2000 PPP Pearl Award Winners
By Vickie Dickneite
March 05, 2008
2000 PPP Pearls
Earlier this year, Practical Parenting Partnerships solicited applications for the third annual PPP Pearl competition. Districts applied according to six Dimensions of Parent Involvement. From the applications, a district was chosen in each of the six categories. Each district receives a $200 coupon. These districts have combined innovation and hard work to establish exemplary programs.
DimensionI.Providing Parenting Information
Carver Elementary principal Doris Carter is passionate about increasing parental involvement. And she's determined to raise student achievement. So she hired a parent to work as the school's liaison. Together, they've seen parental participation increase by over fifty percent. During the workshop, Keeping Our Children Healthy for Increased Student Achievement, parents studied information on health insurance along with healthy nutrition tips. Other sessions contained facts about the effects of drug and alcohol use on children's ability to learn. Carver is a St. Louis Public School focused on reaching out to parents.
Accepting for Carver Elementary Community Education Center is Ida Casey
Dimension II. Planning and Providing Parent Involvement Opportunities at School
At Wilder Elementary in Mansfield, parents are always welcome. Special events include a back-to-school picnic, a study skills night, and a reading night featuring community leaders- along with the school's girls and boys basketball players- as reader role models. But that's not all. During the "Everyone Counts" Night, classroom teachers engage the entire family with fun math activities. And thirty teachers, fresh from completing PPP In-the-Classroom training, are involving parents by using student assignments that interest the entire family.
Accepting for Wilder Elementary are Brenda Quick and Barbara Sears
Dimension III. Building School-Community Partnerships
The folks at Kelly Elementary in the Scott County R-IV District know cooperation is crucial. Working with Westvaco Fiber Farm, they've built and installed bird houses. The business purchased the supplies. The Agricultural Construction class cut the models. The sixth grade class finished the assembly. Teamwork. The district's Safe School Plan involved a collaborative effort by local agencies and businesses. Community partnerships are also the backbone of a successful Career Day program for elementary students.
Accepting for Kelly Elementary is Nikki Carlyle
Dimension IV. Communicating with Parents about Performance and Assessment
Not much gets by the teachers at Indian Creek Elementary in the Center School District. During the very first parent conference this fall, parents were asked to bring their children's test results from the MAP and Terra Nova tests. Teachers explained the importance of the tests and reviewed individual performance. Parents were impressed. In a couple of days, the Indian Creek PPP leadership will be sponsoring a MAP Information and Game Evening. Parents will take a practice test and score test items. Afterwards, students and their parents will play games focusing on test-related information.
Accepting for Indian Creek Elementary are Shirley Washington, Lynna Goud, and Channa Mork
Dimension V. Helping Parents Support Their Children's Learning
In the St. Louis School District, at Clay Elementary, parents are going back to school. It's a computer class for parents. Parents work alongside their children. Who helps whom most? Well, let's just say everyone is learning. Both parents and children demonstrate an increase in computer literacy skills. Reading and writing levels are also on the rise. Parents and children value the time together. Perhaps most importantly, parents and children see the value of education.
Accepting for Clay Elementary Community Education Center is Ida Casey
Dimension VI. Obtaining Parent Input on Curriculum and Instruction, Discipline, and School Climate
Do schools really care about what parents think? They do at South Iron. Parents are an essential part of the Superintendent's Advisory group. They're called 'Key Communicators.' They facilitate the flow of information between the community and the school. Three years ago parents helped craft the district's Comprehensive School Improvement Plan. Student academic performance topped the priority list. Did it make any difference? Just last month, South Iron was "Credited with Distinction for Improving Performance" by the Missouri School Improvement Program.
Accepting for South Iron R-I is Jackie Brandmeyer
Combining Strengths Across the Dimensions
Finally, we give recognition to Vineland Elementary in the DeSoto School District as an overall PPP site. Vineland distributes parenting information from the schools main office. And from their Family Resource Library. And through the School Resource Officer. And in the school newsletter. Monthly Family Activity nights are, as one parent stated, "a great opportunity for children to see that their parents and teachers genuinely care about them." Parenting tips and fun family activities are designed to meet two serious aims. The first goal is for children to enter school ready to learn. Teachers seek to form relationships even before children start school. Vineland has a pre-kindergarten version of their activities. The second goal is to help children academically. Family events such as Reading Is A Treat and The Race for Good Health focus on science, math, reading, art and music. Teachers, parents, and administrators work together throughout the year, developing creative ways to involve families. At Vineland, parents are partners. At Vineland, school success is a family affair.
Accepting for Vineland Elementary are Judy Saurage and Jamie Hanna
