Home, School, and Community Collaboration: Culturally Responsive Family Engagement

Filled with practical suggestions and reflective opportunities, Home, School, and Community Collaboration, Third Edition uses the culturally responsive family support model as a framework to prepare teachers to work with diverse families. This text includes contributions from 22 experts in the field, offering a wide range of perspectives on issues of family involvement that today’s teachers are likely to encounter. Authors Kathy B. Grant and Julie A. Ray offer the latest research on family demographics, including those with children who have special needs. Numerous real-life vignettes and case studies have been incorporated throughout the text to show readers the practical application of culturally responsive family engagement.

Table of Contents:
Part I: Understanding Family Engagement: Building a Knowledge Base for Culturally Responsive Family Engagement Chapter 1: Family Engagement and the Responsive Educator Preparing for Family Partnerships: Actualizing the Process Forming Family Partnerships: Self-Assessment Activity Benefits of Effective Family Engagement Practices Barriers to Authentic Family Engagement The Administrator as a Responsive Leader Current Trends in Family Demographics Culturally Responsive Family Engagement Ethical Practice Chapter 2: Theories and Models for Family Engagement in Schools Defining Family Family Systems Conceptual Framework Ecological Systems Theory: Urie Bronfenbrenner Family Empowerment Models: Carl Dunst Social Capital: James Coleman The Funds of Knowledge: Luis Moll Family-School Partnerships Framework: Joyce Epstein School Development Program: James Comer Chapter 3: Supporting Families as They Parent Today’s Children Stages of Parenthood Attachment and Temperament Parenting Styles Effects of Different Parenting Styles on a Child’s Behavior Teacher Acceptance of Differing Parenting Styles Family Support for All Principles of Family Support in Schools Parent Education Models Part II: Appreciating Families: Today’s Diverse Families Chapter 4: Structurally Diverse Families Today’s American Families Nuclear Family Settings Extended Family Settings Single-Parent Families Blended Families Same-Sex Families Grandparents and Other Kinship Roles Multiracial Families Adoptive Families Foster Families Chapter 5: Culturally Diverse Families What Is Culture? Similarities and Differences Among Culturally Diverse Families Teachers’ Beliefs About Diverse Families Linguistic Diversity in Families Working With Newly Immigrated Families Diversity in Family Religious Practices Culturally Responsive Family Engagement Perspectives on Poverty Chapter 6: Students of Families in Transition Family Life Cycle: Normal Transitions Moving Characteristics of Difficult Family Transitions Students in Families Undergoing Separation, Divorce, Cohabitation, and Remarriage Death of a Parent or Family Member Students from Military Families Students With Parents in Prison Students in Foster Care Chapter 7: Families Overcoming Obstacles Families Living In Poverty Students Experiencing Homelessness Families Affected by Violence Chronic Illness of a Family Member or Student Working With Families Who Have Experienced Natural Disasters Families and Children Under Stress: Risk and Resilience Chapter 8: Families in Abusive Situations Child Abuse Statistics Types of Child Abuse and Neglect Substance Abuse, Child Abuse, and Neglect The Role of the Teacher in Reporting Child Abuse Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse: Working With CPS Working With Families in Abusive Situations Domestic Violence, Families, and Schools The Educator’s Role After Reporting Occurs The Role of the School Administrator Corporal Punishment in Schools Part III: Family Engagement: Putting Knowledge and Skills Into Action Chapter 9: Engaging Families in Their Children’s Learning at School and Home Collaborating With Families on Academic Learning and Development Communicating With Families on Standards-Based Curriculum Common Core State Standards: What Parents Need to Know Collaborating With Families on Classroom Behavioral Challenges Classroom Volunteers Homework and Home Learning Activities Chapter 10: Teacher as Family Communication Facilitator Print Communication: One Way and Reciprocal Reciprocal Communication: Informal and Formal Conferences Active Listening Behaviors Planning for Formal Conferences Alternatives in Conferencing With Families Documentation of Communication Technology as a Tool for Communication Communicating With Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families Barriers to Communication Chapter 11: Working With Families of Children With Exceptional Needs Helping Families Adjust to Having a Child With Exceptional Needs Cultural Considerations in Working With Families of Children With Differing Abilities Classroom Teachers’ Role in Special Education Legislation Relating to the Education of Children With Exceptional Needs Components of IDEA Communicating With Families About Exceptional Needs Families of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Referral Process and Identification Involving Families in the IEP Process Collaboration With Families of Young Children: Individual Family Service Plans Response to Intervention Assistive Technology Working With Families of Gifted and Talented Students Chapter 12: Teacher as a Family Resource and Advocate Asset-Based and Family-Centered Partnerships Home Visits Advocacy for Children and Families: Strategies for Becoming Advocates Community Resources for the Classroom and Families Parents as Decision Makers and School Leaders Resource Personnel to Support Families Chapter 13: Schoolwide Family Engagement Activities: Family Events, Family Resource Centers, and Volunteer Programs Preparing for Schoolwide Family Engagement Activities Family Events That Support Students’ Success at School Organizing, Preparing, and Hosting Family Events Back-to-School Events Transition Events Collaboration on Cultural Events Setting Up a Family Literacy Event Family Math as a Cultural Event Family Science Night Organizing a Family Technology Night Perspectives on Poverty Establishing a School or Classroom Family Resource Center School Volunteers

About the Author :
Kathy B. Grant, EdD, is an associate professor of Curriculum and Instruction at SUNY Plattsburgh’s School of Education. She taught undergraduate courses in family involvement, as well as graduate courses in educational psychology and child development. She also worked as a home-school coordinator through Title 1 in the Missoula School District in Missoula, Montana. During her six years in this position, she oversaw the development of family resource centers at the elementary and middle school levels, worked with family outreach specialists and social workers, established parent libraries, and conducted home visits. As home-school coordinator, she helped develop an Even Start program serving children and parents. Having taught second, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, as well as high school, she has worked collaboratively with families for more than 30 years. In 2014 in collaboration with two rural upstate New York school districts, she consulted on establishment of two elementary family resource centers. These two centers will be part of a larger SUNY clinical field experience effort to prepare teacher candidates to authentically work with families. Julie A. Ray (Ph.D., University of Missouri, Columbia) is a professor of Education and Department Chairperson at Southeast Missouri State University. She has been in the field of early childhood and elementary education for over 31 years. As a primary grades teacher and librarian, she worked hard to develop positive relationships with the families of her students. As a teacher educator in Early Childhood Education at two different four-year universities, she has taught both undergraduate and graduate level courses in family engagement, as well as done numerous presentations and publications on collaborating with diverse families.

Review :
"Practicality and Readability. The authors did a fine job in making content accessible to readers and making a connection to practice." "The activities sprinkled throughout will lead to dynamic class dialogues, self-reflection, and personal growth." "The Tables with suggestions for practice are excellent.  The “in the classroom” vignettes show that teachers in the real world make mistakes; that it’s better to try new things than simply maintain the status quo." "This text combines an awareness of families, diversity, and theory with the hands on practice and the realities of teaching. It presents complex concepts in approachable and ways that students can easily understand and utilize in their work with children and families." "I think this text is one of the best for this course. It presents relevant information in a readable and understandable format for the students."