News for the South Central Region
New for the 2011-2012 school year:
NH adopts PTA National Standards for Family-School Partnerships.
Standard 1:
Welcoming all families into the school community—Families are active participants in the life of the school, and feel welcomed, valued, and connected to each other, to school staff, and to what students are learning and doing in class.
Standard 2:
Communicating effectively—Families and school staff engage in regular, two-way, meaningful communication about student learning.
Standard 3:
Supporting student success—Families and school staff continuously collaborate to support students’ learning and healthy development both at home and at school, and have regular opportunities to strengthen their knowledge and skills to do so effectively.
Standard 4:
Speaking up for every child—Families are empowered to be advocates for their own and other children, to ensure that students are treated fairly and have access to learning opportunities that will support their success.
Standard 5:
Sharing power—Families and school staff are equal partners in decisions that affect children and families and together inform, influence, and create policies, practices, and programs.
Standard 6:
Collaborating with community—Families and school staff collaborate with community members to connect students, families, and staff to expanded learning opportunities, community services, and civic participation.
Past efforts of NH Connections to assist School Districts
involved in Special Education Partnership activities.
NH Connections will be having a parent World Cafe style forum for parents and staff at Nashua High School South on May 18, 2010. The process is to have conversations on questions about family and school partnership activities to benefit both parents and educators. Participants are seeing the benefits of having open conversations about family engagement activities in a relaxed environment. The Regional forum, for all surrounding towns, was a success which led to the Litchfield School District wanting one for their district and in June the Pelham School district will have one as well.
NH Connections has helped in pursuing activities towards increasing parent and family engagement within the Litchfield school district. A World Cafe style forum was held on March 10th to help the district identify areas and activities to focus on with parent involvement. Currently the district and NH Connections are planning future activities.
2010-2011 school year forum on school family partnerships in special education
During the summer of 2010, NH Connections redesigned the Regional Forum and follow up meetings to better assist School Districts
and parents involved in promoting family school partnerships in Special Education.
NH Connections has held a forum for the 2010 - 2011 school year, for more information click here.
Joe Hatch jhatch@picnh.org or (603) 848-4251
The 2009-2010 school year forum
The Regional Support Network held a world cafe' forum on Parent Involvement in Special Education on January 28, 2010. The forum results identified three priority areas.
1. Collaborate together to build true partnerships.
2. Parents and teachers are partners, and they are available as a resource
for each other's involvement in the child’s education.
3. Two way communication is used among and between parents,
educators, school administrators, and others while addressing
effective communication skills.
Read the Issue Brief on Parent Involvement in Special Education in South Central Region.
