by Kimberly Beltran | SI&A Cabinet Report :: The
Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet http://bit.ly/1ICBQkR
June 9, 2015 (Calif.)
:: Eight elementary schools in some of the
state’s neediest communities will pilot a digital learning program aimed at
helping more parents better engage in their child’s education.
Results from the pilot, set to begin next spring, will be
used to identify which digital literacy components to incorporate into a larger
parent education program already offered by the California PTA.
“Although we think technology is everywhere it still remains
a difficult challenge for many parents, especially those that are not digital
natives, which is the majority of us, still,” said Lisa Borrego, director of the
California PTA’s parent education program, School Smarts.
“For whatever reason, there are extenuating circumstances
that may not allow them to have the same access to technology or the
understanding of how to utilize it,” she said.
The program comes as schools implement the technology-heavy
Common Core standards and look for ways to meet new state goals that include
greater parent input into decisions affecting their child’s education. Research
has shown that parent engagement correlates with greater student achievement.
Many districts have struggled to affect the kind of parent
participation envisioned under Gov. Jerry Brown’s revamped school finance
system, known as the Local Control Funding Formula or LCFF.
But programs like School Smarts are helping bring more
parents to the table by bridging gaps that alienate them, including the digital
divide.
Being developed by the California PTA with a $100,000 grant
from cable giant Comcast, the digital literacy curriculum for the pilot
initially will serve 240 parent participants, who will learn how to use digital
devices and the internet to connect with their local schools, track their
children’s coursework, and understand and engage in education
decision-making.
Following a detailed review and assessment of the pilot
project, California State PTA will identify digital literacy components to
incorporate into the statewide School Smarts program, which is expected to
serve more than 3,600 predominantly low-income parents by the end 2015-2016.
School Smarts is a seven-session course that educates
parents on topics that include: understanding the education system,
communicating effectively, advocating for a quality education, and the
importance of parent involvement. The key principle of the program is inclusion
and the curriculum is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Tagalog
and Vietnamese.
“Much of what our program is based on is providing parents
real fundamental, basic information around how to help their student, how to
learn more about their children’s learning styles and ways that they can obtain
and access resources to educate themselves,” said Borrego.
The primary objectives of the PTA’s digital literacy program
are to:
- Empower parent-participants at the pilot school sites, which in turn will support achievement of their students, and
- Enhance access to the internet for more low-income parents, as a way to increase their engagement with their schools and their children's education.
“We have all different kinds of communities of parents who
take the School Smarts program – it’s a very diverse program,” said Borrego.
“We have many second language learners; we have families that are completely
brand new to the United States – immigrants – who may have English as part of
their previous education but need to familiarize themselves with our
educational system.
“The technology available here and its potential as a tool
for monitoring and assisting a student’s educational progress is just another
component of parent education that we’re hoping to add with this program,” she
said.
In addition to the pilot program, the state PTA plans to offer
an additional, stand-alone session devoted to digital basics and training and
support for course facilitators.
No comments:
Post a Comment