Kommunikáció | Tanulmányok, esszék » Galpin-Morrissey - Parents Home School Communication Book, Introduction

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Év, oldalszám:2017, 6 oldal

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Feltöltve:2017. november 23.

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The Bridge London

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Source: http://www.doksinet         Parents Home School Communication Book Introduction Dr. James Galpin, Gary Morrissey The Bridge London                   1     Source: http://www.doksinet                     Parents  Home  School  Communication  Book   Introduction   Empirical   research   has   consistently   demonstrated   a   link   between   the   quality   of   parent   teacher   relationships  and  positive  student  outcomes  across  a  range  of  areas  including,  academic  skills,  social-­‐ emotional  skills,  and  behaviour  regulation  (Iruka,  Winn,  Kingsely,  &  Orthodoxou,  2011;  Powell,  Son,   File   &   San   Juan,   2010;   Rimm-­‐Kaufman,   Pianta,   Cox,   &   Bradley,  

2003;   Serpell   &   Mashburn,   2011).   Pupil  progress  and  outcomes  are  so  tightly  intertwined  with  family  engagement,  that  it  is  imperative   for   schools   to   identify   ways   to   create   strong   home   school   partnerships.   A   best   practice,   family-­‐ centred   focus   emphasises   increasing   family   competency   and   capacity   through   active   engagement   with   their   child’s   education   (Brookman-­‐Frazee,   2004),   facilitated   by   excellent   communication.   Furthermore,   the   presence   of   high-­‐quality,   two-­‐way   home-­‐school   communication   has   been   shown   to   significantly   impact   upon   parental   satisfaction.   Specifically,   “dissatisfied”   parents   cite

  poor   communication   as   a   major   concern   whereas   “satisfied”   parents   noted   good   communication   as   a   source  of  support  from  the  school  (Whitaker,  2007).       Collaborative   parent-­‐professional   relationships   are   highlighted   across   the   research   literature   as   a   crucial   component   for   all   students’   education,   though   this   is   particularly   true   for   pupils   with   additional  needs  (Lines,  Miller,  and  Arthur-­‐Stanley,  2011;  Stanley,  2011).  Research  looking  at  parent   involvement   with   pupils   with   needs   similar   to   some   pupils   at   The   Bridge   echoes   this   point.   The   two-­‐ way   partnership   is   the   single  

biggest   predictor   of   satisfaction   with   a   school   for   parents   of   children   with   autism   (Renty   &   Roeyers,   2006),   and   parent–professional   collaboration   is   strongly   and   consistently   related   to   parents’   sense   of   self-­‐efficacy   in   supporting   their   child   outside   of   school   (Decker  &  Decker,  2003;  Reich,  Bickman,  &  Heflinger,  2004).       The   positive   impact   upon   self-­‐efficacy   that   close   partnerships   have   highlights   the   importance   of   fostering   frequent   communication   between   home   and   school   in   order   to   break   a   potential   negative,   cyclical  process.       Parents   are   less   likely   to  

initiate   communication   with   their   child’s   teacher   when   they   feel   uncomfortable   at   their   child’s   school   (Fuller,   2005).   A   lower   sense   of   self-­‐efficacy   can   lead   to   a   greater   sense   of   alienation   from   their   child’s   school,   indeed,   parents   of   children   with   additional   needs   are   particularly   susceptible   to   poor   self-­‐efficacy   (Stanley,   2008).   In   part   due   to   a   history   of   discrimination   against   families   of   children   with   additional   needs,   these   parents   frequently   feel   inadequate,  incompetent,  and  intimidated  in  schools  (Stanley,  2008).     2     Source: http://www.doksinet       Perhaps   as

  a   result   of   the   potentially   lower   sense   of   self-­‐efficacy,   families   consistently   express   a   desire   for   interactions   with   teaching   staff   and   other   professionals   to   be   more   responsive   and   collaborative  (Renty  &  Roeyers,  2006;  Stoner  &  Angell,  2006).  Therefore,  in  order  to  meet  this  need   a   highly   responsive   and   collaborative   form   of   communication   must   be   put   in   place   in   school,   particularly  specialist  schools.  The  collaborative  nature  of  the  communication  (a  shared  document,   for   example)   is   central   to   the   drive   towards   a   perception   of   parity   in   terms   of   contribution   to   a

  pupil’s  school  life.  When  examining  the  historic  difficulties  with  home  school  engagement  Gasgoine   (1995)   points   out   that   the   problem   lay   “not   in   the   role   that   each   professional   plays,   but   in   the   assumption   that   the   professionals   form   one   group,   and   parents   another”   (p.   45)   Improving   communication   can   help   to   break   down   this   false   dichotomy   and   enhancing   the   recognition   that   mutual  support,  joint  problem  solving,  and  communication  involved  in  home  school  partnerships  are   a   positive   vehicle   for   a   transforming   vision   of   school   culture   (Epstein,   2001).   Open   channels   of   regular  

communication   can   counter   the   sense   of   being   undervalued   and   ignored   in   schools   that   parents  of  children  with  additional  needs,  particularly  autism,  report  feeling,  as  their  expertise  about   their  child  is  not  acknowledged  or  encouraged  by  the  school  (Cheatham  &  Ostrosky,  2011;  Stanley,   2008).       Home  and  School  Communication  Books  (HSCB)       The   main   methods   of   maintaining   home-­‐school   communication   are   through   (a)   informal   contacts   and  social  events,  (b)  telephone  contacts,  (c)  written  communications,  (d)  parent-­‐teacher  meetings,   and   (e)   home   visits   (Hornby,   2000).   In   the   limited   research  

pertaining   to   home   school   communication   methods,   parents   have   identified   a   preference   for   more   informal   and   frequent   forms  of  communication  such  as  written  communications  (Turnbull  and  Turnbull,  2001).       The   use   of   HSCBs   for   pupils   with   additional   needs   has   received   a   relatively   limited   amount   of   research   (Davern,   2004;   Fonteine,   Zijlstra,   &   Vlaskamp,   2008;   Hall,   Wolfe,   &   Bollig,   2003;   Williams   &   Cartledge,  1997).  Fonteine,  Zijlstra,  and  Vlaskamp  (2008)  examined  the  use  of  communication  books   for  pupils  with  profound  and  multiple  learning  difficulties.  They  noted  that  a  key  benefits

 was  that   they  made  teachers  aware  of  factors  outside  of  school  that  may  be  impacting  on  a  pupil’s  school  life.       When  redesigning  the  HSCB  at  The  Bridge  part  of  the  focus  in  terms  of  information  provided  from   home   was   seeking   any   information   regarding   factors   that   could   impact   on   school   behaviour   (such   as   changes  to  routine  at  home  or  poor  sleep  the  night  before).  By  focusing  on  key  areas  of  information,   both  in  terms  of  what  home  communicates  to  school  and  what  school  communicates  to  home  the   redesigned  Bridge  HSCB  aimed  to  mitigate  one  of  the  primary  barriers  to

 their  use,  time  constraint.   Teachers  have  voiced  their  concerns  about  the  amount  of  time  necessary  to  fully  engage  in  HSCBs   and  this  may  lead  to  lower  engagement  with  them  (Busby,  Ingram,  Bowron,  Olive,  &  Lyons,  2012).   Similarly  parents  have  cited  a  lack  of  time  as  being  one  of  the  main  reasons  for  low  engagement  with   home  school  communication  (Margaritoiu  &  Eftimie,  2011).       The  simplified,  yet  more  focused  layout  of  the  new  HSCBs  also  sought  to  address  one  of  the  other   primary   barriers   to   their   use,   language.   Previous   versions   of   the   HSCB   simply   contained   a   lined   page

  that  would  need  to  be  filled  it  with  text.  It  also  did  not  give  the  impression  of  being  a  collaborative   document   that   sought   contributions   from   both   home   and   school.   Parents   could   imply   that   they   primary   function   of   the   HSCB   was   oneway   communication.   The   over   reliance   on   text   and   written   language  could  have  proved  a  significant  barrier  to  accessing  the  HSCB.  Whilst  a  range  of  language   factors   can   contribute   to   a   family   having   difficulty   communicating   with   a   school   and   subsequently   feeling   alienated   and   incompetent,   when   parents   have   a   different   dominant   language   and  

culture   from   that   of   the   teacher,   communication   and   collaboration   are   particularly   hindered   (Christenson   &   3     Source: http://www.doksinet     Sheridan,  2001;  Lines,  Miller,  &  Arthur-­‐Stanley,  2011).  Differences  in  culture  need  not  simply  refer  to   heritage  but  also  occupational  cultures.  Parents  who  possess  a  language  difference  (be  that  in  terms   of   their   mother   tongue   or   knowledge   of   education   terminology)   from   teachers   are   less   likely   to   initiate   contact   with   their   child’s   school   (Fuller,   2005).   Teachers’   use   of   language,   especially   in   written   communication   may   use   unexplained   technical  

jargon   or   acronyms   that   may   lack   clarity   (Hall,  Wolfe,  &  Bollig,  2003;  Epstein,  2001;  Simpson,  1995).  The  resigned  HSCB  therefore  sought  to   minimise   the   impact   that   language   differences   may   have   by   incorporating   visual   representations   within  the  book  alongside  opportunities  to  write  further  text.       Further  clarification,  in  terms  of  guiding  teaching  staff  on  what  to  include  in  the  HSCB  entries  were   included  in  the  new  Bridge  HSCBs  as  a  result  of  research  evidence  that  highlighted  how  difficult  it  is   for  parents  to  read  negative  news  everyday  without  a  balance  of  good  news  and  progress

 (Davern,   2004).  The  Bridge  HSCB,  therefore,  provides  a  space  for  teachers  to  include  information  on  what  a   student  particularly  enjoyed  as  well  as  what  they  might  have  found  tricky.       The  new  Bridge  HSCBs  were  designed  based  on  a  fundamental  premise  of  the  school,  that  the  close   home  school  relationship  that  The  Bridge  fosters  is  central  to  our  success.  The  current  evidence  base   regarding  HSCBs  alongside  anecdotal  information  from  our  own  parents  helped  inform  the  design.   We   are   now   currently   looking   to   gain   the   views   of   our   parents   as   to   how   effective   they   feel   the   new   HSCBs

 to  be.                                                                   4     Source: http://www.doksinet     References       Brookman-­‐Frazee,  L.,  &  Koegel,  R  L  (2004)  Using  parent/clinician  partnerships  in  parent  education   programs  for  children  with  autism.  Journal  of  Positive  Behavior  Interventions,  6(4),  195–213     Busby,   R.,   Ingram,   R,   Bowron,   R,   Olive,   J,   &   Lyons,   B   (2012)   Teaching   elementary   children   with   autism:  Addressing  teacher  challenges  and  preparation  needs.  Rural  Educator,  winter,  27–35       Cheatham,   G.   A   &   Ostrosky,   M   M  

(2011)   Whose   expertise?   An   analysis   of   advice   giving   in   early   childhood  parent-­‐teacher  conferences.  Journal  of  Research  in  Childhood  Education,  25(1),  24-­‐44     Christenson,  S.  L,  &  Sheridan,  S  M  (2001)  School  and  families:  Creating  essential  connections  for   learning.  NY:  Guilford  Press       Davern,   L.   (2004)   School-­‐to-­‐home   notebooks:   What   parents   have   to   say   Teaching   Exceptional   Children,  36(5),  22-­‐27.       Decker,   L.   E,   &   Decker,   V   A   (2003)   Home,   school,   and   community   partnerships   Lanham,   MD:   Scarecrow  Press.       Epstein,  J.  L  (2001)  School,  Family,  and  Community

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