Goals & Actions Steps: Family & School Collaboration

Family and School Collaboration: An inclusive educational environment with many and varied opportunities for families and schools to engage together as advocates and supporters of our student's learning. Both families and the school work to remove barriers and encourage collaboration by interacting regularly and communicating clearly, in languages that families understand, regarding student progress, learning expectations, and educational events. Family culture is respected. Schools actively work to enhance existing strengths of families to support learning at home and to bring families and teachers together to assist students. High levels of student achievement are accomplished by working collaboratively in decision-making and school governance.

2010-11 Goal #1: Increase school focus, develop plans, and monitor school efforts to improve family collaboration prioritizing the following five areas: (1) Regular two-way communication with parent; (2) Parents as decision makers and participants in school governance; (3) Parents active at the school site including providing feedback and information, volunteering in the school and attending informational or promotional activities; (4) Parents assisting students at home; and (5) Education for parents including academic subject matter, student support, language acquisition, life and work skills, and effective parenting strategies.

Action Steps	Person(s) Responsible	Accountability Measure
Action Step 1.1: Hire district level Family and School Collaboration Specialist to review and document current and possible school efforts and to provide technical assistance to schools to strengthen collaboration.	Title I Director, School Support Director	Written document accurately describing current family and school collaboration efforts and activities; documentation/log of technical assistance.
Action Step 1.2: Revise the School Improvement Plan template to incorporate a more complete definition of family and school collaboration and to require school response to family and school collaboration goals and activities.	Family and School Collaboration Specialist, School Support Team, School Administrators	Specific family and school collaboration activities included in all school improvement plans.
Action Step 1.3: Update and maintain the school Web page so that it includes at least the following: staff and faculty names, daily schedule, teacher, administrator, and program contact information including photos where applicable, teacher disclosure documents, current and accurate calendar, and SCC agenda and minutes.	School Webmasters, School Administrators, District Web Designer, School and Family Collaboration Specialist	50% of school Web pages updated by May 2010; all school Web pages updated by May 2011; school Web pages updated and maintained no less than once per month after launching.

2011-12 Goal #2: Every school ensures that the family of each student receives narrative (spoken or written) communication from the school at least once per month that shares information about student progress or educational activities and provides opportunities for families to give feedback or express needs.

Action Steps	Person(s) Responsible	Accountability Measure
Action Step 2.1: Prepare and provide a handbook of ideas and provide technical assistance to schools to facilitate the implementation of multiple and varied communication strategies.	Family and School Collaboration Specialist, Teachers and Staff, School Administrators	Handbook of ideas made accessible through multiple formats; school communication documents; survey created to gather feedback from parents; count of feedback received from families.
Action Step 2.2: Increase the availability of technology tools to create ongoing, accessible, two-way communication between families and schools, such as: Mailing and distribution lists, e-Sis communication tools, School blogs, Text messaging, and Log-in alerts.	Information Systems Department, Instructional Technology Department	Survey created to gather feedback from parents regarding use of technology or communication received via technology; count of feedback received from families.