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Partnerships in Practice ArchiveThese are stories and reports from around the country about partnerships in action. One example: PASSport for Student Success is a collaborative effort of The Florida Partnership for Family Involvement in Education and the Office of Family Involvement in Education, Florida Department of Education. PASSport for Student Success is a series of eight workshops to assist families in support their childrens' education. Topics in the one-hour sessions include: The Importance of Parent Attitude, Establishing a Home Learning Environment, Preparing for Tests, and Supporting Reading. Over 900 trainers have been prepared and over 4,500 parents have attended the sessions offered by schools and community-based groups. A PASSport Expo is being held October 11, 2001, at the Altamonte Springs Hilton in Altamonte Springs, Florida (Orlando area) to provide the opportunity for PASSport trainers to share effective practices and implementation models. For further information contact: Sally M. Wade, Director, Florida Partnership for Family Involvement in Education, swade@tempest.coedu.usf.edu Another Example: The East Coast Technical Assistance Center, Kissemmee, Florida has partnered with local districts and other groups, including the Florida Partnership for Family Involvement in Education to sponsor an annual spring Parent Conference for Parents whose children attend Title One Schools in Central/Eastern Florida. Parents are treated as honored guests at the event, which consists of keynote speakers, workshops, vendors, plated luncheon and doorprizes. Each year the conference has gotten bigger; over 800 parents were in attendance in spring 2001. For more information contact, Karen Lindsay, Training Coordinator, Florida Partnership for Family Involvement in Education, klindsay@tempest.coedu.usf.edu Taking on the achievement gap in high school High-achieving, high-poverty schools are no longer a novelty for elementary or middle school-aged kids, but helping disadvantaged youngsters succeed in high school has been more challenging. An article in Teacher Magazine describes the efforts of an organized group of parents in California to prevent their kids from becoming high school dropout statistics. Parents of Children of African Descent (PCAD) was formed by a group of Berkeley High School parents after they learned that half of the school's African American 9th graders were flunking core academic classes. Invited by the school's principal to develop an intervention plan, the parents created an alternative learning community within the high school where failing 9th graders would be taught in small classes by hand-picked teachers. Participating freshmen would be supported by student mentors and adult learning partners, and by their parents, who would agree to respond promptly to teachers' calls home. After the first year, there were signs that many students participating in the program had turned themselves around, but the program itself was discontinued for reasons that are easy to understand but hard to stomach. For more, see "Damage Control," by Meredith Maran, Teacher Magazine, August 2001, www.teachermagazine.org/tm/tmstory.cfm?slug=3D01berkeley.h13 The Institute for Responsive Education (IRE) believes that parents leaders and community representatives working or volunteering in schools need an avenue where they can meet, discuss their challenges and successes, enhance their skills as leaders, and network with others who are active in schools. To that end, IRE initiated the Parent Leadership Exchange project. Parent leaders in urban areas in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire who join the Parent Leadership Exchange are finding new opportunities to network, hear best practices in family involvement, and develop their leadership skills. Although the project has only been in place for one year, successes are already being seen. For example, after the first Parent Leadership Exchange Conference in May 2001, two parent leaders from the city of Chelsea, Massachusetts, decided to run for a seat on the Chelsea School Committee. (Elections will take place in November 2001.) They told IRE that the speakers and workshops inspired them to take their participation to a higher level. In this instance, partnership and networking can be seen in several ways. The two parent leaders were involved with activities sponsored by a local community organization, the Chelsea Community Connection (CCC). The CCC is a member of the Parent Leadership Exchange and was instrumental in bringing parents from Chelsea to the May Conference. The CCC and the Parent Leadership Exchange continue to work together to assist parent leaders from Chelsea to develop their skills and increase family involvement in their schools. |
