|
The parent-teacher communication can play a significant role in the education of our students in three (3) important
ways:
A. Providing the teacher with vital information from parents that will strengthen the plans and strategies the
teacher uses with a student
B. Helping parents understand more clearly what the school and the teacher are trying to accomplish with a
student, what is required for students to accomplish such results, and what the parent can do to facilitate the
process
C. Building a strong home-school partnership that has implications for support of school programs beyond
particular classroom or grade
Each principal, in collaboration with the school staff should incorporate a parent-teacher conference plan as part of
the educational plan that each building is to design and implement each year. Among the strategies contained in such a conference plan should be:
A. Creating an environment in which the interaction with parents is based on a partnership mindset rather than
one which communicates "we know and tell, you don't know, so listen;”
B. Beginning an open-house or initial conference with a clear, concise description for each academic area of:
1. What the desired learning outcomes are for the year;
2. Why it is important that the student both acquires and then applies those learnings;
3. What learning processes and strategies the student will need to be able to use to achieve such
outcomes; and
4. What techniques, strategies, and other actions the teacher will be using to help the student achieve the
outcomes.
C. Providing opportunities for parents to ask questions regarding both the ends and the means and to suggest
additions and modifications to both;
D. Ensuring that at any special conferences with parents, the parents leave with:
1. One or more action plans for helping their child which the teacher and parent have developed and agreed
upon;
2. A clear understanding of what progress reports and report cards will contain; how they should be
interpreted and how they should be used by parents in supporting their child's learning efforts;
E. Correlating the first conference with subsequent conferences.
The plan should also provide for communication to staff and parents regarding:
A. The time schedule which includes the approximate length of the conferences and time of day (or night)
conferences will be held;
B. The procedure for release of students.
Approved/Adopted: July 13, 2009 |
 |
|
|
|
