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Delaware Parent Leadership Institute Honors New Graduates
Twenty-nine parents from across the state were honored October 12 as graduates of the Delaware Parent Leadership Institute (DPLI), a training program focused on improving student achievement and increasing parental involvement in Delaware’s public schools. Seventeen DPLI fellows, previous DPLI graduates who have completed their school-based projects, were also recognized at the ceremony, which took place at the Christiana Hilton in Wilmington. Since it was established in 2004, DPLI has trained 135 parent leaders and has impacted the lives of more than 1,000 children and families.
DPLI partners with the Delaware Parent Information Resource Center (DE-PIRC), an umbrella organization for partners that work collectively to advance academic outcomes for students most at-risk of academic failure. DE-PIRC is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and is coordinated by the Parent Information Center of Delaware.
Citing October as Parent and Family Engagement month in Delaware, Pat Heffernan, state education board member and co-founder of Brandywine Special Needs PTA, congratulated the honorees on behalf of Governor Ruth Ann Minner. Heffernan urged schools, families, and communities to take an active role in the education of Delaware students and to work with their school districts to adopt and implement parental involvement policies that promote meaningful home-school interaction.
Keynote speaker Reginald Clark, nationally-recognized educational researcher and lecturer, emphasized the important role of parents, teachers, and community-based organizations in effectively supporting the growth and success of children and youth.
During their three-month DPLI experience, parents work collaboratively in three weekend sessions to develop new skills and to improve their knowledge about Delaware’s public education system. Each participant commits to at least one sustainable project in a school or the community focusing on improving student achievement. Past projects have addressed creative ways to improve students' skills in math, reading, college readiness, and transitions to other schools.
The Delaware Parent Leadership Institute, offered by the Rodel Foundation of Delaware, directly aligns with Vision 2015's recommendation to offer leadership and advocacy training to families and institute school-based family liaisons to strengthen school-family ties.
Learn more about DPLI, a feature in Vision 2015's Promising Practices section.
Lake Forest Educator Named Delaware's 45th Teacher of the Year
Congratulations to Mark Teesdale, general music and chorus teacher at Lake Forest Central Elementary School, who was named Delaware’s 2009 Teacher of the Year at a ceremony on October 21. The 45th teacher to earn that honor, Teesdale said he will focus on "raising the awareness of the importance of arts education in the development of the whole child." Read The News Journal article, “Top teacher emphasizes the arts.”
Help Us Identify Promising Practices in Delaware
Delaware's public schools have a lot to be proud of. Many of them are already demonstrating Vision 2015 recommendations. Click on our map to view some of Delaware's best practices.
Help us identify more promising practices in Delaware public schools by filling out this form. |
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Delaware Talk Radio Features Vision 2015
Skip Schoenhals, Chair of Vision 2015, updated Delaware Talk Radio listeners about Vision 2015 in an extended interview on October 17. Topics included the plan’s priorities for the next administration, suggestions for a new student testing system, and the state’s public education budget. Listen to the interview.
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VISION-aries
“As a starting point, ask candidates a simple question: By June 30, will you agree to identify $90 million of tax dollars -- from the $158 million identified by LEAD -- and rededicate those education funds over the next three years to the priorities identified in Vision 2015? .... Thousands of Delawareans stand ready to stand up for Vision 2015. Now we need the state's political leaders to join us as equal partners in this effort.”
-- Paul Herdman, President and CEO, Rodel Foundation of Delaware, in The News Journal’s October 23 opinion editorial, “It's time to rethink schools' place in the world.”
Research
Early childhood programs that encourage support for student learning in the home environment have demonstrated dramatic and long-lasting effects on student success. One study examined the results of a center-based early intervention program that provides comprehensive educational and family-support services to economically disadvantaged children from preschool through early elementary school. Children whose parents participated had higher educational and social outcomes than those that didn’t:
- Participation at ages 3 or 4 was associated with greater educational and social outcomes that continued for at least 18 years.
- Children whose families participated for 4 to 6 years had higher reading and math achievement, as well as lower rates of special education, grade retention, and child abuse. These children were also 40% more likely to graduate from high school.
Source: Reynolds, A. & Clements, M. (2005). “Parental Involvement and Children’s School Success,” in Patikakou et al., School-Family Partnerships: Promoting the Social, Emotional, and Academic Growth of Children. New York: Teachers College Press.
Did You Know?
Benefits of parent involvement in their children’s learning build over time. Research shows that the more families support their children’s learning and educational progress, the more their children tend to do well in school and continue their education. Significantly increasing outreach to parents can translate into 17-point gains for previously low-achieving students.
The Longitudinal Evaluation of School Change and Performance in Title I Schools
A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement
Contact Us
To get the latest information on how to become involved with Vision 2015, please visit our web site, http://www.vision2015delaware.org, or e-mail us at info@vision2015delaware.org.
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