Parent engagement newsletter, 2012 February

Parent Engagement newsletter

Inside this issue:

Testing Tips

2

Conference Details

2

Fathers and Sons

3

Grandparents in

3

Academics

Georgia Parent

4

Leadership Awards

Special Point of Interest: 2012 Family Engagement
Conference

February 16-18, 2012

Volume 2, Issue 2, Winter 2012 "Taking Great Strides to Achieve Success"

"Taking Great Strides to Achieve Success"

The CCRPI will allow

teachers to return to doing

what they do best

teaching and discovering

what ignites a passion for

learning in our students.

From my years of

Dr. John D. Barge,

experience in education, I

State School Superintendent have seen too many

students who were able to

As the new semester

successfully pass tests but

begins, our teachers,

were not college and

administrators, support staff career ready. We are

and students are all back in focused on changing that

their schools and

culture throughout the

classrooms. As you

know, the second half

of the school year can

many times be the most

challenging time of the

year, and we need your

on-going support. The

Georgia Department of

Education is currently

engaged in many

initiatives that will boost

student achievement and state. The multifaceted

strengthen teacher quality in CCRPI will measure the

our state.

success of our schools

I recently had the opportunity to meet with

and our students on much more than a single test.

U.S. Secretary of Education

Arne Duncan in

With the implementation

Washington, D.C. to discuss of the CCRPI, along with

our vision for implementing the new Common Core

a new accountability

Georgia Performance

system, called the College Standards and the Career

and Career Ready

Pathways initiatives, we

Performance Index (CCRPI). are paving the way for our

students to truly be

college and career ready. I encourage you to become familiar with all of these important initiatives and to discuss them with other parents, your child's teachers, and school-level administrators. What lies ahead in the next few months will have a profound impact on your child's educational experience, and we need you to be a key part of it.
I thank you for your hard work and continued dedication to helping us better prepare our students for the challenges that await them in the global economy. Together, we will realize our vision of Making Education Work for All Georgians.
Sincerely,
Dr. John D. Barge

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent February 15, 2012 Page 1 of 4 All Rights Reserved

Georgia Department of Education Parent Engagement Quarterly Newsletter
Helping Your Child With Test-Taking

Page 2

Conference Reminder & Details
The Parent Engagement Program is happy to announce Georgia's first statewide family engagement conference that's inclusive of all parents, educators and parent professionals across the state. The conference theme is:
Building Connections: Striving for Excellence, Empowerment and Equity
in Education
There will be over 750 parents and educators coming together at this event. More coverage about the conference will be available in the spring newsletter.
This conference is a collaboration between the Georgia
Department of Education and Georgia PTA.

You can be a great help to your child if you will observe these do's and don'ts about tests and test taking:
Explain that tests are yardsticks that teachers, schools, school districts and even states use to measure what and how they teach and how well students are learning what is taught. Most tests are designed and given by teachers to measure students' progress in a course. The results tell the teacher and students whether they are keeping up with the class, need extra help or are ahead of other students.
The results of some tests tell schools that they need to strengthen courses or change teaching methods. Still other tests compare students by schools, school districts or cities. All tests determine how well a child is doing in the areas measured by the tests.
Tell your child that occasionally, he will take "standardized" tests. Explain that these tests use the same standards to measure student performance across the state or even across the country. Every student takes the same test according to the same rules. This makes it possible to measure each student's performance against that of others.
Do encourage your child. Praise her for the things that she does well. If your child feels good about herself, she will do her best on a test. Children who are

afraid of failing are more likely to become anxious when taking tests and more likely to make mistakes.
Do meet with your child's teacher as often as possible to discuss his progress. Ask the teacher to suggest activities for you and your child to do at home to help prepare for tests and to improve your child's understanding of schoolwork.
Do make sure that your child attends school regularly. Remember, tests reflect children's overall achievement. The more effort and energy your child puts into learning, the more likely it is that he will do well on tests.
Do provide a quiet, comfortable place for studying at home and make sure that your child is well rested on school days and especially on the day of a test. Children who are tired are less able to pay attention in class or to handle the demands of a test.
Do provide books and magazines for your child to read at home. By reading new materials, a child will learn new words that might appear on a test. Ask your child's teacher for lists of books for outside reading or get suggestions from your local library.
Don't get upset because of a single test score. Many things can influence how your child does on a test. She might not have felt well on test day or she might have been too nervous to concentrate. She might have had an argument with a friend before the test or she might have been late to school because the school bus got caught in traffic. Remember, one test is simply one test.

Don't place so much emphasis on your child's test scores that you lose sight of her well being. Too much pressure can affect her test performance. In addition, she may come to think that you will only love her if she does well on tests.
Do help your child avoid test anxiety. It's good for your child to be concerned about taking a test. It's not good for him to develop "test anxiety." Test anxiety is worrying too much about doing well on a test. It can mean disaster for your child. They can become very self-critical and lose confidence in their abilities. Instead of feeling challenged by the prospect of success, they become afraid of failure.
After the Test
Your child can learn a great deal from reviewing a graded exam paper. Reviewing will show him where he had difficulty and, perhaps, why. This is especially important for classes in which the material builds from one section to the next, as in math.
Discuss the wrong answers with your child and find out why he chose the answers. Sometimes a child didn't understand or misread a question. Or, he may have known the correct answer but failed to make his answer clear.
You and your child should read and discuss all comments that the teacher writes on a returned test. If any comments aren't clear, tell your child to ask the teacher to explain them.
Permission to reproduce: U.S. Department of Education. Helping Your Child with Test-TakingHelping Your Child Succeed in School. Washington, DC. (available online at http://www2.ed.gov/parents/ academic/help/succeed/part9.html? exp=0)

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent February 15, 2012 Page 2 of 4 All Rights Reserved

Georgia Department of Education Parent Engagement Quarterly Newsletter

Page 3

Fathers and Sons: The Impact of Male Involvement

among fathers who remain actively involved in their sons life, despite not living in the same household.
Fathers and sons share a special bond that mothers are not capable of providing. Fathers are able to help their sons develop their self-identity and have a healthy outlook of their gender. Research has also shown when a father is involved, their son is also less likely to get into trouble with the law as they get older and become adults. They are also more likely to graduate from school and raise healthy families of their own. This is often a result of males taking on certain positive aspects from their father and learning how to apply what they've been taught to their everyday life.

males role models cannot have an impact. Uncles, cousins, grandfathers and close friends of the family can provide beneficial male influence and involvement. In addition, there are also meaningful programs available for young males to acquire mentors, such as the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America organization.
Fathers are a powerful resource in our society and continue to have a dynamic impact on their sons. The importance of male involvement should not be underestimated because fathers and other positive male role models have the ability to enrich and strengthen our families, communities, organizations, and schools.

Research has proven that boys with fathers who are active in their lives have fewer behavioral problems and an advantage, socially and academically, over boys with distant or no relationship with their father. This proves to be true even

Under certain circumstances, single mothers adapt to raising their sons alone because the biological father may not be able to be as involved in their son's life, but that doesn't mean other positive

Including Grandparents in Academics and Homework

Most would agree that grandparents take pride in seeing their grandchildren do well in school. Although the preliminary work may be done by parents, grandparents are able to contribute much towards the development of their grandchildren.
Grandparents can help their grandchildren succeed in school by helping them develop good study skills and habits, self-confidence, and a love for learning. In many cases, grandparents help care for their grandchildren afterschool. During this time,

there is much to be gained by supporting their grandchild's learning at home through homework. The main purpose of homework is to help children practice, reinforce, or expand important skills that they learn during the school day. Many children think of homework as a punishment rather than a tool being used to help them retain what they learn at school.
Instead of allowing the homework process to become a struggle, grandparents can help their

grandchildren view homework in a less negative image by helping them organize the work that needs to be done, providing snacks and periodic break time in between studying, practicing patience and leaving room for adaptation according to their grandchild's personality.
By doing these things, grandparents will be able to help their grandchildren take responsibility for their own learning, develop good problem solving skills, and enjoy it all in the process.

PARENTS, DID YOU KNOW... There are four key ingredients to successful playtime between parents and children: education, inspiration, integration and communication.
Tips for Keeping Violence Out of Your
Home These are a few proactive tips to follow if you do not want your child to become desensitized to violence:
Be aware of the music your son/daughter listens to on a regular basis.
Limit the amount of violence your children are exposed to on television and at the movie theatre.
Establish a rule that violent video games are not allowed in your home.
Observe your child's behavior while playing with friends to watch for signs of violent practices.
All members of a family can offer support for children's learning and academic performance. Generally, children with a good support system are more likely to excel academically and socially.

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent February 15, 2012 Page 3 of 4 All Rights Reserved

Remember to block off these important dates!
Children's Dental Health Month
February, 2012
Parent Leadership Month February, 2012
National Black History Month
February, 2012
National PTA Founders Day
February 17, 2012
National Nutrition Month March 2012
Dr. Seuss Read Across America Day March 2, 2012

Program Staff
Michelle Tarbutton Sandrock, Parent Engagement Program Manager
msandrock@doe.k12.ga.us 404-232-1148
Lakeita Servance, Parent Engagement Specialist
lservance@doe.k12.ga.us 404-656-2633
Outreach Programs Division 1862 Twin Towers East
205 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive, SE Atlanta, GA 30334

Vision Statement The Parent Engagement Program believes that parents, schools, families, and communities working together can create meaningful partnerships that ultimately lead to significant gains across the board in student achievement.
Calling All Parents! Have an idea to contribute to the newsletter? Send your parent involvement ideas and articles to us through your Parent Involvement Coordinator or e-mail us directly. If your idea or article is published, your name will appear in the newsletter!
Have a Question? AskDOE
404-656-2800 askdoe@doe.k12.ga.us

We're on the Web!
http://www.gadoe.org/Pages/Home.aspx http://www.gadoe.org/School-Improvement/Federal-Programs/Pages/Parent-Engagement-Program.aspx

2012 Georgia Parent Leadership Award Winners!

The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) and the Georgia Parent Teacher Association (GA PTA) created the Georgia Parent Leadership Award to recognize parents across Georgia who utilize their various skills and talents to strengthen our schools and positively impact the lives of our children. This award was also designed to inspire all parents to use their unique talents, no matter how big or small, to lead the way in building positive outcomes for all children.
The award recognizes the many skills and talents of Georgia's parents, particularly as they exhibit

their leadership through any Tyler Barr, Mirror Lake

The winners of this award

or all of the National PTA

Elementary School,

are parents or caregivers who

Standards for Family -

Douglas County Schools have contributed to the

School Partnerships.

school community in a way

The Parent Leadership Award winners were chosen not only based on their demonstrated talents, but

Juli Hall, Sara Harp Mintor Elementary School, Fayette County Schools
Susan Dodson, Timothy

that is bigger and beyond themselves. As part of their award, they will be afforded opportunities throughout the year to share their many

also on how their work has benefitted the entire school community on behalf of all

Road Elementary School, recognized talents by Clarke County Schools promoting and assisting with

Elizabeth Caldwell,

parent engagement activities

children. Six Georgia Parent Leadership Awards will be

Jasper County Middle School, Jasper County

at the state level. We are proud to congratulate our

given each year; hence, schools will continue to have

Schools

2012 award recipients!

an opportunity to participate Krysia Suttles, East

in this recognition program.

Paulding High School, Paulding County Schools

The following nominees were selected to receive the 2012 Parent Leadership Award:

Dennis Holsey, Sr., Hancock Central High School, Hancock County Schools

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent February 15, 2012 Page 4 of 4 All Rights Reserved