Parents as Partners in
Education
Once upon a
time, when I was
in school… .
Shifts in Teaching and Learning…
Anchor Belief Statements….
• ALL educators want students to learn
• ALL parents want students to learn
• ALL students want to learn
Introduction to SPL
“Let us think of education as the means of
developing our greatest abilities, because in
each of us there is a private hope and dream
which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit
for everyone and greater strength for our
nation.”
Former President
John F. Kennedy
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SPL and Policies
ESEA/
IDEA
2004
Policy
5310
Policy
4373
Improved
Student
Outcomes
Policy
2419
Policy
2510
Policy
2512
SPL Components Align
with WVDE Policies
WHY – Purpose of SPL
The West Virginia Support for Personalized
Learning (SPL) framework is a state-wide
initiative that suggests flexible use of
resources to provide relevant academic,
social/emotional and/or behavioral support
to enhance learning for ALL students.
SPL is designed to improve outcomes for
students with a variety of academic and
behavioral needs.
Core Principles of SPL
•
•
•
•
•
Effective leadership at all levels is crucial for the
implementation of SPL.
Positive school culture provides the foundation on
which all instruction occurs and all students are
engaged in learning.
Collaboration among educators and families is the
foundation of effective problem-solving and
instructional decision-making.
Ongoing and meaningful involvement of families
increases student success.
Student results are improved when ongoing
academic and behavioral performance data are
used to inform instructional decisions.
Core Principles of SPL
• ALL students can learn and achieve high standards
as a result of effective teaching.
• ALL students must have access to a rigorous
standards-based curriculum and research-based
instruction.
• Intervening at the earliest indication of need is
necessary for student success (PreK-12).
• A comprehensive system of multi-level instruction is
essential for addressing the full range of student
needs.
• ALL members of the school community must
continue to gain knowledge and develop expertise
in order to build capacity and sustainability.
Family and Community Partnerships
• Effective SPL partnerships include:
1. Parents
2. Families
3. Students
4. Community Members
5. Educators
• Central to effective partnerships is the recognition of shared
responsibility and ownership of student challenges and
successes.
• Indicators of effective partnerships:
– Sharing information
– Problem-solving
– Celebrating student successes
Family and Community Partnerships
•
•
•
•
•
Key Roles
Collaborate with teachers regarding
identified needs.
Share information about child and family,
as appropriate.
Support student learning at home.
Participate in problem-solving meetings.
Partner in instructional planning and
progress monitoring.
Family and Community Partnerships
•Parent involvement in the SPL framework is
characterized by meaningful two-way
communication.
•Community involvement can take various
forms including, for example:
•Learning centers
•Local businesses supporting volunteers,
special presentations, awards and recognition
•Companies and corporations providing
funding and hosting special activities
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Leadership
SPL supports the need for parents to build
positive relationships with leaders in their
children’s school including, but not limited
to the building Principal.
Parents sharing leadership responsibilities is
also characteristic of high-functioning SPL.
Teams and Processes
• SPL supports the practice of teams forming around
student needs.
• In the first level of support for students, the team
includes the general education teacher and the
parent.
• As additional layers of support come into play,
additional individuals with relevant expertise join the
team.
Teams and Processes
Problem-Solving Process
Teams and Processes
1.What is the problem?
2.Why is the problem occurring?
3.What are we going to do about it?
4.How will we know if the plan is
working?
5.Did it work?
Assessment
Purposes of Assessment
1.
2.
3.
4.
Identify strengths and needs of individual students
Inform problem-solving process
Inform instruction and necessary adjustments
Evaluate the effectiveness of instruction at different
levels of the system (e.g. classrooms, school,
district)
5. Inform educational decisions
Assessment Types
Screening/Interim
Purpose: Inform determination of risk status and indicate need for additional
support and/or assessment
Formative/Classroom
Purpose: Determine response to instruction and indicate direction for most
appropriate instructional adjustments
Progress Monitoring
Purpose: Determine if students are making progress toward specific skills,
processes and understandings and inform school-wide action plans
Diagnostic
Purpose: Assist teachers in adjusting the type and degree of scaffolding, in
differentiating instruction, and in picking up patterns of strengths and
weaknesses
Summative
Purpose: Inform the system and provide a longitudinal view of curricular
strengths and weaknesses
Curriculum and Instruction
Curriculum and Instruction
CORE
• Provides foundation of curriculum and school organization
that has a high probability (80% of students responding) of
bringing students to a high level of achievement in all areas of
development/content
• Choose curricula that has evidence of producing optimal
levels of achievement (evidence-based curriculum)
TARGETED
• Supplemental curriculum aligned with CORE and designed to
meet the specific needs of targeted group (15%)
INTENSIVE
• Focused curriculum designed to meet the specific needs of
the targeted group and/or individual (5%)
SPL FRAMEWORK:
A Quick Reference Guide
School Climate and Culture
• A positive school culture exists when a
positive school climate is in place.
• Positive school climate consists of:
• Engagement
• Safety
• Environment
The Language of SPL
Common language is an
essential element of
community endeavor.
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http://wvde.state.wv.us/spl/
Click the Family
Partnership Link
Click here for the
Parent SPL
Brochure
Vision for our Schools
1. ALL students learning, all the time
2. Shared ownership of results
3. Relevant supports flexibly provided to ALL
students and removed to develop
independence
4. Assessment processes used to shape
instruction
5. Use of a collection of information to make
academic and behavioral decisions
Putting It All Together
How do I. . .?
1. . . .participate as a team member on the
school teams that are making decisions
about my child’s education?
2. . . .contribute to the problem-solving process
used to support my child’s learning?
3. . . .help strengthen the culture and climate in
my child’s school?
4. . . .continue to learn and share the language
of SPL?
Now, what else do
YOU
want to know????