific needs will help to make involvement more successful.

Our middle school hosts family math nights to play games based on what the students are learning in class. They are also able to see how the math is being instructed.

Working in all the schools in the district I see a significant decline in parent involvement as students continue to move forward in their education. Parents are always attending IEP meetings in elementary but parent attendance decreases as they get older. In high school it is very rare we actually have parent show up or answer the phone for an IEP meeting.

This is something our school district should have done what switching from LiveGrades to Schoology. There have been such a negative response from parents regarding Schoology. I feel like we rolled it out at a bad time because our state system was not working so they were not able to sync. I think I am going to recommend we send out some type of informational sheet with step by step directions. It should also include screenshots. We have significant about of Grandparents raising their grandchildren. This would be extremely beneficial for them.

In so many of my graduate classes, there is an emphasis on talking to the parents without acronyms. We get in this Habbit of talking in acronyms with our colleagues. The parents have no clue what we are saying when start talking in acronyms. As soon as I read this I though about our schools having a night to go over test score to help the parents understand what the reports are saying and what they can do to help their child.

The Communities in Schools should have report they submit monthly to the board of education. This will help the board members know what is being implemented to increase family and community engagement.

I love this idea. We recognize students for athletics and academics but don't recognize the community engagement. I would love to start seeing this happen at our school board meetings. The community engagement needs to be recognized for their support.

This something our school district has started implementing the last few years. We are giving rewards out for attendance, positive behavior, test scores, and academic success. I feel we are seeing a positive response for our efforts in recognize students and the competitions we have put in place.

As I began reading this sentence I was thinking how true this is. The freshman do not understand that if they fail a class they have to retake it. They fail English 9 which results in taking English 9 and English 10 the following year.We work with them their freshman year working on credit recovery. This is were they start to become overwhelmed. They are doubled up on courses. The get in this snowball effect with having so many core classes that they end up dropping out their junior or senior year.

Our alternative school hosts parent conferences during the year. Since these students are in middle and high school the parent attendance is usually low. However, the families get a meal, talk with teachers, student show what they are working on and the student get to leave with the parent when it is over. The big incentive for this event is that the students get to leave with the parents after the conference is over. They love that they get to leave school early. We have seen parents attend who did not attend meetings previously.

Our middle school starts at 5th grade. We have a move up day in the county. Our 4th grade students go to middle school to meet their homeroom teachers, hear from the principals, and school counselors. The same activity occurs at the high school level.

This was something we have also started implementing for Pre-School. Parents can register their pre-school student online for school.

Our school district offers Pre-K and Kindergarten orientation where the parents get to hear from the principals about the expectations and procedures. The students get to their teacher and complete an activity in the classroom with their new classmates.

Child Care is a a huge selling points to bring families in for activities. If the sibling is performing in an activity the parents would be able to focus on the child while the other children are being watched. I have volunteers who are providing child care to my Special Education Support Group Meetings.

Providing food is a huge way to get families to attend activities. There is never any food left over. It does even have to be a full meal but something small will bring them in to attend the activity.

I feel this is something we are struggling with. We have parents who have blocked the schools number so they don't have to receive calls from the school during the day. I have attended so many IEP meetings were we have sent at least 3-5 meeting notices home that never get returned. We call the parents on the day of the meeting multiple times and they don't answer. In middle school and high school we have students attend those meetings and you can see the disappointment on the child's face when the parent does not answer.

This year I had a student who transferred to us from homeschool. He is on the Autism Spectrum and out in all General Education Classrooms. He didn't have lunch with his sister. I knew he needed someone he could eat lunch with and understand his quirkiness. I was able to match him up with another student who is also on the Autism Spectrum. It has been a perfect match!

A few weeks before school starts I host one on one tours for students who are transitioning to a new school who has an IEP or 504 Plan. For the middle school and high school students we walk through their schedule, meet any staff in the building, and check out their locker. At the elementary level we walk through the building check out the fine arts classrooms, their classroom and the room if they have any related services.

I wanted to highlight the whole paragraph on this activity. I think this is a fabulous idea! My mind always go to the students who do not have someone to attend a school event. If parents are not able to attend the event I wonder if some community members or other parents wouldn't mind paying the fee and read with another student. So many families have to work to try and make ends meet. You could also do this in the evening for parents who cannot attend during the day.

The summer program Energy Express is housed in our middle school during the summer. WVU Extension Office helps the students maintain the garden at the school. During the school year the help from the Extension Office carries over to the 4-h Club.

I think this something we forget. We have always been in the mindset of families coming into the school. As the years have changed so have the family dynamics. Some families only have one car and the other parent is at work with it. A single parent works in the evening. There are so many factors on why families are not able to attend activities at the school. I loved the idea mentioned about sending home activities for the families to complete. This is going to be something I mention to the schools in the County.

We usually do not have ELL students but this year we have a family who speaks Arabic. We have worked together to help with the communication between home and school.

This is one program our community lacks and could really use. I know different community organizations would love to do this but the transportation is an issue.

Not all parents are able to volunteer during the school day. There are things they can do in the evenings to help the students and staff.

Teachers will send a physical paper home with information and post it to social media. We all know that those paper do not always make it home.

We have a wide variety for parents to contact schools or teachers. We have ClassDojo, Remind, Schoology, Teacher Email/Phone Number, and School Facebook Page. Does anyone use anything different?

I have seen some new teachers come out of college and not understand our families. They have to understand the community they are teaching in.

For some parents this is out of their comfort zone so we really need to make sure they feel welcomed.

One of our county’s focuses this school year is to address chronic absenteeism. Our schools use either ClassDojo, remind, or email through Schoology. This allows for parents to privately message parents. Our county is also fortunate enough to have Communities in Schools and a Truancy Officer. They work together in completing home visits. Communities in Schools is always doing some type of attendance incentive for the students.

Our schools use Success for All reading curriculum, the students are to complete reading at home with their parents. Unfortunately we have students who do not have anyone to read with. We have volunteers come in to read with the students during the day. They volunteers will sign off on their homework which helps their group earn points.

Our middle school hosts many different family engagement through out the year. A couple times during the school year they will host STEAM activity nights. They are always well attended.

Our alternative learning center, The Bruin Bridge has made the connection between family engagement and community partnership. The parents come to the school for parent conferences and has a family meal. The parents get to see what the students are working on and their progress. In the same building as our Bruin Bridge is our local Family Support Center. The students go help with Family Support Center will the food pantry, clothes closet, and any other activity they have going on. There are many kids who have had trouble with their behaviors but have been huge help with the Family Support Center. The students have improved personally and with academics because they have found a purpose.