Schools that Make the Grade

What Successful Schools Do to Improve Student Achievement

by Martin J.A. Ratcliffe, Ed.D. Southeastern University Lakeland, FL and Melissa L. Harts, Ed.D. Hernando County Schools Brooksville, FL with invited contributors

About the Authors

Martin J.A. Ratcliffe, Ed.D., Assistant Professor, College of Education,

Southeastern University, 1000 Longfellow Boulevard, Lakeland, FL 33801

Dr. Ratcliffe is Assistant Professor of Education at Southeastern University in Florida. He earned his certificate in education through the Teachers’ Training College in Bulawayo, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), and then his bachelor’s degree in education through the University of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and his master of arts degree in education and doctor of education degree through Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He gives glory to God for enabling him to complete the years of research that laid the foundation for this book. He also expresses a deep heart of gratitude to his beloved Lily of the Valley—his ever-loving and faithful wife Shirley, who has faithfully supported him through the late nights and early mornings.

Melissa L. Harts, Ed.D., Director of Technology and Information Services, Hernando County Schools, 919 North Broad Street, Brooksville, FL 34601

Dr. Harts is Director of Technology and Information Services for Hernando County Schools in Florida. She is a native of New York, where she attended Fordham University for her undergraduate studies. She later received her first master of science degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Following her passion for education and teaching young people, she then enrolled in Columbia University Teachers College, where she received a master’s degree in education and a doctorate in instructional technology.

Contributors

• Samuel R. Bennett, Ed.D.
• Glenn S. Gardner, M.Ed.
• Mary Brezinski, M.Ed.
• Heather Croft Jackson, M.Ed., OTR/L, NBCOT
• Scott Bryan, Ed.D.
• Sonya Jackson, M.Ed.
• James Dwight Davidson, Ed.D.
• Helene Robinson, Ed.D.

Positive Home–School Relations Correlate

with Samuel R. Bennett

The American family is the rock on which a solid education can and must be built. —Richard W. Riley (1994, para. 4), former U.S. Secretary of Education

Correlate Definition In proficient schools, parents are cognizant of the school’s basic mission, support it, and are provided opportunities of involvement to aid the school in achieving its mission. In advanced schools, parents and teachers must come together as partners in an authentic relationship that builds the trust and communication required to address issues of mutual concern. (Lezotte, 1997; Lezotte & McKee, 2002)

IMPORTANCE OF POSITIVE HOME–SCHOOL RELATIONS

The number one predictor of student academic success as measured by the all important AYP scores is the Positive Home–School Relations correlate (Ratcliffe, 2006). U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan highlighted these points by noting the importance of parent–school partnerships.

A study conducted by Houtenville and Conway (2008) showed that parental involvement has a strong, positive effect on student achievement.

STRATEGIES FOR CREATING EFFECTIVE HOME–SCHOOL RELATIONS

There are seven types of strategies that can improve the relationship between schools and families: communication, support, attendance, planning, engagement, implementation, and involvement. These strategies are important to consider at every level of a school, and everybody has a role to play.

What Highly Effective Superintendents and District Administrators Do

• Stress the vision of a positive, collaborative home–school partnership to all constituents, particularly parents.
• Return parent telephone calls in a timely fashion.
• Draft parent-friendly policies that solicit and encourage positive parent involvement in the school.
• Clearly and frequently communicate district events, policies, academic status of schools, and availability of help for parents.

What Highly Effective Principals and School Administrators Do

• Maintain attractive, user-friendly, and updated web sites.
• Use every means and occasion to actively demonstrate that learning is highly valued and celebrated at your school.
• Welcome students’ family members into the school setting.
• Create opportunities for parent involvement, including all parents (where possible).

What Highly Effective Teachers Do

• Treat parents respectfully as partners.
• Maintain regular and prompt communication with the home through notes, letters, telephone calls, web site links, and volunteer opportunities.
• Initiate positive, proactive communication with parents, including home visitation, before there are any issues.

Making the Parent Connection: Teamwork and Communication

A crucial component to the parent and school partnership is that parents need to feel as though the school wants them involved in the educational process of their children. Schools need to communicate that attitude to the parents.

Parent–Teacher Conferences

When teachers have that face-to-face meeting with the parent, it becomes much more personal. Parent–teacher conferences allow for the communication of student progress in an informal setting.

CASE STUDY SCHOOL 1

Dave Dannemiller, former principal of Pine Grove Elementary, said that parental support is critical to a school making AYP. Among the ways he bolstered parental support was to invite parents to school functions and meetings.

CASE STUDY SCHOOL 2

John D. Floyd K-8 Environmental Science School had a less strong parent involvement. The former principal, Dr. Marcia Austin, admits that parent outreach could have been much stronger.

SUMMARY

The research shows the overwhelmingly positive effect parents can (and should) have on the education of their children. The implementation of the strategies outlined in this chapter will assist educators with increasing student achievement and helping schools to make the grade.

CHAPTER REFLECTION

1. Discuss your response to the chapter prompt about the importance of family as the foundation of education.
2. Summarize what the research says about the importance of positive home–school relations. Identify capstone studies reinforcing this.
3. Compare and contrast the strategies used by the two case study schools.
4. List the top five strategies you could implement to boost parent involvement.
5. How important is the involvement of fathers? What strategies could you implement to increase their involvement?
6. Share a scenario of a successful parent conference and its outcome.