Prepared by: S.T.E.P. U.P. Committee

Prepared by: S.T.E.P. U.P. Committee Chair: Alexandria Briggs-Blake

MD State Senator C. Anthony Muse, Honorary Chair

Alexandria Briggs-Blake, Chair

Eric Jackson, Co-Chair

Brandi Calhoun, Office of MD State Senator Muse

Brenda McAllister, Office of MD State Senator Muse

Edward Burroughs, School Board Member, District 8

Faith Jackson, Former Student School Board Member, PGCPS

Robin Shell, Director of Constituent Services, PGCPS

Max Pugh, Communications Officer, PGCPS

Victoria Powell, Parent

Steve Martin, Sen. Muse’s Office (sadly passed away on July 11, 2011)

Parenting

Engagement (home/school)

Community Involvement

Leadership

Volunteering

Communication

What is parental involvement? Parental involvement is a combination of commitment and active participation on the part of the parent to the school and to the student.

Parenting Volunteering Parent Leadership Communication Learning at Home Decision Making Collaborating with the Community

To have excellence in schools, we must recognize that children need parental support to ensure that they reach their full potential. This strategy has strands:

Providing information to parents Giving parents a more effective voice Be a part of the decision making process Encouraging families to learn together

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Vision To see parents become more involved in their children’s education, at every level. Working together with students, teachers, school administrators, and the community with the understanding that it takes ALL of us to achieve a high level of student success.

Mission To advocate for better collaboration between Students,

Teachers, Educators, and Parents to help increase overall student achievement and parental involvement throughout schools and encourage unity amongst all stakeholders.

Provide detailed information of what parental involvement entails; and

Provide resources to help strengthen parenting skills; and educational assistance to their children.

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Marital Status

Number of Children in the Household Economic situation (for some parents, providing meals for

their family is a struggle.)

Parents’ Education Level

Parents’ Age

Ethnicity

Parents’ Working Status

Special Education Needs

Transient Homes

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Active Parental and Community Involvement Are The Keys To Academic Success.

School age children spend 70% of their time outside of school. Parental and community involvement are critical to their overall educational success.

Key Facts About Parental Involvement

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Working with children in a home-based learning environment is the most effective form of parental involvement.

The sooner parental involvement begins, the more powerful the impact on the student.

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Key Facts About Parental Involvement (cont’d.)

The lack of parental involvement is the biggest problem facing the public school system; therefore, it is critically important to increase & maintain a high level of parental involvement.

More parental involvement equals higher student academic achievement.

GPAs are 58% higher for students whose parents are involved. This is astonishing!


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Parents of high-achieving students set high standards for their children’s educational activities. Parents who set and maintain high standards, achieve the best results.

Developing a collaborative and mutually respectful relationship between parents and the school is a must.


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Get & stay involved and engaged. Ensure that children arrive to school on-time each day ready & prepared for learning;

Be an integral part of education process throughout the course of your children’s life;

Regularly communicate with teachers about children’s performance;

Encourage your children everyday and never put them down. Always ensure that they receive proper rest and nutrition;

Provide a specific place in the home for studying/homework. Check homework, book bags, and agenda books daily;

Join PTA/PTO and participate as much as possible. This is the gateway to leadership and being part of the process;

It is important to testify at public hearings centered around the education budget, etc... Including all levels: School Board, County Council State, and Federal. Also, encourage other parents to do the same, car pool, etc….

Collaborate efforts with other parents in your child’s school as well as with other schools; and

Collect Box Tops for Education for your schools; sign up your children school at Giant and Safeway in their dollars for education programs, and other such programs.

Parental Involvement Is To…

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Provide a welcoming environment for everyone who enters the school AND encourage parent & community participation;

Be as transparent as possible to ensure that parents are kept well informed about pertinent school information;

If applicable, please join PTA/PTSA/PTO and participate as much as possible to work together on various solutions;

Ensure that a PTA/parent representative is a member of the school leadership team and/or SPMT as this allows for better collaborative efforts;

Host regular parental involvement events at school; recognize generational diversity, and when changes are needed; and

Regularly communicate with parents about their children’s performance. Communication includes SchoolMax (keep grades updated), emails, phone, etc… When necessary agree to disagree to move forward.

School Administrators & Teachers

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Children are not as successful in school;

More behavioral problems;

Hanging with the wrong crowd (possible bullying, gang involvement, and incarceration);

Lower self-esteem;

Less attention is given to your child at school; and

Little to no awareness about what’s going on in your child’s school or

throughout the school system and community.

Possible Consequences as a Direct Result of Little to No Parental Involvement

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Self-Assess Current Level of Involvement at: http://www1.pgcps.org/concerns/index.aspx?id=150583

Establish a Daily Routine with your children;

Monitor Out-of-School Activity and encourage positive extra curricular activities;

Model hard work, self-discipline & respect for learning;

Express high but attainable expectations for

achievement and encourage child’s development;

Stress reading, writing and family discussions; and

Visit museums, monuments, and other cultural venues.

Suggestions

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http://www1.pgcps.org/concerns/index.aspx?id=150583


CALL TO ACTION

Students – Please take your education very seriously. The responsibility is yours to do your best in school to excel and reach your full potential. You represent our next & future generations. There are too many resources at your disposal for you not to succeed. Will you S.T.E.P. UP?

Teachers – What an awesome opportunity you have to educate future generations on so many important subjects necessary to prepare them for life. Going above & beyond the call of duty to ensure that every student you are responsible for teaching really gets it. Using all available resources, working diligently to ensure that every student has access to opportunities to succeed. Will you S.T.E.P. U.P.?

Educators – As the administrators you are leaders in our education system. You are faced with making tough decisions to ensure the success of our future generations. Partnering with stakeholders in the education process and the greater community. You are tasked with providing the necessary resources to do what’s best for all students. Will you S.T.E.P. U.P.?

Parents – It all starts at home. Throughout your child’s educational journey, will you be a true partner with teachers and educators to reinforce and build upon what your children are taught at school? Always make children feel special & encourage children to do their best! Will you S.T.E.P. U.P.?

United – All on one accord working together! Let’s S.T.E.P. U.P.

Purpose – Increased parental involvement for a higher level of student success!!!

The Future Depends on It!

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Senator Muse and the S.T.E.P. U.P Committee are calling upon all students, parents, administrators, teachers, and community leaders, within Legislative District 26, to S.T.E.P. U.P. and promote parental and community involvement in Prince George’s County Public Schools, to ensure the success of our children, the next & future generations.

Work with thought leaders to provide forums to encourage

parental involvement and help provide tools parents need to become more involved.

Call to Action

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Please click the following link to take the parental involvement self-assessment



The time is now:

Will You S.T.E.P. U.P.?

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For more information, please contact Alexandria Briggs-Blake at 240-441-8000 or via email: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Prepared by: S.T.E.P. U.P. Committee

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