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February 2014
Engaging Culturally Diverse Families: Promising Practices from California
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Engaging Culturally Diverse Families: Promising Practices from California
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Vision and Goals Parents are provided support for their child’s academic success through workshops on: • Parent-child communications; • Health and wellness topics; • Classroom and at-home academic activities using common core standards; • Resource-based service delivery programs; • Forming partnerships; and • Understanding data for program planning.
Engaging Culturally Diverse Families: Promising Practices from California
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Third Year Accomplishments • 18 districts and charter schools expanded programs. • Conferences and workshops served over 7,870 participants with resources at: http://parentengagement.sccoe.org • 230 parent leaders completed basic training. • 91% of 32 districts reported increased levels of program implementation. • Developed best practices and advanced trainings. • Partnered with funders, publishers, trainers, and RAFT for kits.
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Network Expansion • Support action plan development with parent stipends, kit script development with materials, translation, and interpretation services. • Train teachers and administrators to use common core standards kits with trained parents in classrooms. • Use categorical funding to support federal and state mandates for parents. • Serve as convener of best practices, evaluation, and resources.
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Classroom Volunteers • Parents are trained with their classroom teachers for service delivery. • Parents support ambassador students in small groups using common core standards kits. • 21st Century learning strategies are incorporated in small group instruction. Parent Classroom Volunteer Using Math and English Language Kits video/link.
Engaging Culturally Diverse Families: Promising Practices from California
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College and Career Planning • Parent leaders mentor parents in how to support their child’s college and career plans. • Parents support their child’s selection of classes using college publications on A to G requirements. • Parents partner with schools in using career planning resources, websites, and academic support services. • Parents mentor each other in financial planning for college and career preparation.
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Overcoming Challenges for Strategic Mobilization • Teachers have limited access to leaders. • Some access to parents as nonprofit leader. • Limited access to parents as a government leader, professor, or researcher. • No parent trust as an urban district leader. • Leadership and commitment from COE’s Superintendent with city leaders, community groups, and school districts.
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Elementary and Secondary Act Recommended reauthorization mandates: • Parents are engaged in their child’s education; • Parents can expand their child’s learning beyond the school day with academic enrichment activities at home; and • Parents can reinforce academic content standards while playing with their child.
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Additional Information: • Mary Ann Burke, Ed.D. Project Director Santa Clara County Office of Education
[email protected] • Julie Howard Principal Robert Sanders School
[email protected] • Erika Aguirre Parent Leader Mount Pleasant School District
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CLASSROOM PARENT VOLUNTEER PROGRAM TEACHER WORK PLAN
List your personal characteristics and your classroom’s layout that can support an engaged Classroom Parent Volunteer Program. List skills that you would like to develop to support engaged parents in your classroom. List the number of parents that you would like to have in your classroom each day and specify times for these parent volunteers. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Per the sample job description on page 3, list activities that parents can support in the classroom (i.e. assemble art or workbook projects, support students in learning centers, listen to students read, ask students comprehension questions, help students focus on workbook activities, engage in a performing arts activity to support students’ learning).
CATEGORICAL & SPECIAL PROJECTS – JANUARY 2014
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Per the sample parent contract on page 4 and commitment agreement on page 10, list agreed upon roles for parents in your classroom. Review pages 5 and 6 on dealing with difficult parent volunteers and describe your plan of action if you need to redirect or transfer a parent volunteer out of your classroom program. Review the enriching grade‐level curriculum on and assessments check list on page 7 and complete the workshop group activity on pages 8 and 9 with your grade‐level colleagues. Based on your grade‐level workshop group activity, list various training needs to prepare your team and your parent group for effective parent support in the classroom. Review the parent observation sheet on page 12 and use as needed for added parent learning.
CATEGORICAL & SPECIAL PROJECTS – JANUARY 2014
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CLASSROOM VOLUNTEER JOB DESCRIPTION 1. Ambassador student will review the math activity or the reading activity with classroom volunteer at the small group activity table. 2. Ambassador student will model the project lesson for the classroom volunteer and small group. 3. Classroom volunteer will help students stay focused on the activity. 4. Classroom volunteer will ensure each student has a turn in practicing the activity. 5. Classroom volunteer will ask clarification questions and problem solving questions to students to encourage added practice that may include the following: How did you come up with that answer to the math problem? Could you explain each step in your solution to the activity? When reading the passage, can you summarize the key ideas expressed in the story? What do you think will happen next in the story? How would you change the ending of the story? Have you ever had a similar experience that was described in the story? Tell me about this experience? What did you learn from this experience? 6. Classroom volunteer will acknowledge each student for their participation in the project that may include the following: I appreciate the thoughtful approach you used to set up and solve the math problem. Your work is very detailed and accurate. Your passion for the project is exciting. Your problem solving approach is very creative and exciting! I value your contribution to the team. Your analysis is very interesting. Tell me more about your experiences with this solution. You have described a very comprehensive solution to the activity. 7. Classroom volunteer will ensure that the students are fully engaged in the activity that supports a productive classroom environment to allow the teacher more time to support individual students’ needs. CATEGORICAL & SPECIAL PROJECTS – JANUARY 2014
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DESCRIPCIÓN DE TRABAJO PARA VOLUNTARIOS EN EL SALÓN DE CLASE 1. El Embajador estudiantil revisará con el Voluntario en el salón de clase la actividad de matemática o la de lectura. Lo harán en la mesa de actividades para un grupo pequeño. 2. El Embajador estudiantil hará una presentación del proyecto o lección pare el Voluntario del salón de clase y para el grupo pequeño. 3. El Voluntario en el salón de clase ayudará a los estudiantes a mantenerse enfocados en la actividad. 4. El Voluntario en el salón de clase se asegurará que cada estudiante tenga su turno para practicar la actividad. 5. El Voluntario en el salón de clase hará preguntas que ayuden al estudiante a entender con mayor precisión y encontrar soluciones. Las preguntas que animen al estudiante a participar, podrían incluir: ¿Cómo llegaste a esa respuesta en el problema de matemática? ¿Podrías explicar cada paso que usaste para llegar a esa solución? Cuando lees un fragmento, ¿puedes tú resumir las ideas principales de la historia? ¿Qué crees tú que sucederá a continuación en la historia? ¿Cómo cambiarías tú el final de la historia? ¿Has tenido experiencias parecidas a las que se relataron en la historia? Cuéntame un poco acerca de esa experiencia. ¿Qué aprendiste de esa experiencia? 6. El Voluntario en el salón de clase tomará en cuenta la participación de cada estudiante en el proyecto, usando frases tales como: Yo valoro la manera inteligente que usaste para proponer y resolver el problema de matemática. Tu trabajo es muy detallado y preciso. Me emocionan las ganas, el gusto que le pones a éste proyecto. ¡La forma en que resuelves el problema es muy creativa y emocionante! Yo valoro tu colaboración con el grupo. Tu analisis es muy interesante. Cuéntame mas acerca de tus experiencias. Tú has descrito una solución muy completa para esta actividad. 7. El Voluntario en el salón de clase se asegurará de que los estudiantes estén completamente envueltos en la actividad a fin de tener un ambiente productivo en la clase. Esto permitirá que el profesor tenga mas tiempo para cuidar de las necesidades individuales de los estudiantes.
CATEGORICAL & SPECIAL PROJECTS – JANUARY 2014
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Activity #1 Directions 1. Which fraction circle piece represents one? What color is it? (Draw or trace it.) 2. How can you show one-whole circle using the least number of pieces? (Show and draw your thinking.) What did you notice? 3. How can you show one-whole circle using the most number of pieces? What did you notice? (Show and draw your thinking.) 4. How many different ways can you find to make one-whole circle using the fraction pieces? (Show and draw your thinking.) Use page 3 for more work space. Extension Questions 1. Were you able to create one-whole circle using multiple colored fraction pieces? 2. Which combination is the most challenging? Why? 3. If the red circle is a whole unit, how would you label each fractional piece? How did you know? 4. How can you show one-half of a circle using the least number of pieces? (Show and draw your thinking.) What did you notice? 5. How can you show one-half of a circle using the most number of pieces? (Show and draw your thinking.) What did you notice?
Curriculum and Instruction Math Team
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Activity #2
Situation #1
5 friends bake 4 round mini-cakes. How much cake will each friend get if they equally share the mini-cakes? Build a model using the fraction circles to show how much cake each person will get. Once you have found your solution, trace the pieces to show your work for others to see.
Situation #2
Another group of friends is baking 7 round mini-cakes. The 8 friends will equally share the cake they bake. If you love eating cake, which group would you rather bake with? Build a model using the fraction circles to show how much cake each person will get. Once you have found your solution, trace the pieces to show your work for others to see.
Activity #3 Reflect and respond to at least two prompts below. My drawings were similar to ______, because________. My drawings were different from _______, because ______. I learned _________ about __________. Fractions circles helped me show my thinking by…
Activity #4 Technology Connection Identifying Fractions using Circles http://www.visualfractions.com/IdentifyCircles/identifycircles.html National Library of Virtual Manipulatives-Fraction Pieces http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/frames_asid_274_g_2_t_1.html?open=activitie s&from=grade_g_2.html
Curriculum and Instruction Math Team
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