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Lessons Taught, Lessons Learned Vol. II
Parental Involvement in a
Cross-Cultural Environment
by Monte Boston
Two decades of research on the relationship
between home and school indicates that children have an educational
advantage when their parents support and encourage their school
activities. Cultural and linguistic minority parents, however, have
not typically been very involved in this home-school partnership, and
their absence may well be a significant factor in minority students'
alienation from school. One reason often cited for why many minority
students do not achieve well in school is that school is seen as a
foreign environment in which they do not belong. Students from
diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds often go to schools that
seem to have little or no relevance to their everyday life. The
school quite literally speaks a different language, and in some cases
has rules preventing the minority students from speaking their own
language. Minority students are asked to read books with pictures
about people who don't look like them, act like them, or represent
anything familiar, and decisions about how the school is operated are
made by people they do not know and who do not know them.
All of these things that are true for minority
students are true for their parents as well. Many of these parents
were themselves shipped off to boarding schools far away from their
own home and family. The school has not been seen to be an expression
of their own lives and the culture of their community. Lack of
knowledge and acceptance of the school system, sometimes coupled with
a language barrier, makes minority parents reluctant to cross its
threshold.
Schools have been guilty of failing to reach
out to minority parents. If the schools assumed that parents really
cared about the best interests of their children, and if parents
assumed that teachers really cared about their children's best
interests, the parents may be more likely to participate in
activities provided by the school. This does not take into account
that all parents are not alike, especially within a minority or
cross-cultural community. Parents have varying communication styles,
just as students do, and also possess different abilities,
priorities, work schedules and home responsibilities. Schools need to
focus on the needs of the parents and work to their strengths and
interests, thus increasing parental involvement and perhaps enhancing
the achievement levels of their students.
The changing family patterns in the society
generally, with the growing number of working mothers, the mobility
of families, the fast pace of contemporary life, and numerous other
factors, have changed the relationship between parents and teachers
in the society as a whole. In some cases, students go home to an
empty house with no one home at night or after school, so there is no
supervision or guidance. We as educators need to rebuild our relation
ship with parents on a new footing and get them deeply involved in
their schools, especially in a cross-cultural environment,
where we need their help to provide an education appropriate to their
needs and interests. If we in Alaska hope to restore the confidence
of the Native public and parents in the school, then we need to
support cross-cultural education and take advantage of each
community's and home's educational resources. We need to take the
first steps in establishing stronger home-school partnerships and be
willing to go the second and third mile if necessary. This is one
of the greatest challenges of working in rural
Alaska.
The remainder of this paper will attempt to
outline a viable program in which the community, including parents,
elders, relatives, etc., can become involved in a cross-cultural
parent/school program, which when implemented will hopefully show
positive results in the achievement of the students.
I. Cultural Assumptions for
Educators
If we as educators are to be successful as
cross-cultural advocates then it is necessary to agree on a few
assumptions before we can begin to build or implement a program for
parents. Some of these assumptions are as follows:
A. Assume that the parent is the expert on his
or her child. The parent has been responsible long before, and will
continue to be responsible long after your involvement.
B. Assume that the parents are as well
intentioned as you, the educator.
C. Assume that the parents are as consistent in
applying their principles as you are yours.
D. Assume that the parents have a great
emotional investment in their child and that the success or failure
of that student affects them as well as you.
E. Assume that the purpose of the parents and
the educators is to work together to help the students have the space
they need to fulfill their potential.
F. Assume that you and the parents can find a
way to establish a working alliance on behalf of the education of
their children.
Now that a few assumptions have been made
concerning the relationship between the parents and the educators, we
can look at the implications for developing and implementing an
effective parent involvement program.
II. Tips for Developing
Cooperative Relationships Between Parents & Teachers
An important factor involved in working with
parents in a cross-cultural environment is that of establishing
rapport and trust with the parents or community members. Following
are some specific strategies and behaviors that educators can use to
initiate more productive relationships with parents.
A. Trust-building
1. Accept parents as they are and do
not try to induce fundamental changes in their behavior
2. Listen carefully and emphatically for the
cognitive and emotional content of the parent's messages
3. Help parents feel comfortable; share
information and resources with them whenever you can
4. Prepare for meetings by studying
pertinent materials beforehand
5. Focus on the parents' hopes, aspirations,
concerns, and needs
6. Keep your word and be honest with the
parents
7. Allow parent's expertise to shine
8. Be there when needed for consultation and
do everything reasonable to meet them as soon as possible
B. Getting Off to a Good Start
1. Make early contact with
parents
2. Share special needs or concerns
3. Clarify classroom programs, expectations,
and daily routines and schedules
4. Honor their time limitations
5. Work on problem solving & intervention
C. Problem Solving & Intervention
1. Reduce global problems to
manageable terms
2. Check for understanding by restating the
problem
3. Identify any "new problems" that
emerge
4. Ask the "owner" of the problem(s) to
offer solutions and establish a priority list
5. Determine with the person how the
problem(s) might be addressed
D. Keeping Communication Alive
1. Maintain regular contact
2. Plan and effectively use
conferences
3. Clarify understanding during
conferences
4. Listen closely to what parents are
saying
5. Schedule a follow-up visit
6. Be supportive of the parent's
position
7. Include the child in communication
8. Verify any information, if in
doubt
9. Solve problems positively together
E. Planning Ahead for Another Good Year
1. Recommend summer activities that
parents can do with their children
2. Ask for parents assistance in developing
an educational plan for the next year
3. Thank parents for their support and
assistance where justified
Ill. Planning and Implementing a
Parental Involvement Program in the School
A. Preliminary teacher/administrator/parental
planning
1. Set your goals
2. Jointly define the parent roles
3. Consider all viewpoints
4. Establish program policies
a. Time limits
b. Program scope
c. School facilities
d. Involvement requirements
e. Special training or knowledge
f. Program control
g. Evaluation of program
B. Parent/teacher/administrator workshop
1. The student needs
2. The program expectations
3. Activities for teachers and
students
4. Parental involvement and
commitment
5. Program benefits
C. Teacher/administrator/parental plans
1. Contact the parents and the other
people involved.
2. Advertise and encourage parental
involvement.
3. Develop individual plans of action and
how it will be implemented.
D. Parental orientation
1. Familiarize the parents with your
school.
2. Discuss with them the parent's
role
3. Discuss pupil characteristics
4. Introduce methods and materials
5. Review guidelines for parents
E. Parents in the school
1. Orient your students to the parents
role
2. Establish your classroom routine with
parents in mind
3. Help your parents learn the
routine
4. Express your appreciation & thanks
F. Evaluating your parental involvement
program
1. Solicit the views of all
participants
2. Arrange for on-going reviews of the
programs effect
IV. Options for the V.I.P. Parent
Involvement Program
Following is an outline of options for
implementing a parental involvement program in a cross-cultural
environment, including some of the most productive approaches that
schools have used to integrate parents into school activities. These
will be listed first and described in more detail later:
1. Home-school communications
2. Parental newsletter
3. V.I.P. support group
4. Informal letters and calls each
week
5. Parents as supporters
6. Parents as learners
7. Advocate parents, advisors
8. Community teachers program
9. Booster clubs
10. Room parents
11. Adult adoption program
12. Tutorial program
13. Native cross-cultural counseling
14. Fund raising
15. School advisory council
16. Native arts and crafts classes
17. Parent volunteer program
18. Curriculum advisory committee
19. At-risk youth program
20. Community/parental lunch program
21. Safe-home community program
22. Potluck dinners & Native
dancing
23. Intervention team members
24. Parent attender program
25. Community night
Description of Optional Approaches
for the V.I.P. Program
- Home-school communications: The
exchange of information between parent and teacher to help both
the school and family assist the child's learning at
school.
- Parental newsletter: Questions and
answers about happenings, activities, positive programs, and other
good things going on at school (monthly).
- V.I.P. support group: A
teacher/administrator/parental rap group to sit down and discuss
problems, issues, concerns that affect the students and the school
(monthly).
- Informal letters and calls each
week: Teachers and administrators initiate positive phone call
contact with parents on a weekly basis concerning school
affairs.
- Parents as supporters:
This component represents the traditional role that parents have
played such as fund-raising, open houses, student performances,
field trips, chaperoning activities, organizing book fairs, campus
cleanups, etc..
- Parents as learners:
Parents have an opportunity to increase their knowledge about the
school curriculum, school policies, and other aspects of school
life, as well as being able to increase their own parenting
skills.
- Advocate parents. advisors: Parents
have an opportunity to share their views with teachers and
administrators and influence decisions on issues that affect their
children. Many schools have established school site advisory
councils to help parents play this role. An active PTA group
serves as a valuable advocacy group for students and the
school.
- Community teachers program: This
component of a parental involvement program includes parents and
other members of the community who come into the classroom and
teach a class once a week or so to students in the school. These
classes might include math, science, social studies, civics,
government, reading, or Native cultural classes in skin sewing,
beadwork, basket making, dancing, drumming, boat building, ivory
carving, baleen basket making, cooking and preparation of game and
meat.
- Booster clubs: The booster
club can be a supportive and enthusiastic arm for all
extracurricular activities. This can include sports and athletics,
academics, Native games, dances, and other school related
functions.
- Room parents: Room parents can help
with room parties, school dances, holiday festivities, local
Native celebrations, plays and productions, arts and crafts
classes, and music. Room parents can be a tremendous boost in a
school.
- Adult adoption program: This
component involves students adopting one or two parents, elders,
senior citizens, or community members to be their adopted members.
This means that the students have to communicate with their
adoptees through letters, phone calls, lunch with the class, etc.,
and the adoptees should be involved in everything that the class
does.
- Tutorial program: Parents can
provide academic tutorial help for students in need.
- Native cultural
counselor: Students need to have someone they feel they can
trust to talk about problems facing them. The parent/counselor
becomes a sounding board for students and a liaison for the
administration and the teachers. The counselor should be Native,
strong in convictions, morally straight, and respected and trusted
by the students.
- Fund raising: Fund raising is
another way in which parents can become involved in school
activities. Funds are needed from time to time to provide for
students' needs that are not provided for in the administrative
budget.
- School advisory council: This
council should be a very important and integral part of the
function of rural schools, to serve as the people's voice and
provide an opportunity for the parents, elders, community leaders
and members to have input into their own school.
- Native arts and crafts classes:
These classes could be held after school, in the evenings, and on
the weekends for students who have a great desire to learn and
become more proficient in the production of local crafts. High
school students should be given elective or art credit for
completion of such courses. These can include ivory carving,
drumming, dancing, Native games, boat building, skin sewing,
cooking and other culturally appropriate activities.
- Parent volunteer program: The parent
volunteer program is an excellent way to get parents involved in
school activities. The volunteer jobs can range from class aide to
office helper to lunchroom aide to copy expert. It can also
involve securing materials and needed items for the
class.
- The curriculum steering committee:
This committee deals specifically with the curriculum of the
school. Members, including parents, teachers, and administrators,
evaluate current curriculum, research new and more effective
curriculum approaches, recommend to and advise the school advisory
council, and set goals for implementation in conjunction with the
advisory council and school board.
- At-risk youth program: At-risk youth
are those who are failing in school, considering dropping out, or
are struggling with problems that limit their success in school.
Parents can become involved in the intervention process and help
to encourage, support, and spend time with these
students.
- Community-parental lunch program:
This is a program where members of the community come in and share
lunch with the students on a weekly basis. This provides an
opportunity for parents and students to spend time together and
share the school and community experiences with each
other.
- Safe-home community program: This is
a community based program where students are guaranteed a safe and
protective environment for a specified period, from abusive
parents, drug and alcohol abusers, sexual abusers, etc.. The
parents of these safe-homes provide the needed care and help 24
hours a day as needed.
- Potluck dinners and dancing: This is
an enjoyable way of entertaining and sharing cultural customs. It
is also a way to get parents to come to school and enjoy meeting
the staff and the administration. Native dancing and singing
naturally accompany such festivities.
- Intervention team members: This is
an excellent place for parents and members of the community to
become involved with students who are disruptive and experiencing
behavioral problems. The intervention team can be used to discuss
the problem, confront the student, and provide goals for the
improvement of the student. It is also a good way for students to
learn that there are those in the community who are genuinely
concerned for their welfare.
- Parent attender program: This
is a program where parents are used to call other parents on a
weekly basis and visit with them about their son/daughter's
attendance problems. It is sometimes more comfortable and less
threatening for parents if they can talk to someone who
understands their language, problems, concerns, and
customs.
- Community night: This can be
arranged one night a month and set up for everyone to come and
play cards, casino, games, dancing, singing, bingo and a variety
of other things, including refreshments. The school can hold a
raffle for fund-raising, have door prizes, and create a community
spirit within the school setting which in turn can make it more
comfortable for everyone.
Evaluation of the Parental
Involvement Program in Your School
At certain times, the progress of each of your
parental involvement initiatives needs to be assessed and evaluated
by the parents, the teachers, principal, administrators, outside
observers, and even the students. The administrators and the
principal will be particularly concerned that the program is meeting
the goals established for it. Some re-planning may be necessary, or
maybe shorter term goals will need to be established. Observations by
visiting specialists can provide useful new perspectives.
Teachers may find that they will need to spend
more time planning for and with parents or establishing relationships
that are more conducive to cooperation and communication. They may
also find that it will take a lot of time and energy to develop and
place these programs into action, and that they must be willing to
share the burden of the work with the parents and the
administration.
Parents need to examine their own performance
in light of the objectives that they have set out for themselves.
Parents need to evaluate their usefulness and whether or not they are
under-utilized or over-utilized in the particular situation. Parents
need to evaluate their commitment, their preparation for their
activities, their attention to individual student needs, their
success in working with the students, their attitude and relationship
with the school officials and teachers, and their fulfillment of
their role as a participant in each of the programs. Suggestions then
need to be made on what might have been done differently by all
parties in the future.
The amount of participation or turnover in a
program is a good indication of the success of that program.
Evaluation of your parent involvement program may take the form of
written reports, questionnaires, individual conferences, or group
discussions. Whatever techniques that are employed for observation
and feedback, they should not entail a lot of paperwork. Emphasis
should be on action for improvement and growth.
If your parental program is to grow, it must be
flexible enough to allow for changes. Continuing workshops and
discussions are needed to facilitate an exchange of experiences and
ideas. The program of parental involvement must evolve from the needs
of the students and the school. The suggested program components can
only provide basic direction. It is the realization of the school
personnel how valuable the parental potential is in the community
that will mean a richer and more meaningful educational experience
for all students.
Summary
Cross-cultural parental involvement programs
can be the backbone of the school if properly planned, implemented
and evaluated. It takes commitment, participation, and dedication to
the goals on everyone's part to make the programs an effective tool.
The improvement of the student's educational experience should be the
ultimate goal in any program that is developed. If a parental
involvement program is successful it will induce productive results
in terms of better performance on achievement test scores, better
behavior in the classroom, more cooperation and school spirit within
the whole community, and most of all, a more well-rounded, better
adjusted student. Even though we as educators face the potential
stumbling blocks of different languages, built-in prejudices,
class-bound values, culture-bound values, nonverbal communication
differences, and cultural stereotypes, we can diminish all of these
through parental involvement programs. Such programs should be an
integral part of any school and should be continually fostered and
encouraged. The cultural needs of the students and the community must
be met before any kind of academic progress can be effectively
measured. It can be time consuming and take a few years to get some
of these initiatives implemented, but it is certainly worth the
effort that everyone puts forth.
Foreword
Ray Barnhardt
Part I *
Rural School Ideals
"My
Goodness, People Come and Go So Quickly Around
Here"
Lance C. Blackwood
Parental Involvement
in a Cross-Cultural Environment
Monte Boston
Teachers and
Administrators for Rural Alaska
Claudia Caffee
The Mentor Teacher
Program
Judy Charles
Building
Networks
Helen Eckelman
Ideal Curriculum and
Teaching Approaches for a School in Rural
Alaska
Teresa McConnell
Some Observations
Concerning Excellent Rural Alaskan Schools
Bob Moore
The Ideal Rural
Alaska Village School
Samuel Moses
From Then To Now:
The Value of Experiential Learning
Clara Carol Potterville
The Ideal
School
Jane Seaton
Toward an Integrated,
Nonlinear, Community-Oriented Curriculum
Unit
Mary Short
A Letter from
Idealogak, Alaska
Timothy Stathis
Preparing
Rural Students for the Future
Michael Stockburger
The Ideal
Rural School
Dawn Weyiouanna
Alternative
Approaches to the High School Curriculum
Mark J. Zintek
Part II *
Rural Curriculum Ideas
"Masking" the
Curriculum
Irene Bowie
On Punks and
Culture
Louise J. Britton
Literature to Meet
the Needs of Rural Students
Debra Buchanan
Reaching the Gifted
Student Via the Regular Classroom
Patricia S. Caldwell
Early Childhood Special
Education in Rural Alaska
Colleen Chinn
Technically
Speaking
Wayne Day
Process Learning
Through the School Newspaper
Marilyn Harmon
Glacier Bay
History: A Unit in Cultural Education
David Jaynes
Principals of
Technology
Brian Marsh
Here's Looking
at You and Whole Language
Susan Nugent
Inside, Outside and
all-Around: Learning to Read and Write
Mary L. Olsen
Science Across
the Curriculum
Alice Porter
Here's Looking at
You 2000 Workshop
Cheryl Severns
School-Based
Enterprises
Gerald Sheehan
King Island
Christmas: A Language Arts Unit
Christine Pearsall Villano
Using Student-Produced
Dialogues
Michael A. Wilson
We-Search and
Curriculum Integration in the Community
Sally Young
Artist's
Credits
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