Day 3 – Friday, July 24, 2009
Concurrent Sessions IV
Strand I – Early Childhood Parent Education
Building a System for High-Quality PreK for All
- Keami M. Harris, Program Associate, National Black Child Development Institute, Washington, DC
The National Black Child Development Institute has been a catalyst for creating a universal, comprehensive system of high-quality programs for 3- and 4-year-olds. This practical workshop is about building sustainability, accountability, and equity for the education of young children.
Strand II – Statewide Impact
Spreading Your Wings: How to Expand Your Statewide Visibility and Impact
- Adam Kernan-Schloss, President and CEO, KSA-Plus Communications, Arlington, VA
Click here to  download the presentation.
This session will help PIRCs more effectively communicate their services, disseminate resources, and enhance their visibility and impact on a statewide level, as well as improve their ability to work among state and local educational agencies and school districts. Adam Kernan-Schloss of KSA-Plus Communications has helped numerous nonprofit organizations develop strategic outreach plans that brand them as influential leaders and reach a broad cross-section of parents and school representatives across the state.
Strand III – Communication and Notification: Report Cards, Public School Choice, and Supplemental Educational Services
Building New Capacity: Solid Foundation Start-Up Stories From Three States
- Lori Laughlin, Director, South Dakota State PIRC, Sturgis, SD
- Jay Morris, School-Based Parent Involvement Coordinator, Vermont State PIRC, Williston, VT
- Kathleen Kilbourne, Director, Vermont State PIRC, Williston, VT
- Deborah Meiklejohn, Director, Rhode Island State PIRC, Pawtucket, RI
Click here to download the presentation.
Solid Foundation is an evidence-based family-school partnership program used by a growing number of PIRCs to empower schools to action. Three PIRCs will share first-year experiences: what it takes to transform staff into team coaches, how to recruit schools, how to gain buy-in, and tips for setting expectations and guiding team discussions. They will also describe 10 steps for Title I schools and online resources for planning effective family engagement and ensuring policy compliance.
Reaching Our Families Through Parent Liaisons
- Jackie Garvey, Executive Director, Indiana State PIRC, The Indiana Partnerships Center, Indianapolis, IN
- Marilyn Bassett, Deputy Director, Indiana State PIRC, The Indiana Partnerships Center, Indianapolis, IN
Indiana State PIRC leadership staff will share strategies for providing quality professional development with parent liaisons. Over the past 3 years, the Indianapolis Public Schools Title I Department has depended on the Indiana State PIRC to take the lead in working with 60 Title I Parent Liaisons. The PIRC has provided opportunities for the liaisons to increase their confidence and their skills to carry out the responsibilities of their job, understand important research about family engagement, link parent activities to parent learning, and help school staff value the role of parent liaisons in student achievement.
Strand IV – Section 1118, Parental Involvement
Migrant and Multicultural Parent Involvement Programs
- Jane Groff, Director, Kansas State PIRC, Topeka, KS
- Sharon Dabzadeh, Advisory Board Member, Kansas State PIRC, Topeka, KS
Click here to download the presentation.
This session will explore the development of a migrant and multicultural parent network and ways to incorporate PIRC services into that network. Presenters will discuss effective strategies to build the capacity of migrant and other multicultural groups, including family literacy, and share the personal testimony of a grandparent raising a grandchild. This testimony will give insight into the educational experiences of Hispanic-Latino adults. Presenters will also demonstrate translation devices and distribute bilingual family literacy materials.
Introduction to Advocacy
- José W. Meléndez, Research and Policy Associate, Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice, Chicago, IL
Click here to download the presentation.
Click here to download the handouts:
This session will introduce participants to advocacy as it relates to parental involvement under Title I, Section 1118. Specifically, PIRC parent representatives and other participants will identify the advocacy needs of the school, home, community, and students through a hands-on approach. They will work through a process of defining and categorizing advocacy issues; prioritizing their relationship to the school community; and discussing strategies, such as coalition-building, as a way to address advocacy issues.
Closing Address
The Parent Voice
- Sam Macer, Advisory Board Member, Maryland State PIRC, Baltimore, MD
Click here to download the presentation.
At the heart of every successful PIRC are the parents who seek information, assistance, and resources. Sam Macer is one of those parents. As a father, grandfather, foster parent, PTA president-elect of the Maryland PTA, Maryland State PIRC Advisory Board Member, and participant in parent-school decision making, he has made a difference for not only his own children but the children of others as well. During his remarks, he will share his experiences, his hopes for children, and his expectations for the PIRCs.
Closing Remarks
- Anna Hinton, Deputy Director, Parental Options and Information, Office of Innovation and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC
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