could also use the program to learn
English.
The teacher visitor suggested that if
the father knew other parents who had
a similar interest in getting access to
the literacy program, he might want to
bring them together in a meeting with
school staff members to explore ways
to address this need. The father did so,
and out of that process, the parents and
the school developed a family literacy
project that provided computers and
home Internet access to immigrant
families, who used the school’s website
to increase their English skills.
Initially, we used discarded computers and obtained a private foundation grant to pay for Internet access.
Later, the school district allocated
federal grants so refugee students
could purchase new computers and
continue the program. Students whose
families participated in the project had
a fourfold increase in their English
assessment scores, and the International
Reading Association gave the project its
2007 Presidential Award for Reading
and Technology.
Our school’s successful Parent University began in much the same way.
Some parents expressed an interest in
learning more about how the schools
operate. Parents then came together
with school staff and representatives
from a local university to develop a
curriculum that parents wanted—not
a predesigned agenda constructed by
others. These monthly classes, which
often attract as many as 100 parents,
offer simultaneous translation in Hmong
and English and include sessions on
naturalization and citizenship, high
school graduation requirements, and
college readiness and financing.
Successful engagement efforts like
these are similar to the work of tradi-
tional community organizers. People
first tell their stories and then share
them with others. The group develops
a different vision of what might be
possible and then takes collective
action. It’s the difference between irri-
tation—challenging others to act on
something you’re interested in—and
agitation—challenging others to act on
something they’re concerned about.
The Temptation to
Settle for Involvement
Given the pressures to immediately
increase test scores, it is tempting
for schools to emphasize family
involvement rather than family
engagement. After all, most family
involvement programs can have a
positive effect on student achievement,
and they are generally easier to
implement than engagement models.
Unfortunately, some of the most
well-publicized family involvement
efforts right now—tempting as
they might be—are likely to have
Is your school’s emphasis on one-way communication or on two-way conversation?
