Although not unique to differentiated instruction, research demonstrates that parental involvement is integral to to student success.
Epstein's Framework of Six Types of Involvement |
Type 1: Parenting - Help all families establish home environments to support children as students.
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Parent education and other courses or training for parents (e.g., GED, college credit, family literacy).
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Family support programs to assist families with health, nutrition, and other services.
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Home visits at transition points to pre-school, elementary, middle, and high school.
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Type 2: Communicating - Design effective forms of school-to-home and home-to-school communications about school programs and children's progress.
- Conferences with every parent at least once a year.
- Language translators to assist families as needed.
- Regular schedule of useful notices, memos, phone calls, newsletters, and other communications.
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Type 3: Volunteering - Recruit and organize parent help and support.
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School and classroom volunteer program to help teachers, administrators, students, and other parents.
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Parent room or family center for volunteer work, meetings, and resources for families.
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Annual postcard survey to identify all available talents, times, and locations of volunteers.
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Type 4: Learning at Home - Provide information and ideas to families about how to help students at home with homework and other curriculum-related activities, decisions, and planning.
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Information for families on skills required for students in all subjects at each grade.
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Information on homework policies and how to monitor and discuss school at home.
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Family participation in setting student goals each year and in planning for college or work.
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Type 5: Decision Making - Include parents in school decisions, developing parent leaders and representatives.
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Active PTA/PTO or other parent organizations, advisory councils, or committees for parent leadership and participation.
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Independent advocacy groups to lobby and work for school reform and improvements.
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Networks to link all families with parent representatives.
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Type 6: Collaborating with Community - Identify and integrate resources and services from the community to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning and development.
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Information for students and families on community health, cultural, recreational, social support, and other programs/services.
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Information on community activities that link to learning skills and talents, including summer programs for students.
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"Practitioners and researchers support policy for parent involvement in their children's education" (Baker & Soden, 1997).
Baker, A. J. L. and Soden, L.M. (1997, March). Parent involvement in children's education: A critical assessment of the knowledge base. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.
Fulton, K. (Producer), & Pepe, L. (Director) (2011). The abc's of parent involvement - youtube [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvQSGvtmuTI
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