You have been asked by your administrator to develop a PowerPoint presentation and supporting paper for the staff. The purpose of the PowerPoint is to give concrete examples, suggestions, and ideas to create a more inviting family-school climate at your site, and to entice the staff to read your full paper on the topic. Your Principal understands your desire to make change at your school site and has shown you additional research stating that family involvement supports student success. In order for your staff to buy-in to this new paradigm they must have the background knowledge and specific examples to understand the necessity of change.

Therefore your presentation and paper must:

Address family needs and understanding

Analyze the importance of understanding that the family/parents are the expert regarding their child

Describe possible family stressors and include at least six resources to share with families

Summarize current definitions and understandings of culturally responsive teaching

Analyze research-based information regarding how culture influences an educational setting and how to support families and students from non-mainstream cultures

List examples showing the importance of becoming connected with students' families and describe from your own experience or from a credible source one activity to support this relationship

Describe a method for using family-school problem solving with culturally diverse families

Analyze the role of culture and disability in your work with families

Synthesize an approach, from the previous points in the presentation/paper, to link your school and family with your community