You are seeing this message because your web browser does not support basic web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing and what you can do to make your experience on this site better.

www.HFRP.org

The Harvard Family Research Project separated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education to become the Global Family Research Project as of January 1, 2017. It is no longer affiliated with Harvard University.

Terms of Use ▼


Janice Kroeger
Kent State University
Email: jkroege1@kent.edu

Course Description

This course is designed to acquaint and apprentice teachers in early childhood education to the theories, practices, skills, and knowledge(s) of home and school relationship building in home and school partnership literatures. There is a focus in this course to develop understandings of diverse contexts and ethics when working with families and children. In this course you will study yourself, the school, communities, families, and children you work for as well as the contexts of future teaching situations. You will garner a richer sense of meaningful partnerships for effective teaching practices in primary grades.

The Purpose

Over the semester we will build upon your existing experiences within a “differentiated partnerships perspectives” and introduce a social action orientation to increase awareness, skill, knowledge, comfort, and aptitude when working with the families and communities of young children. You will be guided through activities, drawing upon skills learned in 30142 and reapplying and altering these skills within a limited field placement in demographically rich environments. Field placements in 3 communities have been arranged to carry out aspects of our work. Experiences are active, challenging, and designed to help you develop your own base of practice—assignments will help you to work effectively with families and see teaching as an active engagement for understanding, communication, partnership building, and ultimately social change. Much of your experience will draw upon site contexts of the Block II experiences; a broad application of the course is directed toward inclusive settings in primary grades (K–3).

Required Assignments

Read materials critically prior to class and prepare assignments as requested; much of our in-class experiences will draw upon shared activity in the field and/or through our examination of course topics. Participation drives processes; learning leads your development as a student teacher.

I. Personal Reflection (part i. (week 2) part ii. (week 9): Self-Identity /Family Study 5% & 5% (Due Date 2nd week, 10th week)

Part 1: In a concise but fairly short written paper (3–4 pages) describe your preschool years and early primary school years (see p. 10)

Part 2: Revisit the first iteration of your self-identity family study. Reevaluate how your parents were involved and how your place in you success with what you know now about children in low-income, high-risk environments.

II. Teacher, Principal, and Ancillary staff/Liaison Interview (week 3–5)

How do teachers come to know communities? How do principals come to know communities? Are their perceptions based on their experiences, values, fact, opinion, or theories of teaching and learning?

A. In order to facilitate your quick learning about the social context of this setting you'll be asked to conduct a short interview with your mentoring teacher and a short interview with the building principal.

B. One aspect of the interview can be to learn about her priorities in facilitating home, school, community partnerships. Another aspect is to understand better some of the routines, activities, decisions, and observations you have formed during the first week or two of your placement. Ultimately the interview is to elicit her values and priorities within parent communities and further along your projects (SAP, Parent Event Project, or field experience hours).

C. Possible questions (more generated in class): (see p. 11 of syllabus). As we look at the field experiences checklist what are the best ways that you want me to spend my hours?

D. Small group work will generate the principal or liaison interview questions. Questions will be based on the school priorities and each member of the group must contribute.

E. Analyze and use information gained to make decisions about field experiences and elements of SAP and parent events in the community. Share in class.

III. Parents & Teacher Communication Tool (Weeks 5–7)

A. Collaborative work Mentor Teacher/Teacher Candidate

B. Co-development of group communication tool-information gathering, analysis of results, altering classroom expectation/experience

C. Written reflection-public sharing

IV. Book Review and Book Presentation with Implications/Practice (with a book review you do not read any other readings on the syllabus!!!)

A. Individual written book review

B. Group presentation & study supplement

V. Development/implementation of a Social Action Project (weeks 5–12)

A. Singular or Group generated Social Action Project

1. Proposal focused on local needs of young children, communities, and settings or the needs of larger organizations, which serve young children. Initial documentation, mid point documentation, final documentation.

2. Action oriented process with follow-through and class report on resulting local change, plans for continuation of change, or a report of the farther reaching results of the project

3. Resource packet for class members related to the SAP.

Or:

V. Development/implementation of Parent Event Project (weeks 5–12)

A. Singular or Group-Generated Parent Event Project

1. Proposal focused on local needs of parents & community. Initial documentation and planning, midpoint planning and development, and final follow through with event.

2. Action and research process on planning literacy or mathematics events in communities, and/or planning for parents related to other special topics (grandparents/fathers, etc).

3. Reflection on successes and challenges of the parent event

VI. Connection to Conceptual Framework

A. Choose 3–5 experiences from the semester

B. Describe how you processed them through the conceptual framework

C. Describe how the components/your understandings of the conceptual framework have been developed through this experience

D. Include Journaling-how spend community involvement hours and log about family involvement experiences and projects (homework, conferencing, events development, event attendance, etc). Ensure theoretical connections from readings and outside resources.

Class Attendance and Participation

The class is for your professional development; therefore, on-time, well-prepared, positive and professional interactions are expected. Students should be willing to critique their own thinking as well as the thinking of others. Assignments are expected to be typed and relatively free of errors. You are expected to interact with colleagues in the class and in the field in a manner that generates and extends the professionalism of all.

Field component of the course: A limited field component of the course has been arranged for you. You are expected to arrange 16–12 hours per week with your mentoring teacher/field site within the first 10 weeks, in order to learn about schools, social context, federally supported programs, and family involvement. At the 10th or 12th week you will begin to taper your hours down to 8–6 and 6–4 until the final week of the semester. The staggered field is designed to help you accommodate for final projects and other coursework.

University policy 3342-3-18 requires that students with disabilities be provided reasonable accommodations to ensure their equal access to course content. If you have a documented disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to make arrangements for necessary classroom adjustments. Please note, you must first verify your eligibility for these through Student Disability Services (contact 330-672-3391 or visit www.kent.edu/sds for more information on registration procedures).

Readings

Required texts:

Weiss, H. B., Kreider, H., Lopez, M. E., & Chatman, C. M. (2005). Preparing educators to involve families: From theory to practice. Sage Publishing.

Copple, C. (Ed.) (2003). A world of difference: Readings on teaching young children in a diverse society. Washington: NAEYC.

Recommended:

Edwards, P. A., Pleasants, H. M., & Franklin, S. H. (1999). A path to follow: Learning to listen to parents. Heinemann, NH. ISBN 0-325-00152-9

Choose one text for a book review:

Casper, V. & Schultz, S. B. (1999). Gay parents straight schools: Building communication and trust. Teacher College Press, Columbia University.

Compton-Lilly, C. (2003). Reading families: The literate lives of urban children. Teachers College Press, Columbia University.

Igoa. (1995). The inner world of the immigrant child. Lawrence Erlbaum.

Lareau, A. (2000). Home advantage: Social class and parental intervention in elementary education. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Rosier, K, B. (2000). Mothering inner-city children: The early school years. Rutgers University Press.

Valdes, G. (1996). Con respeto: Bridging the distance between culturally diverse families and schools, an ethnographic portrait. Teacher College Press, Columbia University.

Some shared readings are available on Electronic Reserves (password home25 or home16); others are available on Ohiolink. A majority will be handed out in class one week prior to their use. http://reserves.library.kent.edu/coursepage.asp?cid=387

Keep in mind pace and timing will depend a great deal on student needs, field placement decisions, etc.

Week 1 – Jan. 16 – Introduction
Course Introduction
Readings, books, syllabus

Building Community/Establishing Expectations
Activities name games, information sheets, walk about, digital photos, etc.

Overview Ethics by Westberg
Self-Identity, Family Study Review Part 1
Activity Plan: Book sign ups, getting to know you…

Read:
Epstein (as you prepare self-identity, family study)
Westberg; Weiss, et al. for next class session

Week 2 – Jan. 23– Home & School Partnerships Build Community
Links That Matter—What Does the Research Say, Where Does It Come From, What Does It Mean? Parents and Tteachers for Children

Read:
Epstein, J. L. (1995). School/family/community partnerships. Caring for the children we share. Phi Delta Kappan, 76(9), 701–713.

Weiss, H.B. & Kreider, H. et al. (2005). Preparing educators to involve families: From theory to practice. Introduction, xi–xxiv, & Section 1: The Microsystem, pp. 1–9.

Due: Reflection: Self-Identity, Family Study Part I
Share: Reflections: Self-Identity, Family Study
Start Field Placements: teacher/principal/ancillary staff , planning for interview project, field experiences checklist

Week 3 – Jan. 30 – Why and How-To Gain Understanding?
Parents Beliefs Turn Into Actions, Classroom Tips on Gaining Information, Using It Respectfully—Establishing Rapport in Communities—The Base of Group Communication Tool

Children's literature and connections to the child, family, and community—Assign, evaluate, share, critique

Read:

Weiss, H. B. & Kreider, H. et al. (2005). Preparing educators to involve families: From theory to practice. Section 2: The Mesosystem pp. 39–50.

Recommended/Review Chapters:
Edwards, P. A., Pleasants, H. M., & Franklin, S. H. (1999). A path to follow: Learning to listen to parents. Heinemann, NH. ISBN 0-325-00152-9

Share examples: Discuss communication tool, curriculum development, understanding children & families…

Field work: Schedule Interviews with teachers/principals
Study questions for Brantlinger or Kroeger given

Week 4 – Feb. 6 – Differentiating Practices for Partnerships and Social Class
The Force(s) of Parents, Reflections of the Ohio Region, and Issues of Social Class, Identity, Ideology and Inclusive Aspects of Diversity.

Choose One:
In Brantlinger, E. (2003) Dividing classes: How the middle class negotiates and rationalizes school advantage. New York: RoutledgeFalmer. Chapters 3: Affluent Mothers Narrate Their Own and Other People's Children, 35–60.

Or:

Kroeger, J (2005). Social heteroglossia: The contentious practice or potential place of middle class parents in home–school relations. The Urban Review, 3(1), 1–30.

Book Review:
Lareau, A. (2000). Home advantage: Social class and parental intervention in elementary education. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Activity: Check in interview work

Week 5 – Feb. 13 – Social Class and Involvement Differentiating Practices
Poverty and its Effects—Young Children and Poverty—Community Partnerships Answers Risk With Resiliency

Read:
Weiss, H.B. & Kreider, H. et al. (2005). Preparing educators to involve families: From theory to practice. Section 3: The Exosystem, pp. 93–98, and The MacroSystem, pp. 125–135.

Required:
Helm, J. H. & Lang, J. (2003). Overcoming the ill effects of poverty. (pp. 94–97), NAEYC.

Ramsey, P. (2003). Growing up with the contradictions of race and class. (pp. 83–85) & The Stress of Poverty. (pp. 86) A world of difference, NAEYC.

Wellhousen, K. (2003) Be it ever so humble: Developing a study of homes for today's diverse society (pp. 83–85). A world of difference, NAEYC.

Book Review:
Rosier, K. B. (2000). Mothering inner-city children: The early school years. Rutgers University Press.

Due: Rough draft group communication tool

Week 6 – Feb. 20 – Differentiating Curriculum and Action for Parents

Connections through parent events in communities

Required:
Murphy, J. C. (2003). Case studies in African American school success and parenting behaviors. Young Children, November.

And:

Walker-Dalhouse, D. & Dalhouse, A. D. (2001). Parent–school relations: Communicating more effectively with African American parents. Families and Teachers: Partners in Support of Young Children. July.

Choose One:
Bright, J. (1994). Beliefs in action: Family contributions to African-American student success. Equity and Choice, 10(2), 5–12.

Bright, J. (1996a). Partners: An urban Black community's perspective on the school and home working together. New Schools, New Communities, 12(3), 32–37.

Or:

Willis, A. I. (1995). Reading the world of school literacy: Contextualizing the experiences of a young African American male. Harvard Educational Review, 65(1), 30–49.

Book Review:
Compton-Lilly, C. (2003). Reading families: The literate lives of urban children. Teachers College Press, Columbia University.

Share: SAP or Parent Event Implementation? Brainstorm and discuss with teachers

Due: Interview Analysis
Due: Group Communication Tool Sent Out!

Week 7 – Feb. 27 – Video: Conflict, Marvin Fine

Read:
Harris, J. (1994) The bad news blues: When messages aren't easy to deliver. Child Care Information Exchange, 36–38.

And:

Bredekamp, S. (2003). Resolving contradictions between cultural practices. (pp. 59–60).

Read:
Go to http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr291.shtml
Making the most out of parent teacher conferences

Due: Bring one short resource for parent math or literacy events to share (or other related to site).

Week 8 – Mar. 6 – The Important Place of Grandparents, Foster/Adoptive Parents & Families

Planning parent events continued

Can social Action be curriculum?

Choose one:
Birkmayer, J., Cohen, J. Doran, I., Variano, D. (2005). Supporting grandparents who raise grandchildren. Young Children, May.

Or:

Greenberg, J. (2003). “She is So My Real Mom!”: Helping Children Understand Adoption as One Form of Family Diversity.

Discussion: Parent event resources fair
Examples SAP
Planning and Discussion SAP or Parent Event and Implementation

Week 9 – Mar. 17 – The Important Place of Fathers

Video about fathers' presence/absence

Choose One:
Frieman, B. B., & Berkeley, T. R. (2002). Encouraging fathers to participate in the school experiences of young children: The teacher's role. Early Childhood Education Journal, 29(1), 209–213.

Or:

McBride, B. A., & Rane, T. R. (1997). Father/male involvement in early childhood programs: Issues and challenges. Early Childhood Education Journal, 25(1), 11–15.

Or:

Frieman, B. B. (1998). What early childhood educators need to know about divorced fathers. Early Childhood Education Journal, 25(4), 239–241.

Work on SAP and Parent Events Ongoing in Field

Week 10 – March 20 – Video: That's A Family

Read:
Clay, J. W. (2003). Working with lesbian and gay parents and their children. A World of Difference, NAEYC

Book Review:
Casper, V., & Schultz, S. B. (1999). Gay parents, straight schools: Building communication and trust. Teacher College Press.

Share: Video reflection, silent writing
Due: Review Weiss, et al. choose top 3 case for review

Spring Break – March 27

Week 11 – April 3 – Differentiating Practices with Language Minority Children/Families

Required Reading:
Tabors, P. O. (2003) What early childhood educators need to know: Developing effective programs for linguistically and culturally diverse children and families. In A World of Difference. NAEYC. 1-928896-09-x

Okagaki, L., & Diamond, K. (2000). Responding to cultural and linguistic differences in the beliefs and practices of families with young children. Young Children.

Book Review:
Igoa. (1995). The Inner World of the Immigrant Child. Lawrence Erlbaum.

Due: Part II Self Identity Family Study

Week 12 – April 10 – Immigrant Law With Language Minority Children and Parent/Teacher Practice

Read:
Lundgren, D., & Morrison, J. W. (2003). Involving Spanish-speaking families in early education programs. Young Children, May.

Choose One:
Phi Delta Kappan article on effective HSCP with Latino communities (to be given).

Or:

Watkins, R., & Quinones-Eatman, J. (2005). An introduction to cross-cultural communication. Working with linguistically diverse families. (Eds. Santos, Rosa Milagros, Corso, Robert M., and Fowler, Susan A.), p. 315.

Or:

Helm, J. H., & Wilson, R. A. (2003). Supporting second-language learners. The power of projects: Meeting contemporary challenges in early childhood classrooms. Strategies and Solutions. (Eds. Judy Harris Helm and Sallee Beneke), pp. 64–71.

Book Review:
Valdes, G. (1996). Con respeto: Bridging the distance between culturally diverse families and schools, an ethnographic portrait. Teacher College.

Week 13 – April 17 – Caring for the Children We Share Reevaluated

Introduction to group consensus building

Present/share cases from Weiss, et. al (2005)

Case 1:

Case 2:

Case 3:

Case 4:

Week 14 – April 14 – Share and Discussion of Social Action Projects and/or Parent Events

Share: Social Action Projects & Parent Events

Due: Conceptual Framework Integration

Discussion: How it all comes together

Conceptual framework & HSCP…differentiation for diversity…

Week 15 – May 1 – Wrap Up

Share: Social Action Projects & Parent Events

Due: Conceptual Framework Integration

Discussion: How it all comes together

Conceptual framework & HSCP…differentiation for diversity…

 

Required Assignments

Participation – 10%

Throughout the semester you will be asked to do several stages of larger projects, and several smaller tasks. The effort, interest, enthusiasm, and care with which you complete these small things will be your participation grade. At the end of the session you will evaluate yourself for participation, with my evaluative framing agreeing or disagreeing with your own. Did you come to class well prepared? How?

Participation journal work from the field: You will be expected to keep a log of your work in the field as part of your participation grade. The log is a good place to document ideas about the children, the community, teaching, for social action work, interview questions for mentoring teacher and principals, sharing with colleagues, etc. Finally the conceptual framework integration piece is connected to your journal work.

2nd week: Due Self Identity/Family Study Part 1 (5%)
3rd 4th week: Teacher/Principal/Ancillary Staff interview (20%)
5th week to 8th week: Parent/Teacher Communication Tool (15%)
Tool due week 5, analysis, adjustments, written reflection due week 8
4th, 5th, 6th, 10th, 11th, 12th Book Reviews & presentations (20%)
3th -6th week Action project Begun
6th- 9th SAP, PEI projects on-going work
10th week: self-identity family study, part II due (5%)
13th week: Draft of conceptual integration piece
14th 15th week: Share Social Action Projects, Parent Event Implementation & Discuss (25%)
By 15th week: Final Conceptual Framework integration (10%)

I. Personal Reflection: Self-Identity/Family Study – 10% (Due Date 2nd, 8/10th week)

A. In a concise but fairly short written paper (3–4 pages) describe your preschool years and early primary school years. Describe the types of learning and parenting practices that occurred in your home (or family), your parents' marital, work, or culturally related practices, which bore influence upon your transitions into public school experiences. Describe how experiences in early years eased or prohibited your adjustment to early schooling. In other words:

  • What were aspects of how parent's (or caregiver's) involvement mattered to your early schooling?
  • Reflect upon the early primary grades, middle school, and high school.
  • How were your primary caregivers (parents) involved in your schooling?
  • How did they show you they valued your education?
  • What did they do, say, think, or believe about school?
  • What were other significant sources of learning or support, which helped you, be a successful student?
  • Were there aspects of family life, which did not fit with school expectations of parents?
  • What was your role in your own school success?

B. Revisit the first iteration of your self-identity family study. Reevaluate how your parents were involved and your place in your success with what you know now about children in low-income, high-risk environments.

  • Using your journaling reevaluate the involvement model you grew up with.
  • Is it realistic for the children you worked with this semester? Why, why not? How? When?
  • What other important meso, micro, exo, and macro system support are crucial to your students success.
  • How does this make you think in terms of your role as an educator? What you'll do to promote partnerships for your students in the future?

II. Teacher, Principal, and Ancillary Staff Interview Opportunity (20%)

How do teachers come to know communities? How do principals come to know communities? Are their perceptions based on their experiences, values, fact, opinion, or theories of teaching and learning?

A. In order to facilitate your quick learning about the social context of this setting you'll be asked to conduct a short interview with your mentoring teacher and a short interview with the building principal.

B. One aspect of the interview can be to learn about her priorities in facilitating home, school, community partnerships. Another aspect is to understand better some of the routines, activities, decisions, and observations you have formed during the first week or two of your placement. Ultimately the interview is to elicit her values and priorities within parent communities and further along your projects (40142) by what you've learned.

C. Possible questions (more generated in class): Tell me about your priorities for this group of learners? What are some of the ways you routinely involve parents in their children's school experience? What are some of your greatest accomplishments over the years in this school community? In regards to the parents or wider community? Tell me some of the most challenging matters regarding work with families and parents in this community? Are there any upcoming units/themes/lessons in which parent input could be helpful…tell me about that…

D. Small Group work will generate the principal interview questions. Questions will be based on the school priorities and each member of the group must contribute. (Setting up the interview, analyzing results, sharing and brainstorming, group decision making related to results).

E. Analyze and use information to make decisions about field experiences, SAP, Parent Event planning and elements of your work in the community. In class sharing opportunities TBA.

III. Parents & Teacher Communication Tool 15% (Tool Due Date 5th week, Analysis & Alternations/written reflection Due 8th week)

A. As you come to know the children and field setting, work with your mentoring teacher to devise a simple set of questions for parents. Questions can be about children's habits and personalities, parent's worries or concerns, simple information about academic or social goals, or any other topic deemed appropriate by you and the mentoring teacher (the professor will provide an example or two). Plan a realistic way of acquiring answers to your questions via a group communication "tool" (email responses, written questionnaire, telephone conversations, other). After the co-development of the communication tool you will…

B. Analyze what you've learned into a written reflection. Questions you might ask in this reflection are:

  • What was the background of the development of your communication tool? How were various members of the learning community involved? What surprised you about the development of the tool? As you collected parent's responses to the tool…Are there similarities or differences among parent's responses? Explain…What types of adjustments to curriculum planning, environmental design, children's experiences, grouping, schedule, or expectations did your information lead you to make? Why? How did you and your mentoring teacher share information about what was learned? What did you learn that had a significant impact on what you did as a teacher? What do you still need to learn and how would you do this differently next time? What surprised you? How did the experience help you grow as a professional?

D. Written paper reflection (4-7 pages).

III. Book Review and Book Presentation 20% (Due Date Variable, check syllabus)

A. & B. You and several other students in the class are expected to read and share a book review presentation about a book from a list of choice. Within class, you will have 30 minutes to share what you learned from the book, what the book revealed about home and school connections, and communities of practice which connect to children's schooling.

  • After reviewing the book for classmates (and yourself in a two page written form), use the book as evidence, and generate possible ways in which expectations of parent involvement or school partnerships would be adjusted, altered, or differentiated for communities, parents, and children described in the book.
  • What curriculum adjustments would you make for this child? This family? In other words, what would meaningful partnerships look like for these individuals? Why?
  • How does the book problematize teacher's practices in diverse communities? What questions does the author raise? What questions have you raised for your own practice about teaching, learning, and working with/for parents?
  • Develop a short study supplement to capture main points learned
  • Individually write a brief 3-5 page book review (via rubric)

IV. Singular or Group-Generated Social Action Project (begun week 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Due week 14/15) 25%

  • This project allows you to live out your new awareness about community partnerships through action.
  • Develop a proposal focused on local needs of young children, communities, or families and settings or the needs of larger organizations which serve young children.
  • Explain the spheres of influence upon which you can act and the risks involved in acting to promote social change for young children, teachers, and families. Develop a realistic time line to research, network, and act. Identify relations, social networks, and institutional settings which bear upon your decisions and choices of action.
  • Take the steps of your social action oriented process and follow-through with an in-class report. Report the resulting local changes that your work helped to institute.
  • Report any further plans for a continuation of this process of social change, or give an analysis of the farther reaching results of the project. (the effects on local players, social networks, relationships, institutional settings, children, families, or teachers)
  • Develop a resource packet for class members which reflects upon the process-templates, schedules, network diagrams, snow-balling effects, direct/indirect benefits, short-term or long-term issues, new issues which have arisen, positive unintended effects, negative unintended effects.
  • Can SAP be curriculum: Very likely, we will discuss instances in which curriculum work is also social action work.

V. Parent Event Planning and Implementation (begun week 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Due week 14/15) 25%

  • This project allows you to plan a parent event around the concerns of community (math, literacy, grandparents as parents, homework help, etc.).
  • Develop a proposal issuing from the group communication tool and discussions with teachers and principals. Document various stages of the early planning and implementation. Account for various perspectives which will need to be taken in order for the work to succeed. Draw on Project GRAD, each other, families, elders, etc. to succeed.
  • Develop a sequence of practical strategies for recruiting, supporting, and satisfying parents during a 1-2 hour parent event. Find appropriate ways to marshal resources and impact parent support of their children's schooling.
  • Implement the plan and document the results.
  • Give an analysis of the strengths and challenges in the event and report new learning in the form of discussion

VI. Conceptual Framework Integration: 10% (Due week 14/15)

Choose at least 3-5 key events, assignments, statements, observations from this class or field work which prompted questions, evoked confusions, validated or challenged a belief, made sense, make you think, or influenced you strongly…

  • Describe in written form how you processed it through the conceptual framework (talking, listening, reading, putting into new contexts, investigating, researching, wondering, rethinking, working it out,) How did you connect the key event (etc.) to previous coursework, readings, books, articles, personal experiences, prior beliefs and values, that you have seen, children…how will you continue to pursue understanding, or how did the event impact your teaching, research, reading, broaden experience, develop philosophy further, make you do activism, advocacy for children, ask new questions, meet new people, etc.
  • Use supporting evidence to show how you have worked to develop six components…

Curriculum Expert: What have you learned and how have you document3ed it? (How have you translated standards/materials differently to meet the needs and interests of children? What have you learned about people and organizations to influence what happens in schools, classrooms, communities? What steps will you take to make sense of curriculum in the future?

Pedagogical Expert: What have you learned and how have you documented it? (How have you applied/used your knowledge of classroom environment/expectations and various children and/or families to adapt for learning processes? How does self-reflection and investigation influence your decision-making? What is important when selecting materials for yourself and your students and their families?

Committed Professional: how have you demonstrated your commitment and documented it? (How much have you been to class and field? How prepared have you been? What interconnections did you make? How have you extended your thinking to address/respond to a concern? What has your connection to community been? How brave have you been and will you be as an advocate for children? For families and communities?

Co-Decision Maker: How actively have you listened to peers, mentors, leaders, and considered their ideas? Have you worked to involve children in decision-making? When have you found opportunities to apply deep listening to others experience? How has listening extended and impacted your decision-making? Where have you found opportunities to listen to children? How has collaboration with mentoring teacher and others in site shaped your work? What sense do you take from this to further teaching work?

Reflective Practitioner: Consider how you have persevered in understanding, rethought a belief, or struggled to make meaning in a new situation. How did you seek to resolve internal and external struggle? By what sequence of means did you live with or alter ambiguities? What have you learned about yourself? What is important to you about being reflective?

Democratically Accountable Leader: Can you see through the and beyond what is obvious in school policy related to parents, communities, and home-school partnerships? Question the status quo? Look through multiple lenses at the same phenomenon? How have you sought to experience “the other” in your work as a teacher? When were you “the other” as a teacher? How have you stretched your personal and professional experience? What questions do you have of yourself and others regarding curriculum and schooling? How brave can you and will you be to support your students/children? What parts of community partnerships, curriculum, and pedagogic practices do you evaluate through a critical lens?

Grading System

All grades will be scored as a point value:

A = Superior (98–100%)
A– = Pretty Close to Superior (92–97)
B+ = Really Good (89-91%)
B = Good (87-82%)
B– = Slightly Above Average (81–80%)
C += Average(79–77%)
C = Slightly Below Average (70–76%)
D = Unacceptable (69.9 and below).

Participation: +/n/- (plus, neutral, minus) Will be applied to grades which are closely between or may bring a grade down.

Assignment Hypothetical Evaluation Proportional Weight
Self-Identity/Family Study 5 & 4 = 9 5% / 5%
Mentor teacher/principal and ancillary staff/parent interview 18 20%
Co-Developed Communication Tool & Analysis 14.5 (not enough application to classroom) 15%
Book Review/Presentation 20 (great work!) 20%
Social Action Project or Parent Event Implementation 20 (only followed ½ of rubric) 25%
Conceptual Framework Integration 10 (stellar work!) 10%
Final Grade 91.5% 100%
  A solid B+…good but not outstanding

Free. Available online only.

© 2016 Presidents and Fellows of Harvard College
Published by Harvard Family Research Project