rightlures

Finding the Right Lures to Catch Them All Parent Outreach and SES: 

Finding the Right Lures to Catch Them All Parent Outreach and SES Jessica Taylor Florida Department of Education Bureau of Public School Options July 25-27, 2007 SAIL Into Tutoring! Steering Academic Instruction for Leaders

Finding the Right Lures to Catch Them All: Parent Outreach and SES: 

Finding the Right Lures to Catch Them All: Parent Outreach and SES Parent Notification Requirements Understanding FERPA Parent Outreach Practices from Columbia, Tina Roberts Practices from Miami-Dade, Rafael Urrutia Resources

Intent and Spirit of Parent Outreach: 

Intent and Spirit of Parent Outreach Districts, schools, and providers must ensure that parents understand their NCLB Choice Options and are able to make informed decisions to best meet the needs of their children.

Parent Notification Requirements: 

Parent Notification Requirements Districts must notify eligible families in a clear and understandable format of their options Schools that have been identified as SINI for 2 or more years must offer Choice with Transportation to all students Supplemental Educational Services (SES) to eligible students

Parent Notification Includes…: 

Parent Notification Includes… Schools achievement status, reason for identification, and what the school is doing about it Description of options Enrollment form Procedures for enrollment and commencement of services

SES Parent Notification Includes…: 

SES Parent Notification Includes… Description of SES Offer to assist parents in selecting a provider Enrollment form Provider Directory Brief Description of Services Tutor Qualifications Contact Information

SES Parent Notification and Enrollment Timelines: 

SES Parent Notification and Enrollment Timelines SES notification letters must be distributed to eligible families both prior to and after the start of the school year Parents should have at least two weeks to make informed decision Districts must hold open enrollment until the majority of eligible families accept or reject SES

SES Enrollment Forms: 

SES Enrollment Forms Enrollment forms must be made freely available to parents and providers Enrollment is the District’s Responsibility, Not Provider’s Requirements Providers May Miss Parents must be notified of all options Unbiased description of SES providers Eligibility Requirements- FRPL Eligibility Requirements- may only participate in one NCLB option per year

FERPA: 

FERPA Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA): Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records Qualifying for free or reduced priced lunch is confidential information No postcards telling families they are eligible Districts cannot distribute a list of eligible students Therefore, there are no direct mailings from providers

Luring Families into SES:Information and Accessibility: 

Luring Families into SES: Information and Accessibility Share information about SES in places where eligible families work, live, and hobby Partner with local community and faith-based organizations Provide clear information regarding program and enrollment Be prepared to answer questions from parents

Once you Catch Them, Keep Them: 

Once you Catch Them, Keep Them Parent Involvement after Enrollment Informing parents regarding procedures enhances success Assessment SLP development Attendance policies Pick up/drop off policies When and how progress reports are sent Who to contact at school/district and provider Encouraging attendance encourages achievement Communicating student academic progress allows everyone to be involved

A Closer Look at DistrictBest Practices: 

A Closer Look at District Best Practices Columbia- Tina Roberts # Students Eligible: 2,870 Miami-Dade- Rafael Urrutia # Students Eligible: 83,800

Get Your Key Players on Board: 

Get Your Key Players on Board Superintendent Administrators Principals SES School Contacts Teachers School Staff Parents Providers Columbia

Teamwork and Commitment: 

Teamwork and Commitment Providers should meet face to face with the SES coordinator, principals, or the SES school contact Stay in touch and work together to get the job done Don’t shoot the messenger “Don’t find fault, find a remedy” Be part of the solution Columbia

School Involvement: 

School Involvement Make sure staff is knowledgeable about SES Provide “Scripts” To teachers for open house To secretaries for phone calls Include SES basics, eligibility, how to enroll, provider information, contact information Columbia

Figure out who…: 

Figure out who… Will represent their school at the provider fair Will represent the provider Will coordinate and be designated contact Stay in touch with school contacts Parents respond to familiar faces Columbia

Attend Provider Fairs: 

Attend Provider Fairs Providers should locate and view possible tutoring locations before the Provider Fair If possible, have a local contact that represents your company present Districts may want to start with SES overview

Community Outreach: 

Community Outreach Be aggressive and creative Look for opportunities to participate in already scheduled events Don’t wait to be invited to participate, call them and tell them you want to participate and distribute information Columbia

Columbia’s 2006 Events: 

Columbia’s 2006 Events Family and Community Involvement Parent Council United Way’s “Operation backpack” Homeless Coalition Christian Service Center Columbia

More Events: 

More Events Columbia Another Way Catholic Charities Florida Crown Workforce Even Start Adult Education Public Library Church Presentations and Bulletin Inserts

Slide21: 

Carnival Back to School- “No Tax” week at local mall Columbia

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate!: 

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate! Say what you mean, and mean what you say Other methods to communicate to parents: Public Service Announcements on Radio or TV Newspaper Article Web-based newspaper Columbia

Parent Notification: How Dade Communicates SES to Parents: 

Parent Notification: How Dade Communicates SES to Parents Mail-out of SES packets Information sent home via back-pack Parent’s toolkits Miami Dade County Public School Choice Website Miami-Dade

Dissemination of Information to the Broader Community: 

Dissemination of Information to the Broader Community Tri-ethnic radio, television, major and community newspaper advertisements and articles Flyers are accessible to families, at places such as: Parent resource centers Community centers Retail stores Grocery stores Pharmacies Churches Restaurants Miami-Dade

Dissemination of Information to the Broader Community: 

Dissemination of Information to the Broader Community Dedicated telephone information line Automated messages Parental Choice Fairs held at malls and community centers throughout the county Miami-Dade

School-Level Staff Involvement: 

School-Level Staff Involvement Professional Development Title I CIS and SES Facilitators provide information to parents Title I office develops toolkits, memoranda, and informational packets Miami-Dade

Involvement of Local Community Organizations: 

Involvement of Local Community Organizations The district has established partnerships with organizations, such as: Chamber of Commerce Florida Power & Light Co. Greater Miami Hotel Association Miami-Dade County Public School Police Department South Florida Hotel Association Communications with various faith-based organizations Miami-Dade

Institutionalization of SES: 

Institutionalization of SES Open Houses through Resource Fairs PTA Meetings Parent training sessions through The Parent Academy Title I District Advisory Council Meetings Title I Parent Advisory Council Meetings Parent-Teacher Conferences Title I Community Involvement Specialists’ Meetings Miami-Dade Co. Schools athletic events SES is included in district documents: Opening of Schools Manual, Summer Programs Manual, and Master Calendar School Parents Resource Centers School’s marquee featuring information on SES Fairs Miami-Dade

Outreach Resources: 

Outreach Resources Technical Assistance paper regarding Parent Outreach and Notification: http://info.fldoe.org/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-4362/k12-08-58memo.pdf Parent Outreach Packet with Department Outreach Materials: http://www.fldoe.org/flbpso/nclbchoice/ses/parentoutreach.asp Parent Survey: http://www.fldoe.org/flbpso/doc/parent-questionaire.doc Linking SES to Community and Faith-Based Organizations Brochure: http://www.fldoe.org/flbpso/nclbchoice/ses/faithbasedregs.asp Tutors for Kids: http://www.tutorsforkids.org/ Building Choice: http://www.buildingchoice.org/cs/bc/print/bc_docs/home.htm

Contact Information: 

Contact Information Jessica Taylor Program Specialist Bureau of Public School Options Florida Department of Education, Suite 316 Phone: 850.245.0479 E-mail: jessica.taylor@fldoe.org Website: www.fldoe.org/flbpso