The document summarizes a webinar presented by Dr. Jill Gildea on proven strategies and tactics for boosting school-to-home communications. The webinar covered research finding that parent involvement leads to better student outcomes and shared strategies used by Fremont School District 79 to facilitate partnerships between home and school. These strategies included summer newsletters, back-to-school nights, family events, and using technology like teacher websites and email blasts to regularly communicate with parents. The webinar provided tips and resources for schools to strengthen school-home relationships and engagement.

1. Boosting School-to-Home Communications:
Proven Strategies and Tactics
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Presented by
Dr. Jill Gildea, Superintendent
Fremont School District 79 (IL)
Join the Parent Involvement & Community Engagement in K-12
community: www.edweb.net/engagement

2. Schoolwires supports parent engagement
with community management technology
solutions that keep your K-12 district
stakeholders connected.
Check out these key resources:
Parent & Family Engagement Infographic –
http://offers.schoolwires.com/peinfographic
A Checklist for Family Involvement –
http://offers.schoolwires.com/k12checklist

3. A CE certificate for today’s webinar
will be emailed to you
24 hours after the live session.
Join our community:
Parent Involvement &
Community Engagement in K-12
www.edweb.net/engagement
• Invitations to upcoming webinars
• Webinar archives and resources
• Online discussions
• CE quizzes for archived webinars

4. Webinar Tips
• For better audio/video, close other applications
(like Skype) that use bandwidth.
• Maximize your screen for a larger view by using
the link in the upper right corner.
• You will be emailed a CE certificate within 24
hours for attending today.
• You will also receive information to access the
recording of the webinar and the slides.
• Tweeting? Use the hashtag #edwebchat or
#SWwebinars and our handles @Schoolwires
and @edWebnet

5. BOOSTING SCHOOL TO HOME
COMMUNICATIONS:
PROVEN STRATEGIES AND TACTICS
FREMONT SCHOOL DI STRICT 7 9
Gildea 08/27/14

7. VISION
“Fremont School District 79 will serve its community by
providing an exemplary education focused on whole-child
development, collaboration and fiscal responsibility.”
Creating the environment that celebrates collaborative
practices as central to its vision promotes home-school
connections!

8. CORE BELIEFS
• Parents and school staff should be equal partners in
children’s learning.
• The responsibility for building partnerships between
schools and home rests primarily with school staff,
especially school leaders.
• Schools are a reflection of the communities they serve.

9. RESEARCH
• “A New Wave of Evidence,” by Dr. Karen Mapp (Harvard
Graduate School of Education) is an expert in school,
family, and community partnerships.

10. FINDINGS
• Students with involved parents are more likely to:
• Earn higher grades and test scores
• Be promoted, pass their courses, and earn credits
• Attend school regularly
• Have better social skills and improved behavior
• Attend school regularly
• Graduate and go on to post secondary education

11. FREMONT FINDINGS…
• Average ACT score of students attending Stevenson High School:
26.5
• Students attending post secondary education: 94%
• Scholarship awards in excess of $5,000,000 per year for Mundelein
High School

12. HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?
• CHARACTERISTICS OF HIGH PERFORMING
SCHOOLS
• Alignment of strategies, processes and activities to the
Vision/Mission
• Desire to improve
• Commitment to learning
• Use of data to measure/improve performance
• Concern for people
• Home/School Partnership

13. FOUR STRATEGIES
1. Proactive programs to foster positive interactions with
parents.
2. Offer opportunities to become involved.
3. Inform parents of classroom management and
instructional activities.
4. Make accommodations to meet the needs of families of
diverse backgrounds.

15. WHAT WORKS
• Summer e-newsletter
• Opening the year with Meet the Teacher/Supply Drop-Off
• Informal interaction and engagement before the year even starts
• Back to School Night
• Family Nights Focused on Reading, Science, Tech
• Partnership Events such as Fitness Festival

16. INDICATOR OF SUCCESS

17. SURVEYS

18. TIPS & TACTICS

21. CHALLENGES
• # of Clicks…
• 90-7-3…
• Incorporating Visuals
• Gaining Media’s Positive Interest
• Personalized, Targeted Communications
• Meaningful Interaction
• Student-Centered
• Positive
• Enhances Home-School Partnership

23. FACT…
•51% of supervisors say that they recognize
employees who do a good job
•17% of employees at that same organization report
that their supervisors do well at recognizing them

26. SUCCESS STORIES

27. BEST PRACTICES

28. RECOGNIZE SUCCESSES

29. PARENT FOCUS GROUPS

30. HOME SCHOOL COMMUNICATION
• Teacher Websites
• Learning Management System!
• eBlast
• Virtual Backpack
• Specific Targeted Communication Campaign
• Multimedia Monday
• Technology Tuesday
• Wild about Learning Wednesdays
• Throwback Thursday
• Fun Event Friday

31. WEBSITE

32. SOCIAL MEDIA

33. RECOGNITION

34. SURVEY

35. QUICK POLLS

36. TELEPHONE AND FACE/FACE

37. COMMUNITY INFORMATION

38. CHECKLIST
Welcoming Environment
Policies and Practices
Home-School Communication
Authentic Engagement
Prompt Response Times

39. RESOURCES
• Checklist for Schools – Making your Family-Community Partnership Work
• http://titleone.dpi.wi.gov/files/titleone/pdf/checklist-for-schools.pdf
• Edutopia.org – Parent Leadership Education Resources
• http://www.edutopia.org/parent-leadership-education-resources
• A Family Friendly School Walkthrough Checklist –
• http://www.cesdp.nmhu.edu/toolkit/docs/pdfs/improving-communication/
A%20Family%20Friendly%20Schools%20Walkthrough%20C
hecklist%202014.pdf

40. QUESTIONS
Type your questions in the chat box.

41. Thank you to our sponsor!
http://www.schoolwires.com

42. A CE certificate for today’s webinar
will be emailed to you
24 hours after the live session.
Join our community:
Parent Involvement &
Community Engagement in K-12
www.edweb.net/engagement
• Invitations to upcoming webinars
• Webinar archives and resources
• Online discussions
• CE quizzes for archived webinars

43. Stay tuned for information about our next webinar!
October 8 with Dr. Joyce Epstein, Director of the
Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships
Johns Hopkins University
Join the Parent Involvement & Community Engagement in K-12 community
for an invitation to the next webinar: www.edweb.net/engagement