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Data-Driven Success
Forty years of research, and our documented
success, proves that parents and families are the first and
best teachers of their children. Providing support for learning
in the home and away from school is the key to long-term successful
learning outcomes for all students. Any school or district can
assess and measure the academic improvement of all students
resulting from a strategic family engagement process.
The Engage! All Families Workshop
offers a unique opportunity to create custom strategies
based on data that identifies specific engagement "gaps" between
schools and families. Closing these gaps results in better
learning environments for all students' success. Over 750,000
families around the country have taken the Family Friendly Schools
survey. Our survey is available in hard copy now and will be online soon. We
can provide your school teams with detailed reports that will
equip them with invaluable ammunition to construct a Family
Engagement plan that will improve the academic success of your
students. Additionally, Family Friendly Schools works with you
to connect present student achievement data to specific family
engagement initiatives which ultimately benefits all children.
Please contact us before your Engage! Workshop so that we
can facilitate your data gathering and reporting process.
At FFS, we believe the old adage, "What gets measured gets
done".
How It Works
In order to improve student achievement through family engagement,
school districts must have pertinent and reliable data from
which to craft policies and measurable action plans. Family
Friendly Schools relies on a specific two step process, customized
to each of the school district with which it works.
Data Collection, Step I: Family Engagement Focus Groups
General questions, similar to the ones asked above, are formulated
with the input of the school district. Numerous focus groups
will be established within families, staff, students, and community
members at large to begin the process of data collection and
analysis. The focus group findings normally identify assets,
challenges, barriers, and ideas for Improvement. As a result
of careful analysis of the data collected through these means,
Family Friendly Schools begins the second phase of its data
collection work.
Data Collection, Step II: The Family Engagement Survey
Family Friendly Schools utilizes professional data collection
experts and field researchers skilled in collecting information
with appropriate methodology, to design a customized survey
to meet the needs of specific districts based on focus group
data analysis.
The survey is then sent to every teacher and school administrator
and every family in the system, or Family Friendly Schools will
work with you to provide an appropriate sample of your population.
The survey asks families and faculty about their views on
such issues as (but not limited to):
- The teacher-parent relationship to support children's progress
- The school environment in learning and decision-making
- Two-way communication and problem solving
- The level of satisfaction with their school and district
In addition, surveys are also designed to determine the effectiveness
of facilitating concerns and complaints from families, as well
as the teachers' perspective on challenges they face to engage
all families. These surveys also collect comments concerning
strategies that families and teachers believe to be working
as a contributing factor to structure future professional development.
Data Reporting
Family Friendly Schools will provide the district
a comprehensive report of the data collected and if desired,
will be on site to deliver the information to focus groups,
school boards, or other groups involved in school reform and
improvement.
Next Steps
Family Friendly Schools utilizes its expertise to analyze the
collected data and implement the unique Engage! process.
The Engage! All Families Workshop is designed to create positive
and productive school and district cultures to advance the achievement
of all students. We enable participants to develop cohesively
connected relationships by strengthening partnerships between
schools, students, and their families.
By attending the Engage! All Families Workshop, all participants
will demonstrate understanding, capacity, and competence through
training in the following areas:
- Learning how to develop dynamic relationships between the
three critical groups involved in a successful Family Engagement
process: Leadership, Staff, and Families (including students).
Determine how those relationships can lead to remarkable achievement
results for school organizations.
- Understanding federal and appropriate state legislation
regarding family engagement and the essential components of
a Family Friendly School to create the best environment for
students to achieve academically at high levels.
- Assessing school dynamics to identify programs, practices,
and policies which are Family Friendly; and identify those
that are not Family Friendly.
- Creating and understanding how to implement a measurable
planning process to create meaningful opportunities for family
engagement.
- Designing a strategic support system to implement the Family
Friendly Program.
- Understanding data collection to determine the effectiveness
of and provide the ability to attach measurement to family
engagement and student achievement.
- Developing a long-range plan to ensure a permanent culture
is created and sustained for the achievement of all students.
- Determining the steps required to reinvent and refresh the
commitment to family friendly schools.
We don't just believe all children can learn…we know it.
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