Overview

Through readings, discussions, and reflection, students will continue to develop their own cultural and racial identities in order to better serve diverse students and their families.  Through a sequenced set of powerful learning experiences students will begin to develop the skills to reach out to diverse families, organizations, and communities.

We suggest that students experience the module in the sequence provided.  The learning experiences will work best if they follow the sequence of pre-reading, context for the field component, the experience itself with the possibility of discovery and surprise, the opportunity to reflect upon and process the experience, and the opportunity to share their learning with classmates. 

Background
Demographics of students and families in the United States continue to shift and pernicious achievement gaps persist for low socio-economic status (SES), African-American, Native American, and Latino students (marginalized students of color). Yet, many teachers and administrators differ in culture, language, and SES from the students and families they serve.  The potential for cultural discontinuity rises, thus school leaders to develop a more nuanced understanding of how to engage diverse parents.  

Educators, scholars, policy makers, and parents themselves share a widespread belief that parental involvement in their children’s schooling benefit students (Comer & Haynes, 1991; Epstein, 2011; Henderson, 2002; Tyson, 2009).   Research evidence (Baker & Sodden, 1997; Fan & Chen, 2001; Jeynes, 2005) continues to mount showing positive relationships between parent engagement and student outcomes. However, relatively few schools have parent engagement plans, not all teacher or principal preparation programs include courses on parent and community engagement, and few principals allocate professional development time for practitioners to strengthen their skills in successfully involving parents.  

Schools can:

1. Commit to personal contact
2. Educate themselves on cultural values of families
3. Plan for  meaningful, two-way communication
4. Intentionally reach out in to the community
5. Repeatedly  invite families’ participation
6. Create an intentionally welcoming environment for families in the school
7. Accommodate families’ needs for transportation, child care, translation, etc. 

School leaders can:

1. Take time to build relationships and trust
2. Reach out and proactively solicit input from families on the education of their children
3. Teach families how to support students academically
4. Identify and utilize the assets that parents and the community possess

Learning Goals

The learners will:

• Continue to examine their own beliefs about diverse families and communities.
• Consider the school through the eyes of diverse community members.
• Explore the school’s neighborhood.
• Interview several diverse families. 

Theory of Action Statement

If we provide candidates with learning experiences that allow them to:

• Reflect upon their own racial and cultural identities.
• Explore the strengths and assets of diverse students, families, and  neighborhood.
• Develop the skills and abilities to reach out and build bridges to diverse families.

Then the candidates will:

• Begin to identify and interrupt some of their own assumptions and biases.
• Acquire the knowledge and skills to engage diverse families from a strengths-based  (rather than a deficit) perspective.

Alignment to National Standards      

This module addresses ISLLC Standard 4:

A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by
collaborating with families and community members, responding to diverse community
interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources.

Functions:
       A. Collect and analyze data and information pertinent to the educational environment
       B. Promote understanding, appreciation, and use of the community’s diverse cultural, social,
            and intellectual resources
       C. Build and sustain positive relationships with families and caregivers
       D. Build and sustain productive relationships with community partners

This is operationalized by an administrator’s level of knowledge, leadership disposition, and actual performances in practice. In this module aspiring school leaders will utilize:

           Knowledge:

• By recognizing relevant school-community issues that impact both entities.
• Acknowledging the continuing trend towards greater diversity in communities.
• Developing effective strategies for meaningful community relations.
• Research base showing positive relationship between parental and community involvement and student achievement.
• Recognizing the importance of community social capital and facilitating linkages among appropriate stakeholders.
  
  Dispositions:

• Fostering a mentality and approach to the community that affirms, recognizes social context, and rejects deficit thinking and stereotyping.
• Utilize multiple means of communication with the external community.
• Develop innovative ideas around school-community collaboration.
• Recognize families as assets and partners in the school’s mission.
• Understand how the school can impact the external community and vice versa.

           Performances:

• Broadening opportunities for decision-making to community members.
• Offer opportunities for sharing information and empowerment with regard to school-related activities.
• Connect to the community by collective ceremonies, guest presentations, and mutually-agreed upon events.