Family Engagement May 2023
May 2023
Families and schools working together, because our students are worth it!
May is a month full of events and awarenesses!
May, likely named after the Roman goddess, Maia, is a month with several recognizable celebrations: May Day, May the Fourth be with you (Star Wars Day), Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, Armed Forces Day, and many awareness events. Working in education, we want to highlight the celebration of National Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Better Speech & Hearing, AND Mental Health Awareness Month, and some special days:
May 1st is National School Principals' Day
Principals are some of the hardest working, yet can be the most underappreciated, people in the education system. They set the academic tone by encouraging students to thrive and by implementing their vision through dedication and determination to provide a successful and positive environment for students and teachers.
#NationalSchoolPrincipalsDay
May 2nd is National Teacher Appreciation Day!
No matter where we are in life, a teacher influenced us and continues to impact our lives every day! Every one of us has at least one teacher in mind who encouraged and motivated us. Take the time, not just on May 2nd but throughout the year, to say “Thank You” to the exceptional teachers you know. (adapted from National Day Calendar)
#TEACHERAPPRECIATIONDAY
May 14th is Apraxia Awareness Day!
Apraxia Awareness - Apraxia of speech (AOS)—also known as acquired apraxia of speech, verbal apraxia, or childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) when diagnosed in children—is a speech sound disorder. Someone with AOS has trouble saying what he or she wants to say correctly and consistently. AOS is a neurological disorder that affects...read more
(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders)
Enhancing Family Engagement (EFE) School Teams Highlighted
We congratulate and highlight two of the EFE teams who are doing great things to build family-school partnerships!
Greater Latrobe School District
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The family engagement team from Greater Latrobe School District is committed to promoting collaborative relationships among school, home, and community. Over the past year, the team focused on expanding communication by revamping its district website to create a more family friendly experience and provide asynchronous training opportunities for families to expand their abilities to assist their children at home. The district developed close relationships with community agencies to provide families with necessary information and resources in a variety of areas, including mental health. Greater Latrobe has also forged collaborative relationships with middle and high school families, dispersing career and post-secondary education resources. Pictured is the EFE team and its poster on family engagement, presented at the PDE Conference in March.
Thank you, Greater Latrobe, for your commitment to partnering with home and community!
McGuffey School District
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McGuffey School District is making family engagement a priority! Over the last two years, McGuffey has engaged in the Enhancing Family Engagement (EFE) Team Training Series and adopted the mission statement, “Families and schools working together to create meaningful partnerships for student growth and success.” The focus of the team's work has been communicating effectively with families. A survey related to communication practices, shared in June 2022 with all McGuffey families and school staff, received an outstanding response of over 195 participants! The results led to a recommended unified communication platform across grade levels and school buildings, and will include community events. McGuffey is also embedding family engagement training into the induction process for new employees, revamping campus signage, offering training on technology to families, and yearly family engagement surveys built into its action planning. Encouraged by the Superintendent, the EFE team is extending its work into the 2023-2024 school year by embedding effective family engagement into existing federal programs, such as Title 1 efforts.
McGuffey representatives presented their findings at the PDE Conference and shared their beliefs that family engagement is highlighted by open two-way communication with families, community members, and a wide variety of stakeholders. Shown is the team, along with PaTTAN supporting consultants, with their display at the Poster Session in Hershey.
Way to go, McGuffey!
Student-Led IEP Series
Two new resources available!
The "I" in IEP is very important. It denotes that the program designed specifically for a student, based on their strengths and needs in overcoming challenges, will help them achieve academic, social, and behavioral success. It's their education, their IEP, their life. Students, therefore, benefit from being self-advocates and learning how to be the leader of their IEP process.
The PaTTAN team is developing several resources, including videos, publications, infographics, and training modules on the Student-Led IEP Process. This series will provide IEP teams, including administrators, teachers, students, families, and community representatives, with knowledge, skills, and strategies in this critical area of special education.
Check out our latest resources:
Student-Led IEP Team Meetings for Professionals
Meet the Members of the IEP Team - flyer with QR code to share
State Alternate Assessment Information
PA Alternate System of Assessment Dynamic Learning Maps (PASA DLM)
Does your school have students who participate in the state alternate assessment, known as the PASA Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM)? PASA DLM is looking for families to share insights about the individual student score reports. Participants will need to flexibly schedule a time to talk with PASA DLM staff and will receive a $50 honorarium.
Please share these Parent Feedback Invitations with families in your school(s):
· PASA DLM Score Report Parent Feedback Invitation
· PASA DLM Score Report Parent Feedback Invitation Spanish
Pennsylvania Parent Interpretive Guides are available to share:
Understanding Your Child’s Individual Student Score Report - English
Entendiendo el informe individual de resultados de su estudiant
as well as on the Pennsylvania | Dynamic Learning Maps website.
SCHOOL PERSONNEL: Electronic student score reports will be available in Kite Educator Portal on June 23rd for all testing locations. Printed score reports will be mailed to testing locations beginning July 28th.
See how standards aligned instruction through PASA DLM leads to meaningful outcomes:
· ATLAS - High Expectations for Students Success Video on Vimeo
Check out this exciting opportunity!
Are you a paraprofessional or know someone who is interested in a career as a special education teacher? Fifteen Pennsylvania universities have been awarded grant funds to develop accelerated programs for individuals holding a bachelor's degree to earn a certification in PK-12 Education in 18 Months! Click here or on the image to view the list of Institutions of Higher Education across the state.
Professional Development Opportunities & Resources
AAC Unleashed: Empowering Diverse Communicators
Join us for our fifth annual AAC Talks web conference! Learn practical ideas, strategies, and resources for making connections and engaging students with complex communication needs...read more
Pennsylvania Department of Education 2024 Conference
Join us at the 2024 PDE Conference!
Save the Dates -- February 28 - March 1
2023 PaTTAN Math Conference - June 13-14
Session topics include:
Evidence-based Math Instruction
Multi-tiered Systems of Support
Increasing Engagement
Universal Design for Learning and more!
Learn more...
APR: May Networking and Learning Community Opportunities
Build connections with other special education personnel across PA as you share ideas, engage in problem-solving, and learn from one another! See session topics here. Sessions will be posted on the PaTTAN training calendar and open for registration soon!
APR Career Exploration Bundle
Do you know someone who is considering a career in special education? PaTTAN's APR Career Exploration Bundle contains publications designed to help learn and pursue this amazing field.
2023 Virtual Includi-Con June 20-22
RENEW, RESTOCK, and REFRAME! Includi-Con will inspire and energize you as you continue your work to support all students learning together in general education classrooms, find new connections, and feel supported in your efforts.
2023 National Family Engagement Summit
Join PaTTAN and hundreds of educators, administrators, community organization members, and family-facing practitioners at this year's National Family Engagement Summit, hosted by NAFSCE, this October. Participate virtually or attend in person in Kansas City, MO. For more information and to register, click here.
Safe and Supportive School Training
Join colleagues at PaTTAN Harrisburg this August for a two-day training, Safe and Supportive Learning Environments: Prevention Before the Crisis, focused on keeping our students, staff, and school communities in safe and supportive learning environments. Registration and parent scholarship opportunities to share with your families coming soon!
Learn About the FAB Process for Team-Based Problem Solving
The FAB Process is an enhancement to the former Supplementary Aides and Services (SaS) Toolkit. Revisions were made to improve efficiency, to expand alignment with the Universal Design for Learning Framework, and to include data collection to ensure the student’s action plan is working. Visit the FAB Resource Site.
Community Engagement Workshops
Share these upcoming PA Family Network events with students, families, and community members. These FREE workshops are created by and for family members and self-advocates and focus on specific topics through the lens of the LifeCourse Framework (registration is required)!
Wellness & Resiliency Summits coming in June! For more information, contact PA Family Network or visit PA Family Network - Vision For Equality
If you found this family and community engagement newsletter to be helpful, please share it with colleagues and families in your school, district, IU, or agency. Thank you!
The mission of the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) is to support the efforts and initiatives of the Bureau of Special Education, and to build the capacity of local educational agencies to serve students who receive special education services.