Engaging the School Community in Supporting Schools: Collaborative Action Teams
Tuesday, February 3 - Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Radisson Penn Harris Hotel
1150 Camp Hill Bypass
Camp Hill, PA 17011
Pennsylvania Parent Information and Resource Center (PA PIRC) is pleased to offer this two-day training focused on building effective family-school-community partnerships, supporting student achievement and developing relationships that promote an inclusive environment. Spanish translation services will be available as requested.
Dr. Chris Ferguson, author of Building Meaningful Relationships: Caring and Respect in the recently released “Promising Practices for Teachers to Engage with Families of English Language Learners” (2007) and “Beyond the Building: A Guide for Facilitating Family and Community Connections with Schools” (2006), will guide participants as they:
- Develop an understanding of the theoretical and research base for Collaborative Action Teams.
- Explore the steps to be taken in implementing a Collaborative Action Team process.
- Identify issues to address in using a Collaborative Action Team process.
- Develop a plan of action for implementing a Collaborative Action Team process.
Please review the Invitation to Apply (PDF format)
Team Coordinators must complete and submit the following:
Application (Word format)
Registration Form (Word format)
Applications are due by Friday, December 12, 2008.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Proclaims
October as Parent Involvement Month
HARRISBURG, PA - Wednesday, October 8, 2008, marked the official announcement of Pennsylvania Parent Involvement Month. The proclamation by Governor Edward G. Rendell will help Pennsylvania parents and educators celebrate the important role parents play as teachers and advocates of education for their children. The formal reading of the proclamation by Secretary of Education Gerald L. Zahorchak, Ph.D. took place at 10:00 a.m. in the Capitol Rotunda.
Fall, 2008 Newsletter (English and Spanish)
PA PIRC is pleased to provide you with the Fall, 2008 issue of the PA PIRC quarterly newsletter. This newsletter is intended to provide useful information to parents, educators and administrators. This issue contains information about tips and useful information for parents, school educators, and community leaders about PSSA, parent involvement, school readiness, and education funding, dates of upcoming events and other pertinent information. Please share this newsletter with others.
- Download the English version of the Fall newsletter (PDF format)
- Download the Spanish version of the Fall newsletter (PDF format)
Regional Workshops
Parent Leadership: “From Passion to Action”
Western Pennsylvania
RESCHEDULED to November 21 and 22, 2008 - same location
Eastern Pennsylvania
October 17 and October 18,2008
Pennsylvania Parent Information and Resource Center (PA PIRC) is pleased to offer two regionally-based workshops focused on Parent Leadership: “From Passion to Action”. These two-day workshops are designed to support family members working to improve student achievement. Parent leaders are encouraged to attend either of the two scheduled events that is most convenient for them. For more information, please go to the 2008 Regional Workshops page.
Family-School-Community Partnerships: Powerful Support for Student Success
On Wednesday, August 27, 2008, The Pennsylvania Departments of Education and Public Welfare, in partnership with the Center for Schools and Communities, offered a one-hour, live, online professional development opportunity entitled, “Family-School-Community Partnerships: Powerful Support for Student Success” with presenter Karen Shanoski, Family-School-Community Partnership Project Manager with the Pennsylvania Parent Information and Resource Center (PA PIRC).
The session provided ways that families can be effectively engaged with their child’s education and how family-school-community partnerships create a powerful support for student success.
The presenter, Karen Shanoski, is a Family-School-Community Partnership Project Manager with the PA PIRC. Her current work focuses on family-school-community partnerships with an emphasis on effective family engagement. Ms. Shanoski is the recent recipient of the prestigious 2008 Patrick F. Toole Kudos Award, an annual award that recognizes a full-time Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit staff member for achievement, dedication and service to schools, children and the community at large.
Session Slides (PDF format)
View the recorded online presentation
In order to view these recorded presentations, you must have the Elluminate Live! Java application downloaded to your personal computer. There is no cost to download the software. To configure your computer, visit the Elluminate support page at: http://www.elluminate.com/support/
Newest Publication from the Harvard Family Research Project
Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP) has just released a new double issue of their periodical The Evaluation Exchange including a section highlighting PIRCs and their role as leaders in the family involvement field. The issue, titled "Building the Future of Family Involvement", examines the current state of and future directions for the family involvement field in research, policy, and practice. Featuring innovative initiatives, new evaluation approaches and findings, and interviews with field leaders, the issue is designed to spark conversation about where the field is today and where it needs to go in the future. Take a look at this publication as well as other resources from HFRP by going to Family Involvement and Publications and Resources.
New PA PIRC Brochure
We are pleased to report that PA PIRC has a new descriptive brochure. The brochure describes the services provided to parents, schools and communities. One or more copies may be ordered by calling the PA PIRC office at 717-763-1661 ext. 101.
Elementary and Secondary Education Act/No Child Left Behind Flyer for Parents, School Staff and Community Representatives
The Pennsylvania Parent Information and Resource Center (PA PIRC) developed information about the Elementary and Secondary Education Act/No Child Left Behind (ESEA/NCLB) which includes its major principles, important elements, and roles and responsibilities for parents, school staff and community representatives. This flyer simply and succinctly outlines the requirements of NCLB as well as the responsibilities of schools and parents under the legislation. Read the text of the flyer and download the flyer.
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Parent Involvement
The evidence is beyond dispute. When parents are actively involved in the education of their children, children do better in school and student achievement increases. A January, 2003 report from the National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools at the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School Family and Community Connections on Student Achievement reveals that families make critical contributions to student achievement from pre-school through high school; when parents are involved at home, children do better and stay in school longer, and when a critical mass of parents is involved the whole school improves.
For the first time in history of federal education legislation, parent involvement is defined as the “participation of parents in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring that parents (Title IX General Provisions, Part A Sec 9101):
- Play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning
- Are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education
- Are full partners in their child’s education
Reauthorization of No Child Left Behind
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act known as No Child Left Behind is beginning the reauthorization process. The links below list some of the calls for changes in the legislation:
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
National Education Association’s (NEA)
Pennsylvania Association of Federal Program Coordinators (PAFPC)