Week 6 Discussion 2 Los Pen Profile the kind of empirical evidence at Los Pen that supports the school’s transformation. Focus on quantitative data. Based on the statistical data gleaned from the readings what qualitative conclusions would you draw about the efficacy of the many aspects of differentiated parent support? INSTRUCTOR GUIDANCE WEEK FIVE *Special thanks to Dr. Patrice Jones for sharing her original guidance in this document. In Week Five, you read about the link between Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and parental involvement. When students do not have their basic needs met or do not feel safe in school, they are not fully prepared for academic instruction. “It is imperative that we proactively create a climate that will support all students learning” (Hjalmarson, 2011, p.135). Partnerships are all about connection. In this final week of the class, we will end our discussion about the need to develop partnerships among schools, families, and communities to support student success. Parents are the glue that helps to bring students and schools together. For schools, it is important to gain parent support and involvement in assisting students in their educational growth. Schools must develop strategies to offer parents in establishing better support for students in their educational journey; however, in order for schools to help parents, there must be a plan in place. We learned at the start of this course that there are a variety of ways in which parents can be supportive of students in school. Far gone are the days when the only way that parents could show support was to help with homework. Although helping with homework is still vital, it is only a small example of the many strategies that parents can use to support the education of their children. Think about the classroom today, beyond fundraisers and PTA meetings. What are some of ways in which your child's school has asked for your support or you have asked parents for support? How does this extend to using technology as a means of academic support? Consider the technology you use to communicate with your child’s teachers or with the parents of your students. Research shows a strong correlation between the achievement gap and home Internet accessibility (Empowering Parents, 2010). “If, as President Obama emphasizes, parents have a responsibility to be actively involved in their children’s education, they will need the technology tools and skills to do so effectively” (The Children’s Partnership, 2010, p. 7). Having regular communication with schools through email, blogs, and social media helps parents receive updates to their child’s performance and plan for what additional supports they might need for areas of need. We have learned throughout the previous weeks of this course that classrooms throughout the U.S. have become increasingly diverse. Hjalmarson writes that, “when people are born into families with limited parenting skills, without some intervention or tr ...