2003 Parent Communications and Involvement Standards

							    S D
                 SAN DIEGO CITY SCHOOLS
    C S
                 EUGENE BRUCKER EDUCATION CENTER                                                             (619) 725-5568
                 4100 Normal Street, San Diego, CA 92103-2682                                        Fax:    (619) 725-5576




                      2003 Parent Communications and Involvement Standards
          The Parent Communications and Involvement Standards (Standards), which build upon the 1995
          Board of Education-adopted Parent Involvement Policy, reflect a commitment on the part of the
          San Diego Unified School District, its schools, and parents to form a genuine partnership in
          educating San Diego’s children. They are intended to serve as the foundation for the development
          of policies and practices for truly meaningful parent involvement, as well as the basis for all
          district- and school-level communication with parents. Ultimately, these Standards aim to ensure
          that all parents – regardless of income, ethnic background or language -- with children attending
          any level of any district school -- can expect and experience uniformly high-quality
          communication with school officials and uniformly determined efforts to create genuine parent
          involvement.

          The specific goals in producing these Standards include: 1) promoting districtwide understanding
          of the value of strong parent involvement strategies and open, respectful, two-way
          communications with parents in achieving student success, including academic performance,
          healthy personal development, and good citizenship; 2) ensuring the creation of ongoing
          districtwide opportunities for increasing parent involvement and conducting continuous, two-way
          communication with parents; and finally, 3) creating common expectations, responsibilities, and
          leadership roles at the district, school, classroom, and home-levels concerning the quality of
          communications with parents and parent involvement strategies necessary for increasing student
          success.

          The term “parent involvement” refers to a partnership with parents that is characterized by the
          creation of, and ongoing support for, a range of opportunities for parents to work closely with
          district leadership, school principals, and classroom teachers in the important enterprise of fully
          educating San Diego’s children. Parent involvement generally takes one of six commonly
          acknowledged forms.1 These include: 1) parenting – helping families with child-rearing and
          parenting skills; 2) communicating – developing effective two-way school-to-home and home-to-
          school communications; 3) volunteering – creating ways that families can become involved in
          school activities that benefit students; 4) learning at home – supporting learning activities that
          reinforce school curricula in the home; 5) decision-making – receiving input from, and involving
          families as decision-makers through district level groups, parent organizations, school level
          groups, and 6) collaborating with the community – matching community services with family
          needs. Using these Standards as a point of reference, each school, with district support, is


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  Defining parent involvement. The Six Types Framework. Defining parent involvement has been the subject of many national
symposia and conferences. Dr. Joyce Epstein’s framework of six major types of parent involvement is among the most useful
tools developed by the field thus far for defining parent involvement practices.
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                               “The mission of San Diego City Schools is to improve student achievement by
                                       supporting teaching and learning in the classroom.”
encouraged to fashion its own mix of parent involvement practices based on its specific needs and
priorities.

Parent communication refers to respectful, two-way communication between school personnel at
all levels and parents. Good communication is at the root of engaging parents. Of the six forms of
parent involvement, that of effective communication with parents receives special emphasis
throughout these Standards because high-quality communication is not only considered to be
essential to the achievement of all other forms of parent involvement, but it is also the primary tool
through which the district will build more meaningful partnerships with parents in all aspects of its
work.

Finally, truly effective parent involvement implies two-way expectations between parents and
school officials, as well as clear roles, responsibilities, and commitments of time for all partners
involved. The Standards are divided into four levels to demonstrate clearly the responsibilities and
leadership roles of the district, schools, classrooms, and home. These Standards constitute
reasonable expectations for providing and receiving effective quality parent communications and
involvement at all levels. Although the levels are listed according to district, school, classroom,
and home it should not be assumed that the levels function in an assigned order, but rather that
parent communications and involvement are most effective when implemented simultaneously
with all levels contributing equally.

The district-level Parent Communications and Involvement Workgroup plays a leadership role in
developing a plan for implementing and assessing progress toward meeting the Standards. The
Standards constitute a first essential step toward a districtwide strategy for genuine parental
engagement. Their actualization requires real commitment and investments on the part of the
district, school sites, and parents in order to build the kind of meaningful partnership in educating
children that studies show improve student success.




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                                       DISTRICT LEVEL

Leadership and responsibility for implementing the Standards at the district level rest with the
Board of Education, Superintendent, Executive Leadership Team, Executive Committee, and
the departments of Communications, Parent and Community Involvement, and Parent Support
and Board Services.

Standard 1
District administration actively supports the 1995 San Diego City Schools Board of
Education-adopted Parent Involvement Policy, which recognizes the value and necessity
of parent involvement in supporting and enhancing student success.
1. District administration makes this Policy available to parents, parent groups, staff, and
    community members in a strategic manner and through frequent notification in English and
    other languages as appropriate.
2. District administration, through its department of Communications, Parent and Community
    Involvement, and Parent Support and Board Services, provides direction and guidance to
    its staff, schools and parents in understanding and implementing these Standards.
3. District administration requires that all departments, offices, and staff serve as
    knowledgeable and respectful points of contact with all parents.
4. District administration demonstrates its commitment to the value of parent involvement
    and effective communication with parents by providing the resources necessary to achieve
    these Standards.

Standard 2
District administration establishes effective processes for directing and guiding schools
and staff in implementing these Standards.
1. District administration, through its departments of Communications, Parent and
   Community Involvement, and Parent Support and Board Services provides a variety of
   opportunities to assist administrators, teachers, support staff, and families in their efforts to
   improve communications with parents and to develop effective strategies for parent
   involvement.
2. District administration empowers principals through training and ongoing support to work
   collaboratively with parents, parent groups at their respective school sites.
3. District administration conducts ongoing assessment of school sites’ training and support
   needs for communicating with, and involving, parents, and makes resources available
   accordingly.
4. District administration periodically surveys schools regarding their degree of satisfaction
   with the quality of district support for their school’s efforts to implement these Standards.

Standard 3
District administration provides information, resources, and tools to help principals,
teachers, and staff strengthen their effective partnerships, family-friendly
communications, and problem-solving skills with parents.
1. District administration offers periodic conferences, events, or activities to allow parents,
   parent groups, teachers, principals, administrators, other staff, students, and community
   members to discuss needs, share ideas, progress, and best practices for effectively
   communicating with, and involving, parents.



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2. District administration makes available a series of publications outlining suggested
   examples of effective parent communications and involvement activities to assist schools,
   parents, parent groups, and communities of parents in supporting classroom learning.
3. District administration observes and shares the best practices from schools that have
   demonstrated high-quality parent communications and involvement.
4. District administration provides recognition to schools that demonstrate high-quality parent
   communications and involvement at their schools.

Standard 4
District administration regularly involves a wide range of parents in discussing
districtwide issues in order to enhance mutual understanding and develop shared views
and goals.
1. The Superintendent or designated representative meets regularly with parents, parent
    groups, members of parent groups and communities of parents to discuss district- and
    education-related issues, receive input, and provide feedback in a timely manner.
2. District administration provides a variety of ways for individual parents and parents
    representing schools to discuss issues respectfully, voice concerns, resolve problems,
    provide input and receive feedback including online feedback forms, surveys, meetings,
    focus groups, letters, and other communication materials.
3. District administration relies upon the leaders of parent groups as part of its strategic plan
    for conducting outreach, sharing information, and providing input and receiving feedback
    from schools and parents.
4. District administration regularly reviews parents’ input in an appropriate decision-making
    process and provides them with feedback as to how their input has affected decisions and
    outcomes.

Standard 5
District administration models the value and importance of parent communications and
involvement by maintaining open, two-way communication with schools and parents that
is respectful and timely.
1. District administration uses a variety of techniques for soliciting parent input and providing
    feedback (e.g., print, electronic, broadcast, etc.) to schools, parents, parent groups, and
    communities of parents.
2. District administration provides schools and parents with appropriate and timely
    information regarding important district issues relating to changes in educational programs,
    district operations, and new policies that may have an impact on schools and student
    learning.
3. Communications to parents, parent groups, and communities of parents are written clearly
    in family-friendly language.
4. District administration actively encourages and works collaboratively with the community
    and businesses to support its communications with, and the involvement of parents in their
    children’s success.




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                                      SCHOOL LEVEL

As school site leaders, principals assume leadership for promoting high-quality communications
with parents and strong parent involvement activities at their respective schools by empowering
school staff to work closely with parents. All members of the school community, including the
administrators, teachers, support staff, parents, parent organizations, school-level groups,
students, and community representatives assist in the development and implementation of
effective strategies for parent communications and parent involvement.

Standard 1
Schools form a committed partnership among administrators, teachers, clerical, support
staff, parents, parent organizations, student-level groups, students, and community
members to help raise the school community’s awareness of the importance of high-
quality parent communications and involvement in supporting student success.
1. Schools provide parents current information regarding the Standards so that they can
    become meaningfully involved in their children’s schools.
2. Schools acknowledge parent communications and involvement as key components in their
    school site plans and designate the resources necessary for improving parent
    communication and involvement.
3. School administrators, teachers, and staff are responsible for ensuring that parents
    understand their role in supporting student success and sign the Home-School Compact,
    which defines the roles and responsibilities of principals, teachers, students, and parents.
4. Schools direct and encourage all employees to be respectful, courteous, and to welcome all
    parents at their school.

Standard 2
Schools regularly engage in effective, honest, and two-way communication with parents
that is respectful and timely.
1. School staff identifies key person(s) to coordinate effective parent communication and
   involvement of families.
2. Schools provide parents current information on district and school issues, including
   expectations for student behavior, state curriculum standards, expectations by grade
   (elementary), course outlines (secondary) as well as community resources and services
   available for assisting families.
3. Schools implement the most effective and appropriate means to communicate with parents
   by maintaining current parent contact information including cellular telephone numbers,
   multiple email addresses (home/work), and, when appropriate, multiple parent/guardian
   information.
4. Schools ensure that all forms of communications are written/spoken in clear, family-
   friendly language. Communications strategies may include websites, emails, newsletters,
   letters, bulletin boards/posters, fact sheets, and meetings.
5. Schools provide regularly scheduled opportunities for parents to provide input and receive
   feedback through principal’s coffees, meetings, open houses, principal chats, surveys,
   response forms, focus groups, online surveys, school newsletters, bulletin boards, letters,
   etc.



Standard 3


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Schools provide opportunities for staff and parents to strengthen the family-friendly
partnership between home and school by initiating positive interactions with parents.
1. Schools establish and maintain one organized committee within the school community
   including administrators, teachers, support staff, parents, and community members who
   work together to enhance parent communications and involvement.
2. School staff offer a variety of parent-focused educational opportunities designed to assist
   parents in helping children become more powerful learners. Examples include district-
   sponsored Parent University, which is available to parents of children attending Title I
   schools and school-sponsored Family Literacy/Math/Science Nights.
3. Schools notify parents in timely manner regarding school-level group meetings and provide
   the process for submitting agenda items as well as agendas and minutes.
4. Schools provide a minimum of one-week advance notification (in a variety of ways) and
   provide translation, as needed for Parent-Teacher-Student conferences to discuss student
   progress.
5. Schools offer resources (as appropriate) at the schools for sharing district and school online
   information (e.g., access to the district website) to parents who do not have home Internet
   access.

Standard 4
Schools actively encourage and recruit parents to serve on a variety of parent
organizations and school level groups to ensure student success and a foster a more
positive school environment.
1. Schools establish and maintain at least one functioning volunteer parent organization with
   volunteers that enlist the support and actively recruit the participation of parents and
   community members to assist teachers, administrators, and students and actively
   encourages partnerships in education.
2. Schools offer opportunities that may include parenting support/information, volunteering,
   decision-making, home learning activities, and other ways.
3. Schools actively recruit and assist parents to participate in decision-making parent
   organizations and school-level groups through various means with information and
   resources accompanied with training (as appropriate).
4. School staff and parents serving on school-level groups work together to regularly review
   school student achievement data and monitor results of the school’s initiatives to ensure the
   improvement of student success.




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                                   CLASSROOM LEVEL

Teachers and other instructional staff establish and maintain positive relationships with parents
throughout the school year to promote student success. This includes increasing parental
knowledge and understanding regarding teaching and learning in the classroom by
communicating with parents about their child’s current level of achievement and development,
what the student needs to know to improve and excel, and what parents can do to support the
child’s education and development.

Standard 1
Teachers and other instructional staff respect and value parents, treating them as equal
partners in their children’s education.
1. Teachers and other staff welcome and value parents, encouraging them to observe and
   assist in the classroom. Volunteer opportunities, responsibilities, and expectations are
   clearly stated in family-friendly language and mutually agreed upon by the teacher and
   parent prior to the volunteer’s active involvement in the classroom.
2. Teachers value parent’s cultural diversity in the classrooms to further enrich student
   learning. They invite and encourage parents to share their knowledge, experiences, and
   cultures in the classroom to expand and enrich the student’s understanding of and empathy
   for others.
3. Teachers and other staff develop partnerships with all parents and make systematic efforts
   to reach parents who are not actively involved in their children’s education.
4. Teachers and other staff provide specific strategies and effective ideas to parents for
   supporting student learning at home. This is accomplished during one-on-one conferences
   with parents, within small groups of parents, and at schoolwide events (e.g., Family
   Fridays, Math/Literacy/Science Night, Parent University, etc.).

Standard 2
Teachers initiate early and maintain regular, respectful, two-way communication
between the home and school that builds positive partnerships.
1. Teachers initiate and maintain frequent communication with parents about both positive
   and negative aspects of student performance.
2. Teachers and other instructional staff provide parents/guardians with current and timely,
   and clearly written/spoken information regarding their children’s progress and academic
   achievement through a variety of communications, including notes/letters sent home, phone
   calls, website, emails, fax, newsletters, report cards, and conferences, etc.
3. Teachers provide parents with sufficient notice and time-option flexibility when scheduling
   meetings and appointments to discuss student progress.
4. Teachers provide parents opportunities to ask questions, express concerns, and regularly
   engage in dialogue related to the success of their children.

Standard 3
Teachers routinely provide parents with concise, accurate, and thorough information
regarding curriculum and instruction in their children’s classroom as well as provide
suggestions for supporting their children’s learning at home.
1. Teachers provide parents with clear and current information on the content of, and process
   for, evaluating student work (e.g., class syllabi, class schedules, activities, programs,
   expectations for parent supervision and assistance, policies, and procedures).


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2. Teachers inform parents regarding grade-level expectations and involve parents in setting
   student learning goals.
3. Teachers provide specific strategies and effective ideas to parents for reinforcing classroom
   curriculum by supporting their children’s learning at home (e.g., math puzzles, literacy
   games, etc.).
4. Teachers and other staff use information and resources to encourage parent participation in
   parent education programs and training to increase parents’ support for student learning
   (e.g., Parent University, Parent Congress, Family Fridays, Math/Literacy/Science Night,
   etc.).

Standard 4
Teachers and other staff increase their knowledge and skills in effectively communicating
and collaborating with parents, and in facilitating the design and implementation of
programs and strategies to enhance the partnership with parents in the classroom and at
the school.
1. Teachers and other staff increase their awareness and understanding of cultures, diverse
    backgrounds, and experiences of parent communities at the school.
2. Teachers and other staff use information and resources available to them to learn about and
    share strategies for engaging in their children’s education.
3. Teachers participate in school activities and events that afford them opportunities for
    working closely with parents.




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                                        HOME LEVEL

Parents understand and fulfill their role in working as equal partners with their child’s school
and the school community to support student success.

Standard 1
Parents engage in family practices at home that support their children’s education.
1. Parents meet their children’s basic needs and cultivate a home environment that supports
   learning. These include ensuring that children attend school daily and on time; establishing
   a set time for homework and meals; monitoring television watching and extracurricular
   activities; and putting their children to bed at an appropriate time to ensure adequate rest
   for school.
2. Parents regularly demonstrate and communicate with their children the importance of
   education, directing them to treat school, district staff, and students with respect.
3. Parents utilize available community-based resources such as libraries and museums to
   enhance their children’s success at school.
4. Parents access available school-based resources, e.g., tutoring, counseling, and mental
   health/medical services, which support student success at school.

Standard 2
Parents support teaching and learning in the classroom by engaging in educational
activities, which complement classroom instruction and enrich student learning.
1. Parents initiate and maintain open, two-way communication with their children about
    academic progress and their relationships with other students and adults at the school.
2. Parents are aware of, understand, and discuss with their children information regarding the
    content, schedule and expectations for daily/weekly work assignments. They provide
    regular supervision and assistance at home for completing homework assignments.
3. Parents actively support learning through positive reinforcement and encourage reading,
    writing, math, science, and discussions among family members in the home.
4. Parents utilize specific suggestions and strategies from school to complement and reinforce
    classroom instruction.

Standard 3
Parents are involved in a wide range of classroom/school/district activities to enhance the
home/school partnership and support student success.
1. Parents attend activities at the school and are encouraged to volunteer assistance at the
   school and in classroom programs, share their knowledge, experiences, and cultures to
   enrich student learning.
2. Parents attend parent education programs offered by the school and district as appropriate
   and participate in the design, training, and implementation of such training.
3. Parents are knowledgeable about and participate in the function, process, and
   responsibilities of parent groups at the school and district, and provide input and receive
   feedback as valued parent members.
4. Parents encourage and actively recruit other parents who are not currently involved in
   classroom/school/district activities to become more involved.




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Standard 4
Parents are responsible for respectfully interacting and engaging in open, respectful, two-
way communication with district- and school-level staff.
1. Parents provide the schools with current contact information (e.g., including home
   telephone, work telephone, cellular telephone numbers, multiple email addresses,
   communication preference, and, when appropriate, multiple parent/guardian information)
   and report any changes throughout the school year.
2. Parents respond in a timely manner to communications from school staff regarding
   academic and/or behavioral concerns, and initiate contact with the school to ask questions,
   express concerns and dialogue with school staff regarding their children.
3. Parents attend regularly scheduled parent/teacher/student conferences.
4. Parents access and read school communication (e.g., letters, website, emails, fax,
   newsletters, bulletins, and other forms of communications from the school to keep
   informed of school and district programs and involvement opportunities.




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The Superintendent’s Parent Communications and Involvement Workgroup
Gwendolyn Averett, parent liaison, Madison High School
Alan D. Bersin, superintendent, San Diego City Schools
Allison Brenneise, alternate, Community Advisory Committee Special Education (CACSE)
Crystal Cavanagh, parent liaison for Homeless Families
Pat Crowder, principal, Patrick Henry High School
Teodora Cruz, alternate, District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC)
Dolores Duron, parent academic liaison (PALs), Kimbrough Elementary School
Melissa Esten, parent liaison, Pershing Middle School
Vickie Gambala, administrative assistant, Indian Education Program
Gina Gianzero, parent liaison, Benchley/Weinberger Elementary School
Lee Gordon, chair, District Advisory Council for Gifted and Talented Education (GATE)
Scott Hillier, vice principal, Pershing Middle School
Victoria Hilton, professional expert, Communications Department/Annie E. Casey Foundation
Bounhong Khommarath, parent liaison for Southeast Asian Families
Leah Kosmos, math teacher, Pershing Middle School
Debby Kremsdorf, math teacher, Pershing Middle School
Thomas Liberto, principal, Jerabek Elementary School
Cindy May, parent liaison, Mission Bay High School
Tom Mitchell, co-chair, PCIW/director, Parent and Community Involvement, SDCS
Tracy Mitchell, parent liaison, Roosevelt Junior High School
Katherine Nakamura, trustee, Board of Education, SDCS
David Page, chair, District Advisory Council (DAC)
Shirley Peterson, instructional leader, SDCS
Suzanne Power, instructional leader, SDCS
Carol Pike, instructional leader, SDCS
Barbara Shaw, mentor principal, SDCS
Ann Van Sickle, instructional leader, SDCS
John Sivak, parent liaison, Marvin Elementary School
Jeannie Steeg, special projects coordinator, Administrators Association of San Diego
Sarah Sullivan, principal, Pershing Middle School
Karen Toyohara, parent liaison for Asian Families/vice principal, Kennedy Elementary School
Peri Lynn Turnbull, co-chair, PCIW/director, Communications Department, SDCS
Debbie Vincent, president, San Diego Unified Council of PTAs
Cheryl Ward, manager, Parent Support and Board Services, SDCS




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Glossary of Terms
The term communications is used to represent a variety of methods of interaction, including
but not limited to: telephone calls, group or one-on-one meetings, written materials, website,
emails, school visits, home visits, enrollment package inserts, school/parent organization
newsletters, and surveys.

The term degree is used to represent the amount of parent communications and involvement by
the district, school, classroom, home, parents, and students.

The term family-friendly language is used to refer to language that is clear, concise, and
engaging.

The term language is used to represent communications to parents/parent groups, and family
communities that is clearly written in parent-friendly language, and in languages other than
English as appropriate.

The term level is used to represent the different grades at which students and schools operate;
e.g., elementary level, middle level or high school level. Additionally, it represents the
responsibility and leadership roles assumed by district -, school -, classroom -, and home –
levels.

The term parent is used to represent parent(s), guardians, responsible adults, caretakers, and
parents at-large representing communities of different ethnicity involved in the common
interests of the child.

The term parent groups is used to represent the following: district-level groups, Community
Advisory Committee Special Education (CACSE), District Advisory Council for
Compensatory Education (DAC), District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC),
District Advisory Council for Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) as well as Parent
Congress; parent organizations, San Diego Unified Council of PTAs (PTA), Parent Teacher
Organization (PTO), Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), Foundations, and ad-hoc
committees; and school-level groups, School Advisory Committee (SAC), Site Governance
Team (SGT), School Site Council (SSC), and English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC).

The term Standards is used to represent this document, the 2003 Parent Communications and
Involvement Standards.

The term student success is used to represent the student’s academic achievement, healthy
personal development, readiness to understand and participate in a democratic society.


History of the Standards
San Diego City Schools (SDCS) administrators, principals, teachers, parents, and parent
groups have collaborated to develop and implement parent communications and involvement
standards, which will be implemented districtwide. In January 2003, with funds provided by a
grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Parent Communications and Involvement
Workgroup (PCIW) was created to review the 1989 Parent Involvement Task Force Standards.
PCIW includes over 35 dedicated parents, parent group leaders, parent academic liaisons
(PALs), Instructional Leaders (ILs), principals, and teachers. The group was charged with

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developing and proposing a new set of Parent Communications & Involvement Standards for
review and approval by senior administration, the Superintendent of Public Education, and the
Board of Education.

The proposed 2003 Parent Communications and Involvement Standards are based on national
research that confirms the positive effects that continuous parent communication and
involvement have on increasing student achievement. These standards are based on the Board
of Education-adopted 1995 San Diego City Schools Parent Involvement Policy and the
SDCS’s Home-School Compact, both found in school enrollment packages as well as other
existing activities by principals, teachers, and parents in our district. Additionally, these
standards draw from the 1989 Parent Involvement Task Force Standards draft, Minneapolis
Public Schools Parent Involvement Standards, Dr. Joyce Epstein’s Six Types of Parent
Involvement, and the National PTA Standards for Parent/Family Involvement Programs.
These documents have served as instrumental resources for the PCIW in developing the
proposed standards.



                                  Published with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation




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