CHSF shares a long history of unwavering commitment to excellence in public education. Uniquely, each stakeholder brings a different perspective. Predictably, each partner will bring a different perspective to this issue. We have an opportunity to share ideas, to learn from one another and to take away an expanded understanding that will serve all children. Each stakeholder association may be inspired to begin the tough process of influencing their respective membership to continue this dialogue and come together with a renewed commitment to truly work together.
CHSF’s History: Tenacity, Passion and Commitment
Canadian Home and School Federation is a parent association that has been in existence since 1895. For 109 years, the members of CHSF (initially the parent teacher association) have been working collaboratively to have parents recognized as partners in public education. Organized by Mrs. Alexander Graham Bell, the CHSF has the same roots as the American National PTA. CHSF recognizes that the primary role of parents in supporting children is in the home.
Today, through its national network of associations, councils and federations, the CHSF continues to be the only national, voluntary parent’s organization concerned with all public school students and their families. CHSF has representatives from all ten provinces who form the national board and share a vision of excellence in public education. Home and School Associations voice their collective parental view to establish policy through democratic processes. The Federation will be honoured with formal recognition by Heritage Canada for its national historic significance and importance.
CHSF and its Provincial affiliates believe:
Accountability: the state of being accountable and responsible
Today’s society still, despite years of research to the contrary, resists and often ignores the critical importance of parents’ role in the life of their children. The research suggests the benefits of parent involvement are not confined to early childhood or elementary grades, but last through high school. (W. Rioux and N. Berla, Education Week, Jan. 19, 1994.)
The many roles parents assume within the school system serve to support the staff of the school system and the elected officials who are charged with the responsibility and accountability of educating our children. Schools are accountable to parents and community. There is growing understanding that the school system is strengthened when all partners of the school community, each with varying talents and strengths and responsibilities collaborate on explicit school goals, measure their success and annually re-evaluate their strategies for instruction and support, adjusting as necessary to improve student success
Using such assessment data to stimulate self-assessment, make decisions and monitor results is not new and should occur at all levels, from classroom to province. Tests are but one method of data collection.
In the document “Accountability” from the Professional and Social Issues division of the B.C. Teachers Federation, it states “while teachers tend to have a high degree of expertise in classroom assessment, we have less experience in working collectively to examine student achievement data and make critical sense of it at the school level.” Ultimately, the state of being accountable or liable (to be called to account) is the means by which individuals or organizations take responsibility for their work so that their employers and/or recipients of their work or service can be assured that safeguards are in place. Such safeguards or mechanisms may be quality assurance, appeal processes and procedural fairness. The question we are attempting to find answers to is: how do we each perform our roles to support the efforts of teachers and schools in educating our children? Who is accountable for what and to whom? For parents to account for what happens in classrooms across the country; we would have to be in the classroom. CHSF can support the view that parents have entitlements, sometimes referred to as “rights” and responsibilities or obligations to participate in the process of determining the educational goals, policies and services provided for their children. As primary educators in the life of their children, parents have a responsibility to provide a healthy home environment that enables their children to attend school ready and willing to learn. Further, they have a responsibility to help shape and support the goals of the school system and to share the tasks of educating their young. (Building Partnerships in Schools, 1996) Teachers have the right to exercise professional judgment in providing instruction to students in accordance with specified duties and powers. They have a corresponding responsibility to ensure that each student is provided with quality instruction, to participate in all normal school activities and to monitor the behaviour and progress of each learner in accordance with provincial and local policies. They have a responsibility to communicate with students and parents, and are accountable to the School Board and its delegates. (BCTF, BCCPAC & BCVPA Building Partnerships in Schools, 1996) In our opinion this is how parents view professional accountability, with a focus on the critical elements of instruction, learning, quality and communication with parents. The next question to be considered is how education partners can support the accountability of the teacher. Parents also have a responsibility, in other words, an obligation, to be reliable and trustworthy, to act reasonably, to do what they can to support the education of their child and the children in their schools and community. This same additional responsibility would also apply to teachers who “act as a judicious parent for the students assigned to them. “The most powerful outcomes of parents’ involvement in schools appear to develop when there is true mutuality between the school and the community such that each party learns to value and respect the knowledge, skills and goals of the other” (Benjamin Levin, l995)
Canadian Home and School has a rich history of success where parents and teachers collaborated in the education of Canada’s children. It’s a dynamite combination. “”Education is too important to be left to the educators. The whole community has a stake in the schools and should therefore have a voice in the way they run. No one has a bigger stake, of course, than parents, and sometimes is seems as if no one has less influence.” (Crawford Killian Breaking New Ground, Preserving Old Values. October 23, 1997)
When each partner takes responsibility for his/her own piece of the accountability puzzle; the system can only be strengthen. Although there are multiple roles for parents, their number one responsibility is to raise a well-behaved child who is curious about learning.
In Public Agenda Online, Playing their Parts: What Parents and Teachers Really Mean by Parental Involvement it states that there is a wide spread belief that schools should be able to succeed with a child who has been taught the value of education at home.
In the unfortunate situation where the parent needs assistance, then it becomes the “village” or “other” family to support the child to grow with a love of learning for themselves and the betterment of society. The “other” is often parent and community volunteers and government agencies that are not equipped to the extent necessary for supporting the social and home supports for these children and thus the education of these children places an additional emotional and educational strain on teachers. A sad tired and hungry child is desperate for food and rest, not intellectual or social stimulation. Parents and teachers across this country have established breakfast and lunch programs for children and this is an increasing, not decreasing occurrence. A shocking statement in our affluent society. Do we truly value the care and education of our children? Are we walking the talk?
Norman Henschey in Measuring Up: the Case for School Report Cards states that “Evaluation implies some shared values among groups in the school community: administrators, educators, parents and students. Clarifying these values should be the starting point for evaluating priorities. There needs to be a balance between the perceptions of the insiders who understand the challenges and realities of the life of the school and those of outsiders who can question old assumptions and plant new ones.” Involvement of parents in the school improvement planning is a crucial component to support the shared responsibility movement. It formalizes and focuses parental activities on the, school’s mission, vision, values and goals. www.saee.ca//policy http://www.saee.ca/policy The Coalition for Community Schools reviewed research across multiple disciplines and found that mutual respect and effective collaboration among parents, families and school staff was one of five key conditions for learning (Bland, Melaville, & Shah, 2003)
In Steps to School Improvement, parental involvement in the school improvement is necessary for ownership. Once school goals are collaboratively established, the school’s Home and School Association can determine how the parent community can develop its own strategies to assist the school in meeting its goals. The term meaningful parental involvement need not be limited to school improvement planning alone. The CHSF view is that meaningful involvement pertains to all parent activities that are valuable, which support students and schools; work that makes a positive difference. Incredible synergy happens when parents share in supporting and strengthening the school. When parent participation is limited by governments, school boards, school administrators and teachers; school improvement is impeded. We all need to work together.
In 1996, J. S. Coleman in Equality of Educational Opportunity (Washington DC.) stated that research has demonstrated that a student’s home environment has more impact on test scores than any other factor including school curriculum or student body characteristics. Testing results provide information to parents on how to assist their child and assume greater responsibility in the home and the school.
Testing provides vital information as to whether students are meeting provincial and national standards and serves to prove that the home and the school are being successful in educating the child. Testing is a method of checking up on learning. Appropriate data, dependable and valid, utilizes leading intermediate as well as trailing indicators. Leading indicators are “input” variables such as course offerings, resources and perhaps student’s prior skills and knowledge. Intermediate indicators are what actually happen in classrooms and schools. Trailing indicators are “outside” indicators with little local context such as standardized tests, provincial exams and Foundation Skills Assessment. Some form of trailing indicators is necessary to provide accountability for governments and the public who have no connection with schools. While some may argue they are irrelevant to students and wasters of time and resources, this disconnected public has started and will only continue to question the enormous resources flowing into public education. Such indicators help to persuade them of both the success and value of public education. Testing is good information for the teacher, student and parent and ought not to be considered the ultimate evil. Testing is a reality in life and our students need to be armed early with skills in taking tests. Effective learners operate best when they have insight into their own strengths and weaknesses and access to their own repertoires of strategies for learning. (Brown, 1994)
Parents expect that testing results be used productively. Schools and parents know that the context is an essential component in assessment and evaluation. Parents recognize testing is only one of many tools to assess learning. We hold provincial education ministries accountable for finding the balance in their testing programs so excesses of time, money and stress are avoided.
The Sacred Value of Learning
Students report that what matters the most and helped them stay on track was when parents, teachers and principals demonstrated values of respect and trust. The work of Dr. Joyce Epstein clearly describes the value of parents, teachers and community working together in partnership to support children. Her work has merit and schools across Canada would benefit from incorporating the Epstein model into their accountability framework.
Strong school communities create family focused activities to enable families to better support their children. This is the responsibility of parents within an accountability framework. If we are to be successful in implementing effective school/family/community partnerships, these partnerships must begin to be seen as “an essential component of the school organization that influences student development and learning rather than as an optional activity or a matter of public relations. When all these concepts combine, children experience learning and caring communities.” Epstein, 1995
Challenges and Recommendations
Canadian Home and School members are persistent and consistent in their efforts to focus on educational and social supports for Canadian children. We strive to increase and improve the support to National and Provincial Parent Associations so we can educate, advise and represent parents and parent associations to the Provincial and Federal governments and other education partners in supporting quality public education.
Some recommendations to deal with the challenges from the parent viewpoint are:
It is hoped this discussion paper will open the door to further dialogue on the issues of accountability in schooling. There are challenges to shared accountability. Identifying and understanding the barriers to successful collaboration may well provide new insights and solutions. Our children deserve our best efforts.
BCCPAC, BCPVPA, BCTF (1996) Building Partnerships in Schools. Joint Handbook.
Killian, Crawford. (1997) Breaking New Ground, Preserving Old Values. Policy Watch (2004)
Struggling with school accountability issues. SAEE (Online:http:www.saee.ca/policy/D
001 BIC LON.php)