PARENT INVOLVEMENT
Tips, Tools and
Strategies for
Parents and
Professionals
Oregon r.i.s.e. Center
WHAT IS THE OREGON R.I.S.E.
CENTER
We are a statewide organization that encourages,
educates, and empowers children and young
adults with disabilities, their parents, family
members, and professionals to collaboratively
achieve unlimited success. We are a
regionalized model with staff living in the area
that they serve.
Current
Programs
›Bullying
Prevention and
Awareness
›Diversity
Partners
Program
›IEP Partners
Statewide
Conferences
›Annual Parent
Conference
›Transition Partners
›Building Futures
›Mediation Partners
›Infant and Early
Childhood
Conference
›OrPTI
›Transition
Special Education Helpline
1-888-891-6784
Monday-Friday, 9am to 3pm
info@oregonrisecenter.org
Oregon r.i.s.e Center/Parent Training and
Information Program
“Coming together is a beginning,
Keeping together is progress,
Working together is success.”
Henry Ford
RESEARCH SHOWS
 Parent
involvement in children's learning is
positively related to achievement.
 The more intensively parents are involved
in their children's learning, the more
beneficial are the achievement effects.
 The most effective forms of parent
involvement are those which engage
parents in working directly with their
children on learning activities in the home.
RESEARCH SHOWS
 Considerably
greater achievement
benefits are noted when parent
involvement is active--when parents work
with their children at home, certainly, but
also when they attend and actively
support school activities and when they
help out in classrooms or on field trips,
and so on.
 The earlier in a child's education that
parent involvement begins, the more
powerful the effects will be.
FIVE GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR
INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOLS
 Offer
parents opportunities in the context
of a well-organized and long lasting
program
 Allow parents to choose from a range of
participation options
 Engage parents in decision making at all
available levels
 Intentionally design a parent friendly
environment
 Communicate regularly and acknowledge
parent involvement
OFFER PARENTS OPPORTUNITIES IN THE
CONTEXT OF A WELL-ORGANIZED AND LONG
LASTING PROGRAM
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Offer parent participation “inservice” during the
year
Develop parent involvement programs in
instruction- at home, school and after school
Develop a parent mentoring program that
matches involved and uninvolved parents
Provide professional development opportunities
for parents
ALLOW PARENTS TO CHOOSE FROM A RANGE
OF PARTICIPATION OPTIONS

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Options need to accommodate schedules,
preferences and capabilities
Offer short term and longer term projects
Develop projects that can be done at home and
brought back to school
Assign “parent involvement” homework
assignments (family history, daily schedules)
ENGAGE PARENTS IN DECISION MAKING AT
ALL AVAILABLE LEVELS

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Invite parents to be part of classroom as well as
school or district wide decision making
Allow opportunities for parents to complete
surveys or short feedback forms on specific topics
Identify ways that parents can take a lead role is
task forces or meetings
Involve families in evaluating the effectiveness of
family involvement programs
INTENTIONALLY DESIGN A PARENT
FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT
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Recognize the community’s ethnic, linguistic and
cultural composition and resources and reflect
that in school
Identify a parent center for parents to use while
at school
Give parents a badge that identifies them as a
“parent partner” at school
Hire and train a family coordinator
COMMUNICATE REGULARLY AND
ACKNOWLEDGE PARENT INVOLVEMENT
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Keep parents informed of their child’s
performance through notes, email, newsletters,
etc.
.
Be available for quick
conversations with parents
during drop off and pick up time
Recognize parent participation in regular
newsletters
Provide social opportunities for teacher and
parents
FIVE GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR PARENTS
WHO WANT TO BE INVOLVED
 Share attributes, strengths and skills that
could support your child’s classroom or
school
 Communicate with your child’s teacher
 Ask to participate in school improvement
and decision making opportunities
 Support classroom curriculum and
activities at home
 Participate in a positive, collaborative and
trusting manner
SHARE ATTRIBUTES, STRENGTHS AND
SKILLS THAT COULD SUPPORT YOUR CHILD’S
CLASSROOM OR SCHOOL

Organization, planning skills

Clerical, copying

Hobbies, crafts, talents, artistic abilities

Special expertise
COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR CHILD’S TEACHER

Email, phone, written notes

Attend Parent-Teacher conferences

Attend school open house or other social events

Before or after school check-ins
ASK TO PARTICIPATE IN SCHOOL
IMPROVEMENT AND DECISION MAKING
OPPORTUNITIES

Site council

Parent clubs or Parent-Teacher club activities

Staff selection committees

Special project task forces
SUPPORT CLASSROOM CURRICULUM AND
ACTIVITIES AT HOME
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Make time and space for homework at home
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Follow through with assignments at home
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Make phone calls to other parents
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Prepare art projects or pieces at home for school
projects
PARTICIPATE IN A POSITIVE,
COLLABORATIVE AND TRUSTING MANNER
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Follow through on tasks or commitments
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Develop relationships with school personnel
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Express concerns or needs with a friendly
demeanor
Be considerate of time that teachers have for oneon-one conversations
Approach participation as adding to the
education of ALL children
ATTRIBUTES OF SUCCESSFUL
PARTNERSHIPS

Mutual respect

Trust

Shared problem solving

Common vision and goals
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Conflicts, when present, are openly acknowledged
and addressed
Focus
THE FUTURE OF PARENT INVOLVEMENT
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How will generational changes influence parent’s
expectation of participation?
How will participation change as a result of the
economic climate for schools?
How can the schools need “to do more with less”
and the potential of parent participation create a
win-win solution?
How will you use this discussion to increase
parent participation at your school or workplace?
CONTACT INFORMATION
Call us at 503-581-8156 or 1-888-505-2673
(toll free in the state of Oregon)
 Special Ed. Help Line 1-888-891-6784
 Fax us at 503-391-0429
 Email us at info@oregonrisecenter.org
 Website- www.oregonrisecenter.org
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