Day 2 – Thursday, July 23, 2009

Opening Session

• Dean Kern, Director, Parental Options and Information, Office of Innovation and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC
• Veronica Edwards, Program Officer, Parental Options and Information, Office of Innovation and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC
• Monique Toussaint, Program Officer, Parental Options and Information, Office of Innovation and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC
  Click here to download the PIRC Awards presentation.

Keynote

• Byron V. Garrett, CEO, National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), Chicago, IL
  Click here to download the presentation.
  
  We know the challenges facing urban communities—more students drop out of high school in big cities than anywhere else, recruiting and retaining quality teachers is often a challenge, and closing the achievement gap has been a challenge in many areas. However, we also know the difference that effective parent engagement makes. Come hear how PIRCs and PTAs have the ability to work together to engage parents and improve education outcomes in urban communities.

Concurrent Sessions I

• Donna S. Bell, Senior Project Manager, National Center for Family Literacy, Louisville, KY
  
  In this interactive session, participants will explore practical applications of findings from the National Early Literacy Panel Report as well as strategies for using technology to share high-quality resources. Each participant will receive a copy of the National Center for Family Literacy's newly released guide What Works: An Introductory Teacher Guide for Early Language and Emergent Literacy Instruction (2009) by Donna Bell and Laura Westberg. PIRC staff and parents will have an opportunity to explore teacher- and family-based strategies that can be used to support emergent language and literacy instruction for young children.

• Matt Timm, Director, Early Childhood Programs, Tennessee Voices for Children, Nashville, TN
• Monica Causey, Director, Tennessee State PIRC, Tennessee Voices for Children, Nashville, TN
  Click here to download the presentation.
  
  This session provides group- and home-based training to parents and caregivers of at-risk children below age 5 who come from homes with high poverty or exhibit developmental disability and/or limited English language proficiency—children who commonly struggle educationally. The presenters will share two core evidence-based modules, "Language is the Key" and "Feelings Make the Difference," that utilize integrated roles of early language/literacy development, early social-emotional development, and naturally occurring caregiver-child interactions to prepare children for school success.

• Vanessa R. LaGrange, Coordinator, New Mexico State PIRC, Parents Reaching Out, Albuquerque, NM
• Larry Fuller, Director, New Mexico State PIRC, Parents Reaching Out, Albuquerque, NM
• Eugene Sierra, Family Liaison, New Mexico State PIRC, Parents Reaching Out, Albuquerque, NM
  
  Click here to download the handouts:
  • ATP Implementation Checklist (MS Word version),
  • District-Wide MOU Template (MS Word version),
  • Single School MOU Template (MS Word version),
  • School Action Team Binders,
  • NMPIRC Framework, and
  • Materials for Admin Packet
  The presenters in this session will share their knowledge, experiences, and practices in making a statewide impact. In utilizing the Epstein Model for School-Family-Community Partnerships, the New Mexico State PIRC developed and continues to fine-tune a flexible framework that meets the diverse needs of the low-income and minority families that the PIRC serves. This presentation is designed for all PIRC audiences: directors, staff, and parent representatives.

• Moderator: D'Lisa Crain, Director, Nevada State PIRC, Reno, NV
• Joe Battle, Parent Representative, District of Columbia PIRC, Washington, DC
• Sam Macer, Advisory Board Member, Maryland State PIRC, Baltimore, MD
• Leslie Want, Advisory Board Member, New Hampshire State PIRC, Concord, NH
  
  In this panel session, PIRC staff and parents will learn about outreach strategies that other communities have used to support the Supplemental Educational Services (SES), School Choice, and academic reporting requirements for Title I parental involvement. Panel members will share their experiences and give practical advice from the parent perspective on reaching out to parents through activities, informational materials, networks, and other tools. The session will include specific ideas that PIRC and school staff can use to help parents explore their options and rights related to SES, School Choice, and academic reporting.

• Mishaela Duran, Director of Government Affairs, National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), Office of Program and Policy, Washington, DC
• Delcenia Jones, Manager of Urban Development, National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), Headquarters, Chicago, IL
  
  National PTA is committed to promoting innovation and best practices in family engagement and targeting hard-to-reach families. In this session, participants will learn about the following: PTA's Urban Development Initiative, the findings from a joint PTA and Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP) brief on best practices in family engagement at the school district level, and a PTA brief on model PIRC technical assistance collaborations.

• Paula Goldberg, Executive Director, Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights (PACER), Bloomington, MN
• Heather Kilgore, Director, Minnesota State PIRC, Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights (PACER), Bloomington, MN
  Click here to download the presentation.
  
  Drawing on lessons learned from the PACER Center's national role to provide technical assistance to parent centers, Paula Goldberg discusses the federal Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIC) and provides PIRCs with ideas for how to collaborate successfully with PTICs. In addition to this national perspective, participants will hear about how the PACER Center and the Minnesota State PIRC have built a strong and effective partnership together that honors each other's unique role and contribution in the state.

• Sherri Wilson, Director, Alabama State PIRC, Alabama Parent Education Center, Wetumka, AL
• Jenni Brasington, Director, Arizona State PIRC, Chandler Education Foundation, Chandler, AZ
  
  This highly interactive session involves audience members as contestants, scorekeepers, and judges in a Jeopardy-style presentation about the requirements of Title I, Part A, Section 1118. Participants will have the opportunity to win fabulous prizes as they learn more about the parental requirements of NCLB.

• James Evans, Director, Internal Control Evaluation, Office of the Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC
  Click here to download the presentation.
  
  PIRC financial managers will receive an overview of financial management systems and compliance requirements for federal programs. Recipients of federal funds must ensure that their financial management systems meet the standards set forth in 34 CFR 74.21 and 80.20. Standards include, among other things, internal controls designed to provide reasonable assurances that transactions are properly recorded and accounted for; are in compliance with laws, regulations, and the provisions of the grant agreement; and that funds are safeguarded against loss from unauthorized use.

Concurrent Sessions II

• Martha Zaslow, Vice-President for Research and Senior Program Area Director, Child Trends, Washington, DC
• Shannon Moodie, Senior Research Assistant, Child Trends, Washington, DC
  Click here to download the presentation.
  
  This presentation will share research findings about what quality means from the family perspective, and, in turn, what this implies for improving family and provider relationships and children's development. The presentation will include research on family-provider communication as a facet of quality, reflecting and respecting families' cultures in early care and education, early care and education as a source of support for families, and extending children's activities in early care and education into the home.

• Tina House, Director, Colorado PIRC-Denver, Denver, CO
• Richard García, Director, Colorado PIRC-Westminster, Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition, Westminster, CO
• Noemi Aguilar, Family Engagement Specialist, Colorado Department of Education, Denver, CO
• Jamie Edwards, Trainer/Translator, Colorado PIRC-Denver, Denver, CO
  
  Collaboration among previously isolated organizations and agencies plays a key role in supporting family involvement efforts. In this interactive workshop, participants will explore partnerships fostered by the Colorado PIRC-Denver that support parental involvement across the state. The first partnership—Colorado PIRC-Denver and the Title I, Title III, and Migrant Education Departments at the Colorado Department of Education (CDE)—has generated a network of support for parental involvement that aligns efforts at all levels of the system. The second partnership—Colorado PIRC-Denver, Colorado PIRC-Westminster, Colorado PTA, and Colorado Department of Education Title I and III—has resulted in the Colorado Parent Involvement Network for Education (COPINE), a statewide initiative to foster meaningful parent-school partnerships by promoting strategies to build capacity in Title I schools and districts. Participants will learn strategies to create state-, district-, and school-level partnerships and receive training curriculum and tools to support schools and districts in capacity building.

• Steven B. Sheldon, Director of Research, National Network of Partnership Schools, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
  Click here to download the presentation.
  
  Click here to download the handouts:
  • Logic Model Activity Sheet, and
  • Methods to Collect Information
  During this session, participants will learn about new research from the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS) on how evaluation affects family engagement program quality and outcomes in partnership schools. PIRCs will also explore the role of evaluation in their own program offerings and share lessons and ideas with one another about how to use evaluation for continuous learning and improvement.

• Moderator: Ed Redalen, Director, Iowa State PIRC, Clive, IA
• Neal W. Ables, Outreach Specialist, Office of Family and Public Engagement, Parent and Family Resource Center, District of Columbia Public Schools, Washington, DC
• Muriel Barton, Parent Liaison, Matthew Henson Elementary School, Landover, MD
• Herenia López, Latino Outreach Coordinator, Easter Middle School, Montgomery County Public Schools, Takoma Park, MD
  
  This panel session will provide an opportunity for PIRCs to explore the strategies that parent liaisons use to build parent capacity in understanding academic reporting and to increase parent access to School Choice and Supplemental Educational Services (SES) as defined by the Title I parental involvement provisions. Panel members will share their experiences and give practical advice on defining the role of liaisons in school communities, collaborating with PIRCs and other parent support entities, and utilizing strategies to build larger and more effective networks and partnerships.

• Ana Sands, Director, Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE), George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
  Click here to download the presentation.
  
  Parents want the best for their children academically but often struggle with first steps or in identifying resources. PIQE, which was started 22 years ago by concerned parents, has graduated more than 450,000 parents from its 9-week program and has a proven track record of helping families support their children's graduation from high school and college. This presentation will provide parents with insight into systems of education and strategies for using that system to help them in supporting their children's education. Presenters will share information on a foundation for parent advocacy; the history of advocacy; advocacy in elementary school, middle school, and high school; and advocacy in the home, school, and community.

• Karyn Lindsay, Director, Florida PIRC-Clearwater, Family Network on Disabilities of Florida, Clearwater, FL
• Christine Reverón-Stolz, Assistant Director, Florida PIRC-Clearwater, Family Network on Disabilities of Florida, Clearwater, FL
  Click here to download the presentation.
  
  NCLB Title I, Part A requires local education agencies (LEA) and schools to develop, implement, and evaluate Title I parental involvement policies. How do LEAs and schools do this in a meaningful, compliant way? The Florida PIRC-Clearwater has developed and implemented a technical assistance model for facilitating LEA and school teams through the process of policy development, implementation, and evaluation using specific templates and tools that not only ensure compliance but also promote effective, meaningful parental involvement activities that are directly correlated to LEA and school Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) achievement data.

• Dana R. McDermott, Associate Professor, School for New Learning, DePaul University, Chicago, IL
  Click here to download the presentation.
  
  How do parents from diverse backgrounds view their role in their children's education? Why are outreach efforts for these parents not as effective as we would like? Parents bring complex experiences and resources to the partnership and diverse conceptions of their role. Through this presentation, participants will develop a better appreciation of this complexity, better strategies for supporting staff and engaging parents, and a better way to draw upon family strengths to enhance child success.

• Dean Kern, Director, Parental Options and Information, Office of Innovation and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC
  Click here to download the presentation.
  
  Annual performance reporting should not only demonstrate project success but also fiscal accountability. Finance managers are a key project partner not only for ensuring that PIRC projects are completed on time and within budget but also for determining allowable costs associated with a project's activities. PIRC financial managers will be provided an overview of annual performance reporting requirements and compliance requirements for federal programs.

General Session: Early Childhood Panel

• Barbara Bowman, Consultant to the U.S. Secretary of Education and Chief Early Childhood Education Officer, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago, IL
• Lisa Gale, Deputy Director, Nurse-Family Partnership Replication, Public/Private Ventures, Philadelphia, PA
• Gayle Hart, National Program Director, Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters, HIPPY USA, Little Rock, AR
• Sue Sheehan, Senior Director of National and International Born to Learn Training, Parents as Teachers National Center, St. Louis, MO
  
  This session will help PIRCs uncover the essential ingredients in a successful home visitation program. Renowned scholar and advocate Barbara Bowman discusses her current work advising federal early childhood education policies and facilitates a discussion with representatives from three national early childhood home visitation programs: Nurse-Family Partnership, Parents as Teachers, and Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters. From these experts, PIRCs will learn about how to select and adapt home visitation models using research and evaluation.

Concurrent Sessions III

• Rachel Schumacher, Senior Fellow, Child Care and Early Educational Policy, Center for Law and Social Policy, Washington, DC
  
  In this session, participants will hear from the Center for Law and Social Policy about research on the importance of a comprehensive cross-systems approach to support the learning and development of children ages 0–3. PIRCs will learn about how to identify and tap into comprehensive early childhood resources to connect to their early childhood parent education programs, share strategies with one another about how to coordinate services for young children, and discuss policy implications for their states.

• Phyllis Harris, Director, Missouri PIRC-St. Louis, LIFT–Missouri St. Louis, MO
  
  The PIRC and state education agency (SEA) collaboration uses systemic processes to build a strong partnership with SEA staff, regional advisory councils, and district and school action teams and fosters PIRC support for the implementation of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Title I reporting. This collaboration incorporates the following strategies: holistic resources and services that promote leadership practices for parents, schools, and districts; alignment of efforts to promote strong state accountability standards and effective parent involvement practices; strong school and community partnerships; and statewide family investment in schools to enhance parent involvement and child achievement.

• Anne W. Foster, Executive Director, Parents for Public Schools, Jackson, MS
  Click here to download the presentation.
  
  Click here to download the handouts:
  • Ohio PIRC, and
  • Oregon PIRC
  What is a community of parents for public education? How does it develop? How do you engage the parents? What about multiple cultures? Learn how to bring parents and parental involvement groups together to form statewide communities that will impact and improve public education. Learn how to create practical, successful strategies to reach out and provide leadership and support for parent engagement initiatives. Learn how to turn relationships into partnerships and partnerships into networks.

• Chris Ferguson, Program Associate, National PIRC Coordination Center, SEDL, Austin, TX
  Click here to download the presentation.
  
  Click here to download the handouts:
  • Toolkit Sections,
  • Toolkit Select Tools,
  • Toolkit Select Explanations, and
  • Toolkit Appendix
  The communication and notification provisions for the Title I parental involvement provisions continue to challenge schools, districts, and state education agencies across the nation. This presentation will engage participants in an interactive exploration of communication and notification information, discuss tools from A Toolkit for Title I Parental Involvement, and provide helpful suggestions for increasing and maximizing communication and notification activities.

• Susan Shaffer, Executive Director, Maryland State PIRC, Bethesda, MD
• Nora Cartland, ELL Outreach Coordinator, Maryland State PIRC, Bethesda, MD
• America Calderon, Project Manager and Community Organizer, Tellin' Stories Project of Teaching for Change, Washington, DC
• Sandi Jimenez, Former Principal, Buck Lodge Middle School, Prince George's County Public Schools, MD
• Ana Baires, Parent, Buck Lodge Middle School, Prince George's County Public Schools, MD
  
  Columbia University's National Center for Children in Poverty reports that 4.5 million adolescents were living in poor families and 10.1 million lived in low-income families in the United States in 2007. Parental involvement in middle school is therefore imperative. This workshop explores the work of the Maryland State PIRC's Tellin' Stories Project at Buck Lodge Middle School to provide PIRC directors, staff, and parent representatives with strategies and tools for effectively engaging all families in middle school.

• Barbara Smith, Director, Utah State PIRC, Salt Lake City, UT
• Claudia Alvarado, Parent Liaison, Utah State PIRC, Salt Lake City, UT
  
  Utah State PIRC, in partnership with Granite School District, has developed a program that takes non- or low-English-speaking parents from English acquisition to helping their children with homework and volunteering by serving in PTA leadership. A fun, activity-based approach is used to teach "education survival" English. Additional training in parenting, school communication, and leadership are interlaced with the English lessons, taking parents from non-involvement to active involvement.